Choose Life is Strange 2
Choose Life is Strange 2 if you want the Adjustable Text Size side of the pairing. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 16,461 Steam reviews back the pick.
Life is Strange 2 vs Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Life is Strange 2 and Life is Strange: Before the Storm both land in Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Adventure games on Steam. Life is Strange: Before the Storm (2017) is 1 year older than Life is Strange 2 (2018). Life is Strange: Before the Storm scores higher on Steam reviews (92.6% positive) than Life is Strange 2 (85.4% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Choose Life is Strange: Before the Storm if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 92.6% positive across 13,006 reviews.
Both Life is Strange 2 and Life is Strange: Before the Storm sit in Adventure on Steam and both list Subtitle Options, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Life is Strange 2 |  Life is Strange: Before the Storm | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Genres | Adventure | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 16.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.4% positive (16,461 reviews) | 92.6% positive (13,006 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | DONTNOD Entertainment, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) | Deck Nine, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Life is Strange: Before the Storm (2017) is 1 year older than Life is Strange 2 (2018).
- Life is Strange: Before the Storm scores higher on Steam reviews (92.6% positive) than Life is Strange 2 (85.4% positive).
- Life is Strange 2 is free; Life is Strange: Before the Storm is paid (16.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Life is Strange 2 is Deck Verified, Life is Strange: Before the Storm is Deck Playable.
Life is Strange 2 vs Life is Strange: Before the Storm — FAQ
- Which is better, Life is Strange 2 or Life is Strange: Before the Storm?
- On Steam reviews Life is Strange: Before the Storm scores higher (92.6% positive) than Life is Strange 2 (85.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Life is Strange: Before the Storm is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Life is Strange 2 or Life is Strange: Before the Storm first?
- If you want chronology, Life is Strange: Before the Storm (2017) came out before Life is Strange 2 (2018). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Life is Strange 2 and Life is Strange: Before the Storm similar?
- They overlap on Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is Life is Strange 2 free?
- Yes — Life is Strange 2 is a free-to-play Steam title. Life is Strange: Before the Storm is paid (16.99 USD).