Choose NBA Playgrounds
Choose NBA Playgrounds if it matches what drew you to this matchup. NBA Playgrounds launched in 2017.
NBA Playgrounds vs NBA 2K Playgrounds 2
NBA Playgrounds and NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 both land in Sports 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 Sports games on Steam. NBA Playgrounds (2017) is 1 year older than NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 (2018). NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (79.8% positive) than NBA Playgrounds (62.3% 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 NBA 2K Playgrounds 2
Choose NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 if you want the Online Co-op, PvP, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 79.8% positive across 486 reviews.
Both NBA Playgrounds and NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 sit in Sports on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Shared/Split Screen PvP, 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
 NBA Playgrounds |  NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Genres | Sports | Sports |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | Price unknown | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 62.3% positive (395 reviews) | 79.8% positive (486 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Saber Interactive | Saber Interactive |
Side by side
- Both are Sports games on Steam.
- NBA Playgrounds (2017) is 1 year older than NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 (2018).
- NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (79.8% positive) than NBA Playgrounds (62.3% positive).
- Both support cooperative play.
- NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; NBA Playgrounds has no Deck rating yet.
NBA Playgrounds vs NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, NBA Playgrounds or NBA 2K Playgrounds 2?
- On Steam reviews NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 scores higher (79.8% positive) than NBA Playgrounds (62.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play NBA Playgrounds or NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 first?
- If you want chronology, NBA Playgrounds (2017) came out before NBA 2K Playgrounds 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 NBA Playgrounds and NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 similar?
- They overlap on Sports 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.
- Do both NBA Playgrounds and NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: NBA Playgrounds ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op; NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.