Choose Arena Master
Choose Arena Master if it's currently about 47% cheaper on the Steam Store. Arena Master launched in 2016.
Arena Master vs Diary of Defender
Arena Master and Diary of Defender both land in Action, Indie, Early Access 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 share Action, Indie, Early Access on Steam. Arena Master (2016) is 2 years older than Diary of Defender (2018). Arena Master is currently ~47% cheaper on Steam than Diary of Defender (7.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD). 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 Diary of Defender
Choose Diary of Defender if you want an Adventure, Simulation, and Gore experience. Diary of Defender launched in 2018.
Both Arena Master and Diary of Defender sit in Action, Indie, and Early Access on Steam and both list Tracked Controller Support and VR Only, 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
 Arena Master |  Diary of Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Early Access, Violent | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Early Access, Violent, Gore |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 7.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 2 reviews | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Dreamwalk Studios | 5th VR |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Early Access on Steam.
- Arena Master (2016) is 2 years older than Diary of Defender (2018).
- Arena Master is currently ~47% cheaper on Steam than Diary of Defender (7.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
Arena Master vs Diary of Defender — FAQ
- Should I play Arena Master or Diary of Defender first?
- If you want chronology, Arena Master (2016) came out before Diary of Defender (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 Arena Master and Diary of Defender similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Early Access 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.