Dota 2 vs ARK: Survival Evolved
Dota 2 and ARK: Survival Evolved both land in Action 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 Action games on Steam. Dota 2 (2013) is 4 years older than ARK: Survival Evolved (2017). Dota 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (88.1% positive) than ARK: Survival Evolved (80.8% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Side-by-side comparison
 Dota 2 |  ARK: Survival Evolved | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.1% positive (827,181 reviews) | 80.8% positive (253,840 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Multi-player, Co-op |
| Developers | Valve | Studio Wildcard, Instinct Games, Efecto Studios, Virtual Basement LLC |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Dota 2 (2013) is 4 years older than ARK: Survival Evolved (2017).
- Dota 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (88.1% positive) than ARK: Survival Evolved (80.8% positive).
- Dota 2 is free; ARK: Survival Evolved is paid (14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Dota 2 is Deck Playable, ARK: Survival Evolved is Deck Verified.
Dota 2 vs ARK: Survival Evolved — FAQ
- Which is better, Dota 2 or ARK: Survival Evolved?
- On Steam reviews Dota 2 scores higher (88.1% positive) than ARK: Survival Evolved (80.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Dota 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 Dota 2 or ARK: Survival Evolved first?
- If you want chronology, Dota 2 (2013) came out before ARK: Survival Evolved (2017). 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 Dota 2 and ARK: Survival Evolved similar?
- They overlap on Action 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 Dota 2 and ARK: Survival Evolved have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Dota 2 ships Co-op; ARK: Survival Evolved ships Co-op.
- Is Dota 2 free?
- Yes — Dota 2 is a free-to-play Steam title. ARK: Survival Evolved is paid (14.99 USD).