Choose Dead Cells
Choose Dead Cells if you want an Adventure experience. 43,598 Steam reviews back the pick.
Dead Cells vs Nightmare: The Lunatic
Dead Cells and Nightmare: The Lunatic both land in Action, Indie 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 on Steam. Dead Cells (2018) is 6 years older than Nightmare: The Lunatic (2024). Dead Cells scores higher on Steam reviews (96.4% positive) than Nightmare: The Lunatic (91.7% 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 Nightmare: The Lunatic
Choose Nightmare: The Lunatic if it's currently about 32% cheaper on the Steam Store. Nightmare: The Lunatic launched in 2024.
Both Dead Cells and Nightmare: The Lunatic sit in Action and Indie on Steam, 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
 Dead Cells |  Nightmare: The Lunatic | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 16.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.4% positive (43,598 reviews) | 91.7% positive (60 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Motion Twin | Maetdol Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie on Steam.
- Dead Cells (2018) is 6 years older than Nightmare: The Lunatic (2024).
- Dead Cells scores higher on Steam reviews (96.4% positive) than Nightmare: The Lunatic (91.7% positive).
- Nightmare: The Lunatic is currently ~32% cheaper on Steam than Dead Cells (16.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Verified.
Dead Cells vs Nightmare: The Lunatic — FAQ
- Should I play Dead Cells or Nightmare: The Lunatic first?
- If you want chronology, Dead Cells (2018) came out before Nightmare: The Lunatic (2024). 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 Dead Cells and Nightmare: The Lunatic similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie 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 Dead Cells and Nightmare: The Lunatic both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.