Should I play Freedom Planet 2 or Hardcore Soldier first?

If you want chronology, Freedom Planet 2 (2022) came out before Hardcore Soldier (2026). 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 Freedom Planet 2 and Hardcore Soldier similar?

They overlap on Action, Indie, 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.

Does Freedom Planet 2 run on Steam Deck?

Yes — Freedom Planet 2 is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Hardcore Soldier doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.

Freedom Planet 2 vs Hardcore Soldier

Freedom Planet 2 and Hardcore Soldier both land in Action, Indie, 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 share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Freedom Planet 2 (2022) is 4 years older than Hardcore Soldier (2026). Freedom Planet 2 is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Hardcore Soldier has no Deck rating yet. 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 Freedom Planet 2

Choose Freedom Planet 2 if you want the Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,118 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Hardcore Soldier

Choose Hardcore Soldier if you want the Save Anytime side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Hardcore Soldier launched in 2026.

Both Freedom Planet 2 and Hardcore Soldier sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Playable without Timed Input, Keyboard Only Option, and Adjustable Difficulty, 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.

Freedom Planet 2 vs Hardcore Soldier — Steam metadata comparison
	Freedom Planet 2	Hardcore Soldier
Released	2022	2026
Genres	Action, Indie, Adventure	Action, Indie, Adventure
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Steam Deck	Deck Verified	Unrated
Price	24.99 USD	Price unknown
Steam reviews	95.7% positive (1,118 reviews)	—
Multiplayer	Single-player only	Single-player only
Developers	GalaxyTrail	James H. Van der Meulen

Side by side

Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
Freedom Planet 2 (2022) is 4 years older than Hardcore Soldier (2026).
Freedom Planet 2 is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Hardcore Soldier has no Deck rating yet.