IMHO.

The Evil Within 2 vs SIDE

The Evil Within 2 and SIDE both land in Action, 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, Adventure on Steam. The Evil Within 2 (2017) is 3 years older than SIDE (2020). SIDE is currently ~63% cheaper on Steam than The Evil Within 2 (14.99 USD vs. 39.99 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 The Evil Within 2

Choose The Evil Within 2 if you want the Stereo Sound, Surround Sound, and Adjustable Difficulty side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 5,997 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose SIDE

Choose SIDE if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 63% cheaper on the Steam Store. SIDE launched in 2020.

Both The Evil Within 2 and SIDE sit in Action and Adventure 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

The Evil Within 2 vs SIDE — Steam metadata comparison
The Evil Within 2 — Steam game coverThe Evil Within 2SIDE — Steam game coverSIDE
Released20172020
GenresAction, AdventureAction, Indie, Adventure
PlatformsWindowsWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price39.99 USD14.99 USD
Steam reviews90.7% positive (5,997 reviews)1 reviews
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersTango GameworksTly

Side by side

The Evil Within 2 vs SIDE — FAQ

Should I play The Evil Within 2 or SIDE first?
If you want chronology, The Evil Within 2 (2017) came out before SIDE (2020). 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 The Evil Within 2 and SIDE similar?
They overlap on Action, 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 The Evil Within 2 run on Steam Deck?
Yes — The Evil Within 2 is rated Deck Verified by Valve. SIDE doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.