Choose Risk of Rain 2
Choose Risk of Rain 2 if you want an Indie game with Steam Leaderboards, Online PvP, and PvP. 160,098 Steam reviews back the pick.
Risk of Rain 2 vs Risk of Rain Returns
Risk of Rain 2 and Risk of Rain Returns 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. Risk of Rain 2 (2020) is 3 years older than Risk of Rain Returns (2023). Both sit near 95% positive on Steam (Risk of Rain 2: 160,098 reviews, Risk of Rain Returns: 16,644). 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 Risk of Rain Returns
Choose Risk of Rain Returns if you want the Shared/Split Screen, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, and Subtitle Options side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. 16,644 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Risk of Rain 2 and Risk of Rain Returns sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Adjustable Text Size, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (95.3% vs 94.7% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Risk of Rain 2 |  Risk of Rain Returns | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (160,098 reviews) | 94.7% positive (16,644 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Hopoo Games | Hopoo Games |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Risk of Rain 2 (2020) is 3 years older than Risk of Rain Returns (2023).
- Both sit near 95% positive on Steam (Risk of Rain 2: 160,098 reviews, Risk of Rain Returns: 16,644).
- Risk of Rain Returns is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Risk of Rain 2 (14.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Risk of Rain 2 is Deck Playable, Risk of Rain Returns is Deck Verified.
Risk of Rain 2 vs Risk of Rain Returns — FAQ
- Which is better, Risk of Rain 2 or Risk of Rain Returns?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Risk of Rain 2 sits at 95.3% positive (160,098 reviews), Risk of Rain Returns at 94.7% (16,644). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Risk of Rain 2 or Risk of Rain Returns first?
- If you want chronology, Risk of Rain 2 (2020) came out before Risk of Rain Returns (2023). 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 Risk of Rain 2 and Risk of Rain Returns 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 Risk of Rain 2 and Risk of Rain Returns have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Risk of Rain 2 ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Risk of Rain Returns ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.