Choose Dungeon Defenders
Choose Dungeon Defenders if you want the Shared/Split Screen, Steam Leaderboards, and Valve Anti-Cheat enabled side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 93% positive across 8,635 reviews.
Dungeon Defenders vs Dungeon Defenders II
Dungeon Defenders and Dungeon Defenders II both land in Action, Strategy, 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, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Dungeon Defenders (2011) is 6 years older than Dungeon Defenders II (2017). Dungeon Defenders scores higher on Steam reviews (93% positive) than Dungeon Defenders II (74% 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 Dungeon Defenders II
Choose Dungeon Defenders II if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 13,347 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Dungeon Defenders and Dungeon Defenders II sit in Action, Strategy, and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op, 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
 Dungeon Defenders |  Dungeon Defenders II | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, RPG | Action, Strategy, Indie, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 2.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 93% positive (8,635 reviews) | 74% positive (13,347 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Chromatic Games | Chromatic Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Dungeon Defenders (2011) is 6 years older than Dungeon Defenders II (2017).
- Dungeon Defenders scores higher on Steam reviews (93% positive) than Dungeon Defenders II (74% positive).
- Dungeon Defenders II is free; Dungeon Defenders is paid (2.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Unsupported.
Dungeon Defenders vs Dungeon Defenders II — FAQ
- Which is better, Dungeon Defenders or Dungeon Defenders II?
- On Steam reviews Dungeon Defenders scores higher (93% positive) than Dungeon Defenders II (74% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Dungeon Defenders is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Dungeon Defenders or Dungeon Defenders II first?
- If you want chronology, Dungeon Defenders (2011) came out before Dungeon Defenders II (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 Dungeon Defenders and Dungeon Defenders II similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, 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 both Dungeon Defenders and Dungeon Defenders II have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Dungeon Defenders ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Dungeon Defenders II ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Dungeon Defenders II free?
- Yes — Dungeon Defenders II is a free-to-play Steam title. Dungeon Defenders is paid (2.99 USD).