Choose Purgation
Choose Purgation if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Purgation launched in 2017.
Purgation vs Diary of Defender
Purgation and Diary of Defender both land in Indie, Violent, Gore 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 Indie, Violent, Gore on Steam. Purgation (2017) is 1 year older than Diary of Defender (2018). Purgation is free; Diary of Defender is paid (14.99 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 Diary of Defender
Choose Diary of Defender if you want an Action, Adventure, and Simulation experience. Diary of Defender launched in 2018.
Both Purgation and Diary of Defender sit in Indie, Violent, and Gore on Steam and both list Tracked Controller Support and VR Only, 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
 Purgation |  Diary of Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Genres | Indie, Violent, Gore | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Early Access, Violent, Gore |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 70.6% positive (17 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Arttu Tuovinen, Paul Georgeon, Corentin Jezequel, Eddine Omar, Alexandre Petrault, Johan Rendy | 5th VR |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Violent, Gore on Steam.
- Purgation (2017) is 1 year older than Diary of Defender (2018).
- Purgation is free; Diary of Defender is paid (14.99 USD).
- Purgation is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Diary of Defender has no Deck rating yet.
Purgation vs Diary of Defender — FAQ
- Should I play Purgation or Diary of Defender first?
- If you want chronology, Purgation (2017) came out before Diary of Defender (2018). 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 Purgation and Diary of Defender similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Violent, Gore 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.
- Is Purgation free?
- Yes — Purgation is a free-to-play Steam title. Diary of Defender is paid (14.99 USD).