Choose Dakar 18
Choose Dakar 18 if you want a Sports, Adventure, and Simulation game with Shared/Split Screen. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 65.2% positive across 287 reviews.
Dakar 18 vs Dakar Desert Rally
Dakar 18 and Dakar Desert Rally both land in Racing 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 Racing games on Steam. Dakar 18 (2018) is 4 years older than Dakar Desert Rally (2022). Dakar 18 scores higher on Steam reviews (65.2% positive) than Dakar Desert Rally (50.6% 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 Dakar Desert Rally
Choose Dakar Desert Rally if it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Dakar Desert Rally launched in 2022.
Both Dakar 18 and Dakar Desert Rally sit in Racing on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, 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
 Dakar 18 |  Dakar Desert Rally | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Genres | Sports, Adventure, Simulation, Racing | Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 65.2% positive (287 reviews) | 50.6% positive (575 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Bigmoon Entertainment | Saber Porto Ltd. |
Side by side
- Both are Racing games on Steam.
- Dakar 18 (2018) is 4 years older than Dakar Desert Rally (2022).
- Dakar 18 scores higher on Steam reviews (65.2% positive) than Dakar Desert Rally (50.6% positive).
- Dakar Desert Rally is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Dakar 18 (5.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Dakar 18 vs Dakar Desert Rally — FAQ
- Which is better, Dakar 18 or Dakar Desert Rally?
- On Steam reviews Dakar 18 scores higher (65.2% positive) than Dakar Desert Rally (50.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Dakar 18 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Dakar 18 or Dakar Desert Rally first?
- If you want chronology, Dakar 18 (2018) came out before Dakar Desert Rally (2022). 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 Dakar 18 and Dakar Desert Rally similar?
- They overlap on Racing 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.