Choose X-COM: UFO Defense
Choose X-COM: UFO Defense if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 97.1% positive across 2,446 reviews.
X-COM: UFO Defense vs XCOM: Enemy Unknown
X-COM: UFO Defense and XCOM: Enemy Unknown both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. X-COM: UFO Defense (2008) is 4 years older than XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012). X-COM: UFO Defense scores higher on Steam reviews (97.1% positive) than XCOM: Enemy Unknown (93% 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 XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Choose XCOM: Enemy Unknown if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2012) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 24,805 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both X-COM: UFO Defense and XCOM: Enemy Unknown sit in Strategy 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
 X-COM: UFO Defense |  XCOM: Enemy Unknown | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2008 | 2012 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 97.1% positive (2,446 reviews) | 93% positive (24,805 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | MicroProse Software, Inc | Firaxis Games, Feral Interactive (Linux) |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- X-COM: UFO Defense (2008) is 4 years older than XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012).
- X-COM: UFO Defense scores higher on Steam reviews (97.1% positive) than XCOM: Enemy Unknown (93% positive).
- X-COM: UFO Defense is currently ~17% cheaper on Steam than XCOM: Enemy Unknown (4.99 USD vs. 5.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: X-COM: UFO Defense is Deck Unsupported, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is Deck Playable.
X-COM: UFO Defense vs XCOM: Enemy Unknown — FAQ
- Which is better, X-COM: UFO Defense or XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
- On Steam reviews X-COM: UFO Defense scores higher (97.1% positive) than XCOM: Enemy Unknown (93% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, X-COM: UFO Defense is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play X-COM: UFO Defense or XCOM: Enemy Unknown first?
- If you want chronology, X-COM: UFO Defense (2008) came out before XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012). 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 X-COM: UFO Defense and XCOM: Enemy Unknown similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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 X-COM: UFO Defense have multiplayer like XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
- No. XCOM: Enemy Unknown supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer), while X-COM: UFO Defense is listed as single-player only.