Should I play System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster or The Hollow House first?

If you want chronology, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster (2025) came out before The Hollow House (2026). 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.

Is The Hollow House free?

Yes — The Hollow House is a free-to-play Steam title. System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is paid (29.99 USD).

Does System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster run on Steam Deck?

Yes — System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is rated Deck Verified by Valve. The Hollow House doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster vs The Hollow House

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster and The Hollow House sit side-by-side in player discussions even though their catalogue tags only partly overlap. 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: System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster (2025) is 1 year older than The Hollow House (2026). System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than The Hollow House (72.7% positive). The Hollow House is free; System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is paid (29.99 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 System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

Choose System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster if you want an Action, Adventure, and RPG game with LAN Co-op. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 1,310 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose The Hollow House

Choose The Hollow House if you want an Indie and Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Hollow House launched in 2026.

Both System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster and The Hollow House ship Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op on Steam, so either pick lands close enough that the choice is taste, not category. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster vs The Hollow House — Steam metadata comparison
	System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster	The Hollow House
Released	2025	2026
Genres	Action, Adventure, RPG	Indie, Free To Play
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Steam Deck	Deck Verified	Unrated
Price	29.99 USD	Free to play
Steam reviews	87.4% positive (1,310 reviews)	72.7% positive (11 reviews)
Multiplayer	Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op	Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op
Developers	Nightdive Studios, Looking Glass Studios, Irrational Games	hasdan23

Side by side

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster (2025) is 1 year older than The Hollow House (2026).
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than The Hollow House (72.7% positive).
The Hollow House is free; System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is paid (29.99 USD).
Both support cooperative play.
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Hollow House has no Deck rating yet.