Choose Valheim
Choose Valheim if you want an Indie and RPG game with DualShock Controller Support, DualSense Controller Support, and Camera Comfort. On Steam, it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. 558,366 Steam reviews back the pick.
Valheim vs Grounded
Valheim and Grounded both land in Action, Adventure 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, Adventure on Steam. Grounded (2022) is 4 years older than Valheim (2026). Both sit near 93% positive on Steam (Valheim: 558,366 reviews, Grounded: 40,087). 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 Grounded
Choose Grounded if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 40,087 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Valheim and Grounded sit in Action and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (93.6% vs 92.7% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Valheim |  Grounded | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 26.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.6% positive (558,366 reviews) | 92.7% positive (40,087 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Iron Gate AB | Obsidian Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure on Steam.
- Grounded (2022) is 4 years older than Valheim (2026).
- Both sit near 93% positive on Steam (Valheim: 558,366 reviews, Grounded: 40,087).
- Valheim is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Grounded (26.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Verified.
Valheim vs Grounded — FAQ
- Which is better, Valheim or Grounded?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Valheim sits at 93.6% positive (558,366 reviews), Grounded at 92.7% (40,087). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Valheim or Grounded first?
- If you want chronology, Grounded (2022) came out before Valheim (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.
- Are Valheim and Grounded similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure 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 Valheim and Grounded have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Valheim ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Grounded ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Do Valheim and Grounded both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.