Choose Sanctum
Choose Sanctum if you want an Action and Casual game with Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 1,335 Steam reviews back the pick.
Sanctum vs Sentinel
Sanctum and Sentinel both land in Strategy, Indie 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 Strategy, Indie on Steam. Sanctum (2011) is 3 years older than Sentinel (2014). Sanctum scores higher on Steam reviews (91.2% positive) than Sentinel (65.5% 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 Sentinel
Choose Sentinel if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Sentinel launched in 2014.
Both Sanctum and Sentinel sit in Strategy and Indie 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
 Sanctum |  Sentinel | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2014 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Casual | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 91.2% positive (1,335 reviews) | 65.5% positive (58 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Coffee Stain Studios | Matthew Brown |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Sanctum (2011) is 3 years older than Sentinel (2014).
- Sanctum scores higher on Steam reviews (91.2% positive) than Sentinel (65.5% positive).
- Sentinel is free; Sanctum is paid (9.99 USD).
- Sanctum has co-op; Sentinel does not.
- Sanctum is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Sentinel has no Deck rating yet.
Sanctum vs Sentinel — FAQ
- Should I play Sanctum or Sentinel first?
- If you want chronology, Sanctum (2011) came out before Sentinel (2014). 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 Sanctum and Sentinel similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie 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 Sentinel have multiplayer like Sanctum?
- No. Sanctum supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op), while Sentinel is listed as single-player only.
- Is Sentinel free?
- Yes — Sentinel is a free-to-play Steam title. Sanctum is paid (9.99 USD).
- Does Sanctum run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Sanctum is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Sentinel doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.