Choose Grim Nights
Choose Grim Nights if you want an Indie experience. Grim Nights launched in 2018.
Grim Nights vs The Heart Defenders
Grim Nights and The Heart Defenders 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. Grim Nights (2018) is 4 years older than The Heart Defenders (2022). Both are Deck Playable. 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 The Heart Defenders
Choose The Heart Defenders if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Heart Defenders launched in 2022.
Both Grim Nights and The Heart Defenders 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
 Grim Nights |  The Heart Defenders | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 2.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 87.8% positive (737 reviews) | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Edym Pixels | Harbours Moon |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Grim Nights (2018) is 4 years older than The Heart Defenders (2022).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Grim Nights vs The Heart Defenders — FAQ
- Should I play Grim Nights or The Heart Defenders first?
- If you want chronology, Grim Nights (2018) came out before The Heart Defenders (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 Grim Nights and The Heart Defenders 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.