Hammerwatch vs Heroes of Hammerwatch II
Hammerwatch is a roguelike RPG game from Crackshell (2013) while Heroes of Hammerwatch II is an action-RPG roguelike game from Crackshell (2025).
What each one is
Steam files Hammerwatch under Roguelike and RPG. In contrast, it files Heroes of Hammerwatch II under Action-RPG and Roguelike.
A hack and slash action adventure, set in a fantasy pixel art environment. Play solo or co-op in this adventure from bottom to top of Castle Hammerwatch. Kill hordes of enemies with varied looks and features through four unique environments with traps, hidden secrets and puzzles.
A rogue-lite action-rpg that offers extensive persistent progression. Build your town, upgrade and equip your heroes, before taking on the ever-changing Dark Citadel - either solo or with a team of friends.
At a glance
| Hammerwatch | Heroes of Hammerwatch II | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.3/10 | 6.9/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (89%, 6,513) | Very Positive (82%, 6,497) |
| Critic aggregate | 72/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | $9.99 | $19.99 |
| Install size | 0.29 GB | 1 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | playable |
| Released | 2013 | 2025 |
| Developer | Crackshell | Crackshell |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Hammerwatch vs Heroes of Hammerwatch II, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
HammerwatchRoguelike RPG gameHeroes of Hammerwatch IIAction-RPG roguelike gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
HammerwatchDungeon Crawler, Indie, RPGHeroes of Hammerwatch IIRPG, Action RPG, Action RoguelikeThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Hammerwatch ✓Score 7.3 · 89% on Steam · 72 criticHeroes of Hammerwatch IIScore 6.9 · 82% on SteamThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Hammerwatch6,513 reviews · 0.29 GBHeroes of Hammerwatch II6,497 reviews · 1 add-on · 1 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Hammerwatch ✓$9.99Heroes of Hammerwatch II$19.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
HammerwatchPlayableHeroes of Hammerwatch IIPlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Hammerwatch takes 2 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueHammerwatch and Heroes of Hammerwatch II on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Hammerwatch (GamingPickz Score 7.3)
- The cheaper right now: Hammerwatch ($9.99)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Dungeon CrawlerRPGPixel GraphicsActionAdventureHack and SlashRetroFantasy
Where they differ
IndieCo-opLocal Co-OpOnline Co-Op4 Player LocalLocal Multiplayer
Action RPGAction RoguelikeRogue-liteProcedural GenerationCharacter CustomizationMedieval
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Hammerwatch is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Heroes of Hammerwatch II is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Hammerwatch | Heroes of Hammerwatch II | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | OpenGL 1.4 Compatible | OpenGL 3.2+ / |
| Minimum CPU | 1.8 GHz | Intel Core™ Duo |
| Minimum RAM | 1 GB | 3 GB |
| Install size | 0.29 GB | 1 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Hammerwatch · Heroes of Hammerwatch II.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Hammerwatch and 1 for Heroes of Hammerwatch II. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Hammerwatch and Heroes of Hammerwatch II in scope?
Hammerwatch has drawn 6,513 Steam reviews and installs in 0.29 GB. Heroes of Hammerwatch II has drawn 6,497 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 1 GB.
Is Hammerwatch or Heroes of Hammerwatch II better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Hammerwatch rates higher (7.3 to 6.9). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Hammerwatch or Heroes of Hammerwatch II?
Hammerwatch is cheaper right now at $9.99, against $19.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.