Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter

2002 Croteam Action, Indie

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxGold

Gamicality score

Metacritic 854

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 911

How it’s combined

Playability today

4.5

Runs today4/5

Design today4.5/5

Steam user reviews

Overwhelmingly Positive

96%

1,855 reviews1

Get it on Steam

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Played Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter running today

Install the fan-made Serious Sam Classics Patch and use its borderless mode, which fixes the game picking the monitor's lowest refresh rate and adds text scaling at high resolutions (PCGamingWiki).
Without the patch, open the console with the key above Tab and enter gap_iRefreshRate=60 (or the monitor's refresh rate) to fix the refresh rate (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

Serious Sam: The Second Encounter is Croteam's follow-up to The First Encounter, a fast first-person shooter in which Sam fights through South America, Babylon and medieval Europe. Players circle-strafe through huge open arenas against hordes of charging monsters, using a large arsenal of over-the-top weapons, alone or in co-op.

Developer: Croteam
Released: 2002
Best version: This is the original 2002 release; Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter remakes it with modern graphics and controller support, so play the HD version unless the original look matters to you.
Genre: Action, Indie
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics in 2002 praised the brighter, more varied levels, new weapons and strong co-op, and the PC version holds a Metascore of 85. Some reviews felt it was more of the same as the first game, with a thin story. Steam players rate it highly and say its arena combat still beats many modern shooters. Some recent reviewers point newcomers to the HD remake instead.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

4/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
Co-op and versus work over LAN and online, with split-screen intact; only non-Steam copies need a master server patch (PCGamingWiki).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
The Steam version offers 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions in its options, with Hor+ field of view (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
Only DirectInput controllers are supported, with no XInput support (PCGamingWiki).
?Not confirmed yetSteam Deck Verified or Playable
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists no unresolved issues that crash the game or block progress (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

4.5/5

Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Standard mouse and keyboard controls with full key remapping and mouse sensitivity settings, though the lowest sensitivity is still high on modern mice without a console command. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
Menu and HUD text does not scale at high resolutions and becomes tiny, and resolutions beyond standard 16:9 and 16:10 need a config file edit. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Players can save at any moment, including a quicksave key, and load back in seconds; the few reports of lost saves trace to a 2015 patch or to installs in protected Windows folders. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
Levels are linear and never maze-like, the NETRICSA database logs enemies and hazards as they appear, and the way forward is always clear. Source: gamingpastime.com, gamesfirst.com.
Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
Each level moves through varied arenas and set pieces without filler, and reviewers note the levels flow along clear linear lines. Source: gamesfirst.com, gamingpastime.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
Movement is fast and precise, and the Steam version sets a correct widescreen field of view, though it resets to 90 while holding the sniper rifle. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.