IMHO.

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Oil Rush

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Oil Rush 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. Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009) is 3 years older than Oil Rush (2012). Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (89.6% positive) than Oil Rush (48% 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 Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition

Choose Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition if you want the Online Co-op, LAN Co-op, and Camera Comfort side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89.6% positive across 12,170 reviews.

Choose Oil Rush

Choose Oil Rush if you want an Indie game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Oil Rush launched in 2012.

Both Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Oil Rush sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and LAN PvP, 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

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Oil Rush — Steam metadata comparison
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition — Steam game coverTotal War: EMPIRE – Definitive EditionOil Rush — Steam game coverOil Rush
Released20092012
GenresStrategyStrategy, Indie
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck PlayableUnrated
Price24.99 USDFree to play
Steam reviews89.6% positive (12,170 reviews)48% positive (333 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-opMulti-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer
DevelopersCREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)Unigine Corp.

Side by side

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Oil Rush — FAQ

Which is better, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition or Oil Rush?
On Steam reviews Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition scores higher (89.6% positive) than Oil Rush (48% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
Should I play Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition or Oil Rush first?
If you want chronology, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009) came out before Oil Rush (2012). 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 Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Oil Rush 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.
Is Oil Rush free?
Yes — Oil Rush is a free-to-play Steam title. Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition is paid (24.99 USD).
Does Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Oil Rush doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Oil Rush · imho.run