IMHO.

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Star Ash Fleet

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Star Ash Fleet 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 16 years older than Star Ash Fleet (2025). Star Ash Fleet is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (9.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD). 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 Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 12,170 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Star Ash Fleet

Choose Star Ash Fleet if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Star Ash Fleet launched in 2025.

Both Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Star Ash Fleet 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

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Star Ash Fleet — Steam metadata comparison
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition — Steam game coverTotal War: EMPIRE – Definitive EditionStar Ash Fleet — Steam game coverStar Ash Fleet
Released20092025
GenresStrategyStrategy, Indie
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableUnrated
Price24.99 USD9.99 USD
Steam reviews89.6% positive (12,170 reviews)1 reviews
MultiplayerMulti-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-opSingle-player only
DevelopersCREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)Redonleft

Side by side

Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Star Ash Fleet — FAQ

Should I play Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition or Star Ash Fleet first?
If you want chronology, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009) came out before Star Ash Fleet (2025). 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 Star Ash Fleet 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.
Does Star Ash Fleet have multiplayer like Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition?
No. Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Star Ash Fleet is listed as single-player only.
Does Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Star Ash Fleet doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Star Ash Fleet · imho.run