Choose Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition
Choose Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 89.6% positive across 12,170 reviews.
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Total War: THREE KINGDOMS
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Total War: THREE KINGDOMS 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 10 years older than Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (2019). Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (89.6% positive) than Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (84% 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: THREE KINGDOMS
Choose Total War: THREE KINGDOMS if you want an Action game with Color Alternatives and Surround Sound. On Steam, it's the newer release (2019) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 17,216 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Total War: THREE KINGDOMS sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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 |  Total War: THREE KINGDOMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy | Action, Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 59.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 89.6% positive (12,170 reviews) | 84% positive (17,216 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) | CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux) |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009) is 10 years older than Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (2019).
- Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (89.6% positive) than Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (84% positive).
- Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition is currently ~58% cheaper on Steam than Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (24.99 USD vs. 59.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition is Deck Playable, Total War: THREE KINGDOMS is Deck Unsupported.
Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition vs Total War: THREE KINGDOMS — FAQ
- Which is better, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition or Total War: THREE KINGDOMS?
- On Steam reviews Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition scores higher (89.6% positive) than Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (84% 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 Total War: THREE KINGDOMS first?
- If you want chronology, Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition (2009) came out before Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (2019). 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 Total War: THREE KINGDOMS 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.
- Do both Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition and Total War: THREE KINGDOMS have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Total War: EMPIRE – Definitive Edition ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Total War: THREE KINGDOMS ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.