Choose Arma 3
Choose Arma 3 if you want the Steam Leaderboards and Steam Timeline side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.6% positive across 110,281 reviews.
Arma 3 vs Formata
Arma 3 and Formata both land in Action, Strategy, Simulation 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 share Action, Strategy, Simulation on Steam. Arma 3 (2013) is 4 years older than Formata (2017). Arma 3 scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Formata (63.6% 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 Formata
Choose Formata if you want an Indie and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Formata launched in 2017.
Both Arma 3 and Formata sit in Action, Strategy, and Simulation 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
 Arma 3 |  Formata | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2017 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Simulation | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.6% positive (110,281 reviews) | 63.6% positive (530 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Bohemia Interactive | Nezon Production |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Arma 3 (2013) is 4 years older than Formata (2017).
- Arma 3 scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Formata (63.6% positive).
- Formata is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Arma 3 (9.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Arma 3 is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Formata has no Deck rating yet.
Arma 3 vs Formata — FAQ
- Which is better, Arma 3 or Formata?
- On Steam reviews Arma 3 scores higher (91.6% positive) than Formata (63.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Arma 3 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Arma 3 or Formata first?
- If you want chronology, Arma 3 (2013) came out before Formata (2017). 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 Arma 3 and Formata similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, Simulation 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 Arma 3 and Formata have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Arma 3 ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Formata ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.