Choose Shadow Empire
Choose Shadow Empire if you want a RPG game with Shared/Split Screen Co-op and Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 1,123 Steam reviews back the pick.
Shadow Empire vs Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa
Shadow Empire and Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa both land in 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 Strategy, Simulation on Steam. Both released in 2020. Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa scores higher on Steam reviews (89.2% positive) than Shadow Empire (82.1% 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 Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa
Choose Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa if it's currently about 63% cheaper on the Steam Store. Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa launched in 2020.
Both Shadow Empire and Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen 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
 Shadow Empire |  Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 39.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.1% positive (1,123 reviews) | 89.2% positive (93 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | VR Designs | Maestro Cinetik |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Both released in 2020.
- Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa scores higher on Steam reviews (89.2% positive) than Shadow Empire (82.1% positive).
- Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa is currently ~63% cheaper on Steam than Shadow Empire (14.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Shadow Empire has co-op; Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa does not.
- Steam Deck: Shadow Empire is Deck Unsupported, Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa is Deck Playable.
Shadow Empire vs Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa — FAQ
- Are Shadow Empire and Cauldrons of War - Barbarossa similar?
- They overlap on 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.