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 Ultakia
Shadow Empire and Ultakia 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. Shadow Empire (2020) is 6 years older than Ultakia (2026). Shadow Empire has co-op; Ultakia does not. 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 Ultakia
Choose Ultakia if you want the HDR available, Playable without Timed Input, and Mouse Only Option side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Ultakia launched in 2026.
Both Shadow Empire and Ultakia 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 |  Ultakia | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 39.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 82.1% positive (1,123 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | VR Designs | Simon Alber |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Shadow Empire (2020) is 6 years older than Ultakia (2026).
- Shadow Empire has co-op; Ultakia does not.
- Shadow Empire is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Ultakia has no Deck rating yet.
Shadow Empire vs Ultakia — FAQ
- Should I play Shadow Empire or Ultakia first?
- If you want chronology, Shadow Empire (2020) came out before Ultakia (2026). 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 Shadow Empire and Ultakia 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.