Choose Planetary Control!
Choose Planetary Control! if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. Planetary Control! launched in 2021.
Planetary Control! vs The Upper Hand
Planetary Control! and The Upper Hand both land in Strategy, Indie, Casual 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, Indie, Casual on Steam. Planetary Control! (2021) is 4 years older than The Upper Hand (2025). The Upper Hand is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Planetary Control! (2.99 USD vs. 4.99 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 The Upper Hand
Choose The Upper Hand if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Upper Hand launched in 2025.
Both Planetary Control! and The Upper Hand sit in Strategy, Indie, and Casual 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
 Planetary Control! |  The Upper Hand | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 5 reviews | 6 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Kerberos Productions | Brain Syringe Studios LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Planetary Control! (2021) is 4 years older than The Upper Hand (2025).
- The Upper Hand is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Planetary Control! (2.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
Planetary Control! vs The Upper Hand — FAQ
- Should I play Planetary Control! or The Upper Hand first?
- If you want chronology, Planetary Control! (2021) came out before The Upper Hand (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 Planetary Control! and The Upper Hand similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Casual 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 The Upper Hand have multiplayer like Planetary Control!?
- No. Planetary Control! supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while The Upper Hand is listed as single-player only.