Choose Space Empires V
Choose Space Empires V if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 71.6% positive across 317 reviews.
Space Empires V vs Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition
Space Empires V and Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition 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. Space Empires V (2006) is 6 years older than Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition (2012). Space Empires V scores higher on Steam reviews (71.6% positive) than Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition (38.4% 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 Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition
Choose Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition if it's the newer release (2012) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition launched in 2012.
Both Space Empires V and Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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
 Space Empires V |  Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2006 | 2012 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 3.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 71.6% positive (317 reviews) | 38.4% positive (531 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Malfador Machinations | Kerberos Productions |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Space Empires V (2006) is 6 years older than Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition (2012).
- Space Empires V scores higher on Steam reviews (71.6% positive) than Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition (38.4% positive).
- Space Empires V is currently ~20% cheaper on Steam than Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition (3.99 USD vs. 4.99 USD).
- Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Space Empires V has no Deck rating yet.
Space Empires V vs Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition — FAQ
- Which is better, Space Empires V or Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition?
- On Steam reviews Space Empires V scores higher (71.6% positive) than Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition (38.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Space Empires V is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Space Empires V or Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition first?
- If you want chronology, Space Empires V (2006) came out before Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition (2012). 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 Space Empires V and Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition 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.