IMHO.

TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" vs Populous™

TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" and Populous™ both land in Strategy, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" (2022) is 2 years older than Populous™ (2024). Populous™ is currently ~96% cheaper on Steam than TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" (0.99 USD vs. 24.99 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 TRIBAL "The 12 Gates"

Choose TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" if you want an Action, Simulation, and Massively Multiplayer game with MMO, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" launched in 2022.

Choose Populous™

Choose Populous™ if you want the Shared/Split Screen and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 96% cheaper on the Steam Store. Populous™ launched in 2024.

Both TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" and Populous™ sit in Strategy and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player, LAN PvP, and 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

TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" vs Populous™ — Steam metadata comparison
TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" — Steam game coverTRIBAL "The 12 Gates"Populous™ — Steam game coverPopulous™
Released20222024
GenresAction, Strategy, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPGStrategy, RPG
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows
Steam DeckUnratedDeck Playable
Price24.99 USD0.99 USD
Steam reviews8 reviews77.1% positive (35 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-opMulti-player
DevelopersTribal.GamesBullfrog Productions

Side by side

TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" vs Populous™ — FAQ

Should I play TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" or Populous™ first?
If you want chronology, TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" (2022) came out before Populous™ (2024). 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 TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" and Populous™ similar?
They overlap on Strategy, RPG 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.
TRIBAL "The 12 Gates" vs Populous™ — Verdict (2026) · imho.run