Choose Res Publica
Choose Res Publica if you want an Indie and RPG experience.
Res Publica vs Rise of the Merchants
Res Publica and Rise of the Merchants 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 support cooperative play. 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 Rise of the Merchants
Choose Rise of the Merchants if you want an Early Access experience. Rise of the Merchants launched in 2026.
Both Res Publica and Rise of the Merchants sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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
 Res Publica |  Rise of the Merchants | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | — | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Simulation, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | — | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Benjamin Meyer | Black Duke Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Both support cooperative play.
Res Publica vs Rise of the Merchants — FAQ
- Are Res Publica and Rise of the Merchants 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.
- Do both Res Publica and Rise of the Merchants have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Res Publica ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Rise of the Merchants ships Online Co-op, Co-op.