Choose Instant War
Choose Instant War if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Instant War launched in 2022.
Instant War vs OpenFront
Instant War and OpenFront both land in Strategy, Massively Multiplayer 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, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. Instant War (2022) is 4 years older than OpenFront (2026). OpenFront scores higher on Steam reviews (91% positive) than Instant War (71.4% 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 OpenFront
Choose OpenFront if you want an Indie and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. OpenFront launched in 2026.
Both Instant War and OpenFront sit in Strategy and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online 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
 Instant War |  OpenFront | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Strategy, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 4.96 USD |
| Steam reviews | 71.4% positive (49 reviews) | 91% positive (656 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Playwing LTD | OpenFront Inc, Evan Pellegrini |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- Instant War (2022) is 4 years older than OpenFront (2026).
- OpenFront scores higher on Steam reviews (91% positive) than Instant War (71.4% positive).
- Instant War is free; OpenFront is paid (4.96 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Instant War is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; OpenFront has no Deck rating yet.
Instant War vs OpenFront — FAQ
- Should I play Instant War or OpenFront first?
- If you want chronology, Instant War (2022) came out before OpenFront (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 Instant War and OpenFront similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Massively Multiplayer 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 Instant War and OpenFront have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Instant War ships Online Co-op, Co-op; OpenFront ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Instant War free?
- Yes — Instant War is a free-to-play Steam title. OpenFront is paid (4.96 USD).
- Does Instant War run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Instant War is rated Deck Playable by Valve. OpenFront doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.