Choose XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Choose XCOM: Enemy Unknown if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 93% positive across 24,805 reviews.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown vs Attack of the Earthlings
XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Attack of the Earthlings 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. XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) is 6 years older than Attack of the Earthlings (2018). XCOM: Enemy Unknown scores higher on Steam reviews (93% positive) than Attack of the Earthlings (84.6% 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 Attack of the Earthlings
Choose Attack of the Earthlings if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Attack of the Earthlings launched in 2018.
Both XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Attack of the Earthlings sit in Strategy 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
 XCOM: Enemy Unknown |  Attack of the Earthlings | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93% positive (24,805 reviews) | 84.6% positive (221 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Single-player only |
| Developers | Firaxis Games, Feral Interactive (Linux) | Team Junkfish |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) is 6 years older than Attack of the Earthlings (2018).
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown scores higher on Steam reviews (93% positive) than Attack of the Earthlings (84.6% positive).
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Attack of the Earthlings (5.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Attack of the Earthlings has no Deck rating yet.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown vs Attack of the Earthlings — FAQ
- Which is better, XCOM: Enemy Unknown or Attack of the Earthlings?
- On Steam reviews XCOM: Enemy Unknown scores higher (93% positive) than Attack of the Earthlings (84.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play XCOM: Enemy Unknown or Attack of the Earthlings first?
- If you want chronology, XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) came out before Attack of the Earthlings (2018). 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 XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Attack of the Earthlings 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.
- Does Attack of the Earthlings have multiplayer like XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
- No. XCOM: Enemy Unknown supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer), while Attack of the Earthlings is listed as single-player only.
- Does XCOM: Enemy Unknown run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — XCOM: Enemy Unknown is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Attack of the Earthlings doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.