Choose The Political Machine
Choose The Political Machine if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. The Political Machine launched in 2012.
The Political Machine vs Just Power: The Papal States
The Political Machine and Just Power: The Papal States 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. The Political Machine (2012) is 10 years older than Just Power: The Papal States (2022). 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 Just Power: The Papal States
Choose Just Power: The Papal States if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Just Power: The Papal States launched in 2022.
Both The Political Machine and Just Power: The Papal States 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
 The Political Machine |  Just Power: The Papal States | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 71.3% positive (209 reviews) | 7 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Stardock Entertainment | Stikcy Games |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- The Political Machine (2012) is 10 years older than Just Power: The Papal States (2022).
The Political Machine vs Just Power: The Papal States — FAQ
- Should I play The Political Machine or Just Power: The Papal States first?
- If you want chronology, The Political Machine (2012) came out before Just Power: The Papal States (2022). 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 The Political Machine and Just Power: The Papal States 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 Just Power: The Papal States have multiplayer like The Political Machine?
- No. The Political Machine supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Just Power: The Papal States is listed as single-player only.