Choose Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition
Choose Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition if you want the Online Co-op, LAN PvP, and LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 31,620 Steam reviews back the pick.
Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition vs Mare Nostrvm
Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition and Mare Nostrvm 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. Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (2013) is 4 years older than Mare Nostrvm (2017). Mare Nostrvm scores higher on Steam reviews (86.4% positive) than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (85.3% 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 Mare Nostrvm
Choose Mare Nostrvm if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Mare Nostrvm launched in 2017.
Both Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition and Mare Nostrvm sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (85.3% vs 86.4% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition |  Mare Nostrvm | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 59.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.3% positive (31,620 reviews) | 86.4% positive (22 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | CREATIVE ASSEMBLY, Feral Interactive | Turnopia |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (2013) is 4 years older than Mare Nostrvm (2017).
- Mare Nostrvm scores higher on Steam reviews (86.4% positive) than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (85.3% positive).
- Mare Nostrvm is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (19.99 USD vs. 59.99 USD).
- Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition has co-op; Mare Nostrvm does not.
- Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Mare Nostrvm has no Deck rating yet.
Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition vs Mare Nostrvm — FAQ
- Should I play Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition or Mare Nostrvm first?
- If you want chronology, Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition (2013) came out before Mare Nostrvm (2017). 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 Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition and Mare Nostrvm 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 Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Mare Nostrvm doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.