Choose Galactic Civilizations III
Choose Galactic Civilizations III if you want the Online PvP, Online Co-op, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 6,580 Steam reviews back the pick.
Galactic Civilizations III vs Star Control III
Galactic Civilizations III and Star Control III 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. Galactic Civilizations III (2015) is 2 years older than Star Control III (2017). Galactic Civilizations III scores higher on Steam reviews (77.9% positive) than Star Control III (63.9% 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 Star Control III
Choose Star Control III if you want an Action, Indie, and Adventure game with Shared/Split Screen and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it's currently about 93% cheaper on the Steam Store. Star Control III launched in 2017.
Both Galactic Civilizations III and Star Control III sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player and 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
 Galactic Civilizations III |  Star Control III | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 77.9% positive (6,580 reviews) | 63.9% positive (36 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Stardock Entertainment | Legend Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Galactic Civilizations III (2015) is 2 years older than Star Control III (2017).
- Galactic Civilizations III scores higher on Steam reviews (77.9% positive) than Star Control III (63.9% positive).
- Star Control III is currently ~93% cheaper on Steam than Galactic Civilizations III (1.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Galactic Civilizations III has co-op; Star Control III does not.
- Galactic Civilizations III is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Star Control III has no Deck rating yet.
Galactic Civilizations III vs Star Control III — FAQ
- Should I play Galactic Civilizations III or Star Control III first?
- If you want chronology, Galactic Civilizations III (2015) came out before Star Control III (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 Galactic Civilizations III and Star Control III 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 Galactic Civilizations III run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Galactic Civilizations III is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Star Control III doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.