Choose Small World
Choose Small World if you want an Indie and Casual game with Shared/Split Screen, Steam Turn Notifications, and LAN PvP. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 68.9% positive across 628 reviews.
Small World vs Smash Up
Small World and Smash Up 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. Small World (2013) is 3 years older than Smash Up (2016). Small World scores higher on Steam reviews (68.9% positive) than Smash Up (61.7% 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 Smash Up
Choose Smash Up if it's currently about 30% cheaper on the Steam Store. Smash Up launched in 2016.
Both Small World and Smash Up sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Shared/Split Screen 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
 Small World |  Smash Up | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 68.9% positive (628 reviews) | 61.7% positive (107 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Days of Wonder | Nomad Games |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Small World (2013) is 3 years older than Smash Up (2016).
- Small World scores higher on Steam reviews (68.9% positive) than Smash Up (61.7% positive).
- Smash Up is currently ~30% cheaper on Steam than Small World (6.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Small World is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Smash Up has no Deck rating yet.
Small World vs Smash Up — FAQ
- Which is better, Small World or Smash Up?
- On Steam reviews Small World scores higher (68.9% positive) than Smash Up (61.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Small World is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Small World or Smash Up first?
- If you want chronology, Small World (2013) came out before Smash Up (2016). 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 Small World and Smash Up 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 Small World run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Small World is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Smash Up doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.