Choose Europa Universalis IV
Choose Europa Universalis IV if you want the Online Co-op and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. 47,407 Steam reviews back the pick.
Europa Universalis IV vs Arms Race 2
Europa Universalis IV and Arms Race 2 both land in Strategy, Simulation 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 share Strategy, Simulation on Steam. Europa Universalis IV (2013) is 10 years older than Arms Race 2 (2023). Europa Universalis IV is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Arms Race 2 (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD). 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 Arms Race 2
Choose Arms Race 2 if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Arms Race 2 launched in 2023.
Both Europa Universalis IV and Arms Race 2 sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, 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
 Europa Universalis IV |  Arms Race 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.4% positive (47,407 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Paradox Development Studio, Paradox Tinto | Alina Digital |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Europa Universalis IV (2013) is 10 years older than Arms Race 2 (2023).
- Europa Universalis IV is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Arms Race 2 (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Europa Universalis IV has co-op; Arms Race 2 does not.
- Europa Universalis IV is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Arms Race 2 has no Deck rating yet.
Europa Universalis IV vs Arms Race 2 — FAQ
- Should I play Europa Universalis IV or Arms Race 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Europa Universalis IV (2013) came out before Arms Race 2 (2023). 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 Europa Universalis IV and Arms Race 2 similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Simulation 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.