Choose Europa Universalis IV
Choose Europa Universalis IV if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 87.4% positive across 47,407 reviews.
Europa Universalis IV vs Oriental Empires
Europa Universalis IV and Oriental Empires 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 4 years older than Oriental Empires (2017). Europa Universalis IV scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than Oriental Empires (73.9% 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 Oriental Empires
Choose Oriental Empires if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2017) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Oriental Empires launched in 2017.
Both Europa Universalis IV and Oriental Empires sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, 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 |  Oriental Empires | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.4% positive (47,407 reviews) | 73.9% positive (793 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Paradox Development Studio, Paradox Tinto | Shining Pixel Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Europa Universalis IV (2013) is 4 years older than Oriental Empires (2017).
- Europa Universalis IV scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than Oriental Empires (73.9% positive).
- Europa Universalis IV is currently ~83% cheaper on Steam than Oriental Empires (4.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Europa Universalis IV is Deck Unsupported, Oriental Empires is Deck Playable.
Europa Universalis IV vs Oriental Empires — FAQ
- Which is better, Europa Universalis IV or Oriental Empires?
- On Steam reviews Europa Universalis IV scores higher (87.4% positive) than Oriental Empires (73.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Europa Universalis IV is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Europa Universalis IV or Oriental Empires first?
- If you want chronology, Europa Universalis IV (2013) came out before Oriental Empires (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 Europa Universalis IV and Oriental Empires 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.
- Do both Europa Universalis IV and Oriental Empires have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Europa Universalis IV ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Oriental Empires ships Online Co-op, Co-op.