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 carries the stronger Steam consensus at 87.4% positive across 47,407 reviews.
Europa Universalis IV vs Victoria 3
Europa Universalis IV and Victoria 3 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 9 years older than Victoria 3 (2022). Europa Universalis IV scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than Victoria 3 (70.7% 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 Victoria 3
Choose Victoria 3 if you want the Color Alternatives, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 20,081 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Europa Universalis IV and Victoria 3 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 |  Victoria 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.4% positive (47,407 reviews) | 70.7% positive (20,081 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Paradox Development Studio, Paradox Tinto | Paradox Development Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Europa Universalis IV (2013) is 9 years older than Victoria 3 (2022).
- Europa Universalis IV scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than Victoria 3 (70.7% positive).
- Europa Universalis IV is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Victoria 3 (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Europa Universalis IV has co-op; Victoria 3 does not.
- Steam Deck: Europa Universalis IV is Deck Unsupported, Victoria 3 is Deck Playable.
Europa Universalis IV vs Victoria 3 — FAQ
- Which is better, Europa Universalis IV or Victoria 3?
- On Steam reviews Europa Universalis IV scores higher (87.4% positive) than Victoria 3 (70.7% 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 Victoria 3 first?
- If you want chronology, Europa Universalis IV (2013) came out before Victoria 3 (2022). 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 Victoria 3 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.