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 Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO
Europa Universalis IV and Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO 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 Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO (2017). Europa Universalis IV scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO (66.7% 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 Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO
Choose Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO if you want an Indie, Massively Multiplayer, and RPG game with MMO and Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO launched in 2017.
Both Europa Universalis IV and Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO 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 |  Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 49.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 87.4% positive (47,407 reviews) | 66.7% positive (165 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Paradox Development Studio, Paradox Tinto | Illyriad Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Europa Universalis IV (2013) is 4 years older than Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO (2017).
- Europa Universalis IV scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO (66.7% positive).
- Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO is free; Europa Universalis IV is paid (49.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Europa Universalis IV is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO has no Deck rating yet.
Europa Universalis IV vs Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO — FAQ
- Which is better, Europa Universalis IV or Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO?
- On Steam reviews Europa Universalis IV scores higher (87.4% positive) than Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO (66.7% 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 Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO first?
- If you want chronology, Europa Universalis IV (2013) came out before Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO (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 Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO 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 Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Europa Universalis IV ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO free?
- Yes — Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO is a free-to-play Steam title. Europa Universalis IV is paid (49.99 USD).