Choose Europa Universalis IV
Choose Europa Universalis IV if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 47,407 Steam reviews back the pick.
Europa Universalis IV vs Command: Shifting Sands
Europa Universalis IV and Command: Shifting Sands 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 Command: Shifting Sands (2017). Europa Universalis IV has co-op; Command: Shifting Sands does not. 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 Command: Shifting Sands
Choose Command: Shifting Sands if it's the newer release (2017) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Command: Shifting Sands launched in 2017.
Both Europa Universalis IV and Command: Shifting Sands sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam, 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 |  Command: Shifting Sands | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 4.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 87.4% positive (47,407 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Paradox Development Studio, Paradox Tinto | WarfareSims |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Europa Universalis IV (2013) is 4 years older than Command: Shifting Sands (2017).
- Europa Universalis IV has co-op; Command: Shifting Sands does not.
- Europa Universalis IV is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Command: Shifting Sands has no Deck rating yet.
Europa Universalis IV vs Command: Shifting Sands — FAQ
- Should I play Europa Universalis IV or Command: Shifting Sands first?
- If you want chronology, Europa Universalis IV (2013) came out before Command: Shifting Sands (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 Command: Shifting Sands 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.
- Does Command: Shifting Sands have multiplayer like Europa Universalis IV?
- No. Europa Universalis IV supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Command: Shifting Sands is listed as single-player only.