Choose Shipping Manager
Choose Shipping Manager if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Shipping Manager launched in 2023.
Shipping Manager vs Settle and Battle: New Empires
Shipping Manager and Settle and Battle: New 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. Shipping Manager (2023) is 2 years older than Settle and Battle: New Empires (2025). Shipping Manager is free; Settle and Battle: New Empires is paid (6.99 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 Settle and Battle: New Empires
Choose Settle and Battle: New Empires if you want an Indie and Casual game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. Settle and Battle: New Empires launched in 2025.
Both Shipping Manager and Settle and Battle: New Empires 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
 Shipping Manager |  Settle and Battle: New Empires | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation, Free To Play | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 45.1% positive (204 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Trophy Games | Attic Games Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Shipping Manager (2023) is 2 years older than Settle and Battle: New Empires (2025).
- Shipping Manager is free; Settle and Battle: New Empires is paid (6.99 USD).
- Settle and Battle: New Empires has co-op; Shipping Manager does not.
- Shipping Manager is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Settle and Battle: New Empires has no Deck rating yet.
Shipping Manager vs Settle and Battle: New Empires — FAQ
- Should I play Shipping Manager or Settle and Battle: New Empires first?
- If you want chronology, Shipping Manager (2023) came out before Settle and Battle: New Empires (2025). 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 Shipping Manager and Settle and Battle: New 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.
- Does Shipping Manager have multiplayer like Settle and Battle: New Empires?
- No. Settle and Battle: New Empires supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Shipping Manager is listed as single-player only.
- Is Shipping Manager free?
- Yes — Shipping Manager is a free-to-play Steam title. Settle and Battle: New Empires is paid (6.99 USD).
- Does Shipping Manager run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Shipping Manager is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Settle and Battle: New Empires doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.