Choose StarMade
Choose StarMade if you want an Action, RPG, and Early Access game with Shared/Split Screen PvP and Shared/Split Screen Co-op. On Steam, it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,712 Steam reviews back the pick.
StarMade vs Empyrion - Galactic Survival
StarMade and Empyrion - Galactic Survival both land in Strategy, Indie, Adventure 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, Indie, Adventure on Steam. StarMade (2014) is 6 years older than Empyrion - Galactic Survival (2020). Empyrion - Galactic Survival scores higher on Steam reviews (79.1% positive) than StarMade (66.9% 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 Empyrion - Galactic Survival
Choose Empyrion - Galactic Survival if you want the LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 79.1% positive across 17,802 reviews.
Both StarMade and Empyrion - Galactic Survival sit in Strategy, Indie, and Adventure 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
 StarMade |  Empyrion - Galactic Survival | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Early Access | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 66.9% positive (1,712 reviews) | 79.1% positive (17,802 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Schine GmbH | Eleon Game Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- StarMade (2014) is 6 years older than Empyrion - Galactic Survival (2020).
- Empyrion - Galactic Survival scores higher on Steam reviews (79.1% positive) than StarMade (66.9% positive).
- StarMade is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Empyrion - Galactic Survival (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Empyrion - Galactic Survival is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; StarMade has no Deck rating yet.
StarMade vs Empyrion - Galactic Survival — FAQ
- Which is better, StarMade or Empyrion - Galactic Survival?
- On Steam reviews Empyrion - Galactic Survival scores higher (79.1% positive) than StarMade (66.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Empyrion - Galactic Survival is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play StarMade or Empyrion - Galactic Survival first?
- If you want chronology, StarMade (2014) came out before Empyrion - Galactic Survival (2020). 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 StarMade and Empyrion - Galactic Survival similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Adventure 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 StarMade and Empyrion - Galactic Survival have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: StarMade ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; Empyrion - Galactic Survival ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.