Choose Tropico 5
Choose Tropico 5 if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. 4,759 Steam reviews back the pick.
Tropico 5 vs Tropico 6
Tropico 5 and Tropico 6 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. Tropico 5 (2014) is 5 years older than Tropico 6 (2019). Tropico 6 scores higher on Steam reviews (87.1% positive) than Tropico 5 (76.5% 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 Tropico 6
Choose Tropico 6 if you want the Online PvP, Online Co-op, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 87.1% positive across 9,768 reviews.
Both Tropico 5 and Tropico 6 sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player and 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
 Tropico 5 |  Tropico 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76.5% positive (4,759 reviews) | 87.1% positive (9,768 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Haemimont Games | Limbic Entertainment, Realmforge Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Tropico 5 (2014) is 5 years older than Tropico 6 (2019).
- Tropico 6 scores higher on Steam reviews (87.1% positive) than Tropico 5 (76.5% positive).
- Tropico 5 is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Tropico 6 (19.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Tropico 5 vs Tropico 6 — FAQ
- Which is better, Tropico 5 or Tropico 6?
- On Steam reviews Tropico 6 scores higher (87.1% positive) than Tropico 5 (76.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Tropico 6 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Tropico 5 or Tropico 6 first?
- If you want chronology, Tropico 5 (2014) came out before Tropico 6 (2019). 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 Tropico 5 and Tropico 6 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 Tropico 5 and Tropico 6 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Tropico 5 ships Co-op; Tropico 6 ships Online Co-op, Co-op.