Choose Cities: Skylines
Choose Cities: Skylines if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 99,307 Steam reviews back the pick.
Cities: Skylines vs Carpe Deal 'Em
Cities: Skylines and Carpe Deal 'Em 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. Cities: Skylines (2015) is 1 year older than Carpe Deal 'Em (2016). Carpe Deal 'Em is currently ~44% cheaper on Steam than Cities: Skylines (4.99 USD vs. 8.99 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 Carpe Deal 'Em
Choose Carpe Deal 'Em if it's currently about 44% cheaper on the Steam Store. Carpe Deal 'Em launched in 2016.
Both Cities: Skylines and Carpe Deal 'Em 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
 Cities: Skylines |  Carpe Deal 'Em | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 8.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.8% positive (99,307 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Colossal Order | DDD Wares |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Cities: Skylines (2015) is 1 year older than Carpe Deal 'Em (2016).
- Carpe Deal 'Em is currently ~44% cheaper on Steam than Cities: Skylines (4.99 USD vs. 8.99 USD).
- Cities: Skylines is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Carpe Deal 'Em has no Deck rating yet.
Cities: Skylines vs Carpe Deal 'Em — FAQ
- Should I play Cities: Skylines or Carpe Deal 'Em first?
- If you want chronology, Cities: Skylines (2015) came out before Carpe Deal 'Em (2016). 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 Cities: Skylines and Carpe Deal 'Em 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 Cities: Skylines run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Cities: Skylines is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Carpe Deal 'Em doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.