Choose Smooth Operators
Choose Smooth Operators if you want an Indie and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 95% cheaper on the Steam Store. Smooth Operators launched in 2014.
Smooth Operators vs Project Highrise
Smooth Operators and Project Highrise 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. Smooth Operators (2014) is 2 years older than Project Highrise (2016). Project Highrise scores higher on Steam reviews (85.2% positive) than Smooth Operators (72.6% 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 Project Highrise
Choose Project Highrise if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 85.2% positive across 2,227 reviews.
Both Smooth Operators and Project Highrise 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
 Smooth Operators |  Project Highrise | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 0.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 72.6% positive (190 reviews) | 85.2% positive (2,227 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Heydeck Games | SomaSim |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Smooth Operators (2014) is 2 years older than Project Highrise (2016).
- Project Highrise scores higher on Steam reviews (85.2% positive) than Smooth Operators (72.6% positive).
- Smooth Operators is currently ~95% cheaper on Steam than Project Highrise (0.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Smooth Operators is Deck Unsupported, Project Highrise is Deck Playable.
Smooth Operators vs Project Highrise — FAQ
- Which is better, Smooth Operators or Project Highrise?
- On Steam reviews Project Highrise scores higher (85.2% positive) than Smooth Operators (72.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Project Highrise is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Smooth Operators or Project Highrise first?
- If you want chronology, Smooth Operators (2014) came out before Project Highrise (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 Smooth Operators and Project Highrise 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.