Choose Imagine Earth
Choose Imagine Earth if you want a Simulation and Casual game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 76.9% positive across 484 reviews.
Imagine Earth vs LakeSide
Imagine Earth and LakeSide both land in Strategy, Indie 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 on Steam. Imagine Earth (2021) is 3 years older than LakeSide (2024). Imagine Earth scores higher on Steam reviews (76.9% positive) than LakeSide (68.4% 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 LakeSide
Choose LakeSide if it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. LakeSide launched in 2024.
Both Imagine Earth and LakeSide sit in Strategy and Indie 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
 Imagine Earth |  LakeSide | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76.9% positive (484 reviews) | 68.4% positive (117 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Serious Bros. | Massive Galaxy Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Imagine Earth (2021) is 3 years older than LakeSide (2024).
- Imagine Earth scores higher on Steam reviews (76.9% positive) than LakeSide (68.4% positive).
- LakeSide is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Imagine Earth (14.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Imagine Earth is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; LakeSide has no Deck rating yet.
Imagine Earth vs LakeSide — FAQ
- Which is better, Imagine Earth or LakeSide?
- On Steam reviews Imagine Earth scores higher (76.9% positive) than LakeSide (68.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Imagine Earth is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Imagine Earth or LakeSide first?
- If you want chronology, Imagine Earth (2021) came out before LakeSide (2024). 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 Imagine Earth and LakeSide similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie 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 Imagine Earth run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Imagine Earth is rated Deck Verified by Valve. LakeSide doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.