Choose Warring States
Choose Warring States if you want an Indie experience. Warring States launched in 2018.
Warring States vs Arete
Warring States and Arete both land in Strategy 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 are Strategy games on Steam. Warring States (2018) is 7 years older than Arete (2025). Arete scores higher on Steam reviews (94.1% positive) than Warring States (75.5% 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 Arete
Choose Arete if you want a Simulation and Casual game with Shared/Split Screen. On Steam, it's currently about 47% cheaper on the Steam Store. Arete launched in 2025.
Both Warring States and Arete sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Shared/Split Screen PvP, 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
 Warring States |  Arete | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 18.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 75.5% positive (53 reviews) | 94.1% positive (17 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | polynation games ltd | Molotov Cockatiel Games, Vasilios Kalpakoglou |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Warring States (2018) is 7 years older than Arete (2025).
- Arete scores higher on Steam reviews (94.1% positive) than Warring States (75.5% positive).
- Arete is currently ~47% cheaper on Steam than Warring States (9.99 USD vs. 18.99 USD).
Warring States vs Arete — FAQ
- Should I play Warring States or Arete first?
- If you want chronology, Warring States (2018) came out before Arete (2025). 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 Warring States and Arete similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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.