Choose Idle Colony
Choose Idle Colony if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Idle Colony launched in 2024.
Idle Colony vs Refence
Idle Colony and Refence both land in Strategy, Indie, 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, Indie, Simulation on Steam. Idle Colony (2024) is 1 year older than Refence (2025). Idle Colony scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Refence (75.3% 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 Refence
Choose Refence if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. Refence launched in 2025.
Both Idle Colony and Refence sit in Strategy, Indie, 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
 Idle Colony |  Refence | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.1% positive (385 reviews) | 75.3% positive (73 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Faith G. | Muurou Tech |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Idle Colony (2024) is 1 year older than Refence (2025).
- Idle Colony scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Refence (75.3% positive).
- Refence is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Idle Colony (5.99 USD vs. 5.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Idle Colony vs Refence — FAQ
- Should I play Idle Colony or Refence first?
- If you want chronology, Idle Colony (2024) came out before Refence (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 Idle Colony and Refence similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, 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.