Choose Eastside Hockey Manager
Choose Eastside Hockey Manager if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 87.4% positive across 859 reviews.
Eastside Hockey Manager vs Franchise Hockey Manager 5
Eastside Hockey Manager and Franchise Hockey Manager 5 both land in Sports, 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 Sports, Simulation on Steam. Eastside Hockey Manager (2015) is 3 years older than Franchise Hockey Manager 5 (2018). Eastside Hockey Manager scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than Franchise Hockey Manager 5 (55.8% 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 Franchise Hockey Manager 5
Choose Franchise Hockey Manager 5 if you want a Strategy and Indie game with Online PvP and PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Franchise Hockey Manager 5 launched in 2018.
Both Eastside Hockey Manager and Franchise Hockey Manager 5 sit in Sports and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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
 Eastside Hockey Manager |  Franchise Hockey Manager 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | Sports, Simulation | Sports, Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.4% positive (859 reviews) | 55.8% positive (113 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Sports Interactive | Out of the Park Developments, Minos Games |
Side by side
- Both share Sports, Simulation on Steam.
- Eastside Hockey Manager (2015) is 3 years older than Franchise Hockey Manager 5 (2018).
- Eastside Hockey Manager scores higher on Steam reviews (87.4% positive) than Franchise Hockey Manager 5 (55.8% positive).
- Franchise Hockey Manager 5 is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Eastside Hockey Manager (19.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Eastside Hockey Manager is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Franchise Hockey Manager 5 has no Deck rating yet.
Eastside Hockey Manager vs Franchise Hockey Manager 5 — FAQ
- Which is better, Eastside Hockey Manager or Franchise Hockey Manager 5?
- On Steam reviews Eastside Hockey Manager scores higher (87.4% positive) than Franchise Hockey Manager 5 (55.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Eastside Hockey Manager is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Eastside Hockey Manager or Franchise Hockey Manager 5 first?
- If you want chronology, Eastside Hockey Manager (2015) came out before Franchise Hockey Manager 5 (2018). 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 Eastside Hockey Manager and Franchise Hockey Manager 5 similar?
- They overlap on Sports, 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.