Choose Star Traders: 4X Empires
Choose Star Traders: 4X Empires if you want a Simulation experience. Star Traders: 4X Empires launched in 2014.
Star Traders: 4X Empires vs Project: Cow
Star Traders: 4X Empires and Project: Cow 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. Star Traders: 4X Empires (2014) is 7 years older than Project: Cow (2021). Project: Cow is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Star Traders: 4X Empires (1.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD). 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: Cow
Choose Project: Cow if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Project: Cow launched in 2021.
Both Star Traders: 4X Empires and Project: Cow 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
 Star Traders: 4X Empires |  Project: Cow | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 61.1% positive (54 reviews) | 2 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Trese Brothers | Duo Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Star Traders: 4X Empires (2014) is 7 years older than Project: Cow (2021).
- Project: Cow is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Star Traders: 4X Empires (1.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Star Traders: 4X Empires is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Project: Cow has no Deck rating yet.
Star Traders: 4X Empires vs Project: Cow — FAQ
- Should I play Star Traders: 4X Empires or Project: Cow first?
- If you want chronology, Star Traders: 4X Empires (2014) came out before Project: Cow (2021). 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 Star Traders: 4X Empires and Project: Cow 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 Star Traders: 4X Empires run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Star Traders: 4X Empires is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Project: Cow doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.