Choose Space Station Alpha
Choose Space Station Alpha if you want an Indie experience. Space Station Alpha launched in 2015.
Space Station Alpha vs Surviving Mars
Space Station Alpha and Surviving Mars both land in Strategy, 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, Simulation on Steam. Space Station Alpha (2015) is 3 years older than Surviving Mars (2018). Surviving Mars scores higher on Steam reviews (79% positive) than Space Station Alpha (48.4% 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 Surviving Mars
Choose Surviving Mars if it's the newer release (2018) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 10,552 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Space Station Alpha and Surviving Mars sit in Strategy 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
 Space Station Alpha |  Surviving Mars | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 5.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 48.4% positive (31 reviews) | 79% positive (10,552 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | NuclearFirecracker | Haemimont Games, Abstraction |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Space Station Alpha (2015) is 3 years older than Surviving Mars (2018).
- Surviving Mars scores higher on Steam reviews (79% positive) than Space Station Alpha (48.4% positive).
- Surviving Mars is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Space Station Alpha has no Deck rating yet.
Space Station Alpha vs Surviving Mars — FAQ
- Should I play Space Station Alpha or Surviving Mars first?
- If you want chronology, Space Station Alpha (2015) came out before Surviving Mars (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 Space Station Alpha and Surviving Mars similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.