Choose Urban Empire
Choose Urban Empire if it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Urban Empire launched in 2017.
Urban Empire vs Imperator: Rome
Urban Empire and Imperator: Rome 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. Urban Empire (2017) is 2 years older than Imperator: Rome (2019). Imperator: Rome scores higher on Steam reviews (67.3% positive) than Urban Empire (28.6% 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 Imperator: Rome
Choose Imperator: Rome if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 67.3% positive across 12,449 reviews.
Both Urban Empire and Imperator: Rome 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
 Urban Empire |  Imperator: Rome | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 11.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 28.6% positive (739 reviews) | 67.3% positive (12,449 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Reborn Games | Paradox Development Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Urban Empire (2017) is 2 years older than Imperator: Rome (2019).
- Imperator: Rome scores higher on Steam reviews (67.3% positive) than Urban Empire (28.6% positive).
- Imperator: Rome is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Urban Empire (11.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Urban Empire is Deck Unsupported, Imperator: Rome is Deck Playable.
Urban Empire vs Imperator: Rome — FAQ
- Which is better, Urban Empire or Imperator: Rome?
- On Steam reviews Imperator: Rome scores higher (67.3% positive) than Urban Empire (28.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Imperator: Rome is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Urban Empire or Imperator: Rome first?
- If you want chronology, Urban Empire (2017) came out before Imperator: Rome (2019). 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 Urban Empire and Imperator: Rome 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.
- Does Urban Empire have multiplayer like Imperator: Rome?
- No. Imperator: Rome supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Urban Empire is listed as single-player only.