Choose Software Inc.
Choose Software Inc. if you want a Strategy and Early Access game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.3% positive across 5,491 reviews.
Software Inc. vs Hardware Engineers
Software Inc. and Hardware Engineers both land in 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 Indie, Simulation on Steam. Software Inc. (2015) is 4 years older than Hardware Engineers (2019). Software Inc. scores higher on Steam reviews (94.3% positive) than Hardware Engineers (82.6% 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 Hardware Engineers
Choose Hardware Engineers if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Hardware Engineers launched in 2019.
Both Software Inc. and Hardware Engineers sit in 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
 Software Inc. |  Hardware Engineers | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Early Access | Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 22.99 USD | 7.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.3% positive (5,491 reviews) | 82.6% positive (149 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Coredumping | Green127 |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Software Inc. (2015) is 4 years older than Hardware Engineers (2019).
- Software Inc. scores higher on Steam reviews (94.3% positive) than Hardware Engineers (82.6% positive).
- Hardware Engineers is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Software Inc. (7.49 USD vs. 22.99 USD).
- Software Inc. has co-op; Hardware Engineers does not.
- Steam Deck: Software Inc. is Deck Playable, Hardware Engineers is Deck Unsupported.
Software Inc. vs Hardware Engineers — FAQ
- Which is better, Software Inc. or Hardware Engineers?
- On Steam reviews Software Inc. scores higher (94.3% positive) than Hardware Engineers (82.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Software Inc. is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Software Inc. or Hardware Engineers first?
- If you want chronology, Software Inc. (2015) came out before Hardware Engineers (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 Software Inc. and Hardware Engineers similar?
- They overlap on 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.
- Does Hardware Engineers have multiplayer like Software Inc.?
- No. Software Inc. supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Hardware Engineers is listed as single-player only.