Choose Eco
Choose Eco if you want an Indie and Early Access game with LAN Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 78.7% positive across 6,553 reviews.
Eco vs Railway Empire 2
Eco and Railway Empire 2 both land in 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 are Simulation games on Steam. Eco (2018) is 5 years older than Railway Empire 2 (2023). Eco scores higher on Steam reviews (78.7% positive) than Railway Empire 2 (74.1% 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 Railway Empire 2
Choose Railway Empire 2 if you want a Strategy game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,044 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Eco and Railway Empire 2 sit in Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op, 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
 Eco |  Railway Empire 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Early Access | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 49.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 78.7% positive (6,553 reviews) | 74.1% positive (1,044 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Strange Loop Games | Gaming Minds Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Eco (2018) is 5 years older than Railway Empire 2 (2023).
- Eco scores higher on Steam reviews (78.7% positive) than Railway Empire 2 (74.1% positive).
- Eco is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Railway Empire 2 (29.99 USD vs. 49.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Eco is Deck Playable, Railway Empire 2 is Deck Verified.
Eco vs Railway Empire 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, Eco or Railway Empire 2?
- On Steam reviews Eco scores higher (78.7% positive) than Railway Empire 2 (74.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Eco is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Eco or Railway Empire 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Eco (2018) came out before Railway Empire 2 (2023). 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 Eco and Railway Empire 2 similar?
- They overlap on 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.
- Do both Eco and Railway Empire 2 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Eco ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Railway Empire 2 ships Online Co-op, Co-op.