Choose Hearts of Iron IV
Choose Hearts of Iron IV if you want the Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 120,833 Steam reviews back the pick.
Hearts of Iron IV vs States of Power
Hearts of Iron IV and States of Power 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. Hearts of Iron IV (2016) is 10 years older than States of Power (2026). Hearts of Iron IV has co-op; States of Power does not. 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 States of Power
Choose States of Power if you want the Online PvP, PvP, and Camera Comfort side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. States of Power launched in 2026.
Both Hearts of Iron IV and States of Power sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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
 Hearts of Iron IV |  States of Power | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 91.1% positive (120,833 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Paradox Development Studio | Sarunas |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Hearts of Iron IV (2016) is 10 years older than States of Power (2026).
- Hearts of Iron IV has co-op; States of Power does not.
- Hearts of Iron IV is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; States of Power has no Deck rating yet.
Hearts of Iron IV vs States of Power — FAQ
- Should I play Hearts of Iron IV or States of Power first?
- If you want chronology, Hearts of Iron IV (2016) came out before States of Power (2026). 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 Hearts of Iron IV and States of Power 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 Hearts of Iron IV run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Hearts of Iron IV is rated Deck Playable by Valve. States of Power doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.