Choose Planetbase
Choose Planetbase if you want an Indie experience. 5,622 Steam reviews back the pick.
Planetbase vs Surviving Mars
Planetbase 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. Planetbase (2015) is 3 years older than Surviving Mars (2018). Surviving Mars scores higher on Steam reviews (79% positive) than Planetbase (77.1% 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 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 Planetbase and Surviving Mars sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (77.1% vs 79% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Planetbase |  Surviving Mars | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 77.1% positive (5,622 reviews) | 79% positive (10,552 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Madruga Works | Haemimont Games, Abstraction |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Planetbase (2015) is 3 years older than Surviving Mars (2018).
- Surviving Mars scores higher on Steam reviews (79% positive) than Planetbase (77.1% positive).
- Steam Deck: Planetbase is Deck Playable, Surviving Mars is Deck Unsupported.
Planetbase vs Surviving Mars — FAQ
- Which is better, Planetbase or Surviving Mars?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Planetbase sits at 77.1% positive (5,622 reviews), Surviving Mars at 79% (10,552). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Planetbase or Surviving Mars first?
- If you want chronology, Planetbase (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 Planetbase 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.