Rank 01Why this
Also Dwarf and City Builder, like Life is Hard.
- $29.99 (Price checked Nov 7)
- Deck Playable
- 2022
Games like Life is Hard
- 16 games
- Updated Oct 23, 2026
Players who liked Life is Hard also play
The closest matches to Life is Hard: Dwarf Fortress, Stronghold: Definitive Edition, Going Medieval, Steel Artery: Train City Builder, and Frostpunk. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02Why this
Shares unit pathfinding with Life is Hard.
- $14.99 (Price checked Nov 8)
- Deck Playable
- 2023
Rank 03Why this
Also City Builder and Economy, like Life is Hard.
- $29.99 (Price checked Nov 7)
- Deck Playable
- 2026
Rank 04 
Steel Artery: Train City Builder
Why this: Shares resource allocation with Life is Hard.
Rank 05 
203 new reviews this week- Trending
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Rank 08 
The full ranked list: top 24 games like Life is Hard
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- Released: 2021
- Developer: Pirozhok Studio, Vitaliy Ruzankin
- Price: $9.99checked Nov 6
- 48% of 132 reviews
- Genres: Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Players highlight
- Captures classic kingdom building vibes
- Great atmosphere and music
- Hard but rewarding challenge
- Atmospheric
- Bleak
- Challenging
More games like Life is Hard, sliced differently
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below Life is Hard at current Steam store prices.
Bronze Age - HD Edition
Why this: Shares resource allocation with Life is Hard.
The Succession of Changing Kings
Why this: Also City Builder and Medieval, like Life is Hard.
Reigns
Why this: Shares faction balancing with Life is Hard.
Gnomes
Why this: Also Dwarf and City Builder, like Life is Hard.
Marble Age
Why this: Shares faction balancing and resource allocation with Life is Hard.
Hammerting
Why this: Same atmospheric mood as Life is Hard.
About Life is Hard
The closest matches to Life is Hard: Dwarf Fortress, Stronghold: Definitive Edition, Going Medieval, Steel Artery: Train City Builder, and Frostpunk. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If Life is Hard is your kind of game, the closest matches are Dwarf Fortress, Stronghold: Definitive Edition and Going Medieval — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as atmospheric, bleak and challenging, and single out its building limits and faction balancing. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
About Life is Hard: Life is Hard is a godsim town simulator game developed by a two-man-team. Your main aim here is to manage your town. Expand your domain, prevent famine, make war, trade with others, attract new people. Make history!
Is Life is Hard worth buying?
Players are split
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 48% of 132 Steam reviews are positive.
- We don't track this game's daily reviews yet, so this is the all-time picture.
- Price: $9.99 (checked Nov 6).
- People who recommend it had played a median of 5 h when they wrote their review.
- Critics had played a median of 7 h before their negative review.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Captures classic kingdom building vibes
- Great atmosphere and music
- Hard but rewarding challenge
- Novel mechanics stand out
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“It's been in early access since 2015. That's 6 years... It's been abandoned. You are playing the final version of the game.”
“They decided to finally give up and admit they weren't going to update it anymore when the "full game" was released in August 2021. I can assure you, this is a fiiiiine piece of abandonware to add to your collection.”
People who play it also play: Dwarf Fortress, Stronghold: Definitive Edition, Going Medieval
Frequently asked about Life is Hard
Can I run it?
How much does Life is Hard cost?
Life is Hard is listed on Steam at 9.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
What games are most similar to Life is Hard?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Life is Hard are Dwarf Fortress, Stronghold: Definitive Edition, Going Medieval.
Who developed Life is Hard?
Life is Hard was developed by Pirozhok Studio, Vitaliy Ruzankin and published by Pirozhok Studio.