Choose Imperia Online
Choose Imperia Online if you want a Free To Play experience. Imperia Online launched in 2016.
Imperia Online vs Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO
Imperia Online and Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO both land in Strategy, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer 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, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. Imperia Online (2016) is 1 year older than Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO (2017). Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO scores higher on Steam reviews (66.7% positive) than Imperia Online (50% 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 Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO
Choose Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO if you want an Indie and RPG game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 66.7% positive across 165 reviews.
Both Imperia Online and Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO sit in Strategy, Simulation, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, 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
 Imperia Online |  Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 50% positive (112 reviews) | 66.7% positive (165 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Imperia Online JSC | Illyriad Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- Imperia Online (2016) is 1 year older than Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO (2017).
- Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO scores higher on Steam reviews (66.7% positive) than Imperia Online (50% positive).
- Both are free to play.
- Both support cooperative play.
Imperia Online vs Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO — FAQ
- Which is better, Imperia Online or Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO?
- On Steam reviews Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO scores higher (66.7% positive) than Imperia Online (50% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Imperia Online or Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO first?
- If you want chronology, Imperia Online (2016) came out before Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO (2017). 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 Imperia Online and Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer 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 Imperia Online and Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Imperia Online ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO ships Online Co-op, Co-op.