Choose Planar Conquest
Choose Planar Conquest if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 98% cheaper on the Steam Store. Planar Conquest launched in 2016.
Planar Conquest vs Shadow Empire
Planar Conquest and Shadow Empire both land in Strategy, Simulation, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. Planar Conquest (2016) is 4 years older than Shadow Empire (2020). Shadow Empire scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Planar Conquest (55.8% 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 Shadow Empire
Choose Shadow Empire if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82.1% positive across 1,123 reviews.
Both Planar Conquest and Shadow Empire sit in Strategy, Simulation, and RPG on Steam, 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
 Planar Conquest |  Shadow Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 0.99 USD | 39.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 55.8% positive (242 reviews) | 82.1% positive (1,123 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Wastelands Interactive | VR Designs |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation, RPG on Steam.
- Planar Conquest (2016) is 4 years older than Shadow Empire (2020).
- Shadow Empire scores higher on Steam reviews (82.1% positive) than Planar Conquest (55.8% positive).
- Planar Conquest is currently ~98% cheaper on Steam than Shadow Empire (0.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Shadow Empire has co-op; Planar Conquest does not.
- Shadow Empire is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Planar Conquest has no Deck rating yet.
Planar Conquest vs Shadow Empire — FAQ
- Which is better, Planar Conquest or Shadow Empire?
- On Steam reviews Shadow Empire scores higher (82.1% positive) than Planar Conquest (55.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Shadow Empire is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Planar Conquest or Shadow Empire first?
- If you want chronology, Planar Conquest (2016) came out before Shadow Empire (2020). 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 Planar Conquest and Shadow Empire similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Simulation, RPG 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 Planar Conquest have multiplayer like Shadow Empire?
- No. Shadow Empire supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op), while Planar Conquest is listed as single-player only.