Choose Defense of the Oasis
Choose Defense of the Oasis if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 71% cheaper on the Steam Store. Defense of the Oasis launched in 2020.
Defense of the Oasis vs Ascension
Defense of the Oasis and Ascension both land in Strategy 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 are Strategy games on Steam. Defense of the Oasis (2020) is 5 years older than Ascension (2025). Defense of the Oasis scores higher on Steam reviews (92.6% positive) than Ascension (82.1% 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 Ascension
Choose Ascension if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Ascension launched in 2025.
Both Defense of the Oasis and Ascension sit in Strategy 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
 Defense of the Oasis |  Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Casual | Strategy, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 16.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92.6% positive (54 reviews) | 82.1% positive (56 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Mind Control Software | Element Game 微元游戏 |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Defense of the Oasis (2020) is 5 years older than Ascension (2025).
- Defense of the Oasis scores higher on Steam reviews (92.6% positive) than Ascension (82.1% positive).
- Defense of the Oasis is currently ~71% cheaper on Steam than Ascension (4.99 USD vs. 16.99 USD).
- Ascension is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Defense of the Oasis has no Deck rating yet.
Defense of the Oasis vs Ascension — FAQ
- Should I play Defense of the Oasis or Ascension first?
- If you want chronology, Defense of the Oasis (2020) came out before Ascension (2025). 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 Defense of the Oasis and Ascension similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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.