Choose Surviving Mars
Choose Surviving Mars if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 10,552 Steam reviews back the pick.
Surviving Mars vs Ares Inception
Surviving Mars and Ares Inception 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. Surviving Mars (2018) is 9 years older than Ares Inception (2027). Surviving Mars is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Ares Inception has no Deck rating yet. 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 Ares Inception
Choose Ares Inception if it's the newer release (2027) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Ares Inception launched in 2027.
Both Surviving Mars and Ares Inception sit in Strategy and Simulation 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
 Surviving Mars |  Ares Inception | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2027 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 79% positive (10,552 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Haemimont Games, Abstraction | Spacehabs Studios Inc. |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Surviving Mars (2018) is 9 years older than Ares Inception (2027).
- Surviving Mars is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Ares Inception has no Deck rating yet.
Surviving Mars vs Ares Inception — FAQ
- Should I play Surviving Mars or Ares Inception first?
- If you want chronology, Surviving Mars (2018) came out before Ares Inception (2027). 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 Surviving Mars and Ares Inception 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.