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 Destination Ares
Surviving Mars and Destination Ares 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. Destination Ares (2017) is 1 year older than Surviving Mars (2018). Surviving Mars scores higher on Steam reviews (79% positive) than Destination Ares (47.1% 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 Destination Ares
Choose Destination Ares if you want an Indie and Adventure experience. Destination Ares launched in 2017.
Both Surviving Mars and Destination Ares 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 |  Destination Ares | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79% positive (10,552 reviews) | 47.1% positive (17 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Haemimont Games, Abstraction | Pat Scott |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Destination Ares (2017) is 1 year older than Surviving Mars (2018).
- Surviving Mars scores higher on Steam reviews (79% positive) than Destination Ares (47.1% positive).
- Surviving Mars is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Destination Ares has no Deck rating yet.
Surviving Mars vs Destination Ares — FAQ
- Should I play Surviving Mars or Destination Ares first?
- If you want chronology, Destination Ares (2017) came out before Surviving Mars (2018). 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 Destination Ares 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.