Choose Eclipse --- Defending the motherland
Choose Eclipse --- Defending the motherland if you want a Free To Play experience. Eclipse --- Defending the motherland launched in 2016.
Eclipse --- Defending the motherland vs Ashes of the Ark
Eclipse --- Defending the motherland and Ashes of the Ark both land in Adventure 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 Adventure games on Steam. Eclipse --- Defending the motherland (2016) is 2 years older than Ashes of the Ark (2018). Both are free to play. 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 Ashes of the Ark
Choose Ashes of the Ark if you want an Action, Indie, and Simulation experience. Ashes of the Ark launched in 2018.
Both Eclipse --- Defending the motherland and Ashes of the Ark sit in Adventure on Steam and both list Tracked Controller Support and VR Only, 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
 Eclipse --- Defending the motherland |  Ashes of the Ark | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Adventure, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 66.7% positive (27 reviews) | 9 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Hangzhou NezhaGames | SuperSecret |
Side by side
- Both are Adventure games on Steam.
- Eclipse --- Defending the motherland (2016) is 2 years older than Ashes of the Ark (2018).
- Both are free to play.
- Eclipse --- Defending the motherland is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Ashes of the Ark has no Deck rating yet.
Eclipse --- Defending the motherland vs Ashes of the Ark — FAQ
- Should I play Eclipse --- Defending the motherland or Ashes of the Ark first?
- If you want chronology, Eclipse --- Defending the motherland (2016) came out before Ashes of the Ark (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 Eclipse --- Defending the motherland and Ashes of the Ark similar?
- They overlap on Adventure 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.