Choose The Infinite Black
Choose The Infinite Black if you want an Indie and RPG experience. The Infinite Black launched in 2016.
The Infinite Black vs Space Wars: Interstellar Empires
The Infinite Black and Space Wars: Interstellar Empires both land in Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play 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, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam. The Infinite Black (2016) is 1 year older than Space Wars: Interstellar Empires (2017). Space Wars: Interstellar Empires scores higher on Steam reviews (67.6% positive) than The Infinite Black (64.4% 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 Space Wars: Interstellar Empires
Choose Space Wars: Interstellar Empires if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 67.6% positive across 173 reviews.
Both The Infinite Black and Space Wars: Interstellar Empires sit in Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, and Free To Play on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, 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
 The Infinite Black |  Space Wars: Interstellar Empires | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play | Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 64.4% positive (177 reviews) | 67.6% positive (173 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Spellbook | Desert Owl Games LLC |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play on Steam.
- The Infinite Black (2016) is 1 year older than Space Wars: Interstellar Empires (2017).
- Space Wars: Interstellar Empires scores higher on Steam reviews (67.6% positive) than The Infinite Black (64.4% positive).
- Both are free to play.
- Both support cooperative play.
The Infinite Black vs Space Wars: Interstellar Empires — FAQ
- Which is better, The Infinite Black or Space Wars: Interstellar Empires?
- On Steam reviews Space Wars: Interstellar Empires scores higher (67.6% positive) than The Infinite Black (64.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Space Wars: Interstellar Empires is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Infinite Black or Space Wars: Interstellar Empires first?
- If you want chronology, The Infinite Black (2016) came out before Space Wars: Interstellar Empires (2017). 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 The Infinite Black and Space Wars: Interstellar Empires similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play 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.
- Do both The Infinite Black and Space Wars: Interstellar Empires have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: The Infinite Black ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Space Wars: Interstellar Empires ships Online Co-op, Co-op.