Choose Railway Empire
Choose Railway Empire if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 80.4% positive across 3,732 reviews.
Railway Empire vs Railway Empire 2
Railway Empire and Railway Empire 2 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. Railway Empire (2018) is 5 years older than Railway Empire 2 (2023). Railway Empire scores higher on Steam reviews (80.4% positive) than Railway Empire 2 (74.1% 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 Railway Empire 2
Choose Railway Empire 2 if you want the Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,044 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Railway Empire and Railway Empire 2 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
 Railway Empire |  Railway Empire 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 29.99 USD | 49.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 80.4% positive (3,732 reviews) | 74.1% positive (1,044 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Gaming Minds Studios | Gaming Minds Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Railway Empire (2018) is 5 years older than Railway Empire 2 (2023).
- Railway Empire scores higher on Steam reviews (80.4% positive) than Railway Empire 2 (74.1% positive).
- Railway Empire is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Railway Empire 2 (29.99 USD vs. 49.99 USD).
- Railway Empire 2 has co-op; Railway Empire does not.
- Steam Deck: Railway Empire is Deck Playable, Railway Empire 2 is Deck Verified.
Railway Empire vs Railway Empire 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, Railway Empire or Railway Empire 2?
- On Steam reviews Railway Empire scores higher (80.4% positive) than Railway Empire 2 (74.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Railway Empire is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Railway Empire or Railway Empire 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Railway Empire (2018) came out before Railway Empire 2 (2023). 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 Railway Empire and Railway Empire 2 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.
- Does Railway Empire have multiplayer like Railway Empire 2?
- No. Railway Empire 2 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Railway Empire is listed as single-player only.