Choose Empires Apart
Choose Empires Apart if you want a Free To Play game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 1,003 Steam reviews back the pick.
Empires Apart vs Data Defense
Empires Apart and Data Defense both land in Strategy 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 Strategy games on Steam. Empires Apart (2018) is 1 year older than Data Defense (2019). Data Defense scores higher on Steam reviews (90.5% positive) than Empires Apart (66.8% 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 Data Defense
Choose Data Defense if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Data Defense launched in 2019.
Both Empires Apart and Data Defense sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, 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
 Empires Apart |  Data Defense | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy, Free To Play | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 66.8% positive (1,003 reviews) | 90.5% positive (21 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | DESTINYbit | 2Blocks |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Empires Apart (2018) is 1 year older than Data Defense (2019).
- Data Defense scores higher on Steam reviews (90.5% positive) than Empires Apart (66.8% positive).
- Empires Apart is free; Data Defense is paid (9.99 USD).
- Empires Apart has co-op; Data Defense does not.
- Empires Apart is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Data Defense has no Deck rating yet.
Empires Apart vs Data Defense — FAQ
- Should I play Empires Apart or Data Defense first?
- If you want chronology, Empires Apart (2018) came out before Data Defense (2019). 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 Empires Apart and Data Defense similar?
- They overlap on Strategy 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 Data Defense have multiplayer like Empires Apart?
- No. Empires Apart supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Data Defense is listed as single-player only.
- Is Empires Apart free?
- Yes — Empires Apart is a free-to-play Steam title. Data Defense is paid (9.99 USD).