Choose Jagged Alliance - Back in Action
Choose Jagged Alliance - Back in Action if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Jagged Alliance - Back in Action launched in 2012.
Jagged Alliance - Back in Action vs Hearts of Iron IV
Jagged Alliance - Back in Action and Hearts of Iron IV 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. Jagged Alliance - Back in Action (2012) is 4 years older than Hearts of Iron IV (2016). Hearts of Iron IV scores higher on Steam reviews (91.1% positive) than Jagged Alliance - Back in Action (69.6% 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 Hearts of Iron IV
Choose Hearts of Iron IV if you want the Multi-player and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.1% positive across 120,833 reviews.
Both Jagged Alliance - Back in Action and Hearts of Iron IV 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
 Jagged Alliance - Back in Action |  Hearts of Iron IV | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation, RPG | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 69.6% positive (560 reviews) | 91.1% positive (120,833 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op |
| Developers | Coreplay GmbH, Bigmoon Studios | Paradox Development Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Jagged Alliance - Back in Action (2012) is 4 years older than Hearts of Iron IV (2016).
- Hearts of Iron IV scores higher on Steam reviews (91.1% positive) than Jagged Alliance - Back in Action (69.6% positive).
- Jagged Alliance - Back in Action is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Hearts of Iron IV (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Hearts of Iron IV has co-op; Jagged Alliance - Back in Action does not.
- Hearts of Iron IV is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Jagged Alliance - Back in Action has no Deck rating yet.
Jagged Alliance - Back in Action vs Hearts of Iron IV — FAQ
- Which is better, Jagged Alliance - Back in Action or Hearts of Iron IV?
- On Steam reviews Hearts of Iron IV scores higher (91.1% positive) than Jagged Alliance - Back in Action (69.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Hearts of Iron IV is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Jagged Alliance - Back in Action or Hearts of Iron IV first?
- If you want chronology, Jagged Alliance - Back in Action (2012) came out before Hearts of Iron IV (2016). 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 Jagged Alliance - Back in Action and Hearts of Iron IV 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 Jagged Alliance - Back in Action have multiplayer like Hearts of Iron IV?
- No. Hearts of Iron IV supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op), while Jagged Alliance - Back in Action is listed as single-player only.