Choose Age of Rivals
Choose Age of Rivals if you want the Shared/Split Screen and Shared/Split Screen PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 72% cheaper on the Steam Store. Age of Rivals launched in 2017.
Age of Rivals vs Through the Ages
Age of Rivals and Through the Ages both land in Strategy, Indie 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, Indie on Steam. Age of Rivals (2017) is 1 year older than Through the Ages (2018). Through the Ages scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Age of Rivals (83.1% 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 Through the Ages
Choose Through the Ages if you want the Steam Turn Notifications side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.6% positive across 942 reviews.
Both Age of Rivals and Through the Ages sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and 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
 Age of Rivals |  Through the Ages | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 4.49 USD | 15.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 83.1% positive (172 reviews) | 91.6% positive (942 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Dark Inertia Studios | CGE Digital |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Age of Rivals (2017) is 1 year older than Through the Ages (2018).
- Through the Ages scores higher on Steam reviews (91.6% positive) than Age of Rivals (83.1% positive).
- Age of Rivals is currently ~72% cheaper on Steam than Through the Ages (4.49 USD vs. 15.99 USD).
- Through the Ages is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Age of Rivals has no Deck rating yet.
Age of Rivals vs Through the Ages — FAQ
- Which is better, Age of Rivals or Through the Ages?
- On Steam reviews Through the Ages scores higher (91.6% positive) than Age of Rivals (83.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Through the Ages is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Age of Rivals or Through the Ages first?
- If you want chronology, Age of Rivals (2017) came out before Through the Ages (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 Age of Rivals and Through the Ages similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie 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.