Choose Empires in Ruins
Choose Empires in Ruins if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. Empires in Ruins launched in 2021.
Empires in Ruins vs ZeroSpace
Empires in Ruins and ZeroSpace both land in Strategy, Indie, 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, Indie, Simulation on Steam. Empires in Ruins (2021) is 5 years older than ZeroSpace (2026). Empires in Ruins scores higher on Steam reviews (80.4% positive) than ZeroSpace (78.8% 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 ZeroSpace
Choose ZeroSpace if you want an Action, Massively Multiplayer, and Early Access game with Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. ZeroSpace launched in 2026.
Both Empires in Ruins and ZeroSpace sit in Strategy, Indie, and Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (80.4% vs 78.8% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Empires in Ruins |  ZeroSpace | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 17.99 USD | 35.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 80.4% positive (56 reviews) | 78.8% positive (777 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Hammer & Ravens | Starlance Studios, Ironward |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Empires in Ruins (2021) is 5 years older than ZeroSpace (2026).
- Empires in Ruins scores higher on Steam reviews (80.4% positive) than ZeroSpace (78.8% positive).
- Empires in Ruins is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than ZeroSpace (17.99 USD vs. 35.99 USD).
- ZeroSpace has co-op; Empires in Ruins does not.
- Empires in Ruins is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; ZeroSpace has no Deck rating yet.
Empires in Ruins vs ZeroSpace — FAQ
- Should I play Empires in Ruins or ZeroSpace first?
- If you want chronology, Empires in Ruins (2021) came out before ZeroSpace (2026). 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 in Ruins and ZeroSpace similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, 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 Empires in Ruins have multiplayer like ZeroSpace?
- No. ZeroSpace supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Empires in Ruins is listed as single-player only.
- Does Empires in Ruins run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Empires in Ruins is rated Deck Playable by Valve. ZeroSpace doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.