Choose Empires in Ruins
Choose Empires in Ruins if you want a Strategy and Simulation game with Steam Leaderboards. Empires in Ruins launched in 2021.
Empires in Ruins vs Alien Defense
Empires in Ruins and Alien Defense both land in Indie, RPG 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 Indie, RPG on Steam. Empires in Ruins (2021) is 1 year older than Alien Defense (2022). Alien Defense is currently ~83% cheaper on Steam than Empires in Ruins (2.99 USD vs. 17.99 USD). 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 Alien Defense
Choose Alien Defense if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's currently about 83% cheaper on the Steam Store. Alien Defense launched in 2022.
Both Empires in Ruins and Alien Defense sit in Indie and RPG 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
 Empires in Ruins |  Alien Defense | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, RPG | Action, Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 17.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 80.4% positive (56 reviews) | 5 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Hammer & Ravens | MoonlightGames |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Empires in Ruins (2021) is 1 year older than Alien Defense (2022).
- Alien Defense is currently ~83% cheaper on Steam than Empires in Ruins (2.99 USD vs. 17.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Empires in Ruins vs Alien Defense — FAQ
- Should I play Empires in Ruins or Alien Defense first?
- If you want chronology, Empires in Ruins (2021) came out before Alien Defense (2022). 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 Alien Defense similar?
- They overlap on Indie, RPG 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.