Choose Relik
Choose Relik if you want a Free To Play and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Relik launched in 2017.
Relik vs The Battle of Polytopia
Relik and The Battle of Polytopia 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. Relik (2017) is 3 years older than The Battle of Polytopia (2020). The Battle of Polytopia scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Relik (76% 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 The Battle of Polytopia
Choose The Battle of Polytopia if you want an Action, Adventure, and Simulation game with Steam Turn Notifications and Shared/Split Screen PvP. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.1% positive across 3,178 reviews.
Both Relik and The Battle of Polytopia 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
 Relik |  The Battle of Polytopia | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Free To Play, Early Access | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | Free to play | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76% positive (104 reviews) | 95.1% positive (3,178 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Iron 27 | Midjiwan AB |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Relik (2017) is 3 years older than The Battle of Polytopia (2020).
- The Battle of Polytopia scores higher on Steam reviews (95.1% positive) than Relik (76% positive).
- Relik is free; The Battle of Polytopia is paid (14.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Relik is Deck Playable, The Battle of Polytopia is Deck Verified.
Relik vs The Battle of Polytopia — FAQ
- Which is better, Relik or The Battle of Polytopia?
- On Steam reviews The Battle of Polytopia scores higher (95.1% positive) than Relik (76% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Battle of Polytopia is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Relik or The Battle of Polytopia first?
- If you want chronology, Relik (2017) came out before The Battle of Polytopia (2020). 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 Relik and The Battle of Polytopia 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.
- Is Relik free?
- Yes — Relik is a free-to-play Steam title. The Battle of Polytopia is paid (14.99 USD).