Choose Foundation
Choose Foundation if you want a Strategy experience. 10,915 Steam reviews back the pick.
Foundation vs Trading Towns
Foundation and Trading Towns both land in 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 Indie, Simulation on Steam. Trading Towns (2024) is 1 year older than Foundation (2025). Foundation scores higher on Steam reviews (86.1% positive) than Trading Towns (78.6% 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 Trading Towns
Choose Trading Towns if you want a Casual and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 89% cheaper on the Steam Store. Trading Towns launched in 2024.
Both Foundation and Trading Towns sit in Indie 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
 Foundation |  Trading Towns | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Indie, Simulation, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 34.99 USD | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.1% positive (10,915 reviews) | 78.6% positive (14 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Polymorph Games | Eternal Games |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Trading Towns (2024) is 1 year older than Foundation (2025).
- Foundation scores higher on Steam reviews (86.1% positive) than Trading Towns (78.6% positive).
- Trading Towns is currently ~89% cheaper on Steam than Foundation (3.99 USD vs. 34.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Foundation is Deck Playable, Trading Towns is Deck Verified.
Foundation vs Trading Towns — FAQ
- Should I play Foundation or Trading Towns first?
- If you want chronology, Trading Towns (2024) came out before Foundation (2025). 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 Foundation and Trading Towns similar?
- They overlap on 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.