Choose Per Aspera
Choose Per Aspera if you want the Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 76.9% positive across 2,488 reviews.
Per Aspera vs Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings
Per Aspera and Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings 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. Per Aspera (2020) is 2 years older than Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings (2022). Per Aspera scores higher on Steam reviews (76.9% positive) than Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings (71.5% 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 Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings
Choose Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings launched in 2022.
Both Per Aspera and Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings sit in Strategy, 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
 Per Aspera |  Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 76.9% positive (2,488 reviews) | 71.5% positive (172 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Tlön Industries | Turquoise Revival Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Per Aspera (2020) is 2 years older than Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings (2022).
- Per Aspera scores higher on Steam reviews (76.9% positive) than Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings (71.5% positive).
- Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings is free; Per Aspera is paid (29.99 USD).
- Per Aspera has co-op; Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings does not.
- Per Aspera is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings has no Deck rating yet.
Per Aspera vs Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings — FAQ
- Which is better, Per Aspera or Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings?
- On Steam reviews Per Aspera scores higher (76.9% positive) than Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings (71.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Per Aspera is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Per Aspera or Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings first?
- If you want chronology, Per Aspera (2020) came out before Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings (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 Per Aspera and Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings 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 Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings have multiplayer like Per Aspera?
- No. Per Aspera supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings is listed as single-player only.
- Is Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings free?
- Yes — Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings is a free-to-play Steam title. Per Aspera is paid (29.99 USD).
- Does Per Aspera run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Per Aspera is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Smart Factory Tycoon: Beginnings doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.