Choose Imperator: Rome
Choose Imperator: Rome if it's currently about 40% cheaper on the Steam Store. 12,449 Steam reviews back the pick.
Imperator: Rome vs Arms Race 2
Imperator: Rome and Arms Race 2 both land in Strategy, 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, Simulation on Steam. Imperator: Rome (2019) is 4 years older than Arms Race 2 (2023). Imperator: Rome is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Arms Race 2 (11.99 USD vs. 19.99 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 Arms Race 2
Choose Arms Race 2 if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Arms Race 2 launched in 2023.
Both Imperator: Rome and Arms Race 2 sit in Strategy and Simulation 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
 Imperator: Rome |  Arms Race 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 67.3% positive (12,449 reviews) | 4 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player |
| Developers | Paradox Development Studio | Alina Digital |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Imperator: Rome (2019) is 4 years older than Arms Race 2 (2023).
- Imperator: Rome is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Arms Race 2 (11.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Imperator: Rome is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Arms Race 2 has no Deck rating yet.
Imperator: Rome vs Arms Race 2 — FAQ
- Should I play Imperator: Rome or Arms Race 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Imperator: Rome (2019) came out before Arms Race 2 (2023). 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 Imperator: Rome and Arms Race 2 similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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 Imperator: Rome run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Imperator: Rome is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Arms Race 2 doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.