IMHO.

Imperator: Rome vs Secret Government

Imperator: Rome and Secret Government 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 2 years older than Secret Government (2021). Imperator: Rome scores higher on Steam reviews (67.3% positive) than Secret Government (45.5% 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 Imperator: Rome

Choose Imperator: Rome if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 67.3% positive across 12,449 reviews.

Choose Secret Government

Choose Secret Government if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Secret Government launched in 2021.

Both Imperator: Rome and Secret Government sit in Strategy 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

Imperator: Rome vs Secret Government — Steam metadata comparison
Imperator: Rome — Steam game coverImperator: RomeSecret Government — Steam game coverSecret Government
Released20192021
GenresStrategy, SimulationStrategy, Indie, Simulation
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Playable
Price11.99 USD19.99 USD
Steam reviews67.3% positive (12,449 reviews)45.5% positive (143 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-playerSingle-player only
DevelopersParadox Development StudioGameTrek

Side by side

Imperator: Rome vs Secret Government — FAQ

Which is better, Imperator: Rome or Secret Government?
On Steam reviews Imperator: Rome scores higher (67.3% positive) than Secret Government (45.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Imperator: Rome is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
Should I play Imperator: Rome or Secret Government first?
If you want chronology, Imperator: Rome (2019) came out before Secret Government (2021). 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 Secret Government 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 Secret Government have multiplayer like Imperator: Rome?
No. Imperator: Rome supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Secret Government is listed as single-player only.
Imperator: Rome vs Secret Government — Verdict (2026) · imho.run