Choose Factory Town
Choose Factory Town if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.3% positive across 2,390 reviews.
Factory Town vs Automation Empire
Factory Town and Automation Empire 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. Automation Empire (2019) is 2 years older than Factory Town (2021). Factory Town scores higher on Steam reviews (91.3% positive) than Automation Empire (65.1% 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 Automation Empire
Choose Automation Empire if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 1,482 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Factory Town and Automation Empire 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
 Factory Town |  Automation Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2019 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.3% positive (2,390 reviews) | 65.1% positive (1,482 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Erik Asmussen | DOG HOGGLER |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Automation Empire (2019) is 2 years older than Factory Town (2021).
- Factory Town scores higher on Steam reviews (91.3% positive) than Automation Empire (65.1% positive).
- Factory Town is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Automation Empire (19.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Factory Town is Deck Verified, Automation Empire is Deck Playable.
Factory Town vs Automation Empire — FAQ
- Which is better, Factory Town or Automation Empire?
- On Steam reviews Factory Town scores higher (91.3% positive) than Automation Empire (65.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Factory Town is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Factory Town or Automation Empire first?
- If you want chronology, Automation Empire (2019) came out before Factory Town (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 Factory Town and Automation Empire 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.