Choose Ashes of the Ark
Choose Ashes of the Ark if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Ashes of the Ark launched in 2018.
Ashes of the Ark vs VAR: Exterminate
Ashes of the Ark and VAR: Exterminate both land in Action, Indie, Adventure 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 Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Ashes of the Ark (2018) is 3 years older than VAR: Exterminate (2021). Ashes of the Ark is free; VAR: Exterminate is paid (14.99 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 VAR: Exterminate
Choose VAR: Exterminate if you want a Strategy and Early Access game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. VAR: Exterminate launched in 2021.
Both Ashes of the Ark and VAR: Exterminate sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Tracked Controller Support and VR Only, 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
 Ashes of the Ark |  VAR: Exterminate | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | Free to play | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 9 reviews | 85.4% positive (48 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | SuperSecret | VAR LIVE International Ltd |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Ashes of the Ark (2018) is 3 years older than VAR: Exterminate (2021).
- Ashes of the Ark is free; VAR: Exterminate is paid (14.99 USD).
- VAR: Exterminate is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Ashes of the Ark has no Deck rating yet.
Ashes of the Ark vs VAR: Exterminate — FAQ
- Should I play Ashes of the Ark or VAR: Exterminate first?
- If you want chronology, Ashes of the Ark (2018) came out before VAR: Exterminate (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 Ashes of the Ark and VAR: Exterminate similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure 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.
- Is Ashes of the Ark free?
- Yes — Ashes of the Ark is a free-to-play Steam title. VAR: Exterminate is paid (14.99 USD).