Choose Stronghold: Warlords
Choose Stronghold: Warlords if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 1,895 Steam reviews back the pick.
Stronghold: Warlords vs Open The Gates!
Stronghold: Warlords and Open The Gates! 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. Stronghold: Warlords (2021) is 1 year older than Open The Gates! (2022). Open The Gates! scores higher on Steam reviews (73.2% positive) than Stronghold: Warlords (63.9% 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 Open The Gates!
Choose Open The Gates! if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 68% cheaper on the Steam Store. Open The Gates! launched in 2022.
Both Stronghold: Warlords and Open The Gates! 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
 Stronghold: Warlords |  Open The Gates! | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 39.99 USD | 12.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 63.9% positive (1,895 reviews) | 73.2% positive (41 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Firefly Studios | Robin van der Horst |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Stronghold: Warlords (2021) is 1 year older than Open The Gates! (2022).
- Open The Gates! scores higher on Steam reviews (73.2% positive) than Stronghold: Warlords (63.9% positive).
- Open The Gates! is currently ~68% cheaper on Steam than Stronghold: Warlords (12.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Stronghold: Warlords has co-op; Open The Gates! does not.
- Stronghold: Warlords is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Open The Gates! has no Deck rating yet.
Stronghold: Warlords vs Open The Gates! — FAQ
- Should I play Stronghold: Warlords or Open The Gates! first?
- If you want chronology, Stronghold: Warlords (2021) came out before Open The Gates! (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 Stronghold: Warlords and Open The Gates! 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 Open The Gates! have multiplayer like Stronghold: Warlords?
- No. Stronghold: Warlords supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Open The Gates! is listed as single-player only.
- Does Stronghold: Warlords run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Stronghold: Warlords is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Open The Gates! doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.