Games Like Heart of the Machine

An alien invasion has fractured humanity into seven ideological factions each with a unique vision for the future. Lead your chosen faction to take control of Earth’s nations, expand across the Solar System, and battle enemy fleets in tactical combat.

Why similar: Diplomacy 16.2% ★, 4X 15.2% ★, Grand Strategy 14.4% ★, Moddable 10.9% ★, Historical 8.6%

Songs of Syx is a fantasy city-builder with vast battles simulating thousands of citizens and soldiers. Start off as a small village and build, scheme, and fight your way towards a mighty empire. The mechanics are deep and true to life, where tiny events can spiral into the collapse of kingdoms.

Why similar: 4X 13.6% ★, Grand Strategy 12.9% ★, Colony Sim 12.6% ★, City Builder 10.8%, Moddable 10.5% ★

Build a fortress and try to help your dwarves survive against a deeply generated world. Keep your dwarves happy, grow their community and beware of digging too deeply. The deepest, most intricate simulation of a world that's ever been created.

Why similar: Colony Sim 19.3% ★, City Builder 15.9%, Base Building 12.3%, Building 9.7%, Management 9.3%

A dark fantasy city builder where you must rebuild civilization in the face of apocalyptic rains. As the Queen’s Viceroy, lead humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies to reclaim the wilderness and secure a future for civilization's last survivors.

Why similar: Diplomacy 10.4% ★, Grand Strategy 9.9% ★, 4X 9.3% ★, Colony Sim 8.7% ★, Moddable 8% ★

A sci-fi colony sim driven by an intelligent AI storyteller. Generates stories by simulating psychology, ecology, gunplay, melee combat, climate, biomes, diplomacy, interpersonal relationships, art, medicine, trade, and more.

Why similar: Colony Sim 22.2% ★, Moddable 14.8% ★, Base Building 13.7%, City Builder 9.3%, Survival 7.7%

Paradox Development Studio invites you to build your ideal society in the tumult of the exciting and transformative 19th century. Balance the competing interests in your society and earn your place in the sun in Victoria 3, one of the most anticipated games in Paradox’s history.

Why similar: Grand Strategy 19.8% ★, Diplomacy 17.1% ★, Historical 11%, Economy 10.8%, Moddable 10.5% ★

Embark on a space voyage with your ragtag crew of civilians in search of a new home. Build spaceships tile by tile, create optimal gas conditions, manage the needs and moods of their crew, encounter other space-faring groups, and explore the universe in this spaceship colony simulation.

Why similar: Colony Sim 18.7% ★, City Builder 13.5%, Base Building 11.8%, Building 8.7%, Management 8.5%

Use war, trade or diplomacy to satisfy your grandest ambitions and dominate five centuries of history in the newest version of Europa Universalis, Paradox Interactive's flagship historical grand strategy game.

Why similar: 4X 20.2% ★, Grand Strategy 19.9% ★, Diplomacy 14% ★, Historical 9.9%, Resource Management 9.1%

Lead your noble family in this medieval colony sim, facing off against class conflict, religious struggle, and political treachery. Tend to your people’s needs, uncover the lost knowledge of a fallen empire, and engage in nefarious plots against your enemies.

Why similar: Diplomacy 10.9% ★, Grand Strategy 9.7% ★, 4X 9.6% ★, Colony Sim 8.9% ★, Moddable 8.1% ★

Rule your land and dominate the world with unparalleled freedom, depth and historical accuracy. Write a new history of the world and build an empire for the ages.

Why similar: Grand Strategy 16.6% ★, Diplomacy 16% ★, 4X 14.4% ★, Moddable 11% ★, Historical 10%

Build a soviet republic from an impoverished country into a rich industrial superpower in a city builder with intricate production chains and a fully simulated global economy. Manage the lives of your citizens from education to work and party loyalty to criminal activity.

Why similar: Grand Strategy 10.1% ★, Diplomacy 8.9% ★, Colony Sim 8.8% ★, City Builder 8.4%, 4X 7.8% ★

Explore a galaxy full of wonders in this sci-fi grand strategy game from Paradox Development Studios. Interact with diverse alien races, discover strange new worlds with unexpected events and expand the reach of your empire. Each new adventure holds almost limitless possibilities.

Why similar: Grand Strategy 25.8% ★, 4X 25.7% ★, Diplomacy 13.3% ★, Moddable 10.3% ★, Sandbox 9.6%

Old World is a revolutionary new historical strategy game where you lead your dynasty over generations of rule against rival kings and queens. Wage massive wars, manage your court, and build a dynasty — or watch your empire crumble to dust. What legacy will you leave behind?

Why similar: Diplomacy 16.4% ★, 4X 15.8% ★, Grand Strategy 14.8% ★, Moddable 10.9% ★, Historical 9%

Command swarms of warriors at an unprecedented scale of warfare in this blend of RTS and base-building. Lead ant colonies against the many fearsome threats of the insect world, while building intricate nests, developing pheromone-based tactics, and evolving to meet growing dangers.

Why similar: Diplomacy 9.5% ★, Grand Strategy 9.5% ★, 4X 9% ★, Colony Sim 8.3% ★, Moddable 7.6% ★

Rewrite history by shaping a civilization as unique as you are. Combine 60 cultures from the Ancient Era to the Modern Age to lead your empire to victory. Build thriving cities, outsmart rivals in epic battles, spread your influence and leave your mark on HUMANKIND™.

Why similar: 4X 25.6% ★, Grand Strategy 18.7% ★, City Builder 16%, Historical 12.8%, Strategy 8.6%

A 4X real-time strategy game from the developers of the critically acclaimed Northgard. Set in Frank Herbert’s groundbreaking Dune universe, you must lead your faction and battle for control and dominance over the harsh desert planet of Arrakis.

Why similar: Diplomacy 19.4% ★, 4X 18.5% ★, Grand Strategy 16.8% ★, Management 10.7%, Economy 9.8%

Love, fight, scheme, and claim greatness. Determine your noble house’s legacy in the sprawling grand strategy of Crusader Kings III. Death is only the beginning as you guide your dynasty’s bloodline in the rich and larger-than-life simulation of the Middle Ages.

Why similar: Grand Strategy 24.3% ★, 4X 14% ★, Historical 13.7%, Moddable 11.9% ★, Management 9.1%

Establish a home for your industrious mice under the oppressive paw of your cat overlords in this city builder featuring complex simulations, intricate production chains, and the age-old rivalry between cat and mouse.

Why similar: Diplomacy 10.3% ★, Grand Strategy 10% ★, 4X 9.2% ★, Colony Sim 9% ★, Moddable 7.9% ★

Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game featuring in-depth city building, large-scale tactical battles, and complex economic and social simulations. Rule your lands as a medieval lord – the seasons pass, the weather changes, and cities rise and fall.

Why similar: Diplomacy 11.2% ★, 4X 9.9% ★, Grand Strategy 9.6% ★, Colony Sim 8.5% ★, Moddable 8.3% ★

Take command of your own mercenary outfit of 'Mechs and the MechWarriors that pilot them, struggling to stay afloat as you find yourself drawn into a brutal interstellar civil war.

Why similar: Strategy 59.3%, Management 34.7%, Singleplayer 6%

Command a space-faring empire in Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, the new stand-alone expansion that combines 4X depth with real-time strategy gameplay.

Why similar: Diplomacy 24.3% ★, 4X 20.4% ★, Grand Strategy 18.9% ★, Base Building 10.8%, Management 8.7%

The glory of Rome is at your fingertips in this city-building game where you must appease the gods, enact laws, and develop complex supply chains to meet the needs of your citizens.

Why similar: Diplomacy 10.3% ★, Grand Strategy 10.2% ★, 4X 9.3% ★, Colony Sim 8.4% ★, Moddable 7.9% ★

IXION is an unrelenting, city-building odyssey across the stars. As Administrator of the Tiqqun, DOLOS’ prototype space station, you are tasked with balancing preservation and exploration as you manage infrastructure, resources and crew. Can you keep the flame of humanity alight in the cold dark?

Why similar: City Builder 21.3%, Colony Sim 19% ★, Base Building 10.8%, Resource Management 10.8%, Survival 9.1%

Manage your own medieval smithy in Blacksmith Master and supervise the entire process from mining ores and gems to designing and selling finished products. Forge everything from weapons and armor to tools and cooking utensils to fund your craft and become the Blacksmith Master.

Why similar: Colony Sim 13.8% ★, Moddable 12.9% ★, City Builder 11.6%, Base Building 9%, Economy 8.4%

Mars has been colonized, and Earth's corporate titans fight to dominate this new market. Competition is fierce in this fast-paced economic RTS from Civilization IV Lead Designer, Soren Johnson.

Why similar: Colony Sim 20.4% ★, City Builder 16.7%, Economy 14%, Base Building 10.7%, Resource Management 10.6%

Inhabit a deeply-simulated science fantasy world and chisel through layers of thousand-year-old civilizations. Build a character from over a hundred mutations and cybernetics. The award-winning sandbox roguelike & RPG full of robots, deep lore, and sentient plants.

Why similar: Moddable 46.1% ★, Open World 31.9%, Survival 18.9%, Singleplayer 3.1%

Your journey to building a vast space empire begins behind the controls of a single ship. Explore the stars, trade goods, fight battles, build stations, buy and equip ships, and command fleets in a living, fully simulated universe that reacts to your decisions.

Why similar: 4X 19.2% ★, Economy 17.7%, Moddable 16.4% ★, Sandbox 12.7%, Building 8.3%

Lead your people to victory on an ever-evolving world in this strategy game featuring asymmetric factions led by powerful heroes. Build your empire, wield political influence, and raise grand armies to wage war in a race to uncover dark secrets buried within the planet.

Why similar: Diplomacy 16.3% ★, 4X 15.9% ★, Grand Strategy 14.9% ★, Moddable 10.8% ★, Historical 8.7%

The year is 3015. The battlefields are dominated by war machines known as BattleMechs. Level entire cities and decimate the enemy in your BattleMech. Follow a quest for glory and revenge. Manage an expanding mercenary company. Fight alongside your friends with a four-player PvE co-op.

Why similar: Moddable 40.9% ★, Economy 19.3%, Management 13.7%, Resource Management 13.6%, Simulation 9.8%

Build a nation starting at any point in human history and compete for supremacy in this epic turn-based strategy game. Engage in diplomacy, fight wars, and go head-to-head with other leaders from history.

Why similar: 4X 21.3% ★, Grand Strategy 18.9% ★, Diplomacy 16.7% ★, Alternate History 11.9%, Historical 9.8%

Ratopia is a new game that has combined elements of both strategic survival and city building. With plenty of content available, and more planned, enjoy a vast world to adventure and populate with citizens! Build your own economical system to sustain your ideal city of Ratopia.

Why similar: Colony Sim 18.5% ★, City Builder 13.4%, Base Building 11.5%, Building 9.9%, Management 7.8%

Lead a mercenary company in this tactical RPG set in a medieval fantasy world. Chase fame and fortune as you choose where to go, who to recruit, which contracts to pursue, and how to train and equip your men in a procedurally generated open world campaign.

Why similar: Moddable 32.3% ★, Historical 21.8%, Sandbox 15.4%, Open World 13.6%, Strategy 7.7%

The award-winning strategy game franchise returns with a revolutionary new chapter. Sid Meier's Civilization® VII empowers you to build the greatest empire the world has ever known!

Why similar: Diplomacy 19.2% ★, Grand Strategy 17.7% ★, 4X 17.2% ★, City Builder 11.4%, Historical 10%

Rule a fantasy realm of your own design! Explore new magical realms in Age of Wonders’ signature blend of 4X strategy and turn-based tactical combat. Control a faction that grows and changes as you expand your empire with each turn!

Why similar: 4X 35.2% ★, Grand Strategy 29.1% ★, Moddable 21.4% ★, Strategy 7.3%, Simulation 5.4%

A procedural co-op space sandbox where players can build their own space ships out of dynamically scalable blocks. Fight epic space battles, explore, mine, trade, wage wars and build your own empire to save your galaxy from being torn apart by an unknown enemy.

Why similar: Economy 23.1%, Building 20.4%, Sandbox 19.4%, Open World 15.7%, Management 13.7%

Build an industrial empire on a remote island. Mine resources, reshape terrain with excavators, grow food, construct factories, lay train tracks, and trade with the outside world. Research 100+ technologies to advance from basic metal smelting all the way to nuclear power and space flight.

Why similar: Base Building 19.1%, Resource Management 16.2%, Economy 13.9%, Colony Sim 12.4% ★, City Builder 10.4%

Of Life and Land is a charming settlement-building strategy game paired with a rich simulation experience. Every animal and plant strives to find its place in nature while you lead your villagers to their future. Expand to different regions and trade with local factions to gain needed resources.

Why similar: Colony Sim 13.5% ★, City Builder 11.9%, Moddable 10.5% ★, Base Building 8.9%, Historical 7.8%

ENDLESS™ Space 2 is a Strategic Space Opera, featuring the compelling “just one more turn” gameplay, set in the mysterious ENDLESS™ Universe. As the leader of your civilization, will you impose your vision and build the greatest stellar empire?

Why similar: Strategy 77.1%, 4X 13.6% ★, Grand Strategy 5.3% ★, Moddable 1.8% ★, Open World 1.2%

Incremental clicker strategy, where you expand, construct, research, fight, collect heroes and make choices between good and evil. Ascend through difficulty tiers by playing through challenge campaign going back and forth through history. Mammoths included.

Why similar: 4X 19.7% ★, Diplomacy 15.1% ★, City Builder 11.5%, Base Building 11%, Historical 10.5%

Stardeus is a deep colony sim set on a broken starship manned by drones and hibernating human survivors. As the AI, have your drones repair your ship, save your crew and travel the stars in this beautiful simulation.

Why similar: Colony Sim 20.8% ★, Moddable 15.9% ★, Base Building 13%, Resource Management 9.7%, Sandbox 8.5%

To escape from pursuit, as the leader of your sect, guide your disciples to rise again! Engage in farming and hunting, train in martial arts, and forge weapons and armor. Build your sect's base and fortifications from the ground up to survive in this perilous, ambition-filled martial world!

Why similar: Diplomacy 13.4% ★, 4X 12.7% ★, Colony Sim 10.9% ★, Moddable 10.2% ★, Grand Strategy 9.9% ★

Get the complete GalCiv II saga including Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, the expansion pack Dark Avatar, and the newest expansion pack Twilight of the Arnor!

Why similar: 4X 29.8% ★, Grand Strategy 27.3% ★, Base Building 15.3%, Diplomacy 7.9% ★, Moddable 5.7% ★

Build and expand your very own settlements in high mountains! Carefully plan production chains and satisfy various needs of your three-caste society while dealing with mountain hazards such as weather breakdowns and avalanches. Are you skilled enough to make your town thrive?

Why similar: Colony Sim 17.8% ★, City Builder 16.4%, Base Building 10.7%, Resource Management 9.4%, Economy 9.3%

Patron is a survival city builder with a unique social dynamics system. Gather and produce resources, build your fledgling village into a prosperous city and navigate the intricate social tensions before they reach boiling point.

Why similar: Colony Sim 18.2% ★, City Builder 15.8%, Moddable 9.7% ★, Economy 7.3%, Survival 7.1%

Take command of a civilization that has just achieved faster-than-light travel in Galactic Civilizations IV, the newest entry in the award-winning space 4X strategy game series. Explore the galaxy, colonize worlds, shape cultures, make alliances, fight wars and pioneer new technologies.

Why similar: 4X 20.9% ★, Grand Strategy 20.3% ★, Diplomacy 20% ★, Moddable 14.8% ★, Sandbox 8%

Give rise to wonders of the Aztec Civilization as you build your own magnificent metropolis in this ancient city builder. From humble beginnings build, trade, manage and conquer to become Tlatoani (Emperor).

Why similar: Grand Strategy 13.8% ★, Colony Sim 13.8% ★, Diplomacy 13.3% ★, City Builder 12.5%, Historical 9.4%

Automate a lunar base as you become the savior of humanity exploring the future on the moon. Mine, craft, research, and trade resources with Earth in this gripping narrative basebuilder.

Why similar: Colony Sim 21.2% ★, Base Building 14.6%, City Builder 14.3%, Resource Management 10.6%, Sandbox 8.8%

Design and simulate the starships of your dreams! Command your ship or fleet in epic battles and manage your crew while exploring a dangerous galaxy. Play alone or with friends, test your ships in online PvP, and let your imagination reach for the stars!

Why similar: Building 38.5%, Survival 25.5%, Strategy 16.1%, Simulation 13.1%, Singleplayer 6.8%

This Goblin Tribe Simulator brings a challenging blend of chaos and creativity to the city-building genre. Build dwellings, manage your resources, defend your goblins, and grow your tribe, and please the Gods! Do you have what it takes to control the chaos and rule the unruly?

Why similar: Diplomacy 14.6% ★, 4X 13.1% ★, Grand Strategy 12.5% ★, Colony Sim 11.7% ★, City Builder 10.3%

From a humble campfire to a multi-city kingdom, lead with grace in RAEV: Kingdom on the Distant Shores: a unique kingdom builder where every decision shapes the fate of your fox citizens and the legacy of your continent-spanning kingdom. With a freeform building system, no grids, no limits.

Why similar: Diplomacy 17.8% ★, Grand Strategy 14% ★, Colony Sim 12.4% ★, City Builder 12.2%, 4X 10% ★

Rule Tenochtitlan in this survival city-builder where gods decide your fate. Expand the capital, perform sacred rituals, and withstand the coming darkness. Build, grow, sacrifice, survive - or watch the last sun set forever.

Why similar: Colony Sim 14.5% ★, City Builder 12.7%, Economy 9.5%, Historical 9.3%, Base Building 8.9%

Take control of a country from its very first beginnings and lead it successfully to become a global hegemon. In a complex simulation of economy, diplomacy and warfare the path you chose to triumph is up to you.

Why similar: 4X 15.6% ★, Diplomacy 15.3% ★, Grand Strategy 14.1% ★, Alternate History 8.9%, Economy 8.9%

Agecraft is a historical strategy and city-building sim. Build your settlement, develop the economy, take care of your people, and guide your civilization through the ages, from the Stone Age to the future.

Why similar: 4X 15.8% ★, Grand Strategy 15.1% ★, City Builder 11.6%, Colony Sim 11.4% ★, Diplomacy 10.4% ★

Protect and guide your people as you forge a town from untamed wilderness at the edge of the known world. Harvest raw materials, hunt, fish and farm to survive. Produce crafted items to trade, consume, equip and fight with as you battle for your survival against the elements and outside threats.

Why similar: 4X 15% ★, City Builder 12.2%, Colony Sim 12.1% ★, Building 9.2%, Historical 8.5%

Create your own nation in Millennia, a historical turn-based 4X game that challenges your strategic prowess across 10,000 years of history, from the dawn of humanity to our possible futures.

Why similar: 4X 20.4% ★, Grand Strategy 18.1% ★, Diplomacy 17.6% ★, Alternate History 11.3%, Historical 10%

Humanica is a city-builder game about an ancient settlement, featuring vast technological development. Experience the journey from sticks and stones to iron tools and windmills!

Why similar: City Builder 15.8%, Colony Sim 14.9% ★, Historical 10%, Base Building 9.9%, Management 8.5%

This is a free version of Oxygen, featuring the first 50 game-days. Build your city around the Oxygen Center and ensure your people's survival in a post-apocalyptic future, threatened by crack explosions, deadly winds, droughts and frosts. Lead your people and keep the Oxygen Center running!

Why similar: Colony Sim 16.7% ★, City Builder 16%, Base Building 12.6%, Economy 9.3%, Resource Management 8.8%

Build and manage your own castle settlement in a land reclaimed by wilderness. With detailed management, survival strategy, and a moddable sandbox world, Going Medieval challenges you to build the mightiest colony this side of the apocalypse.

Why similar: Colony Sim 15.5% ★, Moddable 14.5% ★, City Builder 12.4%, Historical 9.9%, Economy 9.8%

Take Command of a Space Corporation in the Sci-Fi Simulator Solargene! Manage personnel, design and develop colonies and orbital stations across the solar system! Mine resources, establish logistics, research cutting-edge technologies, trade, and complete missions

Why similar: Colony Sim 16.2% ★, City Builder 12.3%, 4X 11.9% ★, Base Building 10.1%, Moddable 9.7% ★

Forge your destiny on the untamed frontier in the city-builder Wild West Pioneers. Build and manage a growing town, establish production chains, scout for new outposts and build trade routes to support your settlements. Build, survive, and thrive in the land of opportunity!

Why similar: 4X 15.5% ★, Colony Sim 14.9% ★, City Builder 12.9%, Economy 8.1%, Historical 7.4%