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 16.1% ★, 4X 15.5% ★, Grand Strategy 14.7%, Moddable 11.1%, Historical 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on global influence and shadow politics, mirroring the strategic depth of managing a world from the shadows.

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 22.1%, Moddable 15%, Base Building 13.7%, City Builder 9.4%, Survival 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: Offers the deep colony-sim management and emergent storytelling found in complex sandbox simulations.

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 10.3%, Diplomacy 9.2% ★, City Builder 8.9%, 4X 7.9% ★, Colony Sim 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: Offers unparalleled depth in city-building and economic management for those who enjoy complex systems.

The most devious and acclaimed artificial intelligence in strategy gaming is better than ever. A grand strategy/RTS hybrid that reverses many conventions of both genres. Take territory without attracting attention, build your empire with care, and adapt to an ever-evolving galactic battleground.

Why similar: 4X 30.1% ★, Grand Strategy 25.6%, Moddable 13.9%, Economy 10%, Management 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: You play as an AI fighting for survival, perfectly capturing the theme of machine-led warfare.

Frostpunk is the first society survival game. As the ruler of the last city on Earth, it is your duty to manage both its citizens and infrastructure. What decisions will you make to ensure your society's survival? What will you do when pushed to breaking point? Who will you become in the process?

Why similar: City Builder 25%, Colony Sim 20.3%, Resource Management 11.8%, Survival 11.3%, Building 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: Combines city-building with intense management and moral decision-making that mirrors the consequences of your AI's actions.

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 10.1% ★, Grand Strategy 9.7%, Moddable 8.6%, Colony Sim 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: Blends city-building with tactical strategy, providing a grounded experience in managing a growing population.

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 26.1%, 4X 25.8% ★, Diplomacy 13.3% ★, Moddable 10.4%, Sandbox 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: Provides the grand-strategy scale and empire-building required to manage a sentient machine civilization across the stars.

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 10.9% ★, Grand Strategy 9.8%, 4X 9.8% ★, Colony Sim 8.5%, Moddable 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: Provides a unique roguelite city-building experience that emphasizes adaptation and resource management.

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 17.8%, Diplomacy 15.1% ★, Moddable 9.9%, Historical 9.6%, Economy 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on the societal and economic simulation aspects of grand strategy, allowing for deep control over a nation's development.

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: 4X 16.4% ★, Diplomacy 15.5% ★, Grand Strategy 15.4%, Moddable 10.8%, Historical 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: Offers a character-driven grand strategy experience that blends historical depth with RPG-like decision-making.

Design and build fortresses brick by brick to stand against endless hordes of Horrors in this real-time strategy game with resource management, siege defense, and exploration. Lead from the ramparts, push back the darkness, and hold fast against the creatures of the Mist.

Why similar: Diplomacy 10.2% ★, Grand Strategy 9.5%, 4X 9% ★, Colony Sim 8.1%, Moddable 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on tactical base-building and defense, providing a strong strategic challenge for those who enjoy building and protecting their creations.

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: Grand Strategy 9.6%, Diplomacy 9.5% ★, 4X 9% ★, Colony Sim 8.4%, Moddable 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: Offers a unique colony-sim perspective that emphasizes managing a hive-mind-like structure, similar to an AI's control.

The last days of man are at hand.. Two years after the Infinite War the once great warring nations now lie in ruins, and humanity’s hope for a brighter future is nothing but a bitter memory. A new, seemingly unstoppable enemy, supported by the zealots of The Order, now seeks to eradicate mankind: UEF, Aeon Loyalist, and Cybran alike.

Why similar: Grand Strategy 34.7%, Moddable 23%, Base Building 20.7%, Strategy 19.5%, Singleplayer 2.1%

Why You'll Like It: Features massive-scale robotic warfare that captures the feeling of commanding machine armies.

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 13%, Colony Sim 12.6%, City Builder 11.1%, Moddable 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: Allows for massive-scale colony management that captures the feeling of growing a small settlement into a sprawling power.

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 10.5% ★, Grand Strategy 10%, 4X 9.5% ★, Colony Sim 8.9%, Moddable 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: A deep colony-sim that focuses on the management of noble families and their influence, mirroring the political depth of the seed game.

Shadow Empire is a deep turn-based 4X wargame with a unique blend of military focus, procedurally generated content and role-playing features. Players take the seat of the supreme ruler of a small nation, with the goal of reconquering a devastated planet.

Why similar: 4X 38.1% ★, Grand Strategy 33.5%, Management 12.3%, Strategy 7.4%, Simulation 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: Provides a deep, complex wargame simulation that emphasizes the logistical and political challenges of ruling a fractured world.

Build the most efficient intergalactic factory in space simulation strategy game Dyson Sphere Program! Harness the power of stars, collect resources, plan and design production lines and develop your interstellar factory from a small space workshop to a galaxy-wide industrial empire.

Why similar: Base Building 21.6%, Building 13.5%, City Builder 13.3%, Resource Management 12%, Open World 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on large-scale automation and resource management, perfect for players who enjoy building complex, efficient systems.

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 20.7% ★, Grand Strategy 18.4%, Diplomacy 17.6% ★, Alternate History 11.6%, Historical 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: Provides a turn-based grand strategy experience that spans history, allowing for long-term planning and development.

Create a sprawling industrial city. Compete with other rival corporations on Titan for resources, territory, and power. Seek victory via technology, influence, warfare, or the wealth extracted from your citizens. Stake your claim to the Industries of Titan in this innovative sim/strategy game!

Why similar: 4X 23.5% ★, Colony Sim 18.9%, City Builder 17.8%, Base Building 11.2%, Resource Management 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: Combines city-building with resource management in a sci-fi setting that resonates with the futuristic tone of the seed game.

Factorio is a game about building and creating automated factories to produce items of increasing complexity, within an infinite 2D world. Use your imagination to design your factory, combine simple elements into ingenious structures, and finally protect it from the creatures who don't really like you.

Why similar: Base Building 22.4%, Resource Management 14.1%, Sandbox 11.5%, Moddable 10.7%, City Builder 8%

Why You'll Like It: The ultimate test of base-building and automation, requiring the same level of logistical planning as an AI managing a city.

Fight for control of a frontier world. Gather resources, build your base, and command your forces in battle. Survive long enough to unleash your ultimate weapon - THE EPIC.

Why similar: Base Building 51.8%, Strategy 43.3%, Singleplayer 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: A classic strategy game that explores AI and machine-based factions in a high-stakes tactical environment.

Take the reins of a feudal dynasty in a divided galaxy following the destruction of earth. Star Dynasties is a turn based, procedurally generated narrative of human drama and personal politics, mixed with a light empire management layer. Your choices. Your legacy.

Why similar: Diplomacy 37.8% ★, Grand Strategy 33.2%, Management 11.5%, Strategy 5.9%, 4X 5.4% ★

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on the RPG and political aspects of grand strategy, perfect for players who enjoy influencing the world through diplomacy and intrigue.

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 20.1% ★, Diplomacy 15.3% ★, City Builder 11.8%, Base Building 11.1%, Historical 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: An incremental strategy game that captures the feeling of rapid growth and societal evolution.

Inspired by the god games of old, Fata Deum lets you mold settlements and townsfolk in your image. Will you raise the settlements to splendor, or spur them on to violent debauchery and demons? Watch as a living world grows under your whims.

Why similar: Colony Sim 14.2%, Moddable 13.2%, City Builder 12.6%, Base Building 8.8%, Building 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: Allows you to play as a god influencing the world, which directly mirrors the AI awakening power fantasy.

Build a city to rule the world in Kaiserpunk, a grand city builder blending production-focused city building with world conquest in an alternate 20th century world. Manage your city, grow industries, build a military, and defeat rivals to become the greatest empire.

Why similar: Grand Strategy 17.8%, City Builder 14.8%, Alternate History 12.9%, Historical 9.9%, Building 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: A city-builder with a focus on alternate history and war, providing a unique strategic challenge.

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 13.7%, Moddable 12.9%, City Builder 11.9%, Base Building 9%, Economy 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: A management-focused simulation that allows for deep control over production and economic systems.

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: Grand Strategy 10.7%, Diplomacy 9.5% ★, 4X 8.7% ★, Colony Sim 8.5%, City Builder 8.3%

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 9.1%, Moddable 8.1%

Unique combination of turn-based 4X and historical grand strategy with a mythological twist. Explore the ancient world and build a world leading civilization. Survive, expand, conquer... and win!

Why similar: 4X 17.5% ★, Grand Strategy 15.7%, Diplomacy 13.9% ★, Moddable 11.6%, Historical 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: A historical grand strategy game that emphasizes the tactical and political challenges of ancient warfare.

Harness your Demigod powers to lead a group from rags to riches in this 3D Fantasy Kingdom Management Sim with RPG elements. Command from the sky or take control in 3rd Person to BUILD, BATTLE, and RULE. Navigate a world of interesting Nobles, earn their respect, and decide their Fates.

Why similar: Colony Sim 20.2%, City Builder 16.5%, Moddable 13.8%, Base Building 11.8%, Sandbox 9%

Why You'll Like It: A colony-sim that emphasizes character interaction and sandbox freedom, similar to the RPG elements of the seed game.

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 16.1% ★, 4X 15.8% ★, Grand Strategy 14.8%, Moddable 11.5%, Historical 8.8%

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 25.4% ★, Grand Strategy 18.8%, City Builder 16.3%, Historical 12.9%, Strategy 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: A grand strategy game that allows you to shape the course of history, offering the scale and influence found in the seed game.

Step into the shoes of a fallen clan leader, starting with nothing but a crumbling estate and a handful of hopes, rising through careful planning, trade, and diplomacy to become one of the most powerful families in the land. Now it’s time to forge a legendary dynasty that leaves its mark on history.

Why similar: Diplomacy 24.7% ★, City Builder 13.9%, Management 8.5%, Economy 8.5%, Sandbox 8.2%

Build a sprawling pirate haven, raise a fleet to explore the high seas, and take on the Crown to keep the Age of Piracy alive! From ale to flintlock pistols, and from scallywags to swashbucklers, you’ll need to manage complex production chains and govern a rowdy crew to reign supreme over the seas!

Why similar: Grand Strategy 11.4%, Colony Sim 8.9%, City Builder 8.9%, Diplomacy 8.4% ★, 4X 7.5% ★

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 21.2% ★, Grand Strategy 19.1%, Diplomacy 16.8% ★, Alternate History 12.2%, Historical 9.9%

Discover and colonize the world, Allocate your labor force, Monopolize markets, Fight tactical battles, Survive the age of imperialism...

Why similar: Grand Strategy 19%, 4X 17.2% ★, Historical 11.4%, Alternate History 11.2%, Colony Sim 10.5%

Hardcore city-building sim in a fantasy steampunk world. Manage multi-racial colonies with hundreds of autonomous citizens, balance their needs, grow the economy, build logistics, and travel a vast world carrying out the Emperor’s orders.

Why similar: Colony Sim 16.2%, City Builder 14.2%, Moddable 11.8%, Economy 9.5%, Base Building 9.1%

Rule Tenochtitlán in this survival city-builder where gods decide your fate. Confront the Moon Goddess and her generals. Delve into the intricate story, survive the nights in the Sandbox mode, or build freely in the Creative mode. The last sun is yours to save, or… lose!

Why similar: Colony Sim 14.6%, City Builder 13.1%, Historical 9.6%, Base Building 9.1%, Economy 8.8%

Build massive ocean cities and lead your people to prosperity in this post-apocalyptic survival colony sim. Featuring a physics-based 3D construction system, complex resource management, exploration, difficult political decisions, supply chains, and a robust sandbox mode.

Why similar: Colony Sim 21.5%, City Builder 16.2%, Base Building 13.7%, Sandbox 8.7%, Resource Management 7.2%

Forge an empire under the watchful eyes of the gods! Take care of your people, develop efficient production chains and trade with other landlords. Ensure their survival through harsh winters and disasters.

Why similar: City Builder 16.7%, Colony Sim 14.2%, Historical 13.2%, Economy 11.8%, Building 10%

Travel to the Holy Land with the First Crusades. Rise from a humble knight to the founding father of a world-spanning holy order. Lead through war, faith, diplomacy, and cunning schemes. Experience a unique blend of RTS, city-building, and sandbox gameplay, and shape history!

Why similar: Grand Strategy 22.5%, City Builder 15.6%, Diplomacy 14.9% ★, 4X 14.7% ★, Sandbox 9.9%

Become the hive mind of a robot ant colony in Microtopia! Use pheromone trails to create, automate and optimize supply chains for your ants to follow. Collect resources, produce goods, feed your queen, grow your colony and fly out to expand the species!

Why similar: Colony Sim 19.6%, City Builder 15.2%, Moddable 15.1%, Base Building 11.5%, Resource Management 8.9%

Lead a team of cloned settlers and build a home on a new planet. Start from the Stone Age, construct sturdy shelters, hunt for food, and fight off dangers. Make your team stronger and better equipped to survive.

Why similar: Colony Sim 16.7%, City Builder 14.3%, Historical 13.3%, 4X 12.2% ★, Base Building 10.3%

Build and manage mankind’s first mission across the universe! Create a sprawling facility underground, recruit a diverse group of specialists from around the globe and explore mysterious new worlds through the Exogate.

Why similar: 4X 17.7% ★, Colony Sim 15.2%, City Builder 14.3%, Base Building 11.3%, Building 8.6%

Embark on a journey to greatness. Get ready for adrenaline-fueled battles and a chance to claim your place in the galaxy. Grab the controls of your ship, gear up for the fight, and unleash your ambition to conquer and build a new empire in the vastness of space.

Why similar: Base Building 28.1%, Economy 20.6%, Open World 17.8%, Building 14.5%, Management 13.6%

Greetings your Excellency. Time to rebuild, reform and prepare for new challenges in the People's Republic of Basenji. In this thrilling political strategy, you will appoint ministers and lead the country to success. Be careful — you may find yourself replaced in the next election.

Why similar: 4X 18.3% ★, Grand Strategy 17.7%, Diplomacy 17% ★, Historical 10.1%, Sandbox 9.2%

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 18.3%, City Builder 16.2%, Moddable 9.9%, Survival 7.3%, Economy 6.7%

A colony-building game combined with grand strategy elements. Play as a tribal leader, guiding your people from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Survive, multiply, and compete for territory among ancient nations.

Why similar: Diplomacy 18.2% ★, Colony Sim 14.5%, City Builder 12.4%, Base Building 9.2%, Historical 9.2%

Build your sky city while exploring a vast landscape in this Open World RPG City Builder. Combining the methodical construction and management of a city builder; the unique lift, balance, and propulsion needed for a flying city; and the compelling characters, dangers, and adventures of an RPG!

Why similar: Colony Sim 21.4%, City Builder 19.4%, Resource Management 10.4%, Open World 9.6%, Base Building 9.6%

Desynced is a sci-fi strategy game with fully customizable units and behaviors. Gather, build, research, and explore the unknown. Alone or with friends, unveil the mystery of an AI on the edge of self-awareness and uncover the hidden truth in this blend of strategy, automation, and exploration.

Why similar: City Builder 20.1%, Base Building 16.1%, Building 11.5%, Sandbox 11.4%, Management 10%

LEAD the CULT OF CTHULHU. Decide the fate of your followers, perform eldritch rituals, and master the art of city-building in a world where the line between sanity and madness blurs. Can you endure the horrors you unleash?

Why similar: Colony Sim 20.7%, City Builder 14.4%, Alternate History 10.9%, Base Building 10.5%, Sandbox 9.7%

Build your own global colonies on distant worlds. Manage energy and resource supplies and produce goods for space trade. Form economic and diplomatic alliances or take over competing corporations. Conduct research to protect your colonists from disasters and avoid a climate crisis.

Why similar: Diplomacy 19.1% ★, Grand Strategy 17.5%, Colony Sim 15.6%, City Builder 13%, Base Building 9.5%

Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance is not just a game; it's an adrenaline-fueled journey where your strategic prowess decides the fate of mankind against the machines. After the machines took over, the greatest threats may not come from the machines but rather from other human survivors.

Why similar: Alternate History 53.2%, Management 28.7%, Strategy 18.1%

Discover a unique blend of Colony Sim and Tactical RPG. Recruit and train your heroes, build your outpost, explore dungeons and engage in turn-based strategic battles to protect and expand your domain. Shape your stories by managing moods, relationships, ambitions and more!

Why similar: Colony Sim 22.3%, Base Building 14.8%, City Builder 11.4%, Building 11.2%, Sandbox 8.6%

Survive and thrive in a post-apocalyptic future — resources are scarce, but opportunity calls! Build the ultimate disaster proof colony, protect your colonists, and restore civilization to a devastated world.

Why similar: City Builder 25.3%, Colony Sim 21.8%, Base Building 11.5%, Survival 10.4%, Strategy 7.6%

Make Mars your own! Take control of the world’s most sophisticated AI (AMI) and terraform the surface of the Red Planet for a city-building experience on a planetary scale. Transform this barren world into a lush paradise and explore the surface for any ancient secrets that may be waiting.

Why similar: Moddable 16.3%, Colony Sim 16%, City Builder 14%, Base Building 10.6%, Building 8.1%

In a crumbling realm, hold back collapse in this grand strategy epic. Fall of an Empire has you balance deadly politics, manage resources, and command battles to survive invasions and intrigue in a vast, Roman-inspired world.

Why similar: Grand Strategy 34.7%, 4X 31.3% ★, Economy 14%, Strategy 7.4%, Simulation 6.2%

In the medieval era, assume the role of a lord and engage with other lords，develop fiefdoms, and employ strategies involving intrigue, warfare, and plunder. Expand your territory and strengthen your house lineage Or, be a god, manipulate the world? This game primarily strategic role-playing elements

Why similar: Grand Strategy 33.8%, Historical 19%, Management 12.3%, Sandbox 10.7%, Economy 9.9%

Turn-based kingdom management simulator focused on decision-making. Will you survive and lead the kingdom to prosperity, or die in agony? The throne awaits.

Why similar: City Builder 20.1%, Historical 18%, Alternate History 16.5%, Building 15%, Economy 12.6%