Games Like War for the Overworld

Bad guys have all the fun. Discover your dark side as you build an evil underground kingdom and defend it against the forces of good.

Why similar: God Game 42.2% ★, Villain Protagonist 23.8% ★, Strategy 9.1%, Base Building 8.7%, RTS 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: This sequel refines the iconic dungeon-building formula with improved graphics and deeper tactical control over your creature army.

At last, the Dungeon Lord has successfully united the forces of evil and established his dark empire. Time for the next step in his most diabolical quest: expansion!

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 28.2% ★, God Game 18.3% ★, Base Building 16.6%, RTS 12.2%, Management 11%

Why You'll Like It: This title excels at merging the classic dungeon-sim experience with a humorous narrative and engaging RTS elements.

Build your dungeon & protect it with a labyrinth of dark corridors, a web of deadly traps, an arsenal of powerful spells, and an army of bloodthirsty demons

Why similar: God Game 53.2% ★, Villain Protagonist 35.1% ★, Strategy 9.8%, Singleplayer 1.9%

Why You'll Like It: As the original inspiration for the genre, this classic defines the dungeon-building and minion-management mechanics found in the seed game.

The Absolute Evil and its trusted *cough* servant, the Dark Elf Thalya, return in Dungeons 4 after the events of its fabulous predecessor to bring about their triumph over the forces of good once more.

Why similar: City Builder 20.5%, RTS 19.2%, Level Editor 18.5%, Sandbox 15.5%, Simulation 8%

Why You'll Like It: The latest entry in the series offers a polished experience that perfectly balances underground dungeon construction with surface-level real-time strategy combat.

A satirical spy-fi lair builder where YOU are the criminal mastermind! Construct your base, train your minions, defend your operations from the Forces of Justice, and achieve global domination!

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 37.4% ★, Base Building 25.1%, Management 12.2%, Sandbox 7.5%, Simulation 6.6%

Why You'll Like It: Focusing on the villainous perspective, this game tasks you with building a secret lair and managing minions to achieve global dominance.

KeeperRL is a retro dungeon simulator with roguelike and RPG elements. Take the role of an evil keeper and build a formidable dungeon. Recruit sinister minions, equip and train them to explore the world and fight the forces of good.

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 26.6% ★, Underground 17.1% ★, Base Building 15%, Old School 11.9%, Sandbox 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: This game combines dungeon building with roguelike elements, offering a more challenging and procedural approach to the genre.

The Dungeon Lord is back – and this time he’s serious! In Dungeons 2, fulfil the Dungeon Lord’s insatiable quest for vengeance by recruiting fearsome new monsters from all corners of the underworld in order to undertake his evil bidding.

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 26.5% ★, Dungeon Crawler 16.3%, Management 14.5%, RTS 12.4%, Strategy 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a solid bridge between dungeon management and traditional RTS gameplay, featuring a distinct villain-protagonist narrative.

Everybody wants to rule the world! Achieve global power with EVIL GENIUS, the one and only complete world domination simulator. All the everyday tasks of the deliciously wicked mastermind are available to experience and master from building your ultra-secret base to developing spectacular super-weapons to carry out your nefarious master...

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 39.9% ★, Base Building 28%, Management 7.2%, RTS 6.5%, Strategy 6%

Why You'll Like It: A cult classic that pioneered the base-building and minion-management loop with a distinct 1960s spy-fi aesthetic.

A dungeon in danger ! Build, manage, and defend your tower in the satirical heroic fantasy universe of Dungeon of Naheulbeuk. From a shaky establishment to an infamous lair!

Why similar: Base Building 26.2%, Management 23.1%, Sandbox 21%, Simulation 9.7%, Funny 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the management and humor aspects of the genre while focusing on the logistical challenges of running a dungeon for adventurers.

Dwelvers is a unique real-time strategy Dungeon Keeper-like with resource management, logistics, battles, magic spells, trading, crimes against humanity, labyrinths, and so much more. Are you able to eradicate the pesky humans once and for all? Of course you are. The Dark Mother wills it.

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 25.4% ★, Base Building 15.4%, Underground 14.9% ★, God Game 12.4% ★, Sandbox 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a deep focus on the logistics of dungeon construction, including complex resource management and minion AI.

Machiavillain is an evil mansion management and strategy game, inspired by Dungeon Keeper, Prison Architect and all the horror movie clichés! Build your own manor, raise your monsters, set up your traps, and exterminate your victims. But to gain reputation you'll have to slay by the horror movie rules!

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 35% ★, Base Building 18.6%, Management 13%, Simulation 10.3%, Sandbox 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: This management sim tasks you with building a haunted mansion and managing monsters to terrorize victims, echoing the dark-comedy tone of the seed game.

Ruinarch is an evil god simulator and sandbox game where you mess with people’s lives for hilarious results! Make them vampires, werewolves or bard haters and cackle as the drama unfolds. Once you’re done, unleash a malicious buffet of spells and custom plagues to wipe them out and start anew!

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 23.3% ★, God Game 16.8% ★, Base Building 13.5%, Colony Sim 11.8%, City Builder 10%

Why You'll Like It: This god-game allows you to act as a malevolent force, manipulating the lives of inhabitants to cause chaos and destruction.

Deep in the underworld of Ardania, a threat of the most evil nature grows and multiplies with an appetite for destruction that is unsurpassed. Summoned from the depths of the Bottomless Pit, the (once) mighty Báal-Abaddon has been torn from his throne of skulls and imprisoned in an earthly body of less-than-imposing stature (he's an Imp,...

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 53% ★, Strategy 36.4%, Fantasy 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: This title focuses on building an underground empire and commanding creatures in real-time battles against invading heroes.

Dungeon Warfare is a challenging tower defense strategy game where you become a dungeon lord to defend your dungeons with deadliest of traps and insidious contraptions against greedy adventurers and wanna-be heroes.

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 76.4% ★, Strategy 10.8%, Fantasy 10%, Singleplayer 2.8%

Why You'll Like It: This game distills the dungeon-defense aspect into a challenging tower-defense experience that rewards clever trap placement.

Overlord II, sequel to the critically acclaimed cult hit, sees the return of the chaotic Minions and their new Dark Master. Bigger, badder and more beautifully destructive, Overlord 2 has a Glorious Empire to smash, a massive Netherworld to revive, Minion mounts to mobilize, a trio of mistresses to woo, War Machines to crush opposition...

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 70.8% ★, Fantasy 9.2%, Funny 8.1%, RTS 5.7%, Strategy 4.3%

Why You'll Like It: This action-strategy hybrid allows you to command a horde of minions to wreak havoc on a fantasy world, mirroring the villainous power fantasy.

Prepare to be tempted, mesmerized and thrilled, become the Overlord, how corrupt you become depends on how you handle any given situation. Your actions impact the game world. With incredible power at your disposal and a team of evil minded minions to do your evil bidding, how will you resist the temptation to be incredibly despotic?

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 56.2% ★, RTS 24.5%, Funny 7.7%, Fantasy 5.8%, Strategy 5.8%

Why You'll Like It: The original game in the series that established the unique mechanic of controlling a dark lord and his loyal minion army.

Build your own dungeon and attract heroes from all over the realm! Grow your business by exploiting every facet of your visitors' dungeon exploration experience. Will you be able to keep your evil dungeon business going?

Why similar: Dungeon Crawler 17.6%, God Game 17.1% ★, Management 14.2%, City Builder 12.8%, Base Building 12.2%

Why You'll Like It: It shifts the focus to the business side of dungeon management, requiring you to build and maintain a dungeon that attracts and challenges adventurers.

A brutal godlike village sim that melds the god game, management, and tower defense genres! Fight off hoards of monsters at night, and expand your village in the day time. Inspired by games like Black and White, Rimworld, and Dwarf Fortress but not quite like any of them.

Why similar: Colony Sim 23%, City Builder 19.7%, God Game 18.9% ★, Base Building 16.7%, Sandbox 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: While more focused on colony management, it features intense tower-defense mechanics and base-building that will appeal to fans of dungeon defense.

Manage Hell. Manipulate the Overworld. Build the resurrection business of your dreams! In Sintopia, you’re tasked with managing the bureaucratic administration of Hell: “re-educate” the sinful, generate profit, play god and expand your hellish empire. All part of a day’s work at Hell Incorporated.

Why similar: God Game 23.8% ★, Base Building 18.4%, Management 14.9%, City Builder 14%, Colony Sim 13.6%

Why You'll Like It: This management game features god-like control over a simulation, focusing on automation and base-building efficiency.

Hell Architect is a game about building and managing your own hell. You take on a role of a hell manager and are tasked with developing the underworld in a way that would make Lucifer himself fall off his chair.

Why similar: Dark Comedy 18.4%, God Game 16% ★, Base Building 14.2%, Colony Sim 12.9%, City Builder 12.1%

Why You'll Like It: A management simulator where you build and expand your own version of hell, focusing on resource gathering and efficient layout design.

Build your dungeon, command demons, set traps, and slay invading adventurers with powerful spells.

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 25.7% ★, God Game 18.1% ★, RTS 11.2%, Colony Sim 11%, Underground 9.7% ★

Why You'll Like It: This title focuses heavily on the tower-defense and strategy aspects of defending a dungeon against waves of heroes.

Craft The World is a unique sandbox strategy game, the mix of Dungeon Keeper, Terraria and Dwarf Fortress. Explore a random generated world populated by dangerous creatures, build a dwarf fortress, gather resources, and craft all the items, weapons, and armor you need.

Why similar: Colony Sim 35%, Sandbox 29.3%, City Builder 12.7%, God Game 9.8% ★, Simulation 5.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game blends sandbox building with colony management, tasking you with guiding a group of dwarves through dangerous underground environments.

Assume the role of a mighty (and mighty evil) Dungeon Lord and create your own diabolical demesnes underground. 10 different classes of heroes dare to enter your dungeon where 15 different monsters lurk in the dark.

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 41.2% ★, Strategy 19.2%, Management 14.1%, Base Building 13.6%, Fantasy 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: The first game in the series that introduced the concept of managing a dungeon to lure and defeat heroes for their experience points.

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 21.1%, Base Building 18.8%, Sandbox 18%, City Builder 15.8%, Management 15.3%

Why You'll Like It: A colony-sim that emphasizes the management of a cult, aligning with the dark, villainous themes of the seed game.

Start your own cult in a land of false prophets, venturing out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland Followers and spread your Word to become the one true cult.

Why similar: Cult 51.9% ★, Base Building 18.3%, Dungeon Crawler 13.1%, Colony Sim 11.2%, Funny 2.5%

Why You'll Like It: While it features action-roguelike combat, the base-building and cult-management elements provide a similar sense of dark, villainous progression.

Your Excellency, in this short systems-management survival game, we prepare for the awakening of our Lord. He hungers for human sacrifice. Sinners try to hide their dark secrets, but all must be purged...

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 62% ★, Management 30.4%, Strategy 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: A management game that focuses on the dark, cult-like aspects of maintaining control over a village through sacrifice and political maneuvering.

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: Base Building 21.2%, Colony Sim 18.1%, City Builder 17%, Sandbox 15.6%, Management 15.4%

Be evil. Build your dungeon and grow your empire in this roguelite dungeon builder. Hire monsters, set traps, battle heroes, and conquer the overworld with an ever expanding legion of evil.

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 36.4% ★, Base Building 21.1%, God Game 20.5% ★, Management 13.3%, Strategy 4.8%

How evil can you get? Discover how corruptible you are in Overlord, the twisted fantasy action adventure where you can be evil (or really evil). In the game's seriously warped fantasy world, players will become the Overlord and get first-hand experience of how absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 66.8% ★, RTS 12.1%, Fantasy 8.1%, Funny 6.9%, Strategy 4.4%

Why You'll Like It: This expansion-heavy title adds more depth to the minion-commanding gameplay and dark fantasy world of the original Overlord.

Spacebase Startopia captivates with its original mixture of economic simulation and empire building strategy paired with classic RTS skirmishes and a good dose of humor.

Why similar: Base Building 22.3%, RTS 16.1%, City Builder 15%, Management 13.3%, Sandbox 12.9%

Why You'll Like It: A management sim that brings the dungeon-building loop to a space station setting, featuring deep economy and minion management.

Hell Architect is a hell colony sim. Build and manage your hell. Take care of the sinners with funny cartoon-style tortures, fill their needs, develop buildings, gather resources, grow your population. Prologue is a free standalone version of the game 'Hell Architect'.

Why similar: Dark Comedy 16.1%, Base Building 15.1%, Dungeon Crawler 14.8%, Colony Sim 14.2%, City Builder 13.2%

Build your own dungeon and attract heroes from all over the realm in this free version of Dungeon Tycoon. Grow your business by exploiting every facet of your visitors' dungeon exploration experience. Will you be able to keep your evil dungeon business going?

Why similar: Dungeon Crawler 22.6%, God Game 18.2% ★, Base Building 16.4%, Management 16.3%, Sandbox 13.8%

It's time to start working towards that ultimate goal of enlightenment, faith and money…lots and lots of money! Become the ultimate tycoon - create, customise, and manage your own cult whilst listening to funky music. Welcome to Honey, I Joined a Cult!

Why similar: Cult 37.5% ★, Base Building 12.1%, Dark Comedy 9.1%, Management 8.7%, God Game 8.4% ★

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: Base Building 21%, Colony Sim 18.6%, City Builder 16.9%, Sandbox 16%, Management 15.4%

Only the world’s most ruthless Warden can contain the world’s most ruthless inmates. Design and develop your personalized penitentiary in Prison Architect.

Why similar: Base Building 20.6%, Colony Sim 17.9%, Sandbox 16.1%, Management 14.9%, City Builder 14.7%

Dungeon Overseer is a colony simulator with a focus on base building and resource management. Become the Overseer by building a unique dungeon layout, constructing your lair, upgrading and expanding, questing, crafting, researching, recruiting, defending your base, and raiding.

Why similar: Base Building 20%, Colony Sim 18.1%, City Builder 15.5%, God Game 14.6% ★, Management 10%

Gnomoria is a sandbox village management game where you help lead a small group of gnomes, who have set out on their own, to thrive into a bustling kingdom! Anything you see can be broken down and rebuilt elsewhere.

Why similar: Colony Sim 26.3%, City Builder 22.3%, Sandbox 22%, Simulation 8%, Strategy 5.6%

Build a civilization that will stand the test of time in the largest space-based strategy game ever! Choose from dozens of unique races and make a name for yourself across the galaxy through diplomacy, espionage, technological advances, and more.

Why similar: Sandbox 78.8%, Strategy 21.2%

Dungeons: The Dark Lord is the sequel to Dungeons, the game where the more evil you are, the better! There are a slew of exciting new features, including four-player multiplayer in four modes!

Why similar: Simulation 58.9%, Strategy 41.1%

A byte-sized Dungeon Keeping roguelike: dig out your lair, populate it with monsters and protect the Wratch from heroes come for easy prestige.

Why similar: Base Building 24.7%, Underground 22.3% ★, Colony Sim 21.3%, Dungeon Crawler 13.6%, Simulation 7.4%

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 22.9%, Base Building 21.1%, City Builder 20.7%, Management 18%, Simulation 9.5%

Kingdoms and Castles is a city-building simulation game about growing a kingdom from a tiny hamlet to a sprawling city and imposing castle. Make trade agreements, alliance, and war with neighboring AI controlled kingdoms. Each villager and resource is individually simulated.

Why similar: City Builder 19.5%, Colony Sim 18%, Base Building 15.9%, Management 13%, Sandbox 12.2%

Forge invincible defenses with lethal traps and devious machines, and crush relentless waves of adventurers in the ultimate tower defense showdown!

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 32.4% ★, Simulation 24.3%, Strategy 17.6%, Level Editor 17.5%, Fantasy 5.7%

Become a villain in this retro-inspired board game. Draft terrain tiles, recruit monsters, build your dungeon, and become the OVERBOSS!

Why similar: Base Building 53.8%, City Builder 17.1%, Simulation 13.1%, Strategy 9.7%, Fantasy 5.2%

Now fully rebuilt and remastered, Guild of Dungeoneering Ultimate Edition is a turn-based dungeon crawler with a twist: instead of controlling the hero you build the dungeon around them.

Why similar: Dungeon Crawler 76.4%, Strategy 8.4%, Funny 6.5%, Fantasy 5.5%, Singleplayer 3.2%

Conquer and destroy the dirty Humans by sending swarms of bugs to crush their home worlds. Evolve your Buggos into stronger, faster, more murderous creatures that can rip the Human defenses to shreds! No one can stop your evolutionary powers. You are the evil Buggo Hivemind!!!

Why similar: Base Building 24.8%, Colony Sim 17.9%, City Builder 14.6%, RTS 12.8%, Simulation 10.5%

Pioneer a living world full of warmth, heroism, and mystery. Help a small group of settlers build a home for themselves in a forgotten land. Establish a food supply, build shelter, defend your people, monitor their moods, and find a way to grow and expand, facing challenges at every step.

Why similar: Colony Sim 30.8%, City Builder 26.9%, Sandbox 19.3%, God Game 6% ★, Simulation 5.2%

Mind Over Magic is a colony sim set at the site of a cursed magic school. Build and optimize your own magical academy, train powerful Mages, and master mighty relics in order to battle through the Underschool, a mysterious underground dungeon that holds the key to liberation from a deadly curse.

Why similar: Base Building 29.5%, Colony Sim 29%, Management 23.6%, Simulation 9.7%, Fantasy 6.5%

Lairchitect is a reverse dungeon crawler! Build your own lair and protect your precious soul core from heroes that try to raid your dungeon. Distracting heroes and using the right minions to defeat them is key in winning the game.

Why similar: Base Building 34.3%, Dungeon Crawler 22.2%, Management 13.3%, Strategy 12.9%, Simulation 12.1%

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: Base Building 21.2%, Colony Sim 18.2%, City Builder 17.7%, Management 15.4%, Sandbox 14.8%

Develop a prestigious university of mages. Build rooms, train your students, fight orcs, slay the bureaucrats, manage your budget... a director's life is not a quiet one.

Why similar: Base Building 30.2%, Colony Sim 27%, Management 21.3%, Simulation 10.3%, Funny 5.2%

Aid the Deities of Dread in their quest for vengeance and pave the way for their ascension. Gather grim materials, construct defences and expand the underworld to appease the rage of the gods in The Deadly Path, a unique building management and roguelike strategy game.

Why similar: Base Building 23.3%, RTS 18.2%, Management 18.1%, Colony Sim 16.7%, Old School 16.7%

A once thriving network of space stations and planets have been left lifeless, redundant scars of the apocalypse. Into this age of darkness comes light. You will lead the way in rebuilding the network of space stations to a standard accepted by the individual alien races, attracting them to harness their expertise and research new...

Why similar: Base Building 15.6%, Management 13.1%, Colony Sim 12.6%, God Game 12.6% ★, City Builder 11.8%

Run an adventurers shop – a serious business in a fantasy environment. Stock your store with dangerous weapons, fancy hats, sturdy armour and magical potions.

Why similar: Management 50.2%, Simulation 31.1%, Sandbox 11.8%, Fantasy 3.7%, Funny 2.2%

Lead your hive to victory in 'Buggos', an RTS Auto Battler! Customize your swarm with 120+ evolutions and conquer humanity. Strategy meets bug chaos!

Why similar: Base Building 18.9%, Villain Protagonist 16.4% ★, City Builder 15.3%, Management 13.5%, RTS 12.2%

Basement is a strategy game, where you start doing illegal business to fund the development of your dream video game. It won't be easy, so get ready to deal with other gangs, cops, crazy junkies, mysterious investor and even ghosts from the past.

Why similar: Dark Comedy 26.7%, Base Building 20.3%, Management 16.2%, Sandbox 13.2%, RTS 11.6%

In this world, it’s all about the gold! Use it to build up a fantasy town, recruit heroes, give quests, raise a Godbeast, cast powerful spells, and expand your influence—all one gold coin at a time.

Why similar: God Game 18.4% ★, Base Building 15.1%, Colony Sim 13.3%, City Builder 12.3%, RTS 11.9%

Legend of Keepers is the perfect mix between Dungeon Defender and Roguelite. You have been hired as a dungeon manager by the Dungeons Company. Your job is simple: protect their dungeons!

Why similar: Villain Protagonist 45.5% ★, Dungeon Crawler 26%, Management 16.7%, Strategy 5.6%, Fantasy 5.2%