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Empires of the Undergrowth

55 Games like Empires of the Undergrowth that you should try

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Empires of the Undergrowth is hard to replace: few games combine real-time strategy, sandbox world and historical setting in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 13 gameplay attributes and found 55 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, Pharaoh and Lazerbait lead the list, with Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive reaching a 97/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Empires of the Undergrowth special.

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GenreStrategySubgenreRTS
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Solo
Year 2024Dev Slug Disco

Quick answer

The closest game to Empires of the Undergrowth is Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive — scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. Pharaoh and Lazerbait follow close behind.

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Games like Empires of the Undergrowth

55 similar games foundUpdated May 2026
Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive
StrategyRTS
SoloHistoricalIsometricTacticalStealth
Steam👍 88%· 2.4K
Year 2001Dev Spellbound Entertainment · InfogramesOn PC

✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, historical setting and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: strong narrative focus, combat tactical and stealth mechanics, while skipping deep simulation

Pharaoh
StrategyRTS
SoloHistoricalBase BuildingIsometric
Steam👍 92%· 2.5KIGDB70· 1
Year 1999Dev Impressions Games · Sierra EntertainmentOn PC

✓ Nearly identical: real-time strategy, deep simulation and historical setting.

≠ Missing: survival mechanics.

Lazerbait
StrategyRTS
SoloFirst PersonFree to Play
Steam👍 96%· 512
Year 2016Dev Taylor StapletonPlaytime ~1hOn PC

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with visual first person and free to play, while skipping deep simulation

Tropico 4
StrategyRTS
SoloSandbox WorldBase BuildingManagementIsometric
Steam👍 92%· 13KRAWG👍 67%· 511MC78IGDB74· 4
Year 2011Dev Feral Interactive · Kalypso MediaPlaytime ~4hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

✓ Nearly identical: real-time strategy, deep simulation and sandbox freedom.

≠ Missing: survival mechanics.

Banished
StrategyRTS
SoloHistoricalIsometricStealthDark
OC74· 19
Year 2021Dev Twilight LAB GamesOn Web

✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, deep simulation and survival mechanics

≠ Its own twist: dark, oppressive atmosphere, stealth mechanics and horror setting, while skipping sandbox freedom

Evil Genius
StrategyRTS
SoloBase BuildingManagementIsometric
Steam👍 93%· 3.6KRAWG👍 71%· 137MC75IGDB83· 4
Year 2004Dev Elixir Studios · RebellionPlaytime ~2hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, while skipping survival mechanics

Patapon
StrategyRTS
SoloRanged2D
IGDB88· 3
Year 2007Dev SCE Japan Studio · Sony Computer Entertainment

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, ranged combat and visual 2d, while skipping deep simulation

Frostpunk
StrategyRTS
SoloBase BuildingManagementIsometricNarrative
Steam👍 93%· 134KRAWG👍 88%· 1.1KMC85IGDB86· 9OC86· 103
Year 2018Dev 11 Bit Studios · 11 bit studiosPlaytime ~6hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the real-time strategy games cluster, with real-time strategy, deep simulation and survival mechanics

≠ Where it differs: brings strong narrative focus, dark, oppressive atmosphere and punishing difficulty, while skipping sandbox freedom

Kenshi
StrategyRTS
SoloOpen WorldSandbox WorldExplorationBase BuildingManagementIsometric
Steam👍 96%· 112KRAWG👍 77%· 191MC75IGDB84· 1
Year 2018Dev Lo-Fi GamesPlaytime ~4hOn PC

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, sandbox freedom and deep simulation

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and stealth mechanics, while skipping turn-based strategy

Theme Park
StrategyRTS
SoloIsometric
IGDB79· 2
Year 1994Dev Bullfrog Productions · OceanOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

✓ Nearly identical: real-time strategy, deep simulation and single-player focus.

≠ Missing: survival mechanics.

Rome: Total War
StrategyRTS
SoloHistoricalIsometricMultiplayerTactical
Steam👍 95%· 17KIGDB91· 3
Year 2004Dev The Creative Assembly · SegaOn Android · PC · iOS

✓ Both are real-time strategy games — sharing real-time strategy, turn-based strategy and deep simulation

≠ Its own twist: combat tactical, melee combat and ranged combat, while skipping survival mechanics

Plague Inc.
StrategyRTS
SoloIsometricTacticalDarkHorror
IGDB80· 1
Year 2012Dev Ndemic CreationsOn PC · Android · iOS

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, deep simulation and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere, combat tactical and horror setting, while skipping survival mechanics

Pikmin
StrategyRTS
SoloIsometricSci-Fi
IGDB80· 1
Year 2001Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Gradiente

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, single-player focus and visual isometric

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling and setting scifi, while skipping deep simulation

Shogun: Total War
StrategyRTS
SoloHistoricalIsometricMultiplayerMelee
Steam👍 89%· 1.2KIGDB90· 1
Year 2000Dev The Creative Assembly · SegaOn PC

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, turn-based strategy and historical setting

≠ Where it differs: brings melee combat, combat tactical and ranged combat, while skipping deep simulation

RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
StrategyRTS
SoloSandbox WorldManagementIsometricMultiplayer
Steam👍 90%· 5.8KIGDB60· 1
Year 2002Dev Chris Sawyer Productions · InfogramesOn PC

✓ Same family of real-time strategy games: real-time strategy, deep simulation and sandbox freedom

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual, multiplayer gameplay and visual pixel, while skipping survival mechanics

Games like Empires of the Undergrowth

Rankings in the same genre

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Empires of the Undergrowth?
The closest game to Empires of the Undergrowth is Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. They share 4 gameplay attributes, including real-time strategy, single-player focus and historical setting. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Empires of the Undergrowth?
The three closest games to Empires of the Undergrowth are: 1. Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive (97/100, 4 shared attributes) 2. Pharaoh (97/100, 6 shared attributes) 3. Lazerbait (91/100, 2 shared attributes). All share Empires of the Undergrowth's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 55 candidates across 13 dimensions.
Is Pharaoh similar to Empires of the Undergrowth?
Yes, very much so — Pharaoh scores 97/100 similarity to Empires of the Undergrowth. They share 6 attributes, including real-time strategy and deep simulation. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What RTS games are similar to Empires of the Undergrowth?
The best RTS games similar to Empires of the Undergrowth are Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, Pharaoh, Lazerbait and Tropico 4. All share the RTS genre alongside other key Empires of the Undergrowth attributes like real-time strategy, single-player focus and historical setting.
How is similarity to Empires of the Undergrowth calculated?
We compare Empires of the Undergrowth against every game in our catalog using 13 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Empires of the Undergrowth experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.