Homeworld
Homeworld is a 1999 real-time strategy game developed by Relic Entertainment. It follows the Kushan people, who unearth a buried ancient starship and learn their true origins lie across the galaxy, then set out in a great mothership only to return home to find their planet devastated, turning their journey into a desperate fight for survival against the hostile Taiidan.
The game was groundbreaking for bringing real-time strategy into a fully three-dimensional space, letting players maneuver fleets across all axes with an intuitive movement system and manage a persistent force whose surviving ships, research, and resources carried over from mission to mission. Its striking art direction, haunting score featuring Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, and cinematic storytelling elevated it far beyond typical genre fare and earned widespread acclaim as a landmark of the medium.
A remastered collection later brought Homeworld and its sequel to modern systems with updated visuals, and the series has continued with further sequels and prequels.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Homeworld, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
| Alternative | Price | Steam Deck | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak | € 45,99 | Steam Deck Playable | PC, Mac |
| Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion Indie | € 9,99 | Steam Deck Unsupported | PC |
| Homeworld Remastered Collection | € 34,99 | Steam Deck Unsupported | PC, Mac |
| Homeworld 3 | € 49,99 | Steam Deck Playable | PC |
| Sins of a Solar Empire II | € 50,99 | Steam Deck Playable | PC |
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak
€ 45,99The prequel, trading space for desert but keeping the fleet-carrying campaign structure.
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak runs on PC, Mac. Not available on Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion Indie
€ 9,99An indie real-time space 4X-RTS hybrid of grand fleet warfare.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Homeworld Remastered Collection
€ 34,99Remasters of the original games with updated visuals.
Homeworld Remastered Collection runs on PC, Mac. Not available on Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Homeworld 3
€ 49,99The modern sequel continuing the 3D space RTS series.
Homeworld 3 runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
€ 50,99Real-time 4X across star systems, with capital ships that matter individually.
Sins of a Solar Empire II runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
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