Computed from player tags · Not ranked by quality

24 games like Airport CEO (2026)

Recomputed 19 October 2026 · Ordered by overlap, not by score · Free to read, nothing here is paid for

Every game below overlaps with Airport CEO on things players said about it rather than on our opinion of what feels alike. Each entry shows what it matched on, so you can throw out the ones matching on the part you did not care about.

The games like Airport CEO on a map

Compare the whole catalogue

The same 24 games, plotted rather than listed. The two axes below are the ones the ranking is built from, so a game sitting high and right is a game the formula placed near the top. Change either axis to see the field a different way. Where we hold a publisher wordmark, the game is drawn as its mark rather than a dot.

Horizontal

Vertical

Platform

24 games have both

Axes are fitted to these 24 games rather than the full 0 to 100 scale, because a filtered list shares a narrow band and would otherwise sit in one corner. End values are marked. A point on the left edge is the lowest of thesegames, not a low score.

Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.

Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.

Nintendo
PC

Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.

How positions are decided

No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data

Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.

The short version

Closest match: Prison Architect, which both open world and strategy.
Airport CEO is tagged Flight, Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation, Singleplayer, Building, Immersive Sim by Steam players. Those tags are what the matching runs on.
24 games qualify, each with at least fifty player reviews behind its sentiment figure.

Why players value Airport CEO

The five things Steam players tag Airport CEO with most. This is the yardstick every game below is measured against: the closer a game matches these, the more it is likely to scratch the same itch.

Flight
Resource Management
Moddable
Management
Simulation

Airport CEO at a glance
Reception	Very Positive on Steam (83% of 8,337)
Watch-outs	no widespread problems reported by players
Price	$24.99

Tags, sentiment and reported problems come from Steam players; the story line is from Wikipedia. We do not add a written opinion of our own.

How these were matched

Steam tags carry the most weight, because players apply them and they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Souls-like, Atmospheric and Cozy exist as tags and as nothing else, which is exactly the vocabulary this question needs. Formal genres count for less, themes and a shared studio for more.

Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are thrown out before matching. Nearly everything is tagged Singleplayer, so matching on it is matching on nothing. That cutoff is computed from the catalogue rather than fixed, so it moves as the catalogue grows.

All 24, closest first

1
Prison Architect
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 13 player tags including Simulation, Building and Sandbox.
Only the world’s most ruthless Warden can contain the world’s most ruthless inmates. Design and develop your personalized penitentiary in Prison Architect.
Prison Architect at a glance
Released 2015 Studio Introversion Software
Player sentiment 89% positive of 73,744 Price $5.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.0/10 · Steam: Very Positive (89% of 73,744)
Matches Airport CEO on: 4 of 5 — Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Simulation, Building, Sandbox, Base-Building, Colony Sim — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $5.99 — $19.00 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:SimulationBuildingSandboxBase-BuildingStrategyManagementCity Builder2D
Full entry Games like this one Store page
2
Transport Fever 2
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 12 player tags including Simulation, Strategy and Management; released around the same time (2019).
The classic transport simulation genre has a new gold standard with Transport Fever 2. Discover a whole new world by navigating transport routes through land, water and air. May progress and prosperity find their way!
Transport Fever 2 at a glance
Released 2019 Studio Urban Games
Player sentiment 90% positive of 32,509 Price $39.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.8/10 · Steam: Very Positive (90% of 32,509)
Matches Airport CEO on: 5 of 5 — Flight, Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Simulation, Strategy, Management, Transportation, Trains — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $39.99 — $15.00 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:SimulationStrategyManagementTransportationCity BuilderEconomySandboxBuilding
Full entry Games like this one Store page
3
Transport Fever
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 12 player tags including Flight, City Builder and Sandbox.
Transport Fever is a railroad-focused tycoon game. Players start in 1850 and build up a thriving transport company. As an emerging transport tycoon, the player constructs stations, airports, harbors and makes money by connecting areas requiring transport services. Build up your own Empire!
Transport Fever at a glance
Released 2016 Studio Urban Games
Player sentiment 83% positive of 10,841 Price $29.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.1/10 · Steam: Very Positive (83% of 10,841)
Matches Airport CEO on: 5 of 5 — Flight, Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Flight, City Builder, Sandbox, Building, Driving — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $29.99 — $5.00 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:FlightCity BuilderSandboxBuildingEconomyManagementTransportationStrategy
Full entry Games like this one Store page
4
OpenTTD
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 11 player tags including Simulation, Building and Economy; released around the same time (2021).
OpenTTD is a business simulation game in which players earn money by transporting passengers and cargo via road, rail, water, and air. It is an open-source remake and expansion of the 1995 Chris Sawyer video game Transport Tycoon Deluxe.
OpenTTD at a glance
Released 2021 Studio OpenTTD
Player sentiment 95% positive of 16,952 Price Not listed
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.0/10 · Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive (95% of 16,952)
Matches Airport CEO on: 4 of 5 — Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Simulation, Building, Free to Play, Economy, Sandbox — the tags Steam players apply most
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:SimulationBuildingEconomySandboxManagementTransportationResource ManagementCity Builder
Full entry Games like this one Store page
5
Against the Storm
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 11 player tags including Strategy, City Builder and Simulation; released around the same time (2023).
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.
Against the Storm at a glance
Released 2023 Studio Eremite Games
Player sentiment 94% positive of 37,338 Price $8.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.3/10 · Steam: Very Positive (94% of 37,338)
Matches Airport CEO on: 4 of 5 — Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Strategy, City Builder, Simulation, Base-Building, Colony Sim — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $8.99 — $16.00 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:StrategyCity BuilderSimulationBase-BuildingManagementBuildingResource ManagementSandbox
Full entry Games like this one Store page
6
Cities: Skylines II
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 11 player tags including City Builder, Simulation and Building; released around the same time (2023).
Raise a city from the ground up and transform it into a thriving metropolis with the most realistic city builder ever. Push your creativity and problem-solving to build on a scale you've never experienced. With deep simulation and a living economy, this is world-building without limits.
Cities: Skylines II at a glance
Released 2023 Studio Iceflake Studios
Player sentiment 56% positive of 91,995 Price $49.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 5.7/10 · Steam: Mixed (56% of 91,995)
Matches Airport CEO on: 4 of 5 — Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: City Builder, Simulation, Building, Sandbox, Singleplayer — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $49.99 — $25.00 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:City BuilderSimulationBuildingSandboxManagementEconomyStrategyRealistic
Full entry Games like this one Store page
7
Factorio
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 11 player tags including Automation, Base-Building and Resource Management.
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.
Factorio at a glance
Released 2016 Studio Wube software
Player sentiment 98% positive of 233,978 Price $35.00
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.6/10 · Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive (98% of 233,978)
Matches Airport CEO on: 4 of 5 — Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Automation, Base-Building, Resource Management, Sandbox, Crafting — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $35.00 — $10.01 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:AutomationBase-BuildingResource ManagementSandboxStrategyManagementBuilding2D
Full entry Games like this one Store page
8
SimCity 4
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 11 player tags including City Builder, Immersive Sim and Base-Building.
SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition includes the bestselling SimCity 4 and the all-new SimCity 4 Rush Hour Expansion Pack. Create the most massive region of cities ever, with a farming town, bedroom community, high-tech commercial center, and industrial backbone.
SimCity 4 at a glance
Released 2003 Studio Maxis
Player sentiment 82% positive of 9,833 Price $19.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.0/10 · Steam: Very Positive (82% of 9,833)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: City Builder, Immersive Sim, Base-Building, Building, Sandbox — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $19.99 — $5.00 cheaper
Watch-outs: players report crashes and freezes, will not launch or install (details)
Shared with Airport CEO:City BuilderImmersive SimBase-BuildingBuildingSandboxEconomyManagementStrategy
Full entry Games like this one Store page
9
Dwarf Fortress
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 10 player tags including Strategy, Simulation and Base-Building; released around the same time (2022).
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.
Dwarf Fortress at a glance
Released 2022 Studio Bay 12 Games
Player sentiment 95% positive of 31,446 Price $29.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.4/10 · Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive (95% of 31,446)
Matches Airport CEO on: 4 of 5 — Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Dwarf, Colony Sim, Strategy, Simulation, Base-Building — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $29.99 — $5.00 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:StrategySimulationBase-BuildingCity BuilderSandboxManagementBuildingResource Management
Full entry Games like this one Store page
10
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 10 player tags including Strategy, Simulation and City Builder; released around the same time (2024).
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.
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic at a glance
Released 2024 Studio 3Division
Player sentiment 91% positive of 27,164 Price $9.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.9/10 · Steam: Very Positive (91% of 27,164)
Matches Airport CEO on: 4 of 5 — Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Strategy, Simulation, City Builder, Base-Building, Management — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $9.99 — $15.00 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:StrategySimulationCity BuilderBase-BuildingManagementBuildingSandboxResource Management
Full entry Games like this one Store page
11
Manor Lords
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 10 player tags including Strategy, City Builder and Simulation; released around the same time (2024).
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.
Manor Lords at a glance
Released 2024 Studio Slavic Magic
Player sentiment 84% positive of 90,905 Price $25.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.6/10 · Steam: Very Positive (84% of 90,905)
Matches Airport CEO on: 4 of 5 — Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Strategy, City Builder, Simulation, Historical, Base-Building — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $25.99 — $1.00 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:StrategyCity BuilderSimulationBase-BuildingManagementBuildingResource ManagementSandbox
Full entry Games like this one Store page
12
Stronghold Crusader HD (2012)
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 10 player tags including City Builder, Building and Base-Building.
The highly anticipated sequel to the best-selling Stronghold, Stronghold Crusader HD throws you into historic battles and castle sieges from the Crusades with fiendish AI opponents, new units, 4 historical campaigns and over 100 unique skirmish missions.
Stronghold Crusader HD (2012) at a glance
Released 2013 Studio Firefly Studios
Player sentiment 97% positive of 21,059 Price $1.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.1/10 · Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive (97% of 21,059)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Resource Management, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Military, City Builder, Real Time Tactics, Medieval, Colony Sim — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $1.99 — $23.00 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:City BuilderBuildingBase-BuildingStrategySandboxManagementResource ManagementEconomy
Full entry Games like this one Store page
13
Dyson Sphere Program
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including Automation, Base-Building and Building; released around the same time (2021).
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.
Dyson Sphere Program at a glance
Released 2021 Studio Youthcat Studio
Player sentiment 97% positive of 91,586 Price $19.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.5/10 · Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive (97% of 91,586)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Resource Management, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Automation, Space, Base-Building, Building, Open World — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $19.99 — $5.00 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:AutomationBase-BuildingBuildingResource ManagementSimulationManagementSandboxCity Builder
Full entry Games like this one Store page
14
Kingdoms and Castles
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including City Builder, Strategy and Building; released around the same time (2017).
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.
Kingdoms and Castles at a glance
Released 2017 Studio Lion Shield, LLC
Player sentiment 94% positive of 31,404 Price $19.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.1/10 · Steam: Very Positive (94% of 31,404)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Resource Management, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: City Builder, Colony Sim, Strategy, Medieval, Building — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $19.99 — $5.00 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:City BuilderStrategyBuildingSimulationSandboxResource ManagementBase-BuildingManagement
Full entry Games like this one Store page
15
House Flipper
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including Simulation, Building and Sandbox; released around the same time (2018).
House Flipper is a unique chance to become a one-man renovation crew. Buy, repair and remodel devastated houses. Give them a second life and sell them at a profit!
House Flipper at a glance
Released 2018 Studio Empyrean
Player sentiment 94% positive of 111,507 Price $24.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.0/10 · Steam: Very Positive (94% of 111,507)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Simulation, Design & Illustration, Building, Singleplayer, Relaxing — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $24.99 — about the same price
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:SimulationBuildingSandboxImmersive SimManagementEconomyBase-BuildingRealistic
Full entry Games like this one Store page
16
Planet Zoo
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including Management, Simulation and Building; released around the same time (2019).
Build a world for wildlife in Planet Zoo. From the developers of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes the ultimate zoo sim. Construct detailed habitats, manage your zoo, and meet authentic living animals who think, feel and explore the world you create around them.
Planet Zoo at a glance
Released 2019 Studio Frontier Developments
Player sentiment 91% positive of 97,527 Price $44.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 8.1/10 · Steam: Very Positive (91% of 97,527)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Resource Management, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Management, Simulation, Building, Sandbox, Nature — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $44.99 — $20.00 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:ManagementSimulationBuildingSandboxCity BuilderEconomyRealisticResource Management
Full entry Games like this one Store page
17
Jurassic World Evolution 2
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including Building, Simulation and Management; released around the same time (2021).
Jurassic World Evolution 2 is the much-anticipated sequel to Frontier’s highly successful Jurassic World Evolution. This bold new era in the Jurassic World Evolution game franchise builds upon the ground-breaking and immersive 2018 management simulation.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 at a glance
Released 2021 Studio Frontier Developments
Player sentiment 90% positive of 47,023 Price $59.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.8/10 · Steam: Very Positive (90% of 47,023)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Resource Management, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Dinosaurs, Building, Simulation, Management, Sandbox — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $59.99 — $35.00 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:BuildingSimulationManagementSandboxStrategyCity BuilderEconomyResource Management
Full entry Games like this one Store page
18
Foundation
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including City Builder, Simulation and Strategy; released around the same time (2025).
Foundation is a grid-less, laidback medieval city-building game with a focus on organic development, monument construction and resource management.
Foundation at a glance
Released 2025 Studio Polymorph Games
Player sentiment 87% positive of 24,163 Price $23.44
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.7/10 · Steam: Very Positive (87% of 24,163)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Resource Management, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: City Builder, Simulation, Medieval, Strategy, Sandbox — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $23.44 — $1.55 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:City BuilderSimulationStrategySandboxResource ManagementManagementEconomyBuilding
Full entry Games like this one Store page
19
Stronghold: Definitive Edition
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including City Builder, Strategy and Sandbox; released around the same time (2023).
Greetings sire! Your stronghold awaits you. Build a castle economy, besiege unforgettable villains and return to the 'castle sim' that started it all. Experience this classic RTS with upgraded visuals, modernised gameplay, Steam multiplayer and a new campaign.
Stronghold: Definitive Edition at a glance
Released 2023 Studio Firefly Studios
Player sentiment 87% positive of 10,346 Price $4.49
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.5/10 · Steam: Very Positive (87% of 10,346)
Matches Airport CEO on: 2 of 5 — Resource Management, Simulation
Why players like it: City Builder, Strategy, Real Time Tactics, Medieval, Sandbox — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $4.49 — $20.50 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:City BuilderStrategySandboxBuildingEconomyBase-Building2DSimulation
Full entry Games like this one Store page
20
Railway Empire
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including Strategy, Simulation and Management; released around the same time (2018).
In Railway Empire, you will create an elaborate and wide-ranging rail network, purchase over 40 different trains modelled in extraordinary detail, and buy or build railway stations, maintenance buildings, factories and tourist attractions to keep your travel network ahead of the competition.
Railway Empire at a glance
Released 2018 Studio Gaming Minds Studios
Player sentiment 83% positive of 9,712 Price $29.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.1/10 · Steam: Very Positive (83% of 9,712)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Resource Management, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Strategy, Simulation, Management, Trains, Economy — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $29.99 — $5.00 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:StrategySimulationManagementEconomyBuildingSandboxTransportationCity Builder
Full entry Games like this one Store page
21
X4: Foundations
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including Simulation, Sandbox and Economy; released around the same time (2018).
Your journey to building a vast space empire begins behind the controls of a single ship. Explore, trade, fight, and build as you rise to command fleets, stations, and entire economies in a living, fully simulated universe that reacts to every decision.
X4: Foundations at a glance
Released 2018 Studio Egosoft
Player sentiment 80% positive of 30,064 Price $49.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.1/10 · Steam: Very Positive (80% of 30,064)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Flight, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Space Sim, Simulation, Sandbox, Economy, Space — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $49.99 — $25.00 pricier
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:SimulationSandboxEconomyFlightCapitalismBase-BuildingStrategyManagement
Full entry Games like this one Store page
22
Surviving Mars
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including City Builder, Strategy and Base-Building; released around the same time (2018).
There will be challenges to overcome. Execute your strategy and improve your colony’s chances of survival while unlocking the mysteries of this alien world. Are you ready? Mars is waiting for you.
Surviving Mars at a glance
Released 2018 Studio Haemimont Games
Player sentiment 80% positive of 28,730 Price Not listed
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.2/10 · Steam: Very Positive (80% of 28,730)
Matches Airport CEO on: 4 of 5 — Resource Management, Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: Colony Sim, City Builder, Strategy, Survival, Space — the tags Steam players apply most
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:City BuilderStrategyBase-BuildingSimulationResource ManagementBuildingManagementSandbox
Full entry Games like this one Store page
23
Tropico 4
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including City Builder, Simulation and Strategy.
The world is changing and Tropico is moving with the times - geographical powers rise and fall and the world market is dominated by new players with new demands and offers - and you, as El Presidente, face a whole new set of challenges.
Tropico 4 at a glance
Released 2011 Studio Haemimont Games
Player sentiment 92% positive of 12,737 Price $14.99
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.7/10 · Steam: Very Positive (92% of 12,737)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Resource Management, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: City Builder, Simulation, Strategy, Management, Comedy — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $14.99 — $10.00 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:City BuilderSimulationStrategyManagementSandboxEconomyBuildingResource Management
Full entry Games like this one Store page
24
Going Medieval
Why it matched: both open world and strategy; shares 9 player tags including City Builder, Strategy and Moddable.
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.
Going Medieval at a glance
Released 2026 Studio Foxy Voxel
Player sentiment 89% positive of 21,362 Price $22.49
Verdict: GamingPickz Score 7.6/10 · Steam: Very Positive (89% of 21,362)
Matches Airport CEO on: 3 of 5 — Moddable, Management, Simulation
Why players like it: RPG, Early Access, City Builder, Colony Sim, Singleplayer — the tags Steam players apply most
Price vs Airport CEO: $22.49 — $2.50 cheaper
Watch-outs: no widespread problems reported by players
Shared with Airport CEO:City BuilderStrategyModdableSandboxEconomySimulationManagementBase-Building
Full entry Games like this one Store page

Prison Architect at a glance
Released	2015	Studio	Introversion Software
Player sentiment	89% positive of 73,744	Price	$5.99

Transport Fever 2 at a glance
Released	2019	Studio	Urban Games
Player sentiment	90% positive of 32,509	Price	$39.99

Transport Fever at a glance
Released	2016	Studio	Urban Games
Player sentiment	83% positive of 10,841	Price	$29.99

OpenTTD at a glance
Released	2021	Studio	OpenTTD
Player sentiment	95% positive of 16,952	Price	Not listed

Against the Storm at a glance
Released	2023	Studio	Eremite Games
Player sentiment	94% positive of 37,338	Price	$8.99

Cities: Skylines II at a glance
Released	2023	Studio	Iceflake Studios
Player sentiment	56% positive of 91,995	Price	$49.99

Factorio at a glance
Released	2016	Studio	Wube software
Player sentiment	98% positive of 233,978	Price	$35.00

SimCity 4 at a glance
Released	2003	Studio	Maxis
Player sentiment	82% positive of 9,833	Price	$19.99

Dwarf Fortress at a glance
Released	2022	Studio	Bay 12 Games
Player sentiment	95% positive of 31,446	Price	$29.99

Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic at a glance
Released	2024	Studio	3Division
Player sentiment	91% positive of 27,164	Price	$9.99

Manor Lords at a glance
Released	2024	Studio	Slavic Magic
Player sentiment	84% positive of 90,905	Price	$25.99

Stronghold Crusader HD (2012) at a glance
Released	2013	Studio	Firefly Studios
Player sentiment	97% positive of 21,059	Price	$1.99

Dyson Sphere Program at a glance
Released	2021	Studio	Youthcat Studio
Player sentiment	97% positive of 91,586	Price	$19.99

Kingdoms and Castles at a glance
Released	2017	Studio	Lion Shield, LLC
Player sentiment	94% positive of 31,404	Price	$19.99

House Flipper at a glance
Released	2018	Studio	Empyrean
Player sentiment	94% positive of 111,507	Price	$24.99

Planet Zoo at a glance
Released	2019	Studio	Frontier Developments
Player sentiment	91% positive of 97,527	Price	$44.99

Jurassic World Evolution 2 at a glance
Released	2021	Studio	Frontier Developments
Player sentiment	90% positive of 47,023	Price	$59.99

Foundation at a glance
Released	2025	Studio	Polymorph Games
Player sentiment	87% positive of 24,163	Price	$23.44

Stronghold: Definitive Edition at a glance
Released	2023	Studio	Firefly Studios
Player sentiment	87% positive of 10,346	Price	$4.49

Railway Empire at a glance
Released	2018	Studio	Gaming Minds Studios
Player sentiment	83% positive of 9,712	Price	$29.99

X4: Foundations at a glance
Released	2018	Studio	Egosoft
Player sentiment	80% positive of 30,064	Price	$49.99

Surviving Mars at a glance
Released	2018	Studio	Haemimont Games
Player sentiment	80% positive of 28,730	Price	Not listed

Tropico 4 at a glance
Released	2011	Studio	Haemimont Games
Player sentiment	92% positive of 12,737	Price	$14.99

Going Medieval at a glance
Released	2026	Studio	Foxy Voxel
Player sentiment	89% positive of 21,362	Price	$22.49

Common questions

What game is most like Airport CEO?

Prison Architect, on the evidence we have. It both open world and strategy. That is a statement about overlap, not a promise you will like it as much: two games can share every tag and still feel different to play.

How is "similar to Airport CEO" decided?

By overlap on the tags Steam players applied to each game, the formal genres, the themes both sit in, and whether the same studio made them. Tags carry the most weight because players write them, so they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are ignored: matching on "Singleplayer" is matching on nothing. Every entry below shows exactly what it matched on.

Are these ranked by quality?

No. They are ordered by how much they overlap with Airport CEO. Where two games overlap equally, the better received one goes first, but that only moves a game a place or two. Each entry shows its own player sentiment so you can weigh that separately.

Do you get paid for these recommendations?

No. The order is computed from tag and genre overlap and nothing else. No placement here can be bought, and a game appearing high on this page is a statement about resemblance rather than an endorsement.

More on Airport CEO

Airport CEO: the full recordPrice, platforms, accessibility and what players report going wrong Best PC gamesRanked by the GamingPickz Score