Games like Starbound
If you like Starbound (sandbox, space and building), these 10 games are similar in what you do and how you play. They go from most to least similar.
Terraria
- In common: long sessions and exploring
When you want a game for many sessions that mixes exploration, building and combat at your own pace.
Necesse
- In common: progression and co-op
When you want a long playthrough, solo or with friends, beating bosses one by one while your village grows.
Core Keeper
- In common: progression and co-op
When you want an exploration and building adventure at your own pace, ideally with friends.
Valheim
- In common: long sessions and exploring
When you have a long afternoon, ideally with friends: building the village together is one of the most satisfying things in the genre.
Grounded
- In common: long sessions and co-op
When you want survival with friends, with an adventurous tone and 90s-film humour.
Don't Starve Together
- In common: co-op and long sessions
- Difference: less creative
When you have friends and an afternoon ahead to survive together in a world that wants you dead.
Palworld
- In common: long sessions and progression
When you want a long afternoon of exploring, capturing creatures and watching your base grow, ideally with friends.
Raft
- In common: co-op and long sessions
When you want relaxed survival with friends, in afternoons of expanding the raft and exploring islands.
Don't Starve
- In common: long sessions and exploring
- Difference: less co-op
When you have an afternoon ahead and fancy a survival challenge where every run teaches you something.
Subnautica
- In common: exploring and long sessions
- Difference: less co-op
When you have hours and want to explore: each deeper dive reveals new biomes and story progress.
How we pick them
We compare the tags the Steam community gives each game with our own classification: what you do (action, story, building…), the difficulty, how long sessions last and whether you play alone or with others. Nobody pays to appear.
About Starbound
A 2D sandbox set in space: you start with a broken-down ship and hop between procedurally generated planets to mine, craft and upgrade your gear, put up houses and farms or collect rent from your tenants.
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