Starbound similar games & best alternatives

Starbound - Trailer
Starbound - starbound_1.avif
Starbound - starbound_2.avif
Starbound - starbound_3.avif
Starbound - starbound_4.avif
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Starbound

Xbox Series X|S, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Xbox One • 2016

Should you play it?

You’ve fled your home, only to find yourself lost in space with a damaged ship. Your only option is to beam down to the planet below, repair your ship and set off to explore the universe...

What works

  • Infinite procedurally generated universe
  • Extensive building and customization
  • Strong modding community and support
  • Multiplayer and cooperative play
  • Atmospheric music and pixel art

Things to keep in mind

  • Storyline considered short and repetitive
  • Some combat described as repetitive
  • Optimization and multiplayer connectivity issues
  • Early game progression can be slow
  • Lack of recent official updates and developer support

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Tinkerlands

  • Nobody Saves the World

  • Terraria

  • Sephiria

  • Sun Haven

  • Astral Ascent

Less intimate

Games that feels like Starbound but with less focus on close relationships

  • Planet Centauri

  • Aground

  • Crea

  • Songbringer

  • Signs of Life

  • Regions Of Ruin

Less social

Games that feels like Starbound but with less teamwork and cooperation

  • Orion Sandbox Enhanced

  • Catmaze

  • Even the Ocean

  • Wuppo: Definitive Edition

  • Crashlands 2

  • Serin Fate

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with Starbound. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with Starbound. These titles are not in What to play next.

Starbound: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Expression, Exploration. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Leadership.

Last update: 21/08/2026