If you loved Terraria and are looking for a similar experience, in this post, we’ve covered eight games like Terraria that you’ll want to jump into.
A plethora of creative possibilities, along with mechanically-rich gameplay, make Terraria one of the most enjoyable sandbox games available. But, even if you love Terraria, there’s no denying that, after a while, the gameplay can become a little stale.
So, if you love Terraria, and want something similar, what are the best games like Terraria? By reading this list, you learn the answer to that question.
Starbound
The easiest way to describe Starbound is “It’s like Terraria, but in space”.
Every core mechanic found in Terraria can be found in Starbound.
But, unlike Terraria, Starbound is set in a vast galaxy filled with unique worlds.
You, as the player, are given the ability to visit any world that you choose.
Every world is a little different, with its own distinct environment, along with a wide assortment of unique enemies, items, and dungeons.
While exploring these worlds, you can create structures of all sorts, explore dungeons, fight different enemies, build a farm, craft new items, along with many other possibilities.
Just like the gameplay, Starbound’s aesthetic is very similar to Terraria’s. But, the color palette is slightly different, as are the environments you explore.
Since Starbound is so similar to Terraria, it’s a great choice if you love Terraria but want to play something with a science-fiction theme.
Don’t Starve
Just as the name suggests, the goal of Don’t Starve is simple: don’t starve.
To accomplish this goal, you will need to find valuable materials, craft useful gear, and defend yourself against powerful enemies.
Each one of these mechanics is quite simple. But, making use of these mechanics successfully is considerably less so.
Every action that you perform will affect your current health, hunger, and sanity.
If you fight enemies and are hit by those enemies, you lose health.
If you forget to eat food or don’t have any, you become hungry.
If you fight too many enemies or commit certain actions, you will slowly become insane.
Each one of these systems must be managed very carefully. You must only fight enemies that you know you can successfully combat, while also eating food regularly, and keeping a close eye on your current level of sanity.
Every time you die, the game begins again. But, this time, you won’t possess any of the items or experience points you’ve gained, meaning that you need to start over.
The mechanics found in Don’t Starve—crafting and exploration, to name two examples—are similar to the mechanics found in Terraria.
Each of these mechanics is a little different, though, and the intense gameplay, combined with the unique aesthetic, makes for a familiar yet distinctive experience.
So, if you enjoy the survival aspects of Terraria, but want something even more challenging, Don’t Starve is worth checking out.
Planet Centauri
A quick glance may suggest that Planet Centauri is just like Starbound.
To some extent, that is true.
But, Planet Centauri offers several major differences.
Rather than being set in a vast, open galaxy, Planet Centauri is set on just one planet.
On this planet, you are free to explore a variety of distinct environments.
As you explore these environments, you can battle alien creatures and find items.
Anytime you aren’t exploring, you’re focused on Planet Centauri’s main goal: creating a thriving community.
To accomplish this main goal, you must build villages, develop systems that support those villages, find materials, craft items, create magic spells, and tame alien creatures so that they assist you.
Each one of these mechanics is just as rich and in-depth as the mechanics found in Terraria and Starbound. Just like in both of those games, these mechanics also offer their own assortment of unique possibilities, making for a game that rewards creativity and experimentation.
If you enjoy Terraria and want something similar but with a few unique mechanics, you should try Planet Centauri.
Subnautica
Just like several other games on this list, Subnautica is set on a far-away alien planet.
Unlike those two other games, though, Subnautica is set within a vast ocean.
Your goal is to escape this planet and go home.
For you to accomplish that goal, you must explore the ocean and find items. By finding the right items, you can create a machine that will send a signal to your homeworld.
The first hours spent playing Subnautica are relaxing and peaceful.
As you continue to explore the ocean, though, things gradually become more unsettling.
Eventually, the true horrors of the ocean are revealed, and you must find ways to keep yourself safe.
Just like Terraria, it emphasizes a variety of survival mechanics, along with exploration mechanics and item crafting.
Each one of these mechanics is executed in a familiar but engaging manner.
Even though the mechanics are somewhat generic, the atmosphere and worldbuilding found in Subnautica are second-to-none. Both of these elements culminate in a game that, while it may feel familiar, is memorable and engaging.
For those who enjoy games that embrace exploration and survival, with a heavy emphasis on atmosphere, Subnautica is worth checking out.
Factorio
The goal of Factorio is simple: build a rocket.
For you to accomplish this goal, you must harvest the resources that are all around you.
To harvest these resources, you must create systems that can do so.
Many of these systems are, at first, effective but relatively inefficient.
Since this is the case, your goal is to build more efficient systems that can harvest more resources within a shorter period of time.
To build more efficient systems, you must be creative (just like in Terraria) and consider the numerous creative possibilities available to you.
Every creative possibility comes with its own risks. One of these risks is that of enemies destroying the systems you’ve created.
To prevent the destruction of your systems, you must build military systems that can eliminate your enemies.
Just like the resource-harvesting systems, these systems offer many creative possibilities, allowing for plenty of experimentation.
Even though Factorio and Terraria offer very different gameplay, they both emphasize creativity, while giving you an assortment of mechanics that allow you to explore creative possibilities.
If you enjoy the construction and management aspects of Terraria and want a game that focuses just on that, then Factorio is worth trying.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a farming simulator that, on the surface, is very different from Terraria.
Rather than emphasizing exploration and building, as Terraria does, Stardew Valley emphasizes managing your farm and building a community.
The majority of your time with Stardew Valley will be spent accomplishing those tasks.
Even though those differences are present, Stardew Valley and Terraria possess several notable similarities.
When not farming or interacting with your community, you can explore caves, fight enemies within those caves, cook food, craft new items, and fish.
Many of these mechanics are found in Terraria. But, unlike Terraria, these mechanics are quite relaxing, which contrasts the more challenging gameplay Terraria offers.
To go along with that, Stardew Valley possesses a pleasant pixel-art style, as well as an emphasis on creativity. Both of these elements are found in Terraria.
For those who enjoy the farming and community aspects of Terraria, Stardew Valley is an excellent game that’s worth checking out.
Minecraft
The similarities between Minecraft and Terraria are conspicuous.
But, despite these similarities, Minecraft is a very different game from Terraria and one that’s definitely worth playing.
Terraria is a 2D sandbox game. Minecraft is a 3D sandbox game.
As a result of this simple difference, Minecraft plays very differently from Terraria while also offering its own unique mechanics.
In Minecraft, you can create awe-inspiring structures that Terraria was not made for. You can transform and adjust Minecraft’s graphics in ways that go beyond the game’s visual style. You can engage in entirely new gameplay modes that transform Minecraft’s core gameplay.
To go along with those features, Minecraft’s modding community is absolutely massive, ensuring that, no matter what you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find it.
Even though Minecraft and Terraria are both similar, Minecraft is a unique game that’s great if you enjoy Terraria but want something a little more multi-faceted.
Spelunky
Spelunky is a 2D roguelike platformer that sees you navigating through a series of caves.
Every cave is randomly generated. This is true of the items and enemies you encounter, as well as the layout of each cave.
Your goal, in Spelunky, is to reach each cave’s exit.
You are given an enormous amount of freedom to accomplish this goal.
If you want to use bombs to destroy vast sections of a cave, you can do so. If you want to set up ladders to climb platforms more easily, you can do so. If you want to go through each cave by timing your jumps carefully and meticulously, you can do so.
Even though both games are very different, Spelunky’s gameplay emphasizes creativity and exploration, just like Terraria.
Since this is the case, if you enjoy the dungeon-crawling aspects of Terraria and want a game that focuses entirely on that, Spelunky is a must-play.
