The 10 Best Games Like Minecraft

What are the best games like Minecraft?

Minecraft is one of the biggest games in the world, and it currently has over 180 million active players.

While Minecraft is an incredibly iconic game, similar games do exist that fans shouldn’t overlook.

Today, we’re giving these games their time to shine, so you can find some great alternatives to traditional Minecraft!

The 10 Best Games Like Minecraft

While creating this list, we considered which titles have similar gameplay mechanics to Minecraft.

This includes building and survival primarily, but also the amount of freedom players are given to do what they want.

Get your pickaxes ready because here’s our list of the 10 best games like Minecraft:

10. Lego Worlds

Kicking off our list, we have Lego Worlds, a Lego-themed sandbox game that is incredibly similar to Minecraft.

In this game, players are placed in a procedurally generated world made up entirely of Lego blocks.

Players can then build throughout the world using items they collect, much like Minecraft, creating things brick by brick.

However, there is also a ton of exploring to do, and you can even use a variety of vehicles like helicopters or submarines!

There are even terrifying skeletons to watch out for that act a lot like creepers and hordes of monkeys to fend off.

You can also use landscaping tools to transform the world and create almost anything you can think of.

It also keeps the same type of Lego game humor that fans have come to love, even without a linear plot.

While it doesn’t deliver everything, there is still plenty for Minecraft fans to love in this Lego game!

9. Factorio

Up next, we have Factorio, which is all about construction and management simulation.

This game starts players off on an alien planet with the goal of building a rocket to leave and get back home.

However, to do this, players will have to create a bustling industry to gain resources to start building!

Factorio has elements of both real-time strategy and survival, and Minecraft was a big influence on its creation.

As the game progresses, players will be able to automate their factories, making mining, processing, and transportation easier.

There is also a blueprint system, so once you build something, you can reuse its layout without needing to start from scratch.

Although the game can be won by launching your rocket, it is easy enough to ignore this goal and instead keep building.

Factorio can be played solo or as a multiplayer game, and it does include a combat mechanic against the planet’s natural fauna.

Enemies will become increasingly hostile as you pollute the planet, and later in the game, bosses get harder and harder to beat.

Easily one of the best sandbox games, Factorio is something you can play for hours and never feel bored.

8. Staxel

When you load up Staxel, it will immediately feel very familiar if you are a fan of Minecraft.

Not only does it have similar graphics, with blocky items and landscapes, but it is an open-world sandbox where you can do almost anything.

Taking place in the village of Staxel, this game is all about building and maintaining your own homestead.

Here you can farm crops, raise animals, and build anything you want to make your property unique.

However, players can also overhaul the entire village, building homes for their neighborhood and even a sprawling town hall.

That said, in Staxel, you can really do as little or as much as you want, with the only limit being your creativity.

Staxel also has an online co-op, so you can play along with your friends and enlist their help with building.

Of course, there are also NPCs in the village that you can get to know, making it a bit like Stardew Valley.

There is no denying that this game was heavily inspired by Minecraft and, as such, is a perfect alternative to the popular game!

7. Starbound

Starbound is an action-adventure game that takes place in a 2D procedurally generated world that players can explore.

Following the destruction of Earth, the player must strike out among the stars to find a new habitable planet for humanity.

Exploration is a large part of Starbound, as is settlement building on procedurally generated planets.

Starbound also has story-based quests that players can complete, as well as unique player classes.

On various planets, players can transform environments, farm, build buildings, and charge rent to people living there.

The fact that it looks reminiscent of some of the best retro games of all time only adds to its overall charm.

While it is a bit different than what Minecraft fans are used to, the building and farming mechanics should feel wholly familiar.

6. No Man’s Sky

While No Man’s Sky had a rough launch, it has since become one of the most popular games on PC and console devices.

This action-adventure game focuses on exploration, combat, trading, and survival across many procedurally generated planets.

Players start off on a randomly generated world with only their crashed ship and a multitool for gathering resources.

Once their craft is repaired, players can then explore outer space and encounter numerous other planets.

However, some planets may have extreme temperatures, dangerous storms, or toxic atmospheres that make them difficult to explore.

Exosuits will be required to traverse these areas, which can be crafted using blueprints and resources.

On different planets, players can be attacked by hostile native creatures, while in space, pirates can also pose a threat.

While No Man’s Sky is often considered one of the best games like Subnautica, it also mimics Minecraft in many ways.

There is a big emphasis on collecting resources and crafting, as well as a survival mode that makes things much harder.

Despite its rocky start, developer Hello Games has really gone above and beyond to make this game as great as possible with frequent updates!

5. Roblox

Roblox, like Minecraft, has become an unprecedented gaming success, and this game creation system has unlimited potential.

On its own, Roblox allows players to make their own games using its engine, and over 20 million games are created with it each year.

Players can also buy, sell, and create unique virtual items that can be used to customize their avatars.

With over 10 million active players every month, Roblox hosts a ton of popular games, including many like Minecraft.

Some of the most popular include FastCraft, Mining Simulator, Craft-Bloxs, and Miner’s Haven.

Each of these games are modeled after Minecraft but offer a unique experience with different goals and worlds.

Of course, you can also just make your own Minecraft-like game using the tools that Roblox provides!

As one of the most popular video games, Roblox is something no Minecraft fan should overlook!

4. Fallout 4

Fallout 4 may not seem like it has a lot in common with Minecraft, but hear us out!

In this game, players take control of the Sole Survivor, a pre-war human woken up after 200 years of cryosleep.

While the main plot revolves around finding your kidnapped son, it’s easy to put that on hold in favor of settlement building.

There are 30 base game settlements to unlock and seven more added by DLCs, all of which you can customize.

Although the vanilla settlement-building tools are great, there are thousands of mods that add tons of new assets and tools.

With mods, you can create some seriously spectacular settlements, and it’s easy to spend hours working on just one!

Fallout 4 also has a fairly difficult survival mode that forces you to eat, drink, sleep, and manage illnesses.

Essentially, it has everything Minecraft fans have come to know and love, so long as you’re cool with ignoring your son.

3. Eco

Eco is a game currently in early access, but it already has very positive reviews from players on Steam.

The world of Eco is threatened by an incoming meteor impact, and players must build and research technology to stop it.

What makes this game so unique is that it is also a survival multiplayer game where players can interact with each other.

Like its name, this game also promotes ecologically responsible living, rewarding players for sustainable practices.

For instance, unlike Minecraft, over-gathering resources in Eco will destroy the environment and make things more difficult.

Too much deforestation will hinder air pollution mitigation, while other forms of pollution will also harm species and cause sea-level changes.

In order to prevent these disasters, players have to work together to create a sustainable society.

Players will even have the ability to form governments and pass laws and create a functioning economy with currency.

While Eco was originally created as an education tool, Strange Loop Games teamed up with the University of Illinois to bring it to gamers.

The premise alone is extremely unique, but the resource gathering and building make it perfect for Minecraft fans.

2. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley has been called one of the best games of all time and for good reason!  

This simulation RPG starts players out with a dilapidated farm inherited from the player character’s grandfather.

While overgrown and run-down, players can get started fixing the place anyway they desire!

At your homestead, you can choose to grow a variety of crops, focus on raising animals, or both.

Of course, there are also tons of other activities to do, including mining, fishing, collecting seashells, and crafting items.

How you choose to live your virtual life here is really only limited to your imagination, which makes Stardew Valley a really cool game.

There are also 30 residents that you can interact with, as well as 12 that you can marry and start a family with.

If you’re feeling daring, it is possible to find valuable treasures buried deep underground, guarded by dangerous monsters.

However, like other survival games, you will also need to eat and manage your energy levels to keep going.

While you can’t die, you can pass out and end up having to pay for medical costs, which is never fun!

1. Terraria

Taking our number one spot is none other than Terraria, an action-adventure sandbox game that is one of the best-selling video games in history.

While the original game was released in 2011, it has since been ported to several other platforms, including the Xbox and PlayStation.

Terraria revolves around exploration, building, crafting, and combat in a procedurally generated world.

Played from a 2D perspective, it has a retro feeling that makes it feel familiar to fans of old-school gaming.

Like Minecraft, players can dig into the earth to find numerous resources and caverns filled with dangerous enemies.

Using these materials, you can build everything from a simple home to a towering fortress complete with mechanical systems.

Players can build anywhere in the world and change the landscape as much as they like for ultimate customization.

When it comes to combat, players also have the option of using a variety of weapons, including swords, guns, and magic.

Difficult bosses also lurk around, so you always need to be prepared before venturing too far from home!

Best of all, Terraria has support for mods that add new bosses, biomes, weapons, and complete gameplay overhauls.

There is a lot to love about this game, and if you love Minecraft, you have to try Terraria for yourself!

Summary

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the best games like Minecraft, and found some new favorites!

Although Minecraft still reigns supreme, all of the games listed here serve as great alternatives when you need something fresh.

Terraria, especially, is a fantastic game that you shouldn’t miss out on if you love the gameplay in Minecraft!

Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best games like Minecraft:

1. Terraria
2. Stardew Valley
3. Eco
4. Fallout 4
5. Roblox
6. Roblox
7. Starbound
8. Staxel
9. Factorio
10. Lego Worlds

If you enjoyed this list, you might want to check out the following articles:

• The 10 Best Games Like Fallout
• The 10 Best Games Like Stardew Valley
• The 10 Best Games Like Terraria
• The 10 Best Games Like Sims

Which of these Minecraft-like games will you play first? Leave a comment below.