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List of Terraria-likes

Vendor-Lazarus

Arch Disciple
Sanctuary legend
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936
This will hopefully be a living document thread to keep track of past and future iterations of the Survival Builder genre. Also called "Metroidvania Sandbox" and "Open World Survival Craft" depending on camera angle. What would you call them?

As a basis we should assume that these kinds of games allow for the dismantling of all or most of the world, together with harvesting growing resources, fighting mobs with drops, and crafting stations & equipment from gathered resources. More?

These will mostly be of the 2D side-scrolling variant, but I might include 2.5D "isometric" ones with a group setting, like Rimworld. Perhaps even 3D first/third person games like Minecraft and No Man's Sky.
I'll also include a short description and rate them on controls, QoL, etc. In fact, why don't I link to forum users in-thread posts for Reviews?

Feel free to critique and debate what should and shouldn't be on here, the order, if I should spoiler each table, sort by year, etc.

Without further ado:

Single character side-scroller:

Title​
Status​
Forum User Reviews​
TerrariaReleasedWIP
StarboundReleasedWIP
CreaReleasedWIP
Junk JackReleasedWIP
ResidualReleasedWIP
AgroundReleasedWIP
Epic InventorReleasedWIP
It Lurks BelowReleasedWIP
Deadly InfestationReleasedWIP
DarkoutPre-Released (EA Dead)WIP
Edge of SpacePre-Released (EA Dead)WIP
WindforgePre-Released (EA Dead)WIP
AlchemagePre-Released (EA Dead)WIP
Planet CentauriEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
Signs of LifeEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
Realms of MagicEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
OutworlderComing Soon (Demo)WIP
VitalityComing Soon (TBD)WIP

Single character "isometric":

Title​
Status​
Forum User Reviews​
Elona+ReleasedWIP
Tile MinerReleasedWIP
FactorioReleasedWIP
Force of NatureReleasedWIP
Force of Nature 2ReleasedWIP
Don't StarveReleasedWIP
ForagerReleasedWIP
ScrapnautsReleasedWIP
UnderlingsReleasedWIP
Underground LifeReleasedWIP
Feel the SnowPre-ReleasedWIP
Faraway IslandsPre-ReleasedWIP
NiraPre-ReleasedWIP
HotfixEarly Access (Dead)WIP
Cataclysm: Dark Days AheadEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
Len's IslandEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
NecesseEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
Core KeeperEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
Odd RealmEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
TinkertownEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
V RisingEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
Project ZomboidEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
WaywardEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
Sand: A Superfluous GameComing Soon (Demo)WIP
VagabondComing Soon (Demo)WIP
New HorizonComing Soon (Demo)WIP
WanderlostComing Soon (TBD)WIP
ProspectorComing Soon (TBD)WIP
MinilandComing Soon (TBD)WIP
Mayday: The Survival IslandComing Soon (TBD)WIP
EverplantComing Soon (TBD)WIP
MoonhavenComing Soon (TBD)WIP
Doomed LandsComing Soon (TBD)WIP
Good Heavens!Coming Soon (TBD)WIP

Multiple characters side-scroller:

Title​
Status​
Forum User Reviews​
Craft The WorldReleasedWIP
Oxygen Not IncludedReleasedWIP

Multiple characters "isometric":

Title​
Status​
Forum User Reviews​
Dungeon Keeper 2ReleasedWIP
Dwarf FortressReleasedWIP
RimworldReleasedWIP
KeplerthReleasedWIP
GnomoriaPre-ReleasedWIP
TownsEarly Access (Dead)WIP
InGnomiaEarly Access (Hiatus)WIP
Songs of SyxEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
StardeusComing Soon (Demo)WIP
Nova IslandsComing Soon (Demo)WIP

Single character first/third person:

Title​
Status​
Forum User Reviews​
MinecraftReleasedWIP
Dragon Quest Builders 2ReleasedWIP
No Man's SkyReleasedWIP
ARK: Survival EvolvedReleasedWIP
RaftReleasedWIP
SubnauticaReleasedWIP
EcoReleasedWIP
Vintage StoryEarly Access (In Dev)WIP
NightingaleComing Soon (TBD)WIP
Space Trash ScavengerComing Soon (TBD)WIP
 
Last edited:

Arnox

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5,285
That's a lot more than I would have thought.

Honestly, I prefer Minecraft to Terraria. Terraria DOES have some positives over Minecraft, no doubt about it, but that infinite world generation (well, pretty much infinite) plus the third axis just cannot be beat for me.
 

Battousai

Brother Sharp
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Cookmaster supreme
Starbound though, been quite a while since I hit that, neve finished it. Very nice game.
 

Gauche

Arch Disciple
Messages
663
If your including Minecraft you may as well add Vintage Story
There are a bunch of Minecraft clones out there though
 

Vendor-Lazarus

Arch Disciple
Sanctuary legend
Messages
936
That's a lot more than I would have thought.

Honestly, I prefer Minecraft to Terraria. Terraria DOES have some positives over Minecraft, no doubt about it, but that infinite world generation (well, pretty much infinite) plus the third axis just cannot be beat for me.
Indeed there are, though the quantity isn't indicative of the quality, ofc.

I'm not too fond of the third axis, me. The view always seems strangled and constrained. Be it first or third person. I prefer side-scrollers and top down/eagle eye/"isometric" views.

Starbound though, been quite a while since I hit that, neve finished it. Very nice game.
arr, It is the best Terraria off-shoot, even made by some devs from Terraria. It feels kind of bland and empty compared to Terraria though, sadly.

If your including Minecraft you may as well add Vintage Story
There are a bunch of Minecraft clones out there though
Vintage Story. Looking it up and adding it. Do you not think Minecraft fits with the rest, given your statement?
I have seen a lot of Minecraft clones, but only a handful seem to have the entire spectrum of gameplay, mostly focusing on either adventure or story or building. Either or, not all at the same time.
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,285
Starbound though, been quite a while since I hit that, neve finished it. Very nice game.
Really? People keep badmouthing that game like mad in favor of Terraria.

What I noticed as an actual positive over Terraria though was, you guessed it, the infinite world generation. I never understood why Terraria strictly limited its worlds.

but only a handful seem to have the entire spectrum of gameplay,
I haven't looked at Minecraft clones in a long time. Which ones have that full spectrum?
 

Battousai

Brother Sharp
Sanctuary legend
Sanctuary contributor
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Cookmaster supreme
Really? People keep badmouthing that game like mad in favor of Terraria.
Starbound's problem is that it wasn't exactly Terraria for all those people, the whole building and crafting is more of a means to an end and its only slightly necessary. Starbound is more focused on its single player story and in adventuring across the planets in something more akin to a side scrolling game.
 

Vendor-Lazarus

Arch Disciple
Sanctuary legend
Messages
936
I haven't looked at Minecraft clones in a long time. Which ones have that full spectrum?
I passed over them when making this, favoring the 2D/2.5D ones, but I'll dive in again and add them over time.
 

Gauche

Arch Disciple
Messages
663
Vintage Story. Looking it up and adding it. Do you not think Minecraft fits with the rest, given your statement?
I have seen a lot of Minecraft clones, but only a handful seem to have the entire spectrum of gameplay, mostly focusing on either adventure or story or building. Either or, not all at the same time.
Minecraft definitely fits the bill for dismantling the world/crating/mobs/story
I don't look into them so I wouldn't know but its just that by adding Minecraft you've got to look into all the voxel clones too and there are lots
 

Vendor-Lazarus

Arch Disciple
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Messages
936
Minecraft definitely fits the bill for dismantling the world/crating/mobs/story
I don't look into them so I wouldn't know but its just that by adding Minecraft you've got to look into all the voxel clones too and there are lots
Fair point. Any of them that you play and can vouch for? That aren't just a lego builder, or a adventure/story teller?
 

Vendor-Lazarus

Arch Disciple
Sanctuary legend
Messages
936
Do my edits show up as "unread" topic, or should I make a new post (log) when I add/move/remove stuff?

Like just now, I could add:
Added Vintage Story, Moved Dragon Quest Builders 2, Added Elona+ & Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead.
 

Arnox

Master
Staff member
Founder
Messages
5,285
Do my edits show up as "unread" topic, or should I make a new post (log) when I add/move/remove stuff?

Like just now, I could add:
Added Vintage Story, Moved Dragon Quest Builders 2, Added Elona+ & Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead.
Edits do not bump threads. You'll need to make another post on top of the edited post to bump the thread.
 
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