Re-Logic’s epic 2D sandbox game, Terraria, has quietly become one of the biggest and most played indie games since its launch almost a decade ago, selling over 27 million copies to date. This rich and expansive romp manages to be both familiar and unique; blending Metroidvania gameplay with retro-style action and Minecraft-like crafting in a 2D space
The charming pixel art provides a visual charm that draws in the player and refuses to let go. With this distinct blend of genres and endless versatility, it can be tough to find games that adhere to a similar style. Yet, there are plenty of choices that draw from some of Terraria’s key elements. This list will cover various quality games that best resemble this indie gem.
Updated May 7, 2022, by Stephen LaGioia: Terraria has become a monster in terms of both popularity and scale. Re-Logic continues to reinvigorate the already vast, bustling sandbox with additions and tweaks—as well as unique crossover events and mods. This will culminate with the sure-to-be epic “Labor of Love” update, which already has fans hyped with talks of some of its features, which include massively-increased stackable limits for items. Given the game’s continuing momentum, and the steady stream of similar releases, it seemed fitting to revisit this list. After all, there are plenty more great games like Terraria for players to explore. These should serve to satiate fans until the anticipated Labor of Love, whose release date remains unknown at the time of writing.
20 Oxygen Not Included
Players will find it easy to get lost in this interstellar odyssey; a survival sim that pits three colonists on an asteroid. A hostile space rock will need to be civilized and cultivated, as players must learn to make do and craft an on-the-fly space colony. Oxygen Not Included resembles the underground plundering or Re-Logic’s game in question, though decorates it with a vibrant and cute animated style.
While simple on some levels, the game keeps players guessing with its procedurally generated maps and multiple tasks to manage at once. As the name hints, players will also need to be careful not to lose precious oxygen, bringing a distinctly tricky element to the gameplay.
19 Cube Life: Survival Island
Starting out as an overt Minecraft clone on the Wii U, this obscure alternative has recently resurfaced on Switch. While overshadowed by Mojang’s game, which finally has a home on Nintendo’s console, Cube Life is at least distinct in a few areas. It certainly has some familiar Minecraft staples, from its passive creative mode to its blocky graphics.
Yet, this title adheres a bit more closely to traditional gameplay structures, with its set (not randomized) island setting, and an actual story mode. Its more forgiving gameplay also makes Cube Life a suitable introductory game for those hesitant to dive into the grind of Minecraft or Terraria. Its premise of hunkering down on an island should also draw fans of Re-Logic’s survival romp.
18 Raft
Take the survival and management traits of Minecraft or Terraria and shift the setting to the open sea—and this hidden gem for PC is the result. Like Re-Logic’s romp, Raft has players use their wits, and a slew of items, to survive the vulnerable, hostile conditions surrounding them, either alone or with a friend.
As one might guess with an ocean locale, the game takes a more minimal approach. Still, there’s plenty to occupy oneself with while performing tasks on the life raft, and ample shark attacks to stave off in the meantime.
17 Ark: Survival Evolved
When it comes to its sleek, realistic visuals, this survival adventure by Studio Wildcard seems about as far removed from 2D pixel art as can be. Yet, looking beyond the gorgeous aesthetic, Ark: Survival Evolved is comparable to Terraria on a core level. The game drops players on a vast, dangerous island crawling with deadly beasts and various hazards. And in typical Terraria form, working with a plethora of items to build and craft with is essential.
Progression is also similar, as Ark balances open-world freedom with a loosely-bound “arc” of slaying a few bosses and reaching an ominous end dungeon. The game taps into that exhilarating fight-or-flight instinct along with a personal sense of adventure. The end result is an engrossing and addictive experience.
16 Astroneer
One hallmark of a great game is its timeless appeal that keeps beckoning the player back for more. This is true for Terraria, and it’s also the case for this hidden gem from System Era Softworks. Like Re-Logic’s title, Astroneer presents a visually simple, yet deep wilderness to explore and colonize in free-wheeling fashion.
The vibe is akin to Minecraft fused with the sci-fi film The Martian, as an astronaut must venture through foreign planets to seek out crafting materials and resources. These tasks allow them to complete challenges, construct buildings, and reshape the land. The game offers plenty for solo explorers, though its co-op feature adds even more depth and enjoyment.
15 It Lurks Below
This title has ample overlap with Terraria aesthetically and in terms of gameplay. It Lurks Below is an action-based survival RPG, complete with stats and character classes that will satisfy RPG aficionados. It Lurks Below also has randomly-generated underground levels that yield plenty of enemies, items, and excitement.
The game was released back in 2018 and has had continuous updates and support since its release. There is plenty to keep players occupied, including cooking and farming, quests, crafting potions, holiday events, and of course lots of weapons to collect.
14 Crea
Crea draws many comparisons to Terraria, though its RPG style and structure set it apart in a great light. Not only does the player level up instead of improving their gear, but there are over 80 skills to learn through the game’s talent system (comparable to a skill tree).
The game has its own history and lore to be learned, monsters with unique talents to defeat, a robust crafting system, and generated worlds and dungeons to explore. This game is great for those who love both RPG elements and Terraria.
13 Alchemage
This sandbox title is a great little game to relax with at the end of a long day. Alchemage is undoubtedly a Terraria clone—in a good way—and has many of the gameplay elements players have come to love from the game, along with great music, weather, and graphics. Yet, it differentiates itself with a soft, storybook-esque visual style.
Players find themselves in a strange land and must work towards the hope of returning home. Along the way, players can build homes and shelters, explore to their heart’s content, fight monsters, and play with friends in multiplayer mode.
12 Forager
Forager has been described as “Zelda meets Stardew Valley meets Terraria,” and it’s a tall order to be compared to such a strong roster. Still, Forager manages to be addictive and adorable enough to warrant a look. For players that love survival and crafting games, this sim goes all-in on construction and skirmishes, drawing gamers in for hours on end.
The main goal is to purchase land, build, and explore from the ground up—clearing and developing purchased lands to unlock more resources and content. Of course, battling is the other core component—as is raiding and monster-slaying—to further one’s quest for riches and triumph.
11 Dig or Die
It’s hard to pick one genre of game as a favorite, so it’s always interesting when games manage to combine genres in great ways. Dig or Die is a unique Sci-Fi platformer, sandbox game, and tower defense romp, which, according to critics, works exceedingly well. Besides its night dangers, tile system, and excessive exploration and mining, Dig or Die diverts from Terraria in its detail and difficulty.
Warding off the increasingly crafty enemies at night proves tough, as they can destroy walls in their path to get to the player and their resources. The game also benefits from fluid movement and controls, unique weapons, and a genuinely fun crafting system that encourages building.
10 Spelunky
There are some parallels in this charming mining game that Terraria fans should be familiar with. There’s that same sense of adventure as one goes exploring, collecting treasure, and slaying monsters. In the figurative and literal sense, the game also offers a surprising amount of “depth” for a freeware game.
Spelunky often stresses grueling platforming trials and hazards scattered all over the place. Navigating the randomly-generated areas as one tries to survive hordes of critters brings plenty of thrills. Players can even engage in some multiplayer chaos with up to four players total.
9 Don’t Starve
This stylish indie by Klei Entertainment shares more than just Terraria’s publisher (505 games); it also possesses that same sense of eerieness and urgency. After all, much of the time will be spent in a hostile land fighting for survival. Don’t Starve pits the player in a dark and gloomy foreign world, which must be traversed in order to collect resources, cobble together settlements, and complete tasks to keep going.
In essence, the roguelike survival-horror fuses Eternal Darkness and Terraria-style journeying, laced with a charming Tim Burton vibe. This game can be creepy as is—but try dealing with the protagonist as they grow increasingly mad, and the hordes of wild monsters get larger.
8 Hollow Knight
While players don’t mine or build structures in this Metroidvania, Hollow Knight contains a similar feel when it comes to combat and free-flowing exploration. The game takes place in a vast underground labyrinth thick with an eerie atmosphere, much like Terraria’s underground mines and chasms.
Despite the 2D sidescrolling, Hollow Knight brings a great sense of freedom as players explore vast mazes of interlaced dungeons and corridors. Exploration is laced with lots of thrilling combat and an intricate progression system; all traits that capture Terraria’s arcade sensibilities. Team Cherry’s Metroidvania makes for a rich experience on the graphic and gameplay front.
7 Growtopia
Growtopia takes a page from the Terraria playbook in more ways than one. This delightful sandbox takes the same structure and crafting elements from that game and makes it even more accessible. The game’s unique in that can be played on just about every modern platform imaginable, including mobile devices.
This cute MMO very much stresses passive, low-key gameplay rather than intense action. Yet, those that appreciate the building and multiplayer aspects of Terraria should get some joy out of this colorful game. Those who favor flexing their creative side in games—but seek a break from being harassed by large spiders or zombies—may want to give Growtopia a look.
6 Dragon Quest Builders 2
This sandbox RPG builder is quite underrated—thanks in part to its cute visuals and the mainline Dragon Quest epics overshadowing it. But judging it on its own merits, this sequel to Dragon Quest Builders is impressive with how vast and diverse the gameplay is. It offers a gripping, streamlined campaign with a more typical RPG plot and monster-slaying combat.
Yet, there’s also ample Minecraft-style building, resource gathering, and elements of town management to round out this adventure. This sequel fleshes out the multiplayer aspects even further too, allowing a player to team up with friends and experience this majestic sandbox together.
5 Dig-N-Rig
Many were initially drawn to Terraria for its colorful retro style that resembles 80s and early-90s action-platformers. Dig-N-Rig brings this same vibe artistically, but it goes even further back in time with its crude, blocky visuals that resemble ancient PC software.
This game, crafted by students of DigiPen, stresses mining and resource collection, but boils things down to a simpler premise and more basic mechanics. Players take control of a mining robot, which must lay down conveyor belts and plunder increasingly deep depths to nab resources. These are then converted to more effective tools and other upgrades.
4 Craft The World
Based on the description of this game’s own developers Dekovir—Craft the World takes Terraria, Dungeon Keeper, and Dwarf Fortress elements to round out this fun romp. The result is an addictive and dynamic experience that’s part sandbox and part strategy-sim.
While the focus is more on building and managing one’s fortresses rather than adventuring, the premise of staving off enemy assaults and defending one’s constructed turf feels quite Terraria-like. Those who like to show off indestructible fortresses while slaying monster hordes should definitely give this a look.
3 Steamworld Dig 2
Steamworld Dig—and particularly its deeper sequel—captures the exploration, mining, and combat aspects of Terraria rather than building. Regardless, the experience is more vast, complex, and addicting than one might expect from this cartoony indie.
In the sequel, Image & Form has players mining and hunting the night away as they assume the role of the steam-powered bot, Dorothy. They’ll venture from one lush biome to the next, plundering for riches, equipment, and other assets that can be bartered with at the shop. This mining hero will start humbly with a little more than a pickaxe. Yet, Dorothy increasingly juices herself up with stronger, more efficient tools and abilities like a bomb launcher. She’ll also face off against some thrilling bosses Terraria style.
2 Minecraft
It’s hard to discuss Terraria without mentioning its (somewhat) 3D counterpart, Minecraft. Aside from the added 3rd dimension, these two gems are quite similar—in the best way possible. Just like Terraria, this retro-style sandbox journey is rife with tons of activities to take part in.
Players can take on intimidating bosses, mess around with friends, or carve their own story by venturing through procedurally generated lands. One can build creative, complex structures, delve deep underground to mine for riches, or go on monster hunting escapades. There is definitely much crossover appeal between Terraria and this similarly vast, open-world journey.
1 Starbound
Broaden the scale and diverse elements in Re-Logic’s adventure, and the result is Starbound. As the name might reveal, this title presents the vibe of an epic space-fantasy version of Terraria on a spaceship. The player’s ship serves as the main “hub,” as it travels to many distinct, vibrant planets where players can gather goods and expand their empire of one.
Those who value Terraria’s rich, expansive level design will want to try Chucklefish’s space odyssey, as it actually eclipses RE-Logic’s game on this front.
Terraria is out now on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS, PS Vita, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and Switch
