Minecraft is probably the most popular sandbox game right now, or at least one of the most popular sandbox games. It’s got everything you need in a video game. You farm stuff, you build stuff, and you fight against other mobs and players even.
The appeal of Minecraft’s gameplay draws in a lot of new players consistently, and the numbers show it. But just because Minecraft is the best doesn’t mean it’s the only sandbox game in existence.
There are many other games like Minecraft out there with the same mechanics and gameplay. Some even have RPG elements tied to it as part of its core gameplay. And if you’re looking for something else other than Minecraft but still want to build or harvest stuff, then you might want to check out the games down below.
All The Best Games Like Minecraft
Minecraft is the end-all, be-all of sandbox games. There are many other games out there that are just as good and just as enjoyable as Minecraft.
Note that this list is not arranged in any particular order and the games you see here are available on different platforms such as PC, Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
Trove
If you ask gamers who love sandbox games about what they think are the best games like Minecraft, Trove would probably be mentioned once or twice.
In fact, Trove’s core gameplay is akin to Minecraft, from the cube-shaped characters down to the building system and mechanics. But Trove takes it one step ahead by having an RPG element tied to it. And yes, the modern houses and bridge designs are even closely similar to minecraft!
In the game, you get to choose between different classes, such as a Dino Tamer or Neon Ninja. You can also choose between three crafting specialties. Each class and specialty have its own unique strengths and weaknesses, so it boils down to how you play around them. Having friends in the game would probably make this game easier and more fun.
Stardew Valley
Minecraft made farming quite enjoyable, so much so that it didn’t really tire you out or bore you when it came to gathering enough materials to build modern houses, bases, and farms. Eventually, you get tired of running into creepers or griefers that kill the farming experience.
But another game that provides you with a similar fun experience with farming is Stardew Valley.
In Stardew Valley, you inherit your grandfather’s farm and being a city boy, you decide to leave your former life to take up what your grandfather has left behind. The game gives you enough freedom to customize the house, the plot of land, and the kind of crops and animals you’ll raise.
Outside the farm, you’ll eventually stumble across the village where you’ll meet villagers to help you do other things like mining and fishing. Improving your relationship with these villagers will go a long way as you continue to play the game. If you do well enough, you might even get married to one of them.
Stardew Valley makes sure that your work is valued, so you’re just not farming for the sake of farming. You can sell your crops and livestock to make the most out of the multiplayer experience.
Terraria
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Terraria, and it’s one of the best sandbox games in the industry. In fact, it’s been dubbed as the “2D Minecraft” and has retained that title for as long as we can remember.
The premise of Terraria is simple. You build your house, mansion, or base, then you explore the land, and dig underground for treasure. As you progress through the game, you’ll uncover more ways to progress.
Completing specific goals in the game will unlock NPCs that will help you. These NPCs will work and stay in your base and will come with different benefits. You’ll need these NPCs to help you progress through the game. Eventually, you’ll work your way through fighting more bosses, looting more items, access to biomes, and more.
Fortnite
Fortnite is probably the game you never expected to be on this list for a few reasons. We know that Fortnite is a first-person shooter with some building mechanics involved, so why is it something that’s like Minecraft?
Well, that’s because we’re not talking about the actual Battle Royale game mode. We’re talking about two game modes called Save the World and Creative Mode. Both game modes will give you your Minecraft fix when it comes to farming and building.
Save the World’s combat mechanics are similar to the battle royale counterpart, but rather than focusing on fighting others, you’re working together to fend off a zombie horde. It’s kind of like Left 4 Dead but Fortnite.
In this game mode, you build your own base, make traps, and then venture out to complete other missions. Fortnite: Save the World allows you to play with three friends. You get rewarded with skill points as you beat the undead horde, which makes you a bit stronger. Then you just rinse and repeat this sandbox mode.
Roblox
Roblox is a game that needs no introduction, and is probably as big as Minecraft already. Roblox is a game-creation platform that gives off the same map manipulation as Minecraft. But the one thing that really separates Roblox from Minecraft is that you can let your imagination run wild. Here, you create games such as shooters, racing games, and even a world-builder simulation.
The aesthetics of Roblox are also different as it gives off a bit of a Lego vibe than anything. Roblox also has its own economy where players can buy, sell, and create virtual items.
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky had a controversial start back in 2015, mostly because it didn’t meet players’ expectations. But the small team did their best to save the franchise, and here we are now with 30 hours of story mode, several expansions, and the addition of online multiplayer.
No Man’s Sky is a game about space exploration. You will uncover galaxies as you make your way through the universe. You’ll also meet different species, encounter different robots, and even joins space wars.
Since its reboot and relaunch, the game’s already added several elements that make it one of the best games like Minecraft. No Man’s Sky will allow you to build homes, farm crops, and even excavate natural resources and establish factories.
And yes, the company still continues to produce expansions, making it one of the best sandbox games in the world right now.
Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galactic is Minecraft’s mining mechanic on steroids. As the name implies, you’re mining for ores and other valuables while navigating through the many underground perils.
Deep Rock Galactic lets you play up to four players and lets you choose a preferred class to help you clear the cave system.
If you’re not mining, Deep Rock Galactic turns into a shooting game as you battle hostile creatures the deeper you go. However, you can only go as deep as you can or hold them off as long as you can before you have to resurface.
The replay value is incredible as there are thousands of hostile cave systems to explore, so it’s never boring and never monotonous when it comes to Deep Rock Galactic.
Starbound
Starbound is almost akin to Minecraft in a sense where the game takes you to a randomly-generated world with freedom to build, craft, and fight. But unlike Minecraft, Starbound is set in a 2D universe like Terraria.
Ark: Survival Evolved
If you were to ask us what type of game Ark: Survival Evolved is, we’d sum it up by saying “Minecraft meets Jurassic Park”. It’s probably a broad comparison, but you’ll get what we mean when you play the game.
In Ark: Survival Evolved, you’re a survivor who just gained consciousness on the beach of a mysterious island. You don’t know what kind of beasts you’re facing, but all you know is that you need to build stuff to survive. You collect resources, convert them to useful stuff, then build shelter, and rinse and repeat.
Simply put, you get a sandbox game with similar mechanics to a lot of survival games in the industry
The Forest
The Forest is one of the most popular survival games in existence right now. Much like Ark, The Forest places players in the middle of the forest (duh!) and you literally have to craft weapons and build shelter to survive.
But what are you up against exactly? Well, you’re going up against a tribe of cannibals that hunt at night. This game is definitely not for kids as while it’s one of the most fantastic games right now, the fear factor is incredible.
Colony Survival
Colony Survival might look like people could easily mistake this for one of the Minecraft clones, but this game is built different.
Colony Survival is a beautiful combination of tower defense and survival game rolled into one. You build a colony from scratch and assign different colonists to help defend against an endless stream of monsters that attack the village each night.
Colonists can either be farmers, guards, miners, or other different roles. So what you’re getting from the entire game is complete flexibility on how to utilize resources, most importantly human resources.
Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is another game that needs no introduction. It’s an open world sandbox RPG with a hefty bit of survival gameplay. But at first glance, you probably won’t even think that this is a survival game.
The settlement system allows you to build bases, collect resources, and gather survivors in this post-nuclear fallout video game. But this is barely a fraction of what the game is about. The biggest appeal to Fallout 4
Factorio
Factorio is a relatively new survival game from Wube Software, and fans have nothing but praise for the game. The game places you, the survivor, as a crash survivor in an alien planet. To survive, you need to build machines and factories, hence the name Factorio.
Factorio was actually inspired by IndustrialCraft, one of the biggest Minecraft user generated content or mod.
Kerbal Space Program
Kerbal Space Program is one of the most popular video games out there that let you explore outer space. Following in the footsteps of Minecraft, Kerbal Space Program is all about problem-solving with crafting. You’re not out here fighting cannibals or aliens. You’re here to get your Kerbals into space.
And the educational value of Kerbal Space Program is incredible, so much so that educators are using this game to teach young children about outer space.
