The blocky sandbox sensation known as Minecraft came out of nowhere, launching into phenom status after starting with humble origins as an indie project by Markus "Notch" Persson. This vast, open-ended experience has helped pave the way for a new era of open-world software and helped spur the rise of indie gaming at large.

Gamers have since been captivated by the expansive landscapes, rewarding building mechanics, and thrilling survival gameplay. While one can theoretically pour hundreds of hours into this massive digital playground of blocks, there will inevitably be those seeking similar content. What are some of the best games like Minecraft?

19 Palworld

Blending Many Different Games & Ideas

Now, Palworld is not especially similar to Minecraft. Pocket Pair's early access project takes inspiration from quite a few sources, and Mojang's masterpiece is not specifically among them; however, fans of the latter are likely to have a blast with the former as they are capable of scratching very similar itches. Both are sandbox survival games that grant players quite a bit of freedom, including the ability to craft buildings. While not quite as unrestricted as Minecraft, Palworld still provides an enjoyable base-building system that is elevated by the inclusion of Pals, monsters that players can catch and assign roles within their homestead.

Palworld should not work anywhere near as well as it does. Combining multiple genres and concepts, the game should buckle under the weight of its ambition; yet, nearly everything clicks to create an experience quite unlike anything else on the market. Both Minecraft and Palworld demonstrate that the sky is the limit for the indie market. Even though it is still too early to guarantee its longevity, there is nothing to suggest that Palworld will not remain a fixture of the gaming landscape for years.

18 Astroneer

Sci-Fi Minecraft (But Not A Copycat Either)

While it's not quite Minecraft in space as some might have gathered, this delightful indie brings a celestial twist to some of that game's fundamentals. Astroneer features space-themed exploration, item crafting, assembly, and loads of survival gameplay to boot.

Set in the 25th century, this one goes well beyond the bounds of Earth, as players assume the role of an astronaut set to explore, gather materials, and settle interplanetary. While not crawling with enemies like Mojang's game, Astroneer tests players' mettle in different ways, namely through the hostile environment. Everything from deadly plants to suffocation and active geysers can harm this brave astronaut.

17 Ark: Survival Evolved

Explore & Survive

Those into the more dangerous elements of Minecraft – i.e. roaming through the wilderness with few weapons and resources – should enjoy this far-flashier game. Jurassic in scale and motifs, Studio Wildcard's Ark provides a sense of wonder and heart-pounding thrills that are rarely matched. Players will be on the edge of their seats fending off reptilians as well as other humans, often with simple, cobbled-together weapons.

Players can choose to venture through the hostile, prehistoric wilderness solo, or team up with others (even form large tribes online). Each mode has a unique dynamic — but both prove fun and exciting in their own way. Ark players have to deal with a fairly steep learning curve and ample grinding, though Minecraft fans are no strangers to either. And really, the vulnerabilities early on just make Ark that much more rewarding when overcoming them.

Survival Ascended, a UE5 remake, is also in early access.

16 Dyson Sphere Program

Craft Ambitious Factories

In early access, Dyson Sphere Program is a strategy factory sim that has been generally well received by the Steam populace. Players are put in charge of crafting an energy source that can fuel humanity's existence, which is largely confined to virtual reality. The process involves carrying out research, acquiring resources, and gradually expanding productivity, an endeavor that typically requires heading to other planets.

Dyson Sphere Program is still a work in progress, but the current version is quite impressive and robust in its own right. The developer released a combat update toward the end of 2023, an addition that added a new dynamic to the gameplay loop.

15 No Man's Sky

Traverse The Universe, Gathering Resources & Building Bases Along The Way

Infamously garnering widespread criticism at launch, No Man's Sky's redemption story is nothing short of remarkable. Hello Games deserves all the praise in the world for sticking by its project and releasing years' worth of substantial updates, resulting in an experience that is now among the most complete and diverse in the sandbox genre. No Man's Sky is an easy recommendation for people who enjoy slow-paced open-world projects.

Now, Minecraft and No Man's Sky's core gameplay are not especially similar, and they largely focus on different things. The former is defined by its creative crafting; conversely, the latter focuses more on exploration, although crafting is still a major part of the overall package. Still, fans of one game are likely to get a kick out of the other.

14 Minecraft Dungeons

Minecraft Meets Diablo

Given the source material, the inclusion of this spin-off might be a no-brainer, yet Minecraft Dungeons actually resembles isometric crawlers like Diablo and Gauntlet far more than its open-world cousin. At the same time, fans should appreciate the ample Minecraft references and charming blocky visuals, not to mention loads of combat and item gathering.

While fairly simplistic and crude mechanically, this romp does just enough to get players hooked. The core game is somewhat short at five or six hours, but Minecraft Dungeons keeps players coming back with a cool magic system, rewarding progression, and vast dungeons crawling with foes. It doesn't hurt that the sprawling DLC packs and tough Apocalypse mode add even more to the mix.

13 Minecraft Legends

Minecraft Takes On The Action Strategy Genre

Another spin-off, Minecraft Legends takes a stab at the strategy genre, albeit with an action-focused gameplay loop. Similar to Dungeons, this title seems to be designed to function as a gateway option to a genre that tends to primarily attract hardcore players. The result is a game that incorporates most strategy fundamentals, just in a simplified form.

Ultimately, Minecraft Legends is more likely to satisfy fans of the original title who want to spend more time in this universe than die-hard strategy fans. The spin-off also retains some crafting and building mechanics, although they are not as deep as in Minecraft​​​​​​.

12 My Time At Portia

RPG + Life Sim With Plenty Of Crafting

Pathea Games' My Time at Portia is a cute take on Minecraft and The Sims, with some RPG elements tossed in for good measure. One wouldn't know it from the whimsical themes, but the game takes place following the collapse of civilization, from which point, emerging from the (literal) underground, players must rebuild.

The goals are to collect resources to craft items, allowing advancement through better tools which give way to more goodies and town expansion. At the same time, players can gain wealth and town favor, as well as take on various dungeon foes.

My Time at Sandrock, the sequel, is also available.

11 Raft

Survive The Dangerous Waters

As the name implies, Raft takes place in a single, vulnerable location, which remains adrift in the hostile seas. Sweedish studio Redbeet Interactive takes the "craft desperately to survive" premise of Minecraft and whittles it down to a small and secluded — but exciting — raft setting for much of its gameplay.

Many of the thrills don't necessarily involve this wooden lifeline itself, but rather, the action surrounding it. Players will scramble to build upon and reinforce their raft, all while hooking objects or diving in the water to get precious resources and stay alive, along with fending hungry sharks and other creatures.

10 Craft The World

Colonize A Fantastical Realm

Fans surely know of those particularly tense moments in Minecraft that involve scrambling to build a makeshift fortress to live out the hostile night. Well, they can look at Craft The World as a more fleshed-out, two-dimensional version of that experience, with some fun tower defense elements.

This colorful romp by Dekovir is described as a blend of Dungeon Keeper, Terraria, and Dwarf Fortress, which comes through given the versatility in the building and survival features. Craft the World offers tons of rewarding gameplay as players command a band of dwarves to craft, build, and fend off the things that go bump in the night.

9 Stardew Valley

Holistic Farming Sim With Plenty Of Content

Stardew Valley's gameplay flourishes in its dynamic, open-ended traits, along with its emphasis on social gameplay that encourages collaboration. However, this one veers away from 3D realism and embraces the nostalgic bliss of 2D sprites and vibrant visuals.

Like Minecraft, this one started with fairly humble origins on PC, before blowing up in popularity and finding its way onto almost every major platform of the last several years. Stardew Valley melds Harvest Moon-style farm management with crafting, quests, combat, and other more traditional RPG features. The result is a super addictive 80+ hour romp, which can be enjoyed solo or with a friend.

8 7 Days To Die

Still An Option For Survival Fans

7 Days to Die's similarities to Minecraft have grown less pronounced in recent years, but fans of the latter who are looking for a survival game with building components and a more mature aesthetic should still check out Fun Pimps' release. The project has been in early access for roughly a decade, and while this is not generally a great sign, the developers have continued to regularly update and tweak the experience, resulting in a game that has taken many forms over its life span.

Nowadays, 7 Days to Die leans more into its survival than building aspect, although players are free to make the latter mechanic as central to a playthrough as they feel like. The title has PvE and PvP servers, so players can pick whichever mode they prefer; either way, they should be prepared for a tough time.

7 Lego Worlds

Lego Builder

It might make sense to give a shot to a Lego-themed title, given Minecraft's Lego-like formations, as well as the mechanics of assembling blocks. But really, the similarities extend beyond the visuals and environment manipulation. The large scope and flexibility in the gameplay make it easy to enjoy as players can take part in tons of activities.

The game emphasizes the building side of Minecraft, though players can also engage in satisfying demolition, management, and thrilling dungeon crawling.

6 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Crafting System That Rewards Creativity

Breath of the Wild is an easy recommendation for anyone searching for games like Minecraft, particularly if they are primarily interested in an immersive sandbox rather than crafting. However, those who wish to retain an element of the latter should check out The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which takes its predecessor's impeccable foundation and adds a fuse system that allows Link to build all sorts of vehicles, weapons, and constructions. While players won't be able to construct massive bases like in Minecraft, TOTK nevertheless promotes and rewards their creativity.

Otherwise, TOTK is just an all-around fantastic package. Set in an expansive open-world that largely avoids railroading players, the game offers a level of freedom that is only matched by a small handful of its contemporaries, including Minecraft.

5 Starbound

Ambitious Indie Game That Covers Similar Mechanics As Minecraft

This odyssey by Chucklefish shines as one of the most ambitious 2D romps ever with its depth and free-roaming gameplay. Starbound rolls with a similar system of randomly generated worlds with unique biomes that serve as a blank slate from which to build upon, and which are crawling with critters to fight.

Starbound feels like a virtual Star Trek quest as much as a Minecraft-like journey, as players have a central ship hub used to fly to unique lavish worlds. In Mojang fashion, the game is vast with its array of weaponry, items, and cool settings. Yet, it also takes a more streamlined approach than Terraria or Minecraft with endearing storylines and quests.

4 Lego Fortnite

Sandbox Survival Game With Legos

In general, Fortnite is a decent pick for Minecraft fans. Beyond being one of the few projects that comes remotely close to matching Mojang's game in terms of popularity, Fortnite emphasizes crafting and building in all of its most, including the free-to-play battle royale. The latter has hogged the limelight since its debut, but Save the World is a pretty good game in its own right, even if it has become something of an afterthought over the years.

While Minecraft fans might enjoy Save the World more than its battle royale counterpart, the mode they should prioritize is Lego Fortnite, which dropped out of nowhere in December 2023. Do not be tricked by its surprise launch into assuming this release has little to offer beyond novelty as there is a lot to love here. Set in a charming sandbox that leans into survival territory, Lego Fortnite offers satisfying crafting in a way that feels authentic to the license rather than just coming across like Fortnite with a Lego skin. While not overflowing with content at the moment, the world is quite large and fun to explore, particularly with friends.

3 Dragon Quest Builders 2

A JRPG Twist To Minecraft

In 2016, Square Enix managed to put a creative spin on both Minecraft and their established JRPG, Dragon Quest, with this PC and console game. They did this by melding qualities from both titles while bringing sim management elements and a cute aesthetic charm. With the follow-up in 2019, they took this a step further by adding more content, larger areas, and appealing new multiplayer features.

This time, up to four players could partake in quests, combat, and building in this colorful fantasy world; locally or online. As a neat bonus, a first-person perspective was also added for a greater sense of immersion, and underwater journeying was enabled, adding to the diverse settings.

2 Terraria

Way More Than Just 2D Minecraft

While it may not quite look the part, Terraria's about as close to a Minecraft experience as one can get in a 2D space. The game similarly uses a deceptively simple retro vibe for its visuals. Yet, beneath the basic surface lies an insanely robust and addictive adventure; one that elevates the "Metroidvania" style to the next level.

Like Minecraft, there's an array of tasks to partake in, lands to explore and plunder, and enemies to defeat. Players can mine their way into the depths of the ominous Underworld and slay bosses, travel generated worlds and nab goodies, or build a large, thriving home base. Despite being a 2011 release, Terraria still feels as wondrous as ever.

1 Vintage Story

A Harder Minecraft

Born out of a Minecraft mod, Vintage Story is an early-access title that takes the popular game's blueprint and ramps up the difficulty, creating a more grounded survival experience. Essentially, Vintage Story focuses specifically on crafting by slowing everything down and requiring players to work much harder.

On the one hand, this creates a very different routine and pacing from Minecraft, one that might not hit the mark with people who prefer a more relaxing experience; conversely, Vintage Story executes its core concept well, providing a rewarding campaign in the process.