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Space Engineers

9 Games like Space Engineers on Xbox that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentHow this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

We filtered the 18 games similar to Space Engineers down to the 9 that fit the “Xbox” category. No Man's Sky, Minecraft and Terraria top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Space Engineers.

iRank74/ 100

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GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox
Tags
SoloMultiplayer
Year 2013Dev Keen Software House

Quick answer

Within the “Xbox” category, the closest game to Space Engineers is No Man's Sky — scoring 88/100 on our similarity scale. Minecraft and Terraria follow close behind.

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The best games like Space Engineers on Xbox

9 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Space Engineers. Each one has been evaluated across 18 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldSandbox WorldSpaceSci-FiExplorationCraftingFirst PersonThird Person
Steam👍 85%· 407KRAWG👍 67%· 1.6KMC75IGDB74· 38OC71· 149
Year 2016Dev Hello GamesPlaytime ~15hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of crafting sandboxes: sandbox freedom, adventure storytelling and deep simulation

≠ Its own twist: shooter, first-person shooting and strong narrative focus, while skipping combat tactical

Years of free updates turned it into a genuinely broad survival-exploration game: base building, freighters, settlements, multiplayer. The scale is unmatched. The core loop is still the criticism — planets are procedurally varied rather than designed, so after twenty of them the discoveries start to rhyme, and the inventory management never stops being fiddly.

Where it drifts furthest from Space Engineers: combat.

Released 3 years after Space Engineers.

Genre100Game mode100Setting100Progression100Visuals100World79
#2Minecraft
Minecraft
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerCo-opSandbox WorldOpen WorldExplorationCraftingFirst PersonThird Person
OC90· 44
Year 2016Dev Mojang StudiosOn Xbox · PS4 · Linux

✓ Fits the crafting sandboxes cluster, with sandbox freedom, deep simulation and adventure storytelling

≠ Where it differs: brings turn-based strategy, dark, oppressive atmosphere and fantasy world, while skipping combat tactical

Where it drifts furthest from Space Engineers: setting.

Released 3 years after Space Engineers.

Genre100World100Progression100Visuals84Game mode63Setting0
Terraria
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeSandbox WorldOpen WorldSci-FiCraftingExploration
Steam👍 97%· 1.5MRAWG👍 80%· 2.5KMC81IGDB81· 13OC79· 33
Year 2011Dev Engine Software · 505 GamesPlaytime ~15hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are crafting sandboxes — sharing sandbox freedom, adventure storytelling and survival mechanics

≠ Its own twist: deep RPG systems, precision platforming and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping combat tactical

A 2D sandbox that is far more combat-driven than its look suggests: progression runs through boss fights, and each one unlocks a tier of materials. Building is deep but optional. It explains almost nothing — crafting chains, boss summons and biome requirements are opaque enough that most players keep a wiki open throughout.

Where it drifts furthest from Space Engineers: visuals and combat.

Genre100Progression100Game mode88World84Setting30Combat24
Stardew Valley
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
MultiplayerSoloCo-opSandbox WorldOpen WorldCraftingExploration
Steam👍 98%· 1.0MRAWG👍 88%· 2.5KMC89IGDB91· 13OC90· 76
Year 2016Dev ChucklefishPlaytime ~13hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the crafting sandboxes cluster, with sandbox freedom, deep simulation and adventure storytelling

≠ Where it differs: brings deep RPG systems, visual novel storytelling and cozy, relaxing feel, while skipping survival mechanics

A farming sim that is really a schedule-management game: every in-game day forces a choice between crops, mining, fishing and the villagers, and the calendar never gives you enough hours. The first year is the hook. Fishing is the wall most players hit — the minigame is fiddly and unforgiving early, and several quests gate behind it.

Where it drifts furthest from Space Engineers: setting and visuals.

Released 3 years after Space Engineers.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression84Setting0Visuals0
Unturned
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeOpen WorldSandbox WorldExplorationCraftingFirst PersonThird Person
Steam👍 91%· 563KRAWG👍 29%· 1.1K
Year 2014Dev 505 GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of crafting sandboxes: sandbox freedom, adventure storytelling and survival mechanics

≠ Its own twist: shooter, roguelike runs and first-person shooting, while skipping deep simulation

Unturned is a low-poly survival game providing single or multiplayer experience. The main action takes place on 6 different maps (Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Washington, Germany and Russia) flooded with zombies. The story begins in the random location of the chosen map and lasts till the death.

Where it drifts furthest from Space Engineers: setting and combat.

Genre100World100Visuals100Game mode77Progression68Combat29
Potion Craft
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloSandbox WorldCraftingRelaxingCozy
Steam👍 93%· 43KIGDB70· 1OC83· 11
Year 2022Dev niceplay games · tinyBuildOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Fits the crafting sandboxes cluster, with sandbox freedom, deep simulation and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design, deep RPG systems and vibe relaxing, while skipping survival mechanics

Where it drifts furthest from Space Engineers: setting and visuals.

Released 9 years after Space Engineers.

Genre100World75Progression58Game mode35Setting0Visuals0
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloSandbox WorldCraftingRelaxingCozy
Steam👍 93%· 43KRAWG👍 72%· 190OC77· 8
Year 2022Dev niceplay games · tinyBuildPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Xbox

✓ Both are crafting sandboxes — sharing sandbox freedom, deep simulation and adventure storytelling

≠ Where it differs: brings deep RPG systems, puzzle design and vibe relaxing, while skipping survival mechanics

Potion Craft is an alchemist simulator where you physically interact with your tools and ingredients to brew potions. You're in full control of the whole shop: invent new recipes, attract customers and experiment to your heart's content. Just remember: the whole town is counting on you.

Where it drifts furthest from Space Engineers: setting and visuals.

Released 9 years after Space Engineers.

Genre100World73Progression58Game mode34Setting0Visuals0
Cooking Simulator
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloCo-opSandbox WorldCraftingFirst Person
Steam👍 85%· 19KOC70· 7
Year 2019Dev Big Cheese Studio · Forever Entertainment S.A.On PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Fits the crafting sandboxes cluster, with sandbox freedom, deep simulation and sandbox world

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual, vibe relaxing and resource management, while skipping adventure storytelling

A physics kitchen where every ingredient is an object you grab, cut and throw, which makes cooking chaotic in a way that is either the joke or the frustration depending on the day. Career mode adds pressure. Controls are deliberately unwieldy, and the difficulty comes from fighting the interface rather than from the cooking itself.

Where it drifts furthest from Space Engineers: progression.

Released 6 years after Space Engineers.

Genre100Game mode74Visuals72World71Progression49
#9Besiege
Besiege
SandboxCreative Sandbox
MultiplayerCo-opSoloTacticalSandbox WorldThird Person
Steam👍 95%· 52KIGDB85· 1OC78· 10
Year 2020Dev Spiderling GamesOn Xbox · PS4 · Linux

✓ If you enjoyed Space Engineers, expect sandbox freedom, deep simulation and sandbox world

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, setting medieval and historical setting, while skipping adventure storytelling

Where it drifts furthest from Space Engineers: setting and visuals.

Released 7 years after Space Engineers.

Game mode100Combat88World78Genre50Visuals45Setting0

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