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Stardew Valley

18 Games like Stardew Valley that you should try

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Stardew Valley is hard to replace: few games combine sandbox freedom, cozy, relaxing feel and sandbox world in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 21 gameplay attributes and found 18 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Scrap Mechanic, Space Engineers and Starbound lead the list, with Scrap Mechanic reaching a 94/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Stardew Valley special.

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GenreSandboxSubgenreCrafting Sandbox
Tags
CozyRelaxingMultiplayerSolo
Year 2016Dev Chucklefish

Quick answer

The closest game to Stardew Valley is Scrap Mechanic — scoring 94/100 on our similarity scale. Space Engineers and Starbound follow close behind.

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Games like Stardew Valley

18 similar games foundUpdated May 2026
Scrap Mechanic
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
MultiplayerCo-opSoloSandbox WorldOpen WorldExplorationCrafting
Steam👍 92%· 117KRAWG👍 70%· 124
Year 2016Dev Axolot GamesPlaytime ~6hOn PC

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

≠ Stands apart with survival mechanics, melee combat and online features, while skipping deep RPG systems

Space Engineers
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerCo-opSandbox WorldOpen WorldExplorationCrafting
Steam👍 89%· 134KRAWG👍 58%· 269MC68IGDB80· 1OC80· 5
Year 2013Dev Keen Software HousePlaytime ~5hOn PC · Xbox

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

≠ Stands apart with survival mechanics, combat tactical and melee combat, while skipping deep RPG systems

Starbound
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
MultiplayerCo-opSoloCasualRelaxingNarrativeSandbox WorldOpen WorldCraftingExploration2DPixel Art
Steam👍 90%· 123KRAWG👍 73%· 852MC81IGDB87· 5OC85· 19
Year 2016Dev ChucklefishPlaytime ~17hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

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

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, survival mechanics and procedural generation, while skipping deep simulation

Cooking Simulator
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloCo-opCasualRelaxingSandbox WorldCrafting
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 vibe casual

≠ Stands apart with resource management and visual first person, while skipping deep RPG systems

Terraria
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerCo-opNarrativeSandbox WorldOpen WorldFantasyCraftingExploration2DPixel Art
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, deep RPG systems and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: survival mechanics, precision platforming and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping visual novel storytelling

Minecraft
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerCo-opSandbox WorldOpen WorldFantasyExplorationCraftingPixel Art
OC90· 44
Year 2016Dev Mojang StudiosOn Xbox · PS4 · Linux

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

≠ Where it differs: brings survival mechanics, turn-based strategy and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping deep RPG systems

No Man's Sky
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerCo-opNarrativeOpen WorldSandbox WorldExplorationCrafting
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: survival mechanics, shooter and first-person shooting, while skipping deep RPG systems

Loddlenaut
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloRelaxingCozyCasualNarrativeOpen WorldSandbox WorldExplorationCraftingPixel Art
Steam👍 98%· 5.7KOC81· 13
Year 2023Dev Moon Lagoon · Secret ModePlaytime ~4hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the crafting sandboxes cluster, with sandbox freedom, adventure storytelling and vibe relaxing

≠ Its own twist: survival mechanics, setting scifi and visual 3d, while skipping deep simulation

Potion Craft
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloRelaxingCozyCasualNarrativeSandbox WorldFantasyCrafting2D
Steam👍 93%· 43KIGDB70· 1OC83· 11
Year 2022Dev niceplay games · tinyBuildOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

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

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design, setting medieval and historical setting, while skipping visual novel storytelling

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloSandbox WorldCraftingIsometricThird Person
IGDB78· 2
Year 2017Dev Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development · NintendoOn Android · iOS

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

≠ Where it differs: brings visual third person and free to play, while skipping deep RPG systems

Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloRelaxingCozyCasualNarrativeSandbox WorldCrafting2D
Steam👍 93%· 43KRAWG👍 72%· 190OC77· 8
Year 2022Dev niceplay games · tinyBuildPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Xbox

✓ Both are crafting sandboxes — sharing sandbox freedom, deep simulation and deep RPG systems

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

Unturned
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerCo-opCasualNarrativeOpen WorldSandbox WorldExplorationCrafting
Steam👍 91%· 563KRAWG👍 29%· 1.1K
Year 2014Dev 505 GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of crafting sandboxes: sandbox freedom, adventure storytelling and vibe casual

≠ Its own twist: shooter, survival mechanics and roguelike runs, while skipping deep simulation

Poly Bridge
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloCozyNarrativeSandbox WorldCrafting2D
Steam👍 91%· 19KIGDB75· 2OC66· 12
Year 2016Dev Dry CactusOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ Same family of crafting sandboxes: sandbox freedom, deep simulation and cozy, relaxing feel

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, punishing difficulty and setting cartoon, while skipping deep RPG systems

Don't Starve
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloMultiplayerSandbox WorldOpen WorldExplorationCrafting2D
Year 2022Dev FrayzzLoveOn PC

✓ Both are crafting sandboxes — sharing sandbox freedom, sandbox world and open world exploration

≠ Stands apart with survival mechanics, horror tension and roguelike runs, while skipping deep simulation

Kitchen Simulator 2015
SandboxCrafting Sandbox
SoloCasualNarrativeCozySandbox WorldExplorationCrafting
Steam👍 40%· 329
Year 2015Dev WhackAKey GamesPlaytime ~4hOn PC

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

≠ Where it differs: brings horror tension, dark, oppressive atmosphere and melee combat, while skipping deep RPG systems

Games like Stardew Valley

Rankings in the same genre

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Stardew Valley?
The closest game to Stardew Valley is Scrap Mechanic, scoring 94/100 on our similarity scale. They share 10 gameplay attributes, including sandbox freedom, deep simulation and adventure storytelling. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Stardew Valley?
The three closest games to Stardew Valley are: 1. Scrap Mechanic (94/100, 10 shared attributes) 2. Space Engineers (90/100, 10 shared attributes) 3. Starbound (86/100, 15 shared attributes). All share Stardew Valley's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 18 candidates across 21 dimensions.
Is Space Engineers similar to Stardew Valley?
Yes, very much so — Space Engineers scores 90/100 similarity to Stardew Valley. They share 10 attributes, including sandbox freedom and deep simulation. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Sandbox games are similar to Stardew Valley?
The best Sandbox games similar to Stardew Valley are Scrap Mechanic, Space Engineers, Starbound and Cooking Simulator. All share the Sandbox genre alongside other key Stardew Valley attributes like sandbox freedom, deep simulation and adventure storytelling.
How is similarity to Stardew Valley calculated?
We compare Stardew Valley against every game in our catalog using 21 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Stardew Valley experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.
Are there free games similar to Stardew Valley?
Yes — Unturned is free and scores well on similarity to Stardew Valley. It's a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.