StarVaders

50 Games like StarVaders that you should try

Games like StarVaders · Find similar →

More about this game →

StarVaders is hard to replace: few games combine card game strategy, punishing difficulty and procedural generation in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 14 gameplay attributes and found 50 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Balatro, Lara Croft Go and XCOM: Chimera Squad lead the list, with Balatro reaching a 93/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes StarVaders special.

iRank97/ 100

Did you find what you were looking for?

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

Tags

HardcoreNarrativeSolo

Year 2025Dev Pengonauts

Stores

Steam ↗GOG ↗

Quick answer

The closest game to StarVaders is Balatro — scoring 93/100 on our similarity scale. Lara Croft Go and XCOM: Chimera Squad follow close behind.

#1Balatro93 #2Lara Croft Go90 #3XCOM: Chimera Squad91 #4X-COM: UFO Defense88 #5Poker Night 289

🗳️

Help us build the best rankings

Community powered

Vote on each result below — good match or not. Every vote directly shapes how we rank similar games for everyone.

Games like StarVaders

50 similar games found

93

iRank93

Balatro

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloHardcoreNarrativeProceduralIsometric2D

Steam👍 98%· 191KRAWG👍 86%· 263IGDB91· 5OC92· 64

Year 2024Dev LocalThunk · PlayStackPlaytime ~14hOn PC · PS · iOS

✓ Both are turn-based strategy games — sharing card game strategy, roguelike runs and turn-based strategy

≠ Its own twist: vibe casual, vibe relaxing and visual pixel, while skipping adventure storytelling

#2Lara Croft Go

90

iRank89

Lara Croft Go

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloNarrativeAnimeIsometricCasual

Steam👍 93%· 4.0KIGDB86· 5OC83· 19

Year 2015Dev Square Enix Montréal · Square EnixOn PS4 · Linux · PC

✓ Both are turn-based strategy games — sharing adventure storytelling, turn-based strategy and card game strategy

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, precision platforming and horror tension, while skipping roguelike runs

#3XCOM: Chimera Squad

91

iRank75

XCOM: Chimera Squad

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloTacticalSci-FiThird Person

Steam👍 71%· 23KIGDB78· 9OC78· 75

Year 2020Dev Firaxis Games · 2KOn PC

✓ Same family of turn-based strategy games: turn-based strategy, combat tactical and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings setting scifi and visual third person, while skipping card game strategy

#4X-COM: UFO Defense

88

iRank83

X-COM: UFO Defense

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloTacticalHardcoreProceduralIsometric

Steam👍 95%· 4.0KRAWG👍 64%· 275IGDB85· 2

Year 1993Dev MicroProse Software · MicroProsePlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Commodore / Amiga

✓ Same family of turn-based strategy games: turn-based strategy, roguelike runs and punishing difficulty

≠ Its own twist: dark, oppressive atmosphere, setting scifi and horror setting, while skipping card game strategy

#5Poker Night 2

89

iRank76

Poker Night 2

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloNarrativeCasualFirst Person

Steam👍 88%· 7.4KRAWG👍 68%· 220MC75IGDB65· 3

Year 2013Dev Telltale GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the turn-based strategy games cluster, with card game strategy, turn-based strategy and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: sports simulation, puzzle design and vibe casual, while skipping roguelike runs

#6Poker Night at the Inventory

89

iRank77

Poker Night at the Inventory

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloTacticalCasualFirst Person

Steam👍 90%· 9.7KRAWG👍 59%· 249MC71OC80· 12

Year 2010Dev Telltale GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Same family of turn-based strategy games: card game strategy, turn-based strategy and combat tactical

≠ Where it differs: brings sports simulation, vibe casual and visual first person, while skipping adventure storytelling

88

iRank76

Duelyst

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloTacticalIsometricMultiplayerPixel Art

Steam👍 82%· 4.7KRAWG👍 55%· 102MC82IGDB82· 7OC80· 16

Year 2016Dev Counterplay Games · BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment USPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Same family of turn-based strategy games: card game strategy, turn-based strategy and combat tactical

≠ Stands apart with multiplayer gameplay, visual pixel and free to play, while skipping adventure storytelling

86

iRank82

Worms

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloTactical2DMultiplayerMelee

Steam👍 83%· 694IGDB80· 2

Year 1995Dev Team17 · TelegamesOn PC · Mac

✓ Same family of turn-based strategy games: turn-based strategy, combat tactical and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings melee combat, multiplayer gameplay and visual third person, while skipping card game strategy

86

iRank82

Triple Town

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloCozyIsometricCasualFantasy

Steam👍 92%· 820RAWG👍 67%· 27

Year 2012Dev Spry FoxPlaytime ~4hOn PC · iOS · Android

✓ Both are turn-based strategy games — sharing turn-based strategy, cozy, relaxing feel and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, vibe casual and fantasy world, while skipping card game strategy

#10Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

84

iRank91

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloTacticalIsometricMultiplayerSci-Fi

IGDB91· 2

Year 2003Dev Intelligent Systems · Nintendo

✓ Same family of turn-based strategy games: turn-based strategy, combat tactical and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: setting scifi and multiplayer gameplay, while skipping card game strategy

#11Sid Meier's Civilization

91

Sid Meier's Civilization

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloIsometricHistorical

Year 1991Dev MPS Labs · MicroProse Software, Inc.On PC · Mac

✓ Same family of turn-based strategy games: turn-based strategy, single-player focus and visual isometric

≠ Its own twist: historical setting, while skipping card game strategy

#12Master of Orion

82

iRank86

Master of Orion

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloIsometricMultiplayerSci-FiSpace

Steam👍 90%· 441IGDB84· 2OC79· 19

Year 1993Dev Simtex · Wargaming.netOn Linux · PC · Mac

✓ Both are turn-based strategy games — sharing turn-based strategy, single-player focus and visual isometric

≠ Where it differs: brings setting scifi, setting space and multiplayer gameplay, while skipping card game strategy

85

iRank75

Hitman Go

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloIsometricStealth

IGDB75· 8

Year 2014Dev Square Enix Montréal · Square EnixOn PC · Android · iOS

✓ Fits the turn-based strategy games cluster, with turn-based strategy, single-player focus and visual isometric

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design and stealth mechanics, while skipping card game strategy

#14Sid Meier's Civilization II

83

iRank83

Sid Meier's Civilization II

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloIsometricMultiplayer

IGDB83· 1

Year 1996Dev MicroProse Software, Inc.On PC · Mac

✓ Fits the turn-based strategy games cluster, with turn-based strategy, single-player focus and visual isometric

≠ Where it differs: brings multiplayer gameplay, while skipping card game strategy

#15Master of Orion 2

81

iRank88

Master of Orion 2

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloIsometricMultiplayerSci-FiSpace

Steam👍 96%· 1.7KRAWG👍 75%· 65

Year 1996Dev SimTex · WargamingPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Same family of turn-based strategy games: turn-based strategy, single-player focus and visual isometric

≠ Its own twist: setting scifi, setting space and multiplayer gameplay, while skipping card game strategy

Games like StarVaders

Worms Armageddon

Worms Armageddon

Platformer · Turn-Based Strat

Legends of Runeterra

Legends of Runeterra

Turn-Based Strat · Deck Builder

Card City Nights

Card City Nights

Deck Builder · Adventure

Guardians of Graxia

Guardians of Graxia

Turn-Based Strat · Deck Builder

Telltale Texas Hold ‘Em

Telltale Texas Hold ‘Em

Deck Builder · Puzzle

Battle Chess

Battle Chess

Turn-Based Strat · Deck Builder

Governor of Poker 2

Governor of Poker 2

Adventure · Simulation

Dead Man's Draw

Dead Man's Draw

Deck Builder · Turn-Based Strat

Abalone

Abalone

Turn-Based Strat · Deck Builder

100% Orange Juice

100% Orange Juice

Turn-Based Strat · Deck Builder

Rankings in the same genre

Best Turn-Based Strategy Games Best Strategy Games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to StarVaders?: The closest game to StarVaders is Balatro, scoring 93/100 on our similarity scale. They share 9 gameplay attributes, including card game strategy, roguelike runs and turn-based strategy. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like StarVaders?: The three closest games to StarVaders are: 1. Balatro (93/100, 9 shared attributes) 2. Lara Croft Go (90/100, 7 shared attributes) 3. XCOM: Chimera Squad (91/100, 3 shared attributes). All share StarVaders's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 14 dimensions.
Is Lara Croft Go similar to StarVaders?: Yes, very much so — Lara Croft Go scores 90/100 similarity to StarVaders. They share 7 attributes, including adventure storytelling and turn-based strategy. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Card Game games are similar to StarVaders?: The best Card Game games similar to StarVaders are Balatro, Lara Croft Go, Poker Night 2 and Poker Night at the Inventory. All share the Card Game genre alongside other key StarVaders attributes like card game strategy, roguelike runs and turn-based strategy.
How is similarity to StarVaders calculated?: We compare StarVaders against every game in our catalog using 14 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 StarVaders experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.