Choose Terraria
Choose Terraria if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 97.6% positive across 590,217 reviews.
Terraria vs Starbound
Terraria and Starbound both land in Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Terraria (2011) is 5 years older than Starbound (2016). Terraria scores higher on Steam reviews (97.6% positive) than Starbound (88.8% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2016) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 51,728 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Terraria and Starbound sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Terraria |  Starbound | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 97.6% positive (590,217 reviews) | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Re-Logic | Chucklefish |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Terraria (2011) is 5 years older than Starbound (2016).
- Terraria scores higher on Steam reviews (97.6% positive) than Starbound (88.8% positive).
- Terraria is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Starbound (9.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Terraria is Deck Verified, Starbound is Deck Playable.
Terraria vs Starbound — FAQ
- Which is better, Terraria or Starbound?
- On Steam reviews Terraria scores higher (97.6% positive) than Starbound (88.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Terraria is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Terraria or Starbound first?
- If you want chronology, Terraria (2011) came out before Starbound (2016). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Terraria and Starbound similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Terraria and Starbound have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Terraria ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Starbound ships Online Co-op, Co-op.