Rank 01Why this
Also Science and Artificial Intelligence, like Thrive.
- $17.99 (Price checked Oct 4)
- Deck Playable
- 2019
Games like Thrive
- 17 games
- Updated May 4, 2026
Players who liked Thrive also play
The closest matches to Thrive: The Sapling, Ecosystem, Planetary Life, Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolution, and The Bibites: Digital Life. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02
Rank 03Why this
Also Science and Nature, like Thrive.
- $11.99 (Price checked Oct 3)
- Deck Verified
- 2025
Rank 04 
Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolution
Why this: Also Science and Education, like Thrive.
Rank 05 
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Rank 07 
Rank 08 
The full ranked list: top 24 games like Thrive
Best match first, as plain text. The same list for AI assistants:
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- 14Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends
Genres: Casual, Simulation, Free To Play
- 86% of 10,706 reviews
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- Released: 2021
- Developer: Revolutionary Games Studio
- Price: $3.49−30%checked Oct 3
- Steam Deck: Deck Playable
- 91% of 1,073 reviews
- Genres: Indie, Simulation, Casual, Early Access
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Players highlight
- Deep microbial stage gameplay
- Dreamlike ambient soundtrack
- Emergent storytelling
- Atmospheric
- Contemplative
- Hypnotic
More games like Thrive, sliced differently
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below Thrive at current Steam store prices.
Gridworld
Why this: Also Science and Education, like Thrive.
Earthtongue
Why this: Shares predator prey dynamics with Thrive.
Black Hole Simulator
Why this: Also 3D Vision and Science, like Thrive.
Solar 2
Why this: Same atmospheric mood as Thrive.
Free alternatives
Free games the recommender matches to Thrive, limited to titles with at least 500 Steam reviews and 80% positive.
Cell to Singularity - Evolution Never Ends
Why this: Also Science and Education, like Thrive.
South Scrimshaw, Part One
Why this: Also Science and Nature, like Thrive.
About Thrive
The closest matches to Thrive: The Sapling, Ecosystem, Planetary Life, Species: Artificial Life, Real Evolution, and The Bibites: Digital Life. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If Thrive is your kind of game, the closest matches are The Sapling, Ecosystem and Planetary Life — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as atmospheric, contemplative and hypnotic, and single out its compound management and environmental adaptation. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
Thrive is a 2021 evolution simulation sandbox by Revolutionary Games Studio, available in Early Access for $4.99. Players manage compounds, adapt to environmental pressures, and guide their species through predator-prey dynamics with stat tracking throughout. Set on an alien planet, the simulation focuses on scientifically accurate evolution and emergent storytelling where players shape their organism's development over time. Reviewers highlight the atmospheric quality and immersive nature of the microbial stage as a particular strength, while players describe the soundtrack as dreamlike and the overall experience as contemplative and hypnotic. The game runs as playable on Steam Deck and holds a 91% positive rating from 1,073 Steam reviews.
About Thrive: An evolution simulation game. Take control of your species in the environment and edit your species as a whole. Compete with other evolving species for resources on an alien planet.
Is Thrive worth buying?
Players recommend it
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 91% of 1,073 Steam reviews are positive.
- We don't track this game's daily reviews yet, so this is the all-time picture.
- Early Access: unfinished, and it can change a lot before release.
- On sale: 30% off, now $3.49 (checked Oct 3).
- People who recommend it had played a median of 9 h when they wrote their review.
- Critics usually quit early: a median of 2.8 h played before their negative review.
- Steam Deck Playable: works, with some rough edges.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Deep microbial stage gameplay
- Dreamlike ambient soundtrack
- Emergent storytelling
- More realistic than spore
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“Not really much to do, when you try to evolve your cell to make it bigger, you just end up using too much energy and dying. And the way you get resources to produce energy is really dumb. All you do is find a big cloud of resources and…”
People who play it also play: The Sapling, Ecosystem, Planetary Life
Frequently asked about Thrive
Can I run it?
Does Thrive run on Steam Deck?
Thrive is rated Playable on Steam Deck — it runs, but expect some manual adjustments (control remapping, text size, or graphics settings) for the best experience.
How much does Thrive cost?
Thrive is listed on Steam at 3.49 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
What games are most similar to Thrive?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Thrive are The Sapling, Ecosystem, Planetary Life.
Who developed Thrive?
Thrive was developed by Revolutionary Games Studio.