Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want a Casual experience. 51,728 Steam reviews back the pick.
Starbound vs Necesse
Starbound and Necesse 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. Starbound (2016) is 9 years older than Necesse (2025). Necesse scores higher on Steam reviews (94.6% 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 Necesse
Choose Necesse if you want the LAN PvP and LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.6% positive across 11,720 reviews.
Both Starbound and Necesse 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
 Starbound |  Necesse | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | 94.6% positive (11,720 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Chucklefish | Fair Games ApS |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Starbound (2016) is 9 years older than Necesse (2025).
- Necesse scores higher on Steam reviews (94.6% positive) than Starbound (88.8% positive).
- Necesse is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Starbound (14.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Starbound is Deck Playable, Necesse is Deck Verified.
Starbound vs Necesse — FAQ
- Which is better, Starbound or Necesse?
- On Steam reviews Necesse scores higher (94.6% positive) than Starbound (88.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Necesse is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Starbound or Necesse first?
- If you want chronology, Starbound (2016) came out before Necesse (2025). 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 Starbound and Necesse 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 Starbound and Necesse have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Starbound ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Necesse ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.