Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want an Action and RPG game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 51,728 Steam reviews back the pick.
Starbound vs Forbidden Fruit
Starbound and Forbidden Fruit both land in Indie, Adventure, Casual 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 Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam. Starbound (2016) is 6 years older than Forbidden Fruit (2022). Forbidden Fruit is free; Starbound is paid (14.99 USD). 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 Forbidden Fruit
Choose Forbidden Fruit if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Forbidden Fruit launched in 2022.
Both Starbound and Forbidden Fruit sit in Indie, Adventure, and Casual on Steam, 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 |  Forbidden Fruit | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Indie, Adventure, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Chucklefish | Lustration Team |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam.
- Starbound (2016) is 6 years older than Forbidden Fruit (2022).
- Forbidden Fruit is free; Starbound is paid (14.99 USD).
- Starbound has co-op; Forbidden Fruit does not.
- Starbound is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Forbidden Fruit has no Deck rating yet.
Starbound vs Forbidden Fruit — FAQ
- Should I play Starbound or Forbidden Fruit first?
- If you want chronology, Starbound (2016) came out before Forbidden Fruit (2022). 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 Forbidden Fruit similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Casual 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.
- Does Forbidden Fruit have multiplayer like Starbound?
- No. Starbound supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Forbidden Fruit is listed as single-player only.
- Is Forbidden Fruit free?
- Yes — Forbidden Fruit is a free-to-play Steam title. Starbound is paid (14.99 USD).
- Does Starbound run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Starbound is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Forbidden Fruit doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.