Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.8% positive across 51,728 reviews.
Starbound vs Signs of Life
Starbound and Signs of Life 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. Signs of Life (2014) is 2 years older than Starbound (2016). Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Signs of Life (76.1% 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 Signs of Life
Choose Signs of Life if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. Signs of Life launched in 2014.
Both Starbound and Signs of Life 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 |  Signs of Life | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | 76.1% positive (489 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Chucklefish | Sweet Dog Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Signs of Life (2014) is 2 years older than Starbound (2016).
- Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Signs of Life (76.1% positive).
- Signs of Life is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Starbound (9.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Starbound is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Signs of Life has no Deck rating yet.
Starbound vs Signs of Life — FAQ
- Which is better, Starbound or Signs of Life?
- On Steam reviews Starbound scores higher (88.8% positive) than Signs of Life (76.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Starbound 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 Signs of Life first?
- If you want chronology, Signs of Life (2014) 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 Starbound and Signs of Life 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 Signs of Life have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Starbound ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Signs of Life ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Does Starbound run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Starbound is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Signs of Life doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.