Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want an Action 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 ISO-CORE
Starbound and ISO-CORE both land in Indie, Adventure, RPG 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, RPG on Steam. Starbound (2016) is 11 years older than ISO-CORE (2027). Starbound has co-op; ISO-CORE does not. 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 ISO-CORE
Choose ISO-CORE if it's the newer release (2027) and ships with the modern feature baseline. ISO-CORE launched in 2027.
Both Starbound and ISO-CORE sit in Indie, Adventure, and RPG 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 |  ISO-CORE | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2027 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Chucklefish | JohnBrx |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, RPG on Steam.
- Starbound (2016) is 11 years older than ISO-CORE (2027).
- Starbound has co-op; ISO-CORE does not.
- Starbound is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; ISO-CORE has no Deck rating yet.
Starbound vs ISO-CORE — FAQ
- Should I play Starbound or ISO-CORE first?
- If you want chronology, Starbound (2016) came out before ISO-CORE (2027). 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 ISO-CORE similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, RPG 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 ISO-CORE have multiplayer like Starbound?
- No. Starbound supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while ISO-CORE is listed as single-player only.
- Does Starbound run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Starbound is rated Deck Playable by Valve. ISO-CORE doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.