Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want a RPG and Casual game with Online PvP, Online Co-op, and PvP. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.8% positive across 51,728 reviews.
Starbound vs Asteria
Starbound and Asteria 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. Asteria (2014) is 2 years older than Starbound (2016). Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Asteria (44.2% 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 Asteria
Choose Asteria if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Asteria launched in 2014.
Both Starbound and Asteria sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player and 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 |  Asteria | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | 44.2% positive (113 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Co-op |
| Developers | Chucklefish | Legend Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Asteria (2014) is 2 years older than Starbound (2016).
- Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Asteria (44.2% positive).
- Asteria is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Starbound (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Starbound is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Asteria has no Deck rating yet.
Starbound vs Asteria — FAQ
- Which is better, Starbound or Asteria?
- On Steam reviews Starbound scores higher (88.8% positive) than Asteria (44.2% 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 Asteria first?
- If you want chronology, Asteria (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 Asteria 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 Asteria have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Starbound ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Asteria ships Co-op.
- Does Starbound run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Starbound is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Asteria doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.