Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want a 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 GRAV
Starbound and GRAV 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. GRAV (2015) is 1 year older than Starbound (2016). Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than GRAV (45.5% 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 GRAV
Choose GRAV if you want an Early Access experience. 2,710 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Starbound and GRAV 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 |  GRAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2015 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | 45.5% positive (2,710 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Co-op |
| Developers | Chucklefish | BitMonster, Inc. |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- GRAV (2015) is 1 year older than Starbound (2016).
- Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than GRAV (45.5% positive).
- Starbound is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than GRAV (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Starbound vs GRAV — FAQ
- Which is better, Starbound or GRAV?
- On Steam reviews Starbound scores higher (88.8% positive) than GRAV (45.5% 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 GRAV first?
- If you want chronology, GRAV (2015) 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 GRAV 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 GRAV have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Starbound ships Online Co-op, Co-op; GRAV ships Co-op.