Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want a Casual game with Online PvP and PvP. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.8% positive across 51,728 reviews.
Starbound vs Planet Centauri
Starbound and Planet Centauri 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. Starbound (2016) is 8 years older than Planet Centauri (2024). Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Planet Centauri (74.1% 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 Planet Centauri
Choose Planet Centauri if you want the LAN Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Planet Centauri launched in 2024.
Both Starbound and Planet Centauri sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, 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 |  Planet Centauri | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | 74.1% positive (946 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Chucklefish | Permadeath |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Starbound (2016) is 8 years older than Planet Centauri (2024).
- Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Planet Centauri (74.1% positive).
- Planet Centauri is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Starbound (14.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Starbound vs Planet Centauri — FAQ
- Which is better, Starbound or Planet Centauri?
- On Steam reviews Starbound scores higher (88.8% positive) than Planet Centauri (74.1% 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 Planet Centauri first?
- If you want chronology, Starbound (2016) came out before Planet Centauri (2024). 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 Planet Centauri 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 Planet Centauri have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Starbound ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Planet Centauri ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.