Choose Starbound
Choose Starbound if you want an Action, Adventure, and RPG 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 NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST
Starbound and NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST both land in Indie, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. Starbound (2016) is 10 years older than NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST (2026). NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST is currently ~73% cheaper on Steam than Starbound (3.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD). 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 NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST
Choose NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Playable without Timed Input, and Save Anytime side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 73% cheaper on the Steam Store. NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST launched in 2026.
Both Starbound and NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST sit in Indie and Casual 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 |  NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Chucklefish | Yoshiaki Nakamura |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Starbound (2016) is 10 years older than NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST (2026).
- NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST is currently ~73% cheaper on Steam than Starbound (3.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Starbound has co-op; NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST does not.
- Starbound is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST has no Deck rating yet.
Starbound vs NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST — FAQ
- Should I play Starbound or NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST first?
- If you want chronology, Starbound (2016) came out before NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST (2026). 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 NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Casual 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 NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST have multiplayer like Starbound?
- No. Starbound supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST is listed as single-player only.
- Does Starbound run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Starbound is rated Deck Playable by Valve. NUMERICAL ALCHEMIST doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.