Starbound vs Skylands
Starbound and Skylands 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 2 years older than Skylands (2018). Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Skylands (41.7% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Side-by-side comparison
 Starbound |  Skylands | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual | Action, Indie, Adventure, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (51,728 reviews) | 41.7% positive (12 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Co-op |
| Developers | Chucklefish | Skylands |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Starbound (2016) is 2 years older than Skylands (2018).
- Starbound scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than Skylands (41.7% positive).
- Skylands is currently ~93% cheaper on Steam than Starbound (0.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Starbound is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Skylands has no Deck rating yet.
Starbound vs Skylands — FAQ
- Should I play Starbound or Skylands first?
- If you want chronology, Starbound (2016) came out before Skylands (2018). 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 Skylands 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 Skylands have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Starbound ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Skylands ships Co-op.
- Does Starbound run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Starbound is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Skylands doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.