Choose Planet Explorers
Choose Planet Explorers if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 3,861 Steam reviews back the pick.
Planet Explorers vs Cube Island
Planet Explorers and Cube Island 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. Planet Explorers (2016) is 5 years older than Cube Island (2021). Planet Explorers is free; Cube Island is paid (0.99 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 Cube Island
Choose Cube Island if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Cube Island launched in 2021.
Both Planet Explorers and Cube Island sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure 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
 Planet Explorers |  Cube Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 59.8% positive (3,861 reviews) | 7 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Pathea Games | Boom Team |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Planet Explorers (2016) is 5 years older than Cube Island (2021).
- Planet Explorers is free; Cube Island is paid (0.99 USD).
- Planet Explorers is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Cube Island has no Deck rating yet.
Planet Explorers vs Cube Island — FAQ
- Should I play Planet Explorers or Cube Island first?
- If you want chronology, Planet Explorers (2016) came out before Cube Island (2021). 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 Planet Explorers and Cube Island 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.
- Is Planet Explorers free?
- Yes — Planet Explorers is a free-to-play Steam title. Cube Island is paid (0.99 USD).
- Does Planet Explorers run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Planet Explorers is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Cube Island doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.