Choose StarMade
Choose StarMade if you want an Action, Adventure, and RPG experience. On Steam, it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,712 Steam reviews back the pick.
StarMade vs Stonehearth
StarMade and Stonehearth both land in Strategy, Indie, Simulation 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 Strategy, Indie, Simulation on Steam. StarMade (2014) is 4 years older than Stonehearth (2018). Stonehearth scores higher on Steam reviews (72.1% positive) than StarMade (66.9% 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 Stonehearth
Choose Stonehearth if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 72.1% positive across 5,812 reviews.
Both StarMade and Stonehearth sit in Strategy, Indie, and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Shared/Split Screen PvP, 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
 StarMade |  Stonehearth | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Early Access | Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 66.9% positive (1,712 reviews) | 72.1% positive (5,812 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Schine GmbH | Radiant Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- StarMade (2014) is 4 years older than Stonehearth (2018).
- Stonehearth scores higher on Steam reviews (72.1% positive) than StarMade (66.9% positive).
- StarMade is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Stonehearth (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
StarMade vs Stonehearth — FAQ
- Which is better, StarMade or Stonehearth?
- On Steam reviews Stonehearth scores higher (72.1% positive) than StarMade (66.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Stonehearth is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play StarMade or Stonehearth first?
- If you want chronology, StarMade (2014) came out before Stonehearth (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 StarMade and Stonehearth similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Simulation 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 StarMade and Stonehearth have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: StarMade ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; Stonehearth ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.