Choose StarMade
Choose StarMade if you want a Strategy, Indie, and Adventure game with Shared/Split Screen PvP, Online Co-op, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 66.9% positive across 1,712 reviews.
StarMade vs Starbase
StarMade and Starbase both land in Action, Simulation, Early Access 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, Simulation, Early Access on Steam. StarMade (2014) is 7 years older than Starbase (2021). StarMade scores higher on Steam reviews (66.9% positive) than Starbase (55.1% 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 Starbase
Choose Starbase if you want a Massively Multiplayer game with MMO. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 4,344 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both StarMade and Starbase sit in Action, Simulation, and Early Access on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and 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 |  Starbase | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Early Access | Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 34.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 66.9% positive (1,712 reviews) | 55.1% positive (4,344 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Schine GmbH | Frozenbyte |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Simulation, Early Access on Steam.
- StarMade (2014) is 7 years older than Starbase (2021).
- StarMade scores higher on Steam reviews (66.9% positive) than Starbase (55.1% positive).
- StarMade is currently ~57% cheaper on Steam than Starbase (14.99 USD vs. 34.99 USD).
- StarMade has co-op; Starbase does not.
- Starbase is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; StarMade has no Deck rating yet.
StarMade vs Starbase — FAQ
- Which is better, StarMade or Starbase?
- On Steam reviews StarMade scores higher (66.9% positive) than Starbase (55.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, StarMade 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 Starbase first?
- If you want chronology, StarMade (2014) came out before Starbase (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 StarMade and Starbase similar?
- They overlap on Action, Simulation, Early Access 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.