Choose Planetbase
Choose Planetbase if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 28% cheaper on the Steam Store. 5,622 Steam reviews back the pick.
Planetbase vs The Crust
Planetbase and The Crust both land in Strategy, 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, Simulation on Steam. Planetbase (2015) is 11 years older than The Crust (2026). Both sit near 77% positive on Steam (Planetbase: 5,622 reviews, The Crust: 4,208). 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 The Crust
Choose The Crust if it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 4,208 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Planetbase and The Crust sit in Strategy and Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (77.1% vs 76.4% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Planetbase |  The Crust | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 20.79 USD |
| Steam reviews | 77.1% positive (5,622 reviews) | 76.4% positive (4,208 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Madruga Works | VEOM Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- Planetbase (2015) is 11 years older than The Crust (2026).
- Both sit near 77% positive on Steam (Planetbase: 5,622 reviews, The Crust: 4,208).
- Planetbase is currently ~28% cheaper on Steam than The Crust (14.99 USD vs. 20.79 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Planetbase vs The Crust — FAQ
- Which is better, Planetbase or The Crust?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Planetbase sits at 77.1% positive (5,622 reviews), The Crust at 76.4% (4,208). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Planetbase or The Crust first?
- If you want chronology, Planetbase (2015) came out before The Crust (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 Planetbase and The Crust similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.