Terraria
Terraria released eight months before Minecraft came out of beta in March 2011, although by that point Minecraft was already becoming very popular . It was one of the first games to be compared to Minecraft by PC players.
The main difference between Terraria and Minecraft is that Terraria is a 2D game, and graphically it has more of a pixel art style. The similarities lie in the gameplay, as you explore procedurally-generated worlds, craft needed equipment, fight monsters in the night, and construct cool structures to act as safe areas. Unlike Minecraft you can get NPCs to live in your buildings, and you can then trade with them using coins gathered by killing monsters.
Terraria originally released on the PC, but also found its way to the majority of recent consoles and handheld systems, including mobile devices. It has sold very well, even with the similarities to Minecraft, and a new game called Terraria: Otherworld is planned to release in 2016.
Starbound
Realistically Starbound is closer to Terraria than it is to Minecraft, although they still share the same basic gameplay elements. However, Starbound goes a couple of steps further with what it does.
Like Terraria, it is a 2D survival game where you explore, craft, build, and fight in worlds with a pixel art aesthetic. The difference is that you travel around an infinite amount of worlds, each with their own theme. You can choose from multiple classes, with each bringing unique race equipment, and a fancy ship.
While for the most part you are left to your own devices, Starbound does include a story with quests to follow, which takes you around the solar system. Starbound is only available on the PC currently, although it is currently in development for the Xbox One, PS4, and PS Vita.
Cube World
You can tell just by the name that it is like Minecraft. Also, Cube World is the first on the list that takes place in a 3D world, that is still procedurally generated.
Created by Wolfram von Funck, Cube World goes down the RPG route for its gameplay, with it giving players a choice between being a rogue, mage, ranger, and warrior. From there, you can level up by killing enemies along your travels.
Since the game is being worked on by mainly von Funck, progress has been slow. Currently the game can’t be bought due to changes in EU tax laws making it more difficult to sell a game yourself, and Von Funck wants to focus on the game when possible.
Ace of Spades
Minecraft now has a plethora of unique multiplayer minigames hosted on different servers. It isn’t surprising that in 2012 Jagex released the game Ace of Spades, which can be best described as a first person shooter in a Minecraft-like world.
Ace of Spades was originally developed by a sole developer who released a beta version of the game in 2011. A year later Jagex took over, making it available to buy on Steam while also strengthening the content included.
There are four different classes which can do a range of destructive damage to the opposition, and the map itself. The standard shooter game modes like Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Territory Control.
Guncraft
Like Ace of Spades, Guncraft is a first person shooter where the levels look like they have been taken out of someones Minecraft world. It released on Aug. 9 2013 on Steam.
One of the main features is that players can create their own levels to play on, similar to using creative mode in Minecraft. In terms of the gameplay, Guncraft gives the players a small variety of guns, and you can choose between a number of combat bonuses depending on your play style.
Roblox
You may have not heard of Roblox, a game that looks pretty similar to Minecraft in its aesthetic, but you may be surprised to hear that the game officially released nearly 10 years ago.
Roblox is an MMO where players can construct their own worlds, while also talking to their in-game friends. The game has constantly evolved since its release, with one update on June 1st 2015 that updated the block based terrain to something more realistic. While it is playable on the PC, Android, and certain iPhones, Roblox also recently released on the Xbox One.
FortressCraft
FortressCraft originally released in April 2011 on the Xbox Live Store, as an indie game rather than an arcade game. Since then, the developer has released a sequel called FortressCraft Evolved! on Steam.
Straight away the similarities can be seen. There are the usual environment blocks, although they have more detail than the default Minecraft textures. You have tools, you can build structures, and you can explore the procedurally generated map. FortressCraft does have unique block types including trampolines, space blocks, and a variety of different lights.
There are a variety of modes that you can play, which include Freezetag, Hunt, and Spleef. The latter is one of the more popular minigames that have been created in Minecraft, and involve shooting the floor to try and make the other players fall out of the area.
Dragon Quest Builders
Dragon Quest Builders is out January 28th on the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita, and it is obvious where the inspiration for the game lies. Even when the game was revealed by Square Enix, comparisons to Minecraft were starting to occur.
It has a similar aesthetic to Minecraft with the world of Alefgard being made out of blocks, and the emphasis on creating interesting structures. The game takes place after the original Dragon Quest, and the player is tasked with building up their camp to make it more formidable for monster attacks.
Lego Worlds
This is an odd one to include on the list, as Lego has been around for decades, but Lego Worlds hasn’t. The game released in Early Access on Steam on June 1st 2015, and should be getting its full release this year.
Lego Worlds takes the concept of Minecraft, and replaces the procedurally generated blocks with the Lego bricks we know well. It also includes helicopters, an in-game currency called studs, and customizable characters. Funnily enough, Minecraft Lego sets began to release in 2014, so it isn’t the first time that Lego and Minecraft have been linked together.
Space Engineers
Space Engineers is currently in Early Access on Steam, and has become quite popular with fans. While the setting of the game is completely different, some of the gameplay mechanics are not.
There are different ways you can start the game, whether you want to begin with a built station, or with a broken ship. The game revolves around constructing space stations and ships with different shaped blocks. You need to explore space to be able to gather the resources to create, like in Minecraft. You can play with friends, and you can choose whether to play in survival or creative mode.
These are just some of the games that are similar to Minecraft, with some being a lot more obvious than others. Let us know in the comments if there are any games that you think we have missed on the list.
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