It’s undeniable that Minecraft is one of the most influential games ever. It seems that every big title released after Mojang’s success features some kind of crafting element. If you’re in the market for some experiences that can satisfy your Minecraft-fueled urges, check out the following games.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Lifting the blocking environments directly from Minecraft, this spinoff of the long-running Dragon Quest franchise caters to those who want a little more direction in their survival craft-em-up experience. Players take control of a trio of heroes who find themselves washed up on a strange island with little memory of who they are. They’re forced to work together to fashion a new life, and that means plenty of mining, tree-felling and base-building.
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While the bones of Minecraft are obviously there, what sets Dragon Quest Builders 2 apart is the story. It’s especially well-written, but it does give players a more direct goal to work toward. It can be daunting left to your own devices, so being able to follow a story and quests can be satisfying, especially when combined with the intuitive crafting system and light (but fun) combat.
Astroneer
If you adore Minecraft but wish the experience was a little more… round, then you should check out Astroneer. Set on a series of resource-filled planets, and a few friends take on the role of astronauts looking to harvest as many material as possible. The major hook of the game is the ability to terraform the world at will, sucking up massive chunks of land to extract whatever minerals may be lurking underneath the surface. Of course, these can then be used construct a wide variety of buildings, all in the name of venturing out into space to find even more resources.
It certainly may seem like a more relaxed experience than Minecraft, but matters are complicated when you consider that oxygen is in very short supply. Players will need to build tethers to ensure the air in their suits remains breathable the further away from the base they run. It can be incredibly tense when you’ve run out of tethers while stuck out in the middle of nowhere, prompting a hasty retreat. Astroneer also sports an incredible aesthetic – that’s reason enough to give it a go!
Rust
One of the hallmarks of Minecraft is the knowledge that no matter what you build, some horrifying beastie is able to rip it down faster than you’d ever imagine. So what if we took that idea and replaced AI creatures with real players? Rust is certainly not a game for everyone in that it’ll require a healthy time investment to really make any progress, but the player-to-player interactions on offer here are unlike any other video game experience. Form a party, build up your fully customizable base, and then defend it against other experienced players who want to steal your loot.
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Of course, you could always flip that on its head and become the dastardly villain yourself. There’s nothing quite like raiding an encampment filled with rifles and supplies without the enemy even knowing you were there. If that doesn’t sound appealing, just set up in your own corner of the world and build a place to call home. Rust isn’t all that idyllic, but if life has taught me anything, it’s that all conflicts can be solved with some negotiations and compromise. Surely, Rust veterans will understand that, right?
Terraria
The simple sell on Terraria is that it’s effectively Minecraft in 2D. All the pillars of Mojang’s game are there: Players will drop into a randomly generated map filled with resources and enemies and must use their environment to construct a base, weapons and equipment to slay some increasingly difficult bosses in an effort to prove themselves the master of the world. While the lack of a third dimension may not sound appealing to all players, Terraria works incredibly well, with slick controls and an intuitive crafting system helping to elevate the experience.
Terraria is also the champion of post-launch content updates as developer Re-Logic has spent years building up the game to be the best version of itself. With dozens of unique enemies, hundreds of craftable items, and more biomes than you’d ever expect, you’ll likely spend hundreds of hours seeing everything this game has to offer. When you’re done, just reroll the world and experience it all again, thanks to an excellent seed generator.
Cube World
In terms of similarity, Cube World is easily the closest game to Minecraft on the market right now. Despite the shared visual style, emphasis on foraging for materials, and crafting options, Cube World is presented as more of a role-playing game. Players will need to worry about leveling their various stats if they want to stand a chance against the many, MANY enemies they’ll encounter in their randomly generated world. While it may have taken years to create, with many fans considering it vaporware for a time, Cube World was released in 2019 to plenty of positive reviews.
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In terms of role-playing mechanics, Cube World allows players to make their experience their own with a dedicated character creation system. Upon starting up a game, you’ll be able to choose your race, sexuality, and class from a slew of classic fantasy options, including Rogue, Warrior, Mage, and Ranger, to name a few. It won’t be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of Minecraft who wants a little more control of the playable character as well as the world around them, then you should definitely give Cube World a go.
LEGO Worlds
I mean, Minecraft is effectively just digital LEGO, right? A whole world constructed out of blocks that easily slot together feels like something you’d expect to find in a toy store for an incredibly high price. So why not take that foundation and make it official with LEGO Worlds, a game that encourages players to build and explore their own world fashioned entirely out of the popular, world-renowned building toys?
While it may not be as complex as Minecraft, LEGO Worlds could surely serve as a fantastic introduction to the idea of placing in-game objects together to create something unique. There’s also plenty of fun to be had outside of the building as players can delve into dungeons, manage their settlements, or just go exploring in an effort to track down some sick loot. There’s a lot to love in LEGO Worlds, even if you’re not a fan of the Yellow Brick.
