10 games like Terraria that'll build up your adventurous side

Terraria came out over a decade ago, but it's still one of the best sandbox crafting survival games out there. In its pixelated world, you can explore to your heart's content - whether you're digging through the upper crust to brave the depths below, or traversing the lands above. By mining resources, chopping down trees, and fighting all the creatures, you can work towards crafting all manner of gadgets and gizmos to help you survive and make your life a whole lot easier. 

There's so much to discover and explore in Re-Logic's 2D adventure. With so much freedom to do whatever you want at your own pace, you can really let your creative side loose – it's easy to spend hours upon hours building a homebase, or digging down into the depths. Whether you're done with the game after Terraria 1.4.4 launches, or if you just find yourself in the mood for something a little different, there are plenty of other games out there that will give you similar experiences. Be it crafting, exploration, survival, or combat, we’ve put together a list of games like Terraria you may enjoy jumping into. 

10. Craft the World 

Developer: Dekovir Entertainment
Platform(s): PC

Described by developers Dekovir Entertainment as a mix between Dungeon Keeper, Terraria and Dwarf Fortress, Craft the World is a strategy sandbox game that sees you control a band of dwarves. You can command them to attack all the creatures roaming the randomly generated island, as well as gather resources to craft new weapons, armour, and items. By using the crafting system, you can create materials to build your very own dwarf-friendly base, and even craft furniture to make it the perfect home for your little team. Just like Terraria, you can dig through many different levels beneath the surface, and it also features day and night cycles and plenty of secrets hidden around the world. Dangerous portals can also pop up in the the world that will spew hordes of dangerous monsters out, so you better be ready to defend you dwarf tribe. From treasure hunting, to being the very best architect you can be, adventuring with the dwarves is a great way to fill that Terraria-shaped hole in your life. 

9. Portal Knights

Developer: Keen Games
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

Portal Knights is a sandbox RPG with features that might appeal to you if you loved getting lost in Terraria. With more of a focus on combat, you choose from a variety of classes including rangers, warriors, or mages. The world has been torn apart by The Fracture, and now the only thing that connects the lands are portals, which happen to be guarded by nasty fiends. As the hero of the adventure, you have to work to restore light to the portals and bring peace back to the realm. As you explore the 3D sandbox world and travel through portals to different randomly generated islands, you’ll have lots of opportunities to find resources to craft better weapons and gear to tackle all the different boss battles you’ll face along the way. And if you’re hoping to get more creative with the crafting side of things, it also has a creative mode that’ll let you get stuck into building without the need to follow the story. 

8. Subnautica 

Developer: Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

If you enjoy the crafting and exploration side of Terraria, Subnautica is worth checking out. After you crash land on an alien ocean planet, you have to try and stay afloat and survive in the watery world. With a great sense of progression as you discover resources, work to repair your broken ship, and craft useful tools to navigate the oceanic depths, there's so much to discover and see in Unknown Worlds survival adventure. With no knowledge of this world, there are also plenty of mysteries to unravel. 

7. Oxygen Not Included

Developer: Klei Entertainment
Platform(s): PC

Made by the same developers behind Don’t Starve, Oxygen Not Included is a space-colony sim with some elements that are quite reminiscent of those in Terraria. In a subterranean asteroid in space, you have to help your colony’s population grow and thrive by mining resources, and crafting structures and gadgets to help them prosper. From resource management to exploration and temperature control, everything is left entirely up to you. As you build bases, you’ll learn what you need to keep your colony alive. Certain constructions are also vital in order to help stave off illness, and, more importantly, deliver a supply of oxygen to your inhabitants. 

6. Valheim

Developer: Iron Gate AB
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

While the experience of playing Valheim is a bit different to that of Terraria, many of its features may well appeal to fans of Re-Logic's sandbox adventure. In its procedurally-generated setting inspired by Viking culture, you'll have to try to survive its dangers by gathering resources to craft armor, weapons, tools, and even ships to bolster you defences. You can also build up your own Viking longhouses and customize them to keep yourself safe. With boss battles to conquer, it also supports online co-op so you can try to survive purgatory with pals, not unlike the co-op in Terraria. 

5. Don't Starve

Developer: Klei Entertainment
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch 

Klei Entertainment's dark adventure is one of the best survival games, but with its vast world to explore and crafting elements it does shares some similarities with Terraria. In the bleak wilderness filled with weird creatures and hidden dangers, you play as Wilson, a scientist who’s been thrown into this strange world. You have to adapt to this new environment and make use of whatever you can find across the landscape in order to survive. By collecting resources and discovering new areas, you can craft and build new inventions that will help you stay safe in this unforgiving world and survive whatever’s thrown at you. You’ll have to hunt, research, and even fight to keep going. Lots of dangers lurk in the darkness, so having a light source is vital. Don’t Starve is packed full of character and presents plenty of challenges to offer you a slightly different kind of experience with some familiar features. 

4. Dragon Quest Builders 2

Developer: Square Enix / Koei Tecmo Games
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

As another sandbox crafting game with exploration and combat, Dragon Quest Builders 2 distinctive style and refreshing take on the genre is a great alternative. The polished sequel to Dragon Quest Builders sees you take on the role of a young apprentice who sets out to become a builder after a cult known as the Children of Hargon set out to get rid of all oft he creators in the world. As a delightful RPG with resource gathering, crafting, farming, combat, and more, many of its features share similarities with Terraria. It's fantasy blocky world is ripe for creativity and exploration, too. 

3. Forager

Developer: HopFrog
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch 

One of the more recent games to make our list is indie developer HopFrog’s 2D delight, Forager, which drew some of inspiration from Terraria. It’s a great option for anyone who loves the sense of progression you get from working towards crafting bigger and better items and buildings. In Forager, you start on on a small island where you have collect and manage your resources. Once you’ve gathered enough resources, you’ll level up, which allows you rol unlock new abilities, skills, and blueprints. As you continue to forage and craft structures and tools to level up, you’ll be able to buy more land to expand the landscape and explore more of the world around you. With lots of secrets to uncover, puzzles to solve, and dungeons to traverse through, a lot of elements of gameplay will feel very familiar to you, but it’s own unique charm and style makes everything feel fresh and new. 

2. Starbound

Developer: Chucklefish
Platform(s): PC

While it’s uniquely different in its own way, Starbound’s style and gameplay elements will appeal to any Terraria fan. After you flee from your homeworld, you find yourself lost in space, and your ship is in very bad shape. So, you begin by landing on the nearest planet and working to find resources to get your ship back in working order. Once you can take flight again, you’re free to set off and explore all of the pixelated worlds across the universe to your heart's content. While there is a main story campaign you can progress through as you explore, you’re free to decide how you want to play. From collecting resources, to building homes on new planets, and working your way through dungeons, you can also go up against dangerous intergalactic enemies to get your hands on rare treasures. With different modes to choose from, including casual mode, survival mode, and hardcore mode with permadeath, you can get very creative with how you chart your very own space faring adventure. 

1. Minecraft

Developer: Mojang
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

If you loved the element of crafting, progression, and exploration in Terraria, Minecraft has all those elements in its own signature blocky sandbox world. There’s a lot of room for you to get creative, and you’ll find yourself spending countless hours mining and collecting resources to build more and more advanced structures, weapons, and items. There’s also of course a lot of opportunities to get stuck into some combat, with a whole host of monsters that appear when night falls. 

Just like Terraria, you can dig your way through many underground levels, hunt for treasure, and work to find rare resources that will let you craft any number of useful tools. You can also invite your pals to play with you, and put them to work building that dream castle you’ve set your heart of creating. It’s also always helpful to have some backup when some particularly pesky foes come out night to disrupt your building escapades. The world really is yours to craft and master in games like Minecraft.

If you're still looking for something else to play, why not check out one of the best crafting games.