Games Like Terraria: The Best 2D Sandbox, Crafting and Boss-Progression Games in 2026

You beat Moon Lord, or you just burned out on the same world, and now you want games like Terraria: dig, build, craft, fight a boss, gear up, do it again. The trouble is that "like Terraria" means different things. Some people loved the boss ladder and the gear. Some just wanted to tunnel sideways and build a ridiculous base. Some wanted a co-op world to log into with friends. So instead of one flat ranking, I've sorted these by the part of Terraria you're missing. One thing up front: every game here is paid. If you were hoping for free games like Terraria, there's a short answer near the end.

Prices below are Steam list prices as of October 2026 (US store). Sales are constant, so check the store before you buy. Platforms are the Steam (PC) builds. On console or phone, check that game's own store.

What game is most like Terraria?

Short answer: Starbound, if you want the closest look and feel, and Core Keeper, if you want the closest loop with friends. Starbound is the same side-on 2D digging, with planets instead of one world. Core Keeper swaps the camera to top-down, but the mine, build, fight-a-boss loop is all there. Everything else on this page is "same itch, different angle."

Quick picks

If you loved the boss progression and the gear

Starbound

This is the one Steam itself pitches as a "2D sidescrolling craft-em-up," and it fits. You get seven playable races, a story campaign with bosses and dungeons, a starship you decorate, and planets to colonize. All of it works in drop-in, drop-out online co-op. There's a Casual mode, a Survival mode and a Hardcore permadeath mode, plus Steam Workshop mod support. It's $14.99 on Windows, Mac and Linux.

The catch is that it's finished, not growing. As far as I can tell, the 1.4 "Bounty Hunter" update was the last big content drop, back in 2019. That's fine if you want a complete game, but don't expect Terraria's years of new updates.

Core Keeper

My pick for the loop. It's a mining sandbox that Steam lists as 1-8 players, with 2-8 player drop-in, drop-out online co-op. You dig into the dark, fight bosses called Titans, farm, fish, raise animals, automate things and build. You can also host your own dedicated server. It's $19.99 on Windows and Linux (no Mac build is listed), and it hit 1.0 in August 2024. The store page still shows a roadmap and recent trailers, which looks like a game that's still being worked on.

The big difference from Terraria is the camera. It's top-down, not side-on, so you're not tunneling down a shaft. If you can live with that, it's the easiest game on this list to recommend.

Necesse

Also top-down, also bosses (pirate kings, dragons, fallen wizards), but with a colony twist. You get settlers to look after, plus an infinite procedurally generated world. You can play solo, in co-op, or on a dedicated server. You can switch off raiders and adjust boss difficulty, which is great if you want to build in peace. It's $14.99 on Windows, Mac and Linux, and it reached 1.0 in October 2025.

Valheim

This one is the 3D answer for people who loved fighting through boss tiers. You're in a Norse-flavoured third-person survival game with online co-op. It's $29.99 on Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux. The 1.0 release was scheduled for September 9, 2026, so check the store page for where it stands now. It's the priciest pick here, and it's a very different feel from Terraria's speed.

If you loved the 2D digging and building

Starbound (above) is the real match here. The other pick is Noita, and I'll be straight: it's a different animal. It's a falling-sand physics roguelite, single-player only, and it doesn't have Terraria's building and base loop. Get it if the way the world crumbles under you is what you miss. It's $19.99 on Windows only.

If building is what you're after, my roundup of the best building games goes much wider.

If you want co-op games like Terraria with friends

Core Keeper, Necesse, Starbound and Valheim all list online co-op on Steam, so any of them works for a group. The one I haven't covered yet is Don't Starve Together ($14.99, Windows, Mac and Linux). It's a top-down survival game with online co-op. Terraria even had a crossover update with it in November 2021. It has in-app purchases, but they're cosmetic.

If you wanted the cozy farming side

Stardew Valley ($14.99, Windows, Mac and Linux) is the cozy one: farming, with a combat mine. It has online and LAN co-op. It's not a Terraria replacement, but it's what you play when you want to do chores happily. Core Keeper and Necesse both have farming too, if you'd like some of it in a bigger game.

The 3D answer: Minecraft

Minecraft is the obvious next step, though some people coming from Terraria say it feels light on combat and bosses. Treat it as the building game and the exploration game, not a boss ladder. For details, prices and where to play, my lists of games like Minecraft and the best free games like Minecraft are better than a line from me. And if Hytale's on your radar too, my Hytale vs Minecraft comparison puts the two side by side.

Is Terraria 2 coming out?

Nobody knows. Re-Logic has talked about a successor since 2013, when Redigit said it would have infinite worlds and be quite different from the original. In 2019, Cenx said they plan to build a successor on a different engine. There's still no release date and no official announcement. Meanwhile Terraria itself got the 1.4.5 update in January 2026, with 650+ new items, a reworked crafting menu and a Skyblock world seed. If you want to try that seed, I wrote a Terraria skyblock seed guide.

Free games like Terraria?

None of the games above are free. Each one is a paid purchase on Steam. If free is the point, look at the Minecraft-style side instead. Luanti is the one I'd try first, and my Minecraft vs Luanti comparison covers how close it gets. For the full rundown, start with the best free games like Minecraft.

So which one should you play?

Want it to feel like Terraria: Starbound. Want bosses with friends: Core Keeper. Want a base full of little people: Necesse. Want 3D boss fights: Valheim. Want to relax: Stardew Valley.