Minecraft continues to be one of the best video games of all time having over 238 million copies sold and over 140 million monthly active users as of 2021. Created by Markus Persson, the sandbox video game saw several iterations and the game was finally made public in 2009 with an eventual release in 2011 by Mojang Studios. Currently owned by Microsoft Studios, Minecraft is available on several platforms including PC, consoles, mobile devices, tablets, and even the Raspberry Pi. The popularity of Minecraft has also led to spinoffs like Minecraft Dungeons.
Considering the immense popularity, it isn’t surprising to see that there are a number of games out there inspired by the blocky three-dimensional environment explorer. If you are a Minecraft fanatic and looking for a new outlet here are some of the best games that you should check out.List of best games like Minecraft
- Eco
- Roblox
- Trove
- Colony Survival
- Block Fortress
- Lego Worlds
- Terasology
- CubeWorld
Eco
Eco started off as a Kickstarter project and launched in 2018 by American studio Strange Loop Games. It was originally an educational tool designed purely for middle school students. Inspired by open-world games like Minecraft and Rust, Eco is a survival game where players work together to create a civilization on a virtual planet before meeting with an impending meteor impact. Players need to make the best use of resources to research and reach a certain level of technology in order to destroy the oncoming Asteroid thereby saving the world that you have created. At the same time a balance needs to be maintained by judicially using resources so that the evolution of the civilisation does not negatively harm or destroy the environment.
Eco is currently at an early access stage and can be purchased for Rs 699 on Steam.
Eco review
What makes Eco special is that it captures the nuances of environmental crisis we see in the real world. The game forces you to focus on using resources carefully to prevent long-term impact on the environment. If you cut down too many trees, it would affect the population of certain animals in the deforested area, and if you build too many machines, it would pollute the environment around you. This adds several additional layers to the gameplay of Eco, making it much more meticulous and exciting.
Pros
- Open-world survival game
- Captures the nuances of climate change
Cons
- Early access
- Too much grind
Download: Steam
Roblox
More of a sandbox than a game itself, Roblox is an online platform that allows users to make and play games. There is a wide range of games available on Roblox from single-player platformers to first-person shooters. However, one will mostly find simulators where people can role-play different scenarios. The unique aspect here is that it has a store that includes games made by its own users. Claimed to have published over 20 million games on the platform, the idea here is to focus on the social aspects of building and dismantling with friends. The platform also involves buying and selling of various virtual items using real currency, that can be gained from a recurring stipend given to members with premium membership.
Roblox is available free of cost and is available on PC, mobile, and Xbox.
Roblox review
Roblox is quite different compared to Minecraft. Roblox lets you access several different games created by other players, which gives you different types of experience in a single game. Playing Roblox with friends can be a great experience after you find games that you really enjoy. The wide variety of games of in Roblox makes it a fun Minecraft alternative.
Pros
- Multiple games created by users
- Free to play
- Social events
Cons
- Solo gameplay experience might not be as fun as playing with friends
Download: iOS | Android | Xbox | Microsoft Store
Trove
Having a close resemblance to the block based worlds of Minecraft, Trove is an action MMO (Massively multiplayer online) game leaning towards being an RPG (role playing game). Players need to team up in their quest to progress their characters and accomplish a long list of tasks. There are various classes to choose from, each of which have one of the three different crafting specialties. Having the right mix of capabilities defines the quirks, strengths, and weaknesses, which facilitates and encourages variation in playstyle. Expect mines and caverns filled with enemies, gathering loot, fighting high tier bosses and a variety of other aspects that are core to most RPG titles.
You can enjoy Trove by downloading it for free on PC via Steam. It is also available on a variety of other platforms including PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
Trove review
The procedurally generated world of Trove offers a new experience every time you play the game. The character classes with different abilities make the game even more exciting. Finding and defeating endgame bosses feels rewarding, thanks to great loot in Trove.
Pros
- RPG elements
- Free to play
Cons
- Gameplay feels repetitive after a few hours
Download: Steam | Xbox | PlayStation | Switch
Colony Survival
Colony Survival is a first-person strategy tower defense game that looks strikingly similar to Minecraft. Launched in 2017, the game was developed by brothers Bas and Luke Boltjes. The objective of the game is to build your own colony and defend it against monsters that attack each night. To create your colony you need to primarily hire colonists having different roles assigned by you including guards, farmers, and miners. The game also offers multiplayer options where one can work with friends to build or defend colonies although fighting and trading between players is not allowed.
Currently available as an early access game, Colony Survival is available on Steam for Rs 529.
Colony Survival review
Colony Survival offers a great blend of Minecraft survival and tower defense. Strategically assigning colonists to defend your colony makes it much more than a standard Minecraft clone. Besides these, the co-op multiplayer elements makes Colony Survival a fun activity to do with friends.
Pros
- Fun tower defense mechanics
Cons
- Early access
- Lack of updates
Download: Steam
Block Fortress
Yet another tower defense game but with a mix of FPS, Block Fortress is a Minecraft clone that gives you the freedom to create a stronghold in almost any way you can imagine, and then puts you in the middle of the action trying to defend it from the relentless Goblocks. A majority of your time will be spent in making the base with walls, weapons, and other features all which depends on how much resources you can mine and of course, your imagination. The game allows you to customize your blocks, weapons, and equipment using a massive crafting system. There are over 30 different building blocks to fortify your walls alongside 16 types of advanced turrets. The game comes with several modes, including a free build sandbox mode and a more tough survival mode with six different types of terrain to conquer.
Block Fortress is available on iOS and Android for about Rs 170.
Block Fortress review
Block Fortress has multiple exciting game modes that help you switch up the gameplay experience every now and then. The gameplay seems quite similar to other tower defense games out there. What makes Block Fortress amazing is the sheer amount of customizability when it comes to weapons, blocks, and equipment, which will help you create various defensive strategies.
Pros
- Tower defense with a lot of customization
Cons
- Game modes may seem confusing at first
Lego Worlds
As the name suggests, Lego Worlds is a Lego-themed sandbox game that allows players to build in a 3D generated world. You can create or even destroy massive Lego worlds using its suite of crafting tools. The game also comes with a campaign mode, collectibles, appearances and outfit options, landscaping tools, vehicles, and a lot more. Developed by Traveller’s Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the game is available on Steam, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Apart from Lego editor, the game also offers a mode where you can go on a journey of exploration and adventure across a number of randomly generated worlds that can be traveled between at will by means of a spaceship. The central goal is to collect golden bricks by finding hidden chests and completing quests.
Lego Worlds review
Lego Worlds is quite similar to Minecraft in terms of gameplay. The colourful and vibrant world of the game lets you build Lego structures virtually as well as fight enemies to discover hidden chests. The golden bricks acquired from these chests let you level up your character, which motivates you keep playing the game.
Pros
- Great sandbox experience
- Good graphics
Cons
- Clunky combat
Download: Steam | Microsoft Store | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo Switch
Terasology
Terasology is openly inspired by and based on Minecraft having very similar aesthetics. The big difference is that this is an open source game, meaning one can contribute to the development and expansion of the community driven project. Besides the building and destruction elements of Minecraft, the game also offers some unique features, like the ability to build armies to defend your work, create different tools, use weapons, illuminate dark spaces with torches, and so on. The game maintains Minecraft’s block-based style and at the same time adds new and original elements to enhance the overall experience.
Terasology review
As Terasology is heavily inspired by Minecraft, the game offers a pretty similar experience. However, since it is an open source game, Terasology has a lot of potential when it comes to adding unique elements that you may not find in Minecraft.
Pros
- Pretty similar to Minecraft
- Unique gameplay mechanics added by modders
Cons
- Open source development may not guarantee updates in the future
Download: Terasology
Cube World
The last game on our list is Cube World, an action RPG with a focus on exploration. Having the same procedurally generated fantasy world made up entirely of cubes, the game contains dungeons, caverns and overworld castles, alongside biomes including grasslands, snowlands, deserts, and oceans. Using items such as hang gliders and boats, players can traverse the world more quickly. The game features character creation, where players need to select race and sex, then customise the look of the character. There are a total of four classes to choose from- warrior, rogue, ranger, or mage, each of which have access to unique armour, weapons, and abilities. Apart from fighting monsters and creatures in the open world, players can also tame animals, and craft items to create food, potions, weapons, and armor, as well as cosmetics.
Cube World review
Cube World is basically Minecraft with action RPG elements. The procedurally generated fantasy world of the game is filled with various enemies that you can defeat. However, you may come across certain areas and enemies that are at a higher level than your character, where it may be smarter to run away than fight. The character progression is pretty slow paced in Cube World, which would require you to grind the game for several hours.
Pros
- Large procedurally generated fantasy world
- Character classes
Cons
- Slow character progression
- Too much grind
Download: Steam
These are some of the best Minecraft inspired games that you should try. Additionally, do check out our list of the best online battle royale games and the best racing games for PC in 2022.
