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Cover of Thrive

Similar games

Games like Thrive

2010PC, Steam Deck playable92 % positive3.99 €

Thrive is a free, open-source game about the evolution of life, taking a species from a single cell up to a cosmic civilization. It focuses on simulation and creation tools, and is still a work in progress.

  • Sandbox with your own goals
  • Deep systems to master
  • Strong character progression
  • Sci-fi setting
＋ Combine with my games

Where to buy

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More in these topics: Survival games Hidden gems Indie games

In short: Games like Thrive

Each of these 10 games shares something of what makes Thrive special. The reasons are listed right on each game.

Similar in what way?

0 of 3

Up to three areas count more, the rest steps back.

Not for me Exclude horror, turn-based combat, pixel art …

Games where this is clearly part of it are left out, no matter how well the rest fits.

Horror Turn-based combat High difficulty Roguelike runs Shooter Pixel art Grind Survival PvP Open world Card game

10 games with a similar feel, sorted by match · How is this calculated?

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Best match

The Universim

90 %Match

2024PC, Steam Deck playable79 % positive27.99 €

Brings what grabs you about Thrive: a sandbox with your own goals, complex systems to tinker with and deep character progression.

A god-game city builder where you guide a small civilization from the stone age to space travel while managing a living, ever-changing planet.

Where to buy

* Affiliate link. Prices are synced regularly and may have changed in the shop since.

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FortressCraft Evolved!

Sandbox with your own goals

After crash-landing on an alien planet, you build machines, production lines and defenses in a voxel world. A blend of crafting, logistics and tower defense sits at the heart of the game.

Astro Colony

Sandbox with your own goals

A space colony-building sim where you found colonies on different celestial bodies, automate production with conveyor belts and look after your astronauts. The appeal lies in optimizing an efficient network of colonies.

Dyson Sphere Program

Sandbox with your own goals

A space factory-automation game where you build production chains across multiple planets and ultimately wrap a star in a Dyson sphere. The appeal lies in optimizing sprawling logistics networks on a galactic scale.

Distant Worlds 2

Sandbox with your own goals

A huge pausable real-time 4X space strategy game where you explore galaxies with thousands of star systems, manage economy and diplomacy, and expand through conquest. Much can be automated, letting you run your interstellar empire your own way.

The Last Starship

Sandbox with your own goals

A starship simulation from Introversion Software where you build your own ship from hull, engines, life support, sensors and weapons, then set out across the galaxy. It is an early alpha, so this rating is provisional.

Dig or Die

Sandbox with your own goals

You are stranded on a hostile alien world after your ship crashes and must turn local resources and your own fabrication tools into a working base. It blends survival, automation and exploration into a sandbox where you build your own way off the planet.

Heart of the Machine

Sandbox with your own goals

You play the first sentient AI in a city full of possibilities, choosing whether to build a robot army, rule as a benevolent machine overlord, or chase other goals. A blend of strategy, sandbox and RPG elements leaves many paths to your objectives.

Star Ruler

Sandbox with your own goals

A large-scale real-time 4X strategy game set in space, where you design your own ships, command thousands of units and build a galaxy-spanning empire. Extensive mod support and multiplayer add plenty of freedom.

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