Core Keeperis a pretty unique sandbox game, having you explore a massive cave system, make a nice little base for yourself and for some NPCs, and potentially fight giant worms, among other creatures. That is to say, there aren’tmany games like Core Keeper.
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The sandbox game space has quite a bit to offer if you’ve gotten everything you’ve wanted out of Core Keeper, though, so I’ve compiled a few great games with similar components. I think if you enjoy Core Keeper, you’ll have a great time with these choices.
10One Lonely Outpost
Not a Great Game, but Quite Similar
One Lonely Outpost is a similar game to Core Keeper on the surface, dropping you alone in an unfamiliar location and expecting you to use your tools and survival skills to survive. But you can eventually have your base blossom into a full-blown civilization with a ton of characters.
The only issue is it’s pretty slow and, in my opinion, somewhat boring. It’s got a similar gameplay loop and the space aesthetic is quite neat, plus the characters are more in-depth than the ones you’ll find in Core Keeper, but that’s about it. You might find it enjoyable, and it’s still in development, so give it a shot.
9My Time at Sandrock
Grindy, But A Fun Sandbox
My Time At Sandrock
Another farming game, My Time at Sandrock, is a cozy game where you build up a small town by doing side quests, farming, bolstering your arsenal of devices, and doing a bunch of smaller tasks along the way. It gets pretty grindy, but at least it has fun combat.
Portia Sequel My Time at Sandrock Dusts Off Release Date Trailer
It’s also got a full-blown story and some fun mining, among other things. I wouldn’t say it’s super similar to Core Keeper, but if you’re looking for a game where you build a colony, do some base building, fight enemies, and dig through caves, it’s a good time.
8I Am Future
Condensed Construction and Farming
Not a traditional sandbox game, butI Am Future is a cozy apocalypse survival gamewhere you build up a base as the only person left alive. It has you deconstructing a bunch of random items you can scavenge around the rooftops, and using those to build a cozy home amongst the flood.
It’s fun to survive and thrive off of the scraps you can scavenge, and the various machines you can craft and things you can create are pretty fun to mess with. It’s not extremely similar, but still a great game if you’re looking for a base-building game with some NPCs you can interact with.
7Subnautica
Terrifying Base Building
Subnautica
Subnautica is a game you’ve probably heard about before, whether for the aquatic base building, ocean exploration, orhorrors beyond your comprehension. It’s a 3D exploration-focused game rather than purely sandbox, but you’re able to still have some great fun building and crafting stuff.
I should emphasize this game is pretty terrifying, especially if you’re keen on actually progressing and not just content to play on the easier modes forever. It’s very fun though, and if you can conquer your fear of the water, it’ll probably appeal to you.
6Minecraft
You’ve Probably Played It
I put Minecraft here because while it’s pretty well fit for Core Keeper enjoyers, you’ve probably already played the highest-selling game ever. you may delve into massive cave systems,build up massive structures and cool bases, and kinda do some colony building.
It’s nice to explore the underground cave systems, delve into structures like Trial Chambers, and light up caves that are way too large nowadays.
I don’t have to explain Minecraft though; this is just a sign to play it for the hundredth time.
5No Man’s Sky
Colony Building in Space
No Man’s Sky
You’ve probably heard about it in a negative context a few years ago, but No Man’s Sky has improved drastically over time with some banger free updates, and now has great co-op, fun base building, and a universe that actually feels worthwhile to explore.
It’s not super similar, namely, it’s more focused on doing quests for characters and mining and exploring planets rather than much of any cave-dwelling, but I think the other sandbox aspects mesh well with the game design and will be pretty enjoyable regardless.
Fast-Paced Sandbox Gameplay
Forager is a fast-paced action game mixed with a creative sandbox, and it possesses a fun gameplay loop where you gain a ton of resources, put those resources into a massive variety of systems and objects, and create a huge, efficient island.
It’s cool to make a condensed, tiny area where everything is running smoothly, and it’s got some fun exploration aspects where you have to buy islands around your own, harvest their materials, and smack a ton of stuff with your tools.
3Moonstone Island
Farming With Some Flavor
Moonstone Island
Moonstone Island is like a mixof Stardew Valley, Pokémon, and Slay the Spire all mixed together, and it’s pretty wild. It’s great if you want to play it as a super chill farming game with some magic and RPG elements, but it’s also just a great time in general.
Review: Moonstone Island
Moonstone Island offers a variety of spirits with different elements and skills, but the true content comes from exploring the hundred islands.
It’s a pretty fun, more dynamic game than most other farming simulators you’ll find in the indie sandbox space. It’s got fun base building, exploration, and combat, and it’s great if you’re looking for something with some more in-depth fighting than usual.
Colony Building and Eldritch Abomination Slaying
Terraria’s another game you’ve probably heard of, but that doesn’t make it any less fantastic. You can build a bunch of homes for various NPCs, delve into caves that sprawl out forever, find afew thousand unique items, and play for over a thousand hours if you’re like me.
It’s pretty telling that Core Keeper has Terraria items in it; these games are pretty similar. Terraria has a ton of mods, and so much content you can keep playing it forever. It’s great if you want to mine, craft, dig, and create a fun society as well as kill gods.
1Stardew Valley
Farming, Building a Community, and Mining
Stardew Valley
You’ve also probably heard of Stardew Valley. It’s another farming game with a ton of other mechanics, like roguelike mines, a ton of places to farm and forage, NPCs to talk to, and a few thousand hours of content to dig into for as long as you want.
You don’t build a full-on colony, but you do get to build up the community, make things better for everyone, andpotentially find someone you feel like marrying. It’s a great game, and with all the items you can scavenge and things you can do, you’ll never get bored.
Core Keeper
Trapped in a cave with no way out, the only real option is to convert the monster-infested depths into a comfy home. Build a house, garden, fish, scavenge, and mine to get better tools, and beat on monsters to maybe eventually escape the sprawling subterranean map.
Review: Core Keeper
While Core Keeper takes a bit to find its footing, once it takes off its elements create an adventure where there’s never a shortage of things to do.
