25 Best Games Like Rimworld – Top Alternatives

RimWorld tells the story of three crashed space liner survivors who set out to build their camp on a borderline fantasy world located in the periphery of known space. It took inspiration from space western vibe of Firefly, the profound simulation game of Dwarf Fortress, and the classic scale of Dune and Warhammer 40,000.

Your task while playing the game will inclde managing colonists’ moods, needs, healing wounds of individuals and illnesses. You’ll equally engage in a mini team that explores tactical gunplay.

The game equally comes with other amazing features like fashion edifices, weapon designs, and metal stone, wood and cloth apparel, or futuristic materials. You’ll also b engaging in battle with pirate raiders, unfriendly tribes, rioting animals, giant tunneling insects, and prehistoric massacre machines.

Your missions can equally include taming and training cute-looking pets, useful farm animals, and beasts that engage in lethal attacks. You can observe colonists create relationships with family members, lovers, and spouses.

You’ll explore a freshly created world every time you play. You can develop colonies in the desert, forest, tundra, etc. alternatively, you can take charge of strange desperate colonists with specific backstories, features, and skills. You can learn to readily play using an intelligent and unobtrusive AI instructor.

The video game is accessible on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It’s distributed by DRM-free download. RimWorld is developed by Tynan Sylvester and Ludeon Studio, and since November 2013 when it was originally released, it has enjoyed a lot of improvement.

While Ludeon Studio has put a lot of effort to improve Rimworld, if you’re looking for a similar game you can play, then this article is for you. The game has been on early access for many years and that could have you thinking that the future of the game isn’t certain.

Far from that! Rimworld is successful and thriving. The future of the game is bright, in part due to the loyal support of its gaming community together with lots of modders and add-ons which will make the game to thrive for a long time in the future.

This is evident in how RimWorld has been very successful in the last few years. The company has sold more than one million copies of the game as an Early Access title. It’s a great Sci Fi Colony Sim game where you’ll have to raise a colony and ensure it survives very long in a lot of multiple environments.

Games like RimWorld would like to make you think strategically as you manage your colonists and develop an expansive settlement under different kinds of environments and situations.

Some of the games like Rimworld we have on our list will allow you to freely develop anything you want while relaxing in the game environment and engaging you for hours until you come to the end of the gameplay.

If you’re after best games like RimWorld, then check out our list of top RimWorld alternatives which include fun-filled and challenging games below:

Best Games Like RIMWORLD: Our Top 25 Picks

1. Dwarf Fortress Steam

Dwarf Fortress as some gamers say is a complex game but in honest fact, it is one game you would not want to abandon for a second if you understand it fully. The developer, Bay 12 has done a good job by incorporating a nice game graphic which you can’t compare to some of its peers.

This PC game task is simple; you will administer a productive government for your people, receive advice from the game auto-adviser that gets data directly from the internet, and solve any problem your people will have.

The game also lets you erect fortresses that your people will dwell in and thrive. Just comparable to Rimworld and its likes on this list, you should be prudent and apply wisdom when using the resources you acquire.

As your nation thrives further, you will have to dominate the other fortresses by erecting a gigantic citadel to overshadow theirs.

For now, there are plans by the developers to improve the game content with extra features which would be in the new version. The similarity will be close except for some little alterations like the free/classic, Fortress mode, Adventure mode, etc. which they would add so sit tight, enjoy the current, and expect the future. The game is accessible on Steam.

2. First Feudal

Just like Rimworld, First Feudal is a PC game that has a lot of captivating features and that is why it was the first game Steam made a recommendation for on their online page.

Still, the format is not the same as it has a good concept which immerses you into the game and not just gives you a general authority like the omniscient overseer you will find in Rimworld.

In this Holistic Games RPG, you will control a certain character that is part of the villagers, lead your fellow villagers, and upgrade your town.

You can gather resources that you could employ in crafting workbenches, setting up workshops, building homes, and yet, you direct the villagers to do tasks.

To achieve your goals, you will place walls, doors, and floors to build their houses, give them food, tools to work, and alas, grant them the chance to rest and sleep.

This is such content gamers like me crave for; the chance to be not just the gamer but part of the game and if you are on the same page, why not check it out. It’s available on Steam (Early Access)

3. King Under The Mountain

King Under The Mountain promises its loyal fans a blockbusting game which is currently under development by Rocket Jump Technology and would see its release in mid-August.

From the developers’ stories, the video game is somewhat like Prison Architect though in its case, it would involve both orcs and humans as you establish buildings with the power to choose the zone you will place them and other similarities you will find in Rimworld.

Since lots of users are still waiting, the developers have made it possible for you to access their site where you will find a prototype you can try out.

If you log on to their Kickstarter page and this game attracts you as much as what you have seen about it on YouTube, you can simply use their Backerkit and pre-order a copy for yourself. It is accessible on the producer’s website on Pre-order.

4. Civitatem

Civitatem tells of your village which just experienced a raid and had been razed to the ground. The survivors are left in your care and your journey together to the east with plans to rebuild. The game is of the medieval age and all its features have that look and feel too.

Now intent on rebuilding, you must ensure your people have sufficient food that will take you through winter since that is when you can’t find animals to hunt or grains to harvest. You will need to be manageable on resources to prevent wastage.

Just like First Feudal, your avatar is part of the game and not in the Rimworld omniscient spot. This means that you will join them to survive still into the spring when you can plant crops and venture into other coming seasons.

The publishers, LW Games commented too on an in-game where you can explore other settlements and still, hints more that when the game is ready; their fans will surely get their satisfaction. It’s available on Steam (Early Access).

5. Judgment: Apocalypse Survival Simulation

Judgment launches you into the center of an apocalypse where you will encounter three surviving colonists, make plans for the construction of a fort so that you all can take cover from the raging demons.

They will not stop coming and you will not stop researching until your people are out of sight and safe from the demons.

However, you must be wary enough to ensure you do not excel much in fame and wealth if not; they will find you out again and uncover your hideout.

There is a meter you will have on your screen to indicate how visible you are to the demons and when it reaches max, that’s the end of your game. Still, you should not let it reach the minimum or you won’t be strong enough to defend yourself when they stumble upon you in error.

Suncrash made this concept concerning the apocalypse stories in the Bible though, with extra spice. You will have a colonist who will handle the well for water supplies, another to take charge of the researches, and the last to aid in scavenging or building.

There are lots of ruins you can find rare supplies and scavenge for resources. When the time for battle arrives, you and your colonists will take up a stand, employ the aid of trees for cover and fight with the special abilities your colonists have.
It’s available on Steam.

6. Oxygen Not Included

There is no doubt that as a fan of Rimworld, you have not heard of Oxygen Not Included. Klei Entertainment gives you control of a colony lost in a foreign world where there is a lot of asteroids and you are left to build a base to house your inhabitants.

Now, these people aren’t from this planet so the atmosphere isn’t suitable for their health hence probing you to manage the temperature of your base, the water quality, and pollution level. If you don’t take the right step, they would contact diseases and wipe away gradually.

You will require speed in this game as Klei didn’t back down on the pace. Some colonists will have polluted liquids in their bladders which are shown on an indicator, suffering temperature loss due to the falling or rising temperatures or attacking gases.

When these happen, you will see them cry with visible tears, curl up in their beds just like cats and all will be at a quick pace.

This game will test your patience, meticulousness, and speed and if you are a fan of Rimworld but the pace is not enough for you, why not grab your console and have a date with Oxygen Not Included. You can access the game on Steam.

7. Starship Theory

The stellar world and its game mechanics are one that is fun to explore especially when you are doing so on Starship Theory. The game is of the sci-fi genre and lets you travel through the tremendously dark of space. You will come across various terrors and you must evade them.

When your ship has seen many terrors, there will be a need for an upgrade and this would be possible when you gather resources by using a mining laser to mine asteroids. The UI may seem confusing at first but with time, you will rule the stellar world.

8. Gnomoria

In Gnomoria, you will lead a tiny Gnome faction to discover shelter, form a village, and finally evolve into a lively kingdom. There will be many resources you can use to build items, structures, plant traps, and mine for precious materials. Enemies seeking to overrun your kingdom will arrive and you must lead your Gnomes to victory.

9. StarSector

In 2018, this space simulator game was released with lots of features that involve single-player space-combat, roleplaying, exploration, and economy. StarSector presents you with the position of a space captain who seeks fortune and glory by any possible means.

You can navigate your ship, tactically lead your fleet to battles, improve your skills with experiences, customize your ship to take on further tasks, venture into star systems torn by war, and gain the favor of great factions.

Currently, the developers are adding some extra features to the game and you should not be in haste, because these present features are surely enough to keep you glued to your console for long hours.

10. Homeworld: Remastered Collection

Ever since the 1990s when Sierra Publishers and Relic Entertainment launched the Homeworld series, the game has soared to a high level in the strategy games world.

Additionally, it has also received awards as Game of the Year various times, and it was because of the innovative game concept that made Brian Martel, the Chief Creative Officer for Gearbox Software to acquire it in 2013.

In Remastered Collection, you will find the Homeworld and Homeworld 2 which focuses on intent strategy gaming done in space and encompasses both multiplayer and single-mode.

Gearbox has also made it possible that if you purchase this collection, they will gift you a free Remastered Steam Multiplayer Beta.

11. Ashes of the Singularity

When we look at the approaching future, there are lots of speculations about what will happen and Ashes of the Singularity didn’t hesitate to launch this strategy game which tells of war when humans come against each other at that time. As I said, it is a full-scale war and not a mere brawl and all nations are engrossed in its quake.

In this world, the economy focuses on “Sentience”, the most important good which you can obtain by controlling a programmable matter known as Turinium.

The work of this matter is to broaden your consciousness to an unimaginable level. People transform nations into this substance and you have to lead your army to capture these nations so that you can possess the entire planet.

12. Unclaimed World

As the name implies, no one has made claims on this world between the aliens and humans that inhabit it. If you can’t comprehend the alien planet environment, you won’t be able to gather food, find resources, and craft weapons and equipment which will help you make your foothold in the world when the aliens come attacking.

13. Project Aura

Project Aura is a videogame that comprises lots of strategies and simulation. The world has faced serious climate challenges and the only survivors will look to you for guide and recuperation. This will force you to use a ‘cryo’ technique to preserve foodstuff and other stuff.

Fortunately, the world was prepared for this and that is the reason you and these survivors will reside in some cities built on the sea that the atmosphere cannot harm.

The final goal is to gather materials and complete the building of ultra-secret shelters that would aid them to hibernate and wake when the world is back to normal.

14. Frostpunk

Frostpunk has a lot of similarity to Dwarf Fortress which we have mentioned in this write-up earlier. Frostpunk is a new title from writers of the popularly-acclaimed “This War of Mine”. It is one of the best base construction games you’ll ever come across.

It is set in the 19th century when there was the beginning of a new ice age and the people who are trying to survive the harshness of the climate are looking for a haven beside a steam generator.

You will have to care for these people, construct kitchens where they can make food, houses for shelter, and hospitals to treat those who have come down with a sickness.

The game features a very complex base game construction system related to what you’ll find in the Dwarf Fortress. You’ll be constructing houses, kitchens, hospitals, and more. Nonetheless, the key strength of the game is its plot and the morale system.

The game will force you to make some difficult decisions rather fast. Are you going to use child labor? Will you take care of the sick or are you going to allow them to die? Are you going to let go of a single individual so that the entire group would be saved?

The game will test your ability to make quick decisions which might seem harsh in the long run. Making a fast decision in this kind of scenario is rather tasking. Besides, your citizens have two different kinds of feelings status.

The first one is hope while the second one is bitterness. Whether will have hope or live bitter lives would depend on the decisions you make.

Aside from their general health, you will ensure they are not bitter or angry, and also, they must be in a good state of hope always. These will appear in two additional status bars and they are yours to maintain if you wish to achieve the goal of the game.

15. Surviving Mars

Surviving Mars is set in the Mars fantasy world. It’s developed by Haemimont (a company that produced Tropico series). This immediately tells you that the game would come with plenty of properly-developed tycoon features. Your task while playing the game involves the creation of a primary colony on the red planet which won’t be an easy one, trust me!

The main reason is that Mars is not a habitable planet. Your primary role is to develop a system of pipes for transporting water from underground sources to the colony. Besides the provision of water, you’d equally work to provide the required heat and air because life on Mars is much different from that of Earth.

16. Banished

In Banished, you don’t have to struggle to defend your settlement from gangsters and invaders. On the contrary, it puts you in a fantasy world where you have to battle with sickness, hunger, dangerous effects of weather, and more.

Its central focus is not just getting your town and established and developing it in a cute distant land. Your task involves carefully managing the population and the resources at your disposal.

Your survival through the game would depend on how you work to maintain a good balance between growth and the number of resources available to you.

Your hard-working citizens slowly become older as time goes on and eventually die, but before that happens they may hopefully raise children who will continue to help the growth and prosperity of your community. There are a variety of different jobs that you’ll be able to assign your settlers to, including hunting, mining, farming, and much more. Banished is a complex

17. Kenshi

Kenshi is arguable one of the most intriguing games on the list because it features a mixture of genres. It is a sandbox RPG game that allows you to freely roam on the game environment using colony management tactics.

It features a single-player and offers you gameplay that you decide roughly anything. You can finish the game with just one character or select characters from the available 50.

You start with the base form of these characters, which you can develop into heroic characters as you progress through the game.

18. Stonehearth

Stonehearth is an attractive city-building game that positions you in a virtual world that allows you to construct different forms of habitation you desire in a tactically-created world.

While you designate different types of tasks or roles to your “heartlings” and allow them to move from level to level in that role, they’ll be capable of unlocking and upgrading to fresh tasks that specify the work they will be doing.

The game comes in a fantastic building system that allows you to readily develop and customize the structures to suit your needs. Stonehearth’s modding support gives you total freedom to choose the type of content you can make and share. Therefore, so if you haven’t tried out Stonehearth, you might want to try it this time. It is a very interesting sandbox city-building game.

If what you want is a city building game that takes a lot of inspiration from the Minecraft, then Stonehearth is likely going to be your thing.

The game features a very basic premise. You ought to assist a minor group of settlers o build an appealing abode in a beautiful land. Your task will include providing them with the required shelter, taking care of food supplies, and proving your group of colonists with tasks.

Nonetheless, the best part of the game is the constant update that the game gets. What this means is that you’ll regularly get new elements while playing the game and will make it all the more interesting and gives you a smoother experience.

19. Factorio

Factorio game when compared to other games on the list treads a different route. It doesn’t put you in charge of a village, space station, or a prison, but just in charge of a factory.

Your task will include developing a suitable transport system to move resources to the factory for production. And after transportation, you must equally decide on suitable manufacturing systems.

You’ll be analyzing new technologies and doing a lot more jobs. You need to constantly develop the factory so that the management of the company will feel happy about you.

The whole game is offered through the isometric camera but the game itself isn’t a difficult one. Nonetheless, you ought to regularly keep an eye on what is going on in your factory. That way, things will move on smoothly. 

20. Colony survival

Colony survival takes a fascinating approach to the notion of base building. The primary surprising thing you’ll notice about this game is that it is truly an FPP base building game. It is created by two people and allows you to take the role of a colony leader.

Your colony begins as a comparatively minor place with merely a few workers. Nonetheless, you can grow it into an expansive modern settlement. While doing so, you’ll equally work to keep your settlers from monsters.

As you create your colony, they’ll frequently attack you. This will require constructing city walls to stay safe from these attacks.

21. Craft The World

Craft The World charges you with the task of constructing strong dwarf fortresses on the randomly-created territory as you protect your fellow dwarves from plenty of monsters visiting you from portals and digging deep down the surface.

Your task equally includes assigning different tasks to dwarfs. You can make use of multiple types of spells to improve their work speed or to uncover underground secrets.

Using an uncomplicated crafting system and unique visuals, Craft the World is a fun-filled sandbox strategy game that will surely entertain and engage you for hours until you see the end of the game.

22. Planetbase

This space colony builder allows you to establish a base on four different types of planets, and every one of these planets come with unique and exciting o challenges you can try.

You will experience difficulties like sandstorms and meteors while trying to execute your plans. Also, some raiders disguise as your colony members and work hard to destroy your base from within.

Planetbase requires you to carefully strategize how you can design and manage the specialist you have in your base as you engage in resource mining, power gathering, and food cultivation.

23. Space Colony

Space colony is an old classic game that was re-mastered lately and released on Steam. It puts you in a world where you have to develop a large base in a distant land far from Earth as you take control of the multiple characters you’ll train to perform plenty of tasks.

You need to take proper care of your citizens and provide their needs. That is the only you can keep them happy and dedicated to their tasks.

You will be working to develop your base from multiple arrays of aliens that make use of robot machines and laser towers as you gather and sell your resources. Many fans of this game think it’s very similar game to Sims because it equally features unique personalities which you must work hard to keep happy, safe, and healthy.

It comes with a lot of quests that you can complete and the sandbox mode allows you to determine a course to follow as you progress through the game.

24. Prison Architect

Prison Architect puts you in a world where you have to work as a manager of a maximum-security prison. You can discover in this unique prison management sim with a well-thought-storyline what it would feel like engaging in a task like that in real life. Alternatively, you can choose the path you like and roam freely in the game world to achieve your set goals.

You’d need to strategically build a prison that’s sufficient to accommodate the most difficult of baddies. You can also decide to stay away from the management part of the game and concentrate only on the game’s exciting Escape mode and play as a prisoner.

25. The Long Journey Home

The Long Journey Home is a combination of the endless freedom of space quest with an innovative open questing structure that constantly puts you in charge.

Your task includes Convey Glukkt who is stranded to his homeworld following his request. Alternatively, you can make him one of your new slaver friends.

You’ll try to make allies with everybody, or place your hopes on winning the most difficult races, hoping that they’d never rebel against you. You’ll move from one level to the other making hard decisions and living with the aftermath of your decisions, in a game world that is constantly unique each time.

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