Minecraft is undoubtedly one of the most popular sandbox games that has attracted millions of gamers since it was first released in 2011. Developed by Mojang Studios and officially released on November 18, 2011, Minecraft has solidified its place as the best-selling and most downloaded video game in the history of gaming and Esports.
As of January 2025, Minecraft reportedly had a phenomenal count of nearly 204.33 million monthly active users and, according to the reports, the monthly average user count of Minecraft is anticipated to rise exponentially in the coming few years as the game is currently being featured by numerous iconic faces of the glitzy gaming industry, including Nischay Malhan aka Triggered Insaan, Thomas Simons aka TommyInnit, Jordan Maron aka CaptainSparklez and many others on their YouTube channels.
Apart from survival and adventure modes, Mojang Studios keeps the wide and diverse user base of Mincraft hooked to the game through frequent updates, endless creativity and community involvement.
While Minecraft has been reigning supreme as a sandbox multiplayer game, there also exists a few alternatives to the game that have succeeded to a great extent in giving tough competition to the alpha of sandbox multiplayer games.
In this article we will take a look at the top four games that you would enjoy playing if you’re a hardcore Minecraft fan.
Top 4 Games to Play If You Are a Minecraft Fan
Lego Fortnite
The timeless classic game of Lego always enthralls most gamers, both in the real and the on-screen gaming world. Lego Fortnite is one such game that has effortlessly combined the thrilling action of royale battle games and the creatively fun side of Lego – all in one place.
Almost similar to the iconic game of Minecraft, Lego Fortnite engages the players in exploration, building and fighting their own spine-chilling battles in the world made of Lego bricks. Furthermore, the winning concept of Lego Fortnite also coincides with that of Minecraft and requires the players to make it till the last by collecting deadly weapons, building their own concrete castles for defense and beating their opponents.
While the Lego Fortnite game is considered to be a hard version of Minecraft, the developers have added a twist to the game that allows the players to customise their surroundings made of lego bricks.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
The trending sandbox action role-playing game, Dragon Quest Builders 2, has been developed by Square Enix and Omega Force and was released on December 20, 2018. While most of the sandbox games are all about exploring and building castles to beat opponents, Dragon Quest Builders 2 has added a role-playing twist to the genre.
In this sandbox game, the players take on the role of a builder who has a mission to rebuild a ruined world. From humble domiciles to sumptuous castles, the players build everything after collecting the required blocks and materials from the island that they traverse through during the game.
While a majority of players prefer to battle against the monsters ruining the building structures in a single player mode, the multiplayer mode of the game is also dynamic and allows the players to explore and build an online squad with their friends.
In a nutshell, the enhanced graphics, smooth transitions and a wide variety of weapons make Dragon Quest Builders 2 one of the most popular alternatives for the classic Minecraft game.
Starbound
The action-adventure game, Starbound, has been developed and published by Chucklefish and was officially released on 22 July 2016. The concept of Starbound involves a gripping storyline where a character moves to a space setting after the destruction of earth and is required to fight for his survival in space.
During the game, the character is allowed to travel between diverse planets and discover hidden treasures that assist them in making their survival easy. Furthermore, the players are required to form their bases and collect weapons in order to win the battle against the impostors.
In addition to building structures and battling against enemies, the game also involves other missions and experiences surrounding the realistic activities of cooking, farming, fishing etc. Overall, Starbound as a sandbox game offers an extremely immersive experience for the players who are dedicated towards engaging in building games like Minecraft.
Terraria
Developed by Re-Logic and published by 505 Games, Terraria is a 2D sandbox adventure game which allows the users to explore and build their own realistic battle world. Quite similar to the game of Minecraft, Terraria also requires the players to hunt for basic resources in the initial levels and later sets them on a mission to hunt for better equipment and stronger weapons to safeguard themselves against enemies attacking their domiciles.
While Terraria has a lot of common features with Minecraft, what really sets apart Terraria is the fact that, along with the in-game characters, the non-player characters can also enter the buildings and cities that the players build, assisting the players in accomplishing their missions.
Terraria offers players a unique and powerful gaming experience by combining the dynamic gaming concepts of building and battles, making it a popular pick among Minecraft fans.
