Cover of Thrive

Similar games

Games like Thrive

2010PCSteam 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.

Strong character progression
Sci-fi setting

＋ Combine with my games

More in these topics: Survival games Hidden gems

The closest matches for Thrive are Cosmoteer: Starship Architect & Commander, FortressCraft Evolved! and X3: Terran Conflict. Each of these 10 games shares something of what makes Thrive special – the reasons are listed right on each game.

Best match

Cosmoteer: Starship Architect & Commander

91 %Match

2022PCSteam Deck playable95 % positive18.99 €

Sci-fi setting
Strong character progression
Gameplay comes before story

You build starships module by module, from floor plan to weapons and engines, then take them into real-time battles and campaigns in space. Your design choices directly determine how well your ship performs in combat.

Similar games →

FortressCraft Evolved!

Sci-fi setting

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.

X3: Terran Conflict

Pure single-player experience

A vast space sandbox where you fly ships, build trading empires and factory complexes, and get drawn into conflicts between rival races. Freedom is huge, but the learning curve is steep.

The Universim

Pure single-player experience

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.

X3: Reunion

Pure single-player experience

A vast space sandbox where you fly ships, trade, build factories and stations, and carve your own path within a living simulated economy.

Avorion

Sci-fi setting

A procedurally generated space sandbox where you build modular ships block by block and push toward the galactic core as a trader, mercenary or explorer. Ship building and freedom of playstyle are the heart of the game.

Stardeus

Pure single-player experience

As an immortal AI you rebuild a wrecked spaceship in a colony-sim style, automating production and deciding how to treat the human survivors. It blends base building, resource management and exploration in space.

X3: Albion Prelude

Pure single-player experience

A vast, freely explorable space sandbox where you fly ships, trade, fight and build your own economic and fleet empire. The focus is on freedom and simulation rather than a tightly told story.

Dyson Sphere Program

Sci-fi setting

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.

Astro Colony

Bright, upbeat tone

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.

Feedback