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Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this.
AutomationBase-BuildingResource Management
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$35 ~231.8 hr median co-op complexity: heavy 97.5% of 232k
The Squirrel's verdictFactorio is a fully released, flat 2D factory game with belt-and-node automation and long-term planning payoff comparable to DSP's. Its defining addition is biters: enemies that attack your base, requiring you to build defense infrastructure alongside production. No planetary scale or space layer. Rated Overwhelmingly Positive with a median playtime of 231.8 hours.
Not for you if you want 3D planetary building and space logistics, or have no interest in defending your factory from enemy attacks.
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Base-BuildingAutomationOpen World
$39.99 ~144.1 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 97.3% of 275k
The Squirrel's verdictSame belt-and-factory automation loop, same disassemble-and-refund flexibility, but first-person 3D exploration replaces DSP's top-down planning, and building happens on foot across terrain instead of abstract layouts. Co-op is supported. Suited to players who want the automation obsession with physical traversal and verticality added in.
Not for you if you prefer DSP's top-down abstraction over first-person on-foot building, or want single-player without factoring in co-op-oriented design.
3
AutomationBase-BuildingResource Management
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$29.99 ~52.2 hr median co-op 80.9% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictVoxel excavation is Foundry's defining feature: you dig into terrain and lay foundations before placing machinery, which adds a spatial planning layer DSP's fixed planetary surfaces don't have. Co-op is supported. No blueprint system means repeating large builds by hand, and clearing ground before every expansion accounts for a significant share of playtime. Median playtime is 52.2 hours.
Not for you if you want blueprint tools for repeating builds, or prefer placing machinery without clearing and founding terrain first.
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Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say. Budget Pick Budget PickThe best game here for the least money.
AutomationBase-BuildingSpace
$18.99 ~40.1 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 85.1% of 808
The Squirrel's verdictOutworld Station gates progression through explicit objectives on fixed maps, making it a more guided experience than DSP's open sandbox. Factory chains, combat, and ship-building are all present, and co-op is supported. Reviewers note the maps are small with fixed resource points and that the mission structure heavily constrains how you expand. Median playtime is 40.1 hours.
Not for you if you want self-directed, open-ended scaling across a large world rather than objective-by-objective progression on small fixed maps.
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Base-BuildingAutomationResource Management
$19.99 ~40.6 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 80.9% of 3k
The Squirrel's verdictAstro Colony shares DSP's core loop: automate resource extraction, chain production lines, manage power draw, and scale up across a space setting. It adds native co-op and first-person base building on mobile asteroid platforms you dock and relocate. Progression is shorter and rougher, with unlock ordering that irritates rather than challenges. Fits players who want DSP's automation with a friend and less total time invested.
Not for you if you want DSP's depth of late-game logistics puzzles or expect smooth tech-tree pacing without odd unlock gates like needing an engineering lab for basic stairs.
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SurvivalAutomationOpen World Survival Craft
$19.99 ~18.3 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 79.9% of 601
The Squirrel's verdictAtrio shares the belt-and-production-line automation core but runs shorter and adds story objectives alongside combat where you farm enemies for resources. Filters and speed upgrades that DSP players rely on are absent. At 18.3 median hours, it suits players who want a contained, story-driven automation loop with survival pressure rather than an open-ended megaproject.
Not for you if you want DSP's scale of planning and endless expansion, or need a polished sandbox without timed story objectives and combat mixed in.
7
AutomationBase-BuildingResource Management
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$18.99 ~16.4 hr median no co-op 79% of 305
The Squirrel's verdictShip routing with fixed load and unload rules replaces freeform belt logistics entirely: your base relocates to resources rather than extending pipelines outward. Research trees and production chains are otherwise familiar automation territory. At 16.4 median hours, it suits players who want the factory puzzle rebuilt around hard transport constraints rather than sprawling infrastructure.
Not for you if you want freeform belt-and-logistics-station sprawl, or need clear documentation when learning new modules and transport rules.
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AutomationSpaceBase-Building
$19.99 ~34.6 hr median no co-op complexity: heavy 76.9% of 458
The Squirrel's verdictWhere DSP lets you sprawl across planets indefinitely, Final Upgrade structures production around specific expedition goals on a fixed run, making each session finite. The core logistics puzzle of chaining inputs into complex outputs is still central, but the median playtime of 34.6 hours reflects a deliberately bounded experience. The tutorial and UI are widely criticized as confusing.
Not for you if you want DSP's open-ended multi-planet scale, or need a clear tutorial and polished UI to get started.