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Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this. Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
Colony SimCraftingPvE
$19.99 ~33.6 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 78.4% of 6k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth build resource-gathering and base construction into persistent multiplayer worlds where specialization matters. CryoFall trades Eco's civilization-scale economy for a season-based structure aimed at eventually launching a rocket off-planet, with PvP servers alongside PvE. Suits players who want Eco's cooperative building loop without the open-ended, forever-persistent economic simulation.
Not for you if you want Eco's sandbox-forever economy rather than a seasonal structure built around reaching a rocket-launch endpoint, or dislike PvP servers where stronger players can take your stuff.
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Colony SimCity BuilderGod Game
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$24.99 ~48.9 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 82.4% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictSolo colony progression from primitive settlement to globe-spanning trade networks across a very large world. Co-op is supported but not required for the systems to function, which separates it from Eco's multiplayer-dependent design. At $24.99 with Very Positive reviews and a median playtime near 49 hours, it works for players who want civilization-scale scope without relying on a server community.
Not for you if you want a player-driven economy with server-wide interdependence and specialization as the core loop.
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City BuilderColony SimAgriculture
$19.99 ~19.3 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 79.4% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictHavendock is a solo colony sim with building variety and a crafting progression loop. Multiplayer was removed at the 1.0 release. At $19.99 with Mostly Positive reviews and a median playtime near 19 hours, it fits players who want a contained solo building experience; reviewers flag unfinished systems and crafting unlocks that appear well before the prerequisite items are accessible.
Not for you if you came to Eco for multiplayer interdependence and a player-driven economy, or expected co-op after earlier versions included it.
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City BuilderColony SimEconomy
$34.99 ~121.1 hr median no co-op complexity: heavy 75.7% of 1k
The Squirrel's verdictYmir shares Eco's core hook: a player-driven economy where specialization and cooperation decide whether a civilization survives, built around persistent servers rather than solo play. Where Eco is a survival-crafting sim, Ymir is a city-builder/4X spanning stone age to iron age. It has no co-op mode, Mostly Positive reviews, and median playtime of 121 hours at $34.99.
Not for you if you want a working single-player mode or fast pacing—reviews describe Ymir as slow and janky without an established group of players.
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Illyriad - Grand Strategy MMO
PC
Massively MultiplayerRPGCity Builder
Free ~40 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 69.2% of 208
The Squirrel's verdictA browser-style 4X MMO where resource management and diplomacy play out over months or years on a persistent server with entrenched community politics. Depth comes from long-term planning and alliances, not crafting or ecological simulation. The game is free on its own website; the Steam purchase converts to in-game premium currency. Suits players who want a slow-burn strategic community above all else.
Not for you if you want active exploration or combat, or are unwilling to navigate community politics already years in the making.
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Life SimFarming SimRPG
Cozy CozyLow-stress and wholesome — a game to unwind with.
$14.99 ~9.1 hr median co-op complexity: light 65.9% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictFarming, animal husbandry, and crafting progression in a co-op setting, with hunger, thirst, and sleep upkeep throughout. The systems are smaller in scope than Eco's civilization simulation and there is no server-wide economic layer or environmental impact mechanic. At $14.99 with Mixed reviews and a median playtime around 9 hours, it suits players who want a cooperative farming loop over a large-scale economy.
Not for you if you want Eco's civilization-scale player economy and environmental mechanics rather than a small-scale co-op farming sim.
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Massively MultiplayerMMORPGSpace Sim
~147.5 hr median co-op complexity: heavy 50.2% of 566
The Squirrel's verdictDual Universe runs on a subscription model—roughly $15 a month—where unpaid accounts lose access to everything outside starter zones. The core loop is space-based voxel construction and corporation building with deep economic specialization, but reviews note most of the universe sits largely empty and active developer support appears to have quietly wound down. Median playtime is around 148 hours.
Not for you if you want ownership without a recurring subscription, a reliably populated world, or ongoing developer updates.
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City Builder
$14.99 ~9.4 hr median no co-op complexity: light 39.9% of 198
The Squirrel's verdictSingle-player colony management built around assigning villagers to crafting chains and export production on randomly generated maps. There is no multiplayer, no player-driven economy, and no environmental collapse mechanic. At $14.99 with a Mostly Negative rating and a median playtime of around 9 hours, it suits players who want Eco's profession-assignment loop in a purely solo context.
Not for you if you want a multiplayer economy, interdependent professions, or a game with active developer support and finished systems.