1
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 verdictCryoFall is a persistent multiplayer survival game—PvP and PvE servers available—where players gather resources, specialize, and build toward a defined endpoint: launching a rocket off-planet. That seasonal, goal-oriented structure separates it from open-ended civilization sims. At $19.99 with Mostly Positive reviews and a median playtime around 34 hours, it suits players who want cooperative base-building with a clear collective objective.
Not for you if you want an open-ended sandbox economy with no endpoint, or need true private co-op without paying for a separate server.
2
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 the absence of server-wide ecological stakes and profession-based interdependence would leave the loop feeling hollow.
3
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 varied building options and a crafting progression loop. Multiplayer was present in early access but removed at the 1.0 release. At $19.99 with Mostly Positive reviews and a median playtime near 19 hours, it suits players who want a contained solo building experience; reviewers flag crafting unlocks that appear well before the prerequisite items are accessible.
Not for you if multiplayer was your reason to buy, or incomplete unlock sequencing and dropped co-op support would frustrate you.
4
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.
5
SurvivalOpen World Survival CraftCrafting
$14.99 ~18.9 hr median co-op 71.6% of 894
The Squirrel's verdictSolace Crafting is built around solo play first: you gather, craft, and advance through tiers in an infinite procedurally generated world without needing other players. Co-op exists but is not the foundation. The tier-balancing progression—deciding how much to build at each level before pushing forward—is the central loop. Controls are rough and the game left early access before reviewers considered it fully polished.
Not for you if the profession-based interdependence and shared economy are what you want from this genre.
How the Squirrel matches games
Not tag overlap. We compare what players actually say across hundreds of
thousands of reviews about how each game feels to play, then break
the comparison into the mechanics you can see in each card. The mark on
every bar is Eco's own score, so you can read where a match runs
hotter or cooler than the anchor.
Verdicts are written against a fixed editorial standard, machine-audited,
and human spot-checked. Which games make the cut is a human call. Prices
and review data refresh automatically. Full method & AI disclosure →