1
Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this.
Base-BuildingMiningAutomation
$14.99 ~21.2 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 85.7% of 28k
The Squirrel's verdictHydroneer starts with mining and raw-material processing but expands into base-building and automation at a scale Fantasy Blacksmith never attempts. The crafting loop feeds larger systems rather than a single focused trade, and co-op is available, though reviewers describe it as poorly implemented. Controls draw consistent complaints across reviews. Median playtime is 21.2 hours. Good fit for players who want the digging and crafting loop expanded into open-ended automation.
Not for you if you want tight, single-craft focus rather than sprawling automation, or need controls that feel precise and intuitive.
2
Budget Pick Budget PickThe best game here for the least money.
RPGAdventureCrafting
$9.99 ~20.1 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 79% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictWeapon Shop Fantasy puts you in charge of a vampire-run weapon shop burdened by debt, with staff you assign to crafting or combat training and send on resource-gathering quests. The smithing work is delegated rather than hands-on — you manage timelines and employee focus while watching a monthly debt repayment tick down. At $9.99 and Mostly Positive (79%), it suits players who liked the weapon-trading theme but want a management layer over direct forging.
Not for you if you want to physically shape each weapon yourself rather than assign workers to handle production.
3
Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
Medieval Crafter: Blacksmith
PC
Time ManagementCraftingMining
$11.99 ~5.5 hr median no co-op complexity: light 77.6% of 764
The Squirrel's verdictPlayers who want RPG systems wrapped around smithing — hiring adventurers, dungeon quests, a village to manage — are the audience Medieval Crafter: Blacksmith targets. Item customization is limited: recipes are static, and rarity is determined by RNG rather than craft decisions. Released in 2026, it carries a Mostly Positive rating of 77.6% and a median playtime of 5.5 hours, though reviews flag a notable bug count.
Not for you if you want meaningful control over item quality and customization rather than static recipes and RNG-driven rarity.
4
RPGMedievalBase-Building
Moral Weight Moral WeightHard choices with real consequences are central here.
$19.99 ~10.9 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 70.3% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictAnvil Saga keeps the ingot-heating, hammer-striking core but adds quest lines, NPC scheduling, room-building, and both sandbox and story modes alongside the forge work. Median playtime is 10.9 hours. Players who wanted more structure and progression around the smithing will find it here, though reviews flag broken quests, NPCs going idle, and items clipping through geometry as persistent issues.
Not for you if you want a forge-only loop without quest systems, NPC scheduling, or tolerance for reported bugs affecting tasks and characters.
5
SurvivalOpen World Survival CraftCrafting
$14.99 ~18.9 hr median co-op 71.6% of 894
The Squirrel's verdictSurvival and exploration players who want crafting embedded in a larger world will find Solace Crafting a natural fit: mining and smithing feed base-building and tiered progression across an infinite procedural map, with co-op available. One developer built it, and reviews note unpolished controls you learn by doing. Rated Mostly Positive at 71.6% with a median playtime of 18.9 hours.
Not for you if you want a forge-only loop without survival mechanics, base-building, or open-world exploration.
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 Fantasy Blacksmith'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 →