There was a huge demand for construction and management simulation games like Factorio after it became such a big hit. While this led to many developers responding to the call, similar games that were already available before Factorio came along also garnered renewed attention.
It is the simple premise of Factorio that will impress you at first. But as you progress, you become aware of how complex all of its gameplay aspects really are.
And the best part is that this learning curve is smooth as ever and doesn’t bring the excitement levels down at any point. In the game, you have to harvest resources and create an industry in order to escape a lonely planet you’re stranded on.
A number of top Factorio alternative games out there feature identical premises and provide you with the same kind of experience. Let’s have a look at them.
Best sim games like Factorio
1 – Satisfactory
Think about Factorio but imagine playing it from the first-person perspective. That’s what defines Satisfactory accurately.
You play as an engineer who is dropped onto an alien planet with only a few tools at your disposal. Your task now is to harvest the planet’s natural resources in order to construct a Space Elevator to supply your company with numerous components.
The fact that Satisfactory is played in the first-person view means that its visuals are way richer than the ones in Factorio.
One more way in which it differs from the said game though is that its map is not randomly generated.
Satisfactory also features an enjoyable multiplayer component. The game is available now for PC via the Steam Early Access program.
2 – Dyson Sphere Program
Another excellent Factorio alternative is Dyson Sphere Program, which takes place in a futurist sci-fi society that exists in virtual computer space.
In order to run this society, a great deal of power is required and the only way to achieve that is with a Dyson Sphere – a mega-structure capable of encompassing an entire star to capture a large percentage of its power output.
And of course, your job is to build this seemingly impossible structure. Astronomy fans are sure to love this enthralling game as they will find themselves in random star clusters, each with their own orbiting planets and moons.
This game is available only for PC through Steam’s Early Access program, but there’s no reason not to expect its launch on platforms like Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Switch in the future.
3 – RimWorld
RimWorld emerged out of a successful Kickstarter program from back in 2013 and was released as a full game in 2018.
It can be grabbed now via Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux. Unlike Factorio’s isometric perspective, this game gives you a top-down view of what happens when a large number of people keep getting stranded on a planet located in the frontiers of known space.
The objective of this Factorio alternative is to save yourself and other stranded people from various environmental or internal events.
And the most fun part about it is how randomly these events keep popping up.
The game can either end when at least one character has escaped the planet on a spaceship, or when all the characters are dead.
4 – Prison Architect: Mobile
Want something more casual? Looking for games like Factorio for Android? Prison Architect: Mobile is the answer.
The game challenges you to come up with a maximum-security prison from scratch. Not only does this include planning cellblocks and inmate facilities, but also managing staff pay and prisoner morale.
Prison Architect: Mobile is one of the few free games similar to Factorio you can get right now on Android, and on the iOS App Store for the iPhone.
Also, if you have money to spend, you can always go for the game’s full version that’s available on Steam.
5 – Astroneer
Astroneer is a sandbox game in which you colonize various planets and create structures on them for collecting resources.
Played from the third-person view, the game contains procedurally generated open-world environments and has the character navigate on foot, by rover or via spacecraft.
While the single-player component of this game is incredibly captivating, it has also been blessed with a multiplayer mode supporting 4-player online drop-in/drop-out co-op.
This multiple award-winning game is available for PC, Xbox One, and PS4 right now.
6 – Stationeers
The next entrant to this compilation of games similar to Factorio tasks you with the construction and management of a space station.
Not only does this involve complex architectural constructions and electrical plans, but it also adds a touch of realism by forcing you to plan ahead for elements like temperature, pressure, combustion, gas mixtures, water, and fire
What’s more, it also has you farming livestock and growing plants to maintain the station’s ecosystem.
The gameplay is rich and enthralling and rewards you for your patience and skills. Stationeers is a Steam Early Access game right now and can be grabbed only for PC.
7 – Factory Idle
You can call this one a bonus of sorts since it happens to be a browser game.
Yes, Factory Idle can be played from right inside your browser without spending a penny.
But as one would expect, it’s a pretty straightforward affair. You need to build an automated factory with several production chains.
You are provided with a fixed amount of money at the start and you can earn more as you progress.
The gameplay is also very simple, with the entire game being playable with just the mouse. Factory Idle is exciting for the only reason that you won’t find many browser games similar to Factorio out there.
8 – Factory Town
Ever thought of building an automated and efficient town by yourself? Factory Town lets you do just that and is among the best Factorio alternatives you can lay your hands on right now.
You start out with just a few workers to help you as you harvest trees, crops, and ore.
As you progress in the game by delivering raw materials to production buildings, you are able to spend your earnings on research for automated machinery and transport logistics.
This paves the way for advanced technologies like conveyor belts, trains, fluid pipes, steam-powered machinery, sorters, splitters, and much more.
You can grab this Factorio alternative via Steam Early Access for PC and Mac.
9 – Gunsmith
If you enjoy building games that have a more industrial management feel to them, you are bound to love Gunsmith.
The game starts with you inheriting a small factory that you develop enough to start making military-grade items.
Once you get going, you will have to enter a negotiation with more than 20 clients from across the globe.
An element of ethics is added by the fact that some of those clients might want something illegal.
Whether you refuse to comply or agree with them is up to you. This aspect of Gunsmith ties into focus on politics, giving you the opportunity to manipulate global situations, push politicians into certain ways, and cause conflicts on the basis of selling more arms.
It’s available for PC via Steam Early Access.
10 – Survival Vacancy
Survival Vacancy places you smack-bang in the middle of a nuclear war. As a gifted engineer, you are tasked with saving as many survivors as possible.
To do this, you must dig your way out of an isolated place to start digging and start creating your own underground community.
Survival Factory demands that you put your engineering skills to the test by building survivable underground shelters, crafting components and machines manually, and creating large-scale production lines.
While doing this, you will also need to make sure there’s enough supply of food, power, and other resources.
And did we mention that mutant humans will be after your life the whole time?
It’s this fun-filled sandbox that makes this game a truly memorable one. You can play it along or in online co-op mode. It’s available for PC via Steam.
11 – Oxygen Not Included
More than anything, Oxygen Not Included is noticeable for its quirky, cartoonish visuals.
But that’s not the only thing that will impress you, since the game has extraordinary levels of fun packed into it.
This game has you running a space colony from deep inside a space rock. Everything from excavation and resource allocation right down to plumbing and power systems will be under your control.
But while you look after the physical well-being of your colony, you will also be needed to keep track of their psychological needs by organizing fun leisure activities, providing good accommodations, and more.
Oxygen Not Included is a truly magnificent building simulation game that will captivate you from beginning to end. You can download it via Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux.
12 – Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galactic is a cooperative first-person shooter developed by Ghost Ship Games.
Set in a fascinating procedurally generated cave system on Hoxxes IV, a hostile alien planet, it offers a blend of exploration, mining, construction and combat.
Players take on the roles of space dwarves, each with unique abilities and tools that can be customized to fit different playstyles, including an engineer build.
In the multiplayer mode of Deep Rock Galactic, up to four players can team up and venture into the perilous depths, while mining valuable resources and combating a variety of alien creatures.
The game’s dynamic environment, with its destructible terrains, presents numerous strategic opportunities for teamwork.
It also offers a comprehensive progression system, rewarding successful missions with new gear and upgrades.
Top Games like Factorio: Conclusion
We hope these games like Factorio are enough for you to sink your teeth into some more construction and management simulation gameplay.
If they are not, you can also try out these honorable mentions: Per Aspera, Production Line, Factory Engineer, and Good Company.
All of these titles are easily accessible and most of them are available through Steam.
