Games Like Stormworks: Build and Rescue

Enter the creative paradise of Scrap Mechanic! Build fantastic machines, go on adventures with your friends and defend against waves of evil Farmbots in this imaginative multiplayer survival sandbox. With Scrap Mechanic’s powerful creation tools you can engineer your own adventures!

Why similar: Building 20.4%, Sandbox 18.9%, Open World 14%, Base Building 13.3%, Physics 12.6%

Why You'll Like It: Like Stormworks, it is built around assembling functional vehicles from parts and then driving them around a sandbox where physics and experimentation create the fun.

Space Engineers is a sandbox engineering game where you design and build ships, stations, and planetary bases in a fully destructible environment. Explore planets and space, mine resources, survive hazards, and engage in combat alone or with friends in Creative or Survival modes.

Why similar: Base Building 17.6%, Sandbox 16.5%, Building 15.2%, Open World 12.4%, Physics 11.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a similarly satisfying loop of designing functional craft, wiring up systems, and piloting them through a large physics sandbox.

Over 1000 unique components allow you to build and command voxel vehicles from the deep ocean to outer space! Forge strategies, allegiances and fleets strong enough to destroy eight deadly factions of the planet and reign supreme. A genre-defying mashup of simulation, building, RTS and RPG.

Why similar: Naval 34.6% ★, Sandbox 20.6%, Building 20.1%, Physics 14%, Survival 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: It matches Stormworks' love of custom-built ships, aircraft, and subs with even deeper vehicle systems, only with combat replacing rescue work.

Build the ultimate vehicle and explore a vast open world filled with challenges and adventure. Play solo or team up with friends in multiplayer to conquer the toughest obstacles. With a thrilling campaign mode and endless creative possibilities, Trailmakers is the ultimate sandbox for adventurers.

Why similar: Sandbox 23.1%, Building 21.5%, Open World 17.2%, Physics 16.5%, Survival 13.6%

Why You'll Like It: Its modular land, air, and sea vehicle builder captures the same test-iterate-fly-crash-repeat joy in a more approachable format.

Bring to life anything you can imagine from rockets and airplanes to cars and more. Automate them with a visual programming language. Explore 3D planets and make your own. Share your creations online. Complete contracts, conquer milestones, and unlock technology in the newly added Career Mode.

Why similar: Programming 23.2% ★, Flight 15.4%, Automation 13.1%, Building 11%, Base Building 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers serious craft design, realistic flight physics, and scripting tools for players who like the technical side of Stormworks.

Build your own vehicles or download one of the more than 200,000 creations already uploaded to the Workshop and experience the dynamic driving and destruction physics of Brick Rigs!

Why similar: Sandbox 28.1%, Building 22.7%, Open World 17.9%, Physics 15.3%, Flight 12.2%

Why You'll Like It: It lets you freely build and operate vehicles across multiple types in an open sandbox where goofy failures are half the appeal.

You’re the designer, engineer and architect if you can imagine it you can create it! Construct robots of any shape or size from eight-legged spider bots to eerie UFO contraptions.

Why similar: Programming 30.2% ★, Automation 19.9%, Sandbox 14.4%, Building 13.2%, Physics 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on constructing robots and vehicles and giving them logic-driven behaviors, making it a natural fit for Stormworks players who enjoy engineering plus programming.

Build airplanes by snapping parts together, designing wing sections, and attaching engines. At any time, you can strap yourself into the cockpit and see how it flies with realistic physics. If you're not in the mood for building, over 100,000 airplanes are available to download for free.

Why similar: Flight 22.6%, Automation 21.8%, Sandbox 15.5%, Building 14%, Physics 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: It is a streamlined but satisfying plane builder where tweaking parts and flight characteristics scratches the same design-and-test itch.

Build and fly realistic aircraft. Use free-form fuselage and wing editor tools and tune your engines to recreate aircraft from any era or design your own.

Why similar: Flight 32.7%, Sandbox 24%, Building 17.9%, Physics 13.1%, Immersive Sim 12.4%

Why You'll Like It: It is aircraft-focused but deeply similar in its emphasis on designing, testing, and refining vehicles around believable aerodynamics and handling.

In Kerbal Space Program, take charge of the space program for the alien race known as the Kerbals. You have access to an array of parts to assemble fully-functional spacecraft that flies (or doesn’t) based on realistic aerodynamic and orbital physics.

Why similar: Sandbox 36.6%, Physics 23.8%, Building 22.5%, Open World 11.7%, Exploration 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: It shares Stormworks' engineer-first appeal by letting you design, troubleshoot, and pilot vehicles in a systems-heavy physics sim.

Explore a world of creative building, interactive machines, and gears - lots of gears. Build all things mechanical: cars, trucks, cranes, tanks, gearboxes, engines, clocks, anything you can think of. Test your creations to destruction in challenging scenarios, and share them in the workshop!

Why similar: Building 23.6%, Sandbox 22.4%, Physics 16.5%, Immersive Sim 13.9%, Open World 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: It gives you freeform mechanical building and physical simulation for players who love making machines actually work.

Stationeers puts you in control of the construction and management of a space station to run by yourself or online with your friends. Complex atmospheric, electrical, manufacturing, agriculture, and gravitational systems require your thought and management at all times!

Why similar: Programming 26.5% ★, Automation 18.8%, Base Building 14.1%, Sandbox 12.3%, Building 11.5%

Why You'll Like It: It is ideal for Stormworks fans who especially love logic, automation, and managing interconnected systems rather than just driving the finished vehicle.

Build physically simulated rovers to transport awkwardly shaped cargo across the rugged terrain of Mars. Earn funds, unlock new parts, and use your ingenuity to help the Martians establish a new home. Playable solo or in online co-op!

Why similar: Sandbox 27.2%, Building 25.4%, Open World 19.2%, Physics 19%, Exploration 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: It combines modular vehicle construction with open-world mission work, giving a very Stormworks-like feeling of solving tasks with custom machines.

TerraTech is an open-world, sandbox adventure game, where you design and build your own creations through a mix of crafting, combat and discovery. Design vehicles from a huge library of blocks. Scavenge, craft and buy new parts to survive and become the ultimate planetary prospector.

Why similar: Open World Survival Craft 27.4% ★, Building 19%, Sandbox 18.2%, Open World 13%, Survival 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: It lets you assemble modular vehicles and roam an open world, with a lighter but similarly improvisational build-and-drive loop.

Sailing simulator featuring realistic sailing physics and a vast open world to explore. Embark on cargo delivery missions, customize your boat, try fishing and cooking. A relaxing day sail, or an epic ocean voyage? Your sailing adventure starts here!

Why similar: Sailing 46.7% ★, Immersive Sim 15.5%, Open World 14.7%, Survival 11.3%, Exploration 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: It nails the hands-on maritime feel of navigating and surviving the open sea, even if it focuses on sailing rather than custom construction.

TerraTech Worlds is an open world, build-craft adventure game, set on an uncharted alien world. Play solo or with friends, explore your surroundings, craft unique vehicles, construct automated bases, and battle your way through hazards and enemies to harness the power of your environment

Why similar: Open World Survival Craft 23.2% ★, Base Building 15.1%, Sandbox 12.8%, Automation 12.5%, Building 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: It expands that vehicle-building sandbox into a larger survival world with more room for co-op engineering projects.

Besiege is a physics building game about constructing medieval machines to annihilate armies, obliterate castles and overcome challenging obstacles. Conquer the campaign or skirmish with friends in Multiplayer!

Why similar: Flight 28.1%, Sandbox 22.4%, Building 20.3%, Physics 15.8%, PvP 13.3%

Why You'll Like It: Though mission-based rather than open-world, its part-by-part physics construction rewards the same creative engineering mindset.

Space Engineers 2 is a sandbox about engineering and colonization where you build ships, stations, and planetary bases in a fully destructible world. Begin the story of Miro and Ivan Sokol, expand humanity’s foothold in the Almagest system, and fight to survive.

Why similar: Sandbox 24.5%, Building 22.1%, Open World 16.1%, Physics 15.6%, Survival 14.4%

Why You'll Like It: It aims for the same build-systems-pilot fantasy as the first game, though it currently has less content and maturity.

Design your own warships, equip them with a variety of armament, and bring them out to the ocean!

Why similar: Naval 29.8% ★, Sailing 27.9% ★, Sandbox 24%, Building 18.3%

Why You'll Like It: It appeals to the ship-design crowd by letting you meticulously build and test naval creations, albeit in a more presentation- and combat-oriented format.

Experience the thrill of navigating a wide range of ships. In single- and multiplayer modes, immerse yourself in tasks such as service, cargo transport, and commercial fishing as you explore the breathtaking open world of Norway´s Islands and its stunning scenery. The ocean is within your reach!

Why similar: Sailing 29% ★, Naval 24.3% ★, Sandbox 12.8%, Immersive Sim 11%, Character Customization 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the working-at-sea simulation side of Stormworks, though it is much lighter on engineering and customization.

Make boats and sail them. Survive an ocean of storms and beasts to find better pieces to make your ship bigger, faster, stronger, prettier, stranger, wilder: more yours.

Why similar: Sailing 30.2% ★, Naval 22.4% ★, Building 17.1%, Physics 14.8%, Sandbox 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: It is a focused boat-building sandbox that captures the fun of seeing whether your latest design actually floats and sails.

Command the Nimbatus and craft drones out of hundreds of different parts. Survive unknown threats in a fully destructible, procedural universe, compete against other players in different arenas or enjoy complete creative freedom in the sandbox.

Why similar: Programming 30.1% ★, Automation 17.1%, Sandbox 11.9%, Building 11.1%, Open World 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: It centers on designing and programming custom drones, making it a strong pick for players who enjoy Stormworks' automation side.

A procedural co-op space sandbox where players can build their own space ships out of dynamically scalable blocks. Fight epic space battles, explore, mine, trade, wage wars and build your own empire to save your galaxy from being torn apart by an unknown enemy.

Why similar: Flight 28%, Sandbox 21.2%, Building 19.1%, Open World 15%, Third Person 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: It is more progression-driven, but still built around designing ships and operating them in a large sandbox universe.

Starbase is a hybrid voxel/vertex-based space MMO with a fully destructible and infinitely expanding universe, with a focus on building and designing spaceships and stations, exploration, resource gathering, crafting, trading, and combat.

Why similar: Programming 23.4% ★, Building 19.6%, Sandbox 17.6%, Open World 16.3%, Open World Survival Craft 16.1% ★

Why You'll Like It: It offers deep ship construction, automation, and hands-on piloting for players willing to trade Stormworks' rescue theme for an MMO space setting.

Interact with strange new worlds in a unique and tactile way, molding the environment itself as if it were clay in your hands. Build your base, master resource management, automate your production lines, and more as you unravel the mysteries of the universe, alone or with friends.

Why similar: Open World Survival Craft 27.7% ★, Base Building 13.3%, Open World 12.1%, Sandbox 11.4%, Survival 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: It is a softer, more survival-crafting take on open-world building and exploration that still scratches some of the same tinkering and vehicle-use instincts.

Build and fly your own airplane! Complete missions to earn money, upgrade your plane, and discover new locations in an open world.

Why similar: Flight 32.1%, Building 20.2%, Sandbox 18.4%, Physics 13.6%, Open World 10.1%

A dynamic soft-body physics vehicle simulator capable of doing just about anything.

Why similar: Sandbox 32.4%, Physics 27.3%, Open World 24.6%, Third Person 7.3%, First-Person 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: It lacks the creation tools, but its vehicle physics and sandbox scenarios are excellent for players who mainly love Stormworks' handling and experimentation.

Crash through walls and tear down buildings in Instruments of Destruction, a vehicle-action game featuring advanced physics-based demolition. Pilot 130+ unique vehicles across scores of challenge-packed missions or design your own contraptions and wreck highly-interactive sandbox worlds.

Why similar: Physics 100%

Why You'll Like It: Its fully physical machines and sandbox experimentation echo Stormworks' joy of piloting contraptions that can spectacularly fail.

Carefully balance mobility, firepower and armour in a dedicated tank designer. Then uncarefully put them to the test in a series of combat scenarios progressing through the ages of the tank. Here, your limit is what you can fit inside your hull and turret while still being able to move forwards.

Why similar: Sandbox 35.3%, Building 30.9%, Physics 15.1%, Character Customization 10.9%, Third Person 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: It trades rescue craft for tanks, but the hands-on engineering and iterative testing will still feel familiar.

Build your dream railroad across a huge open world! You can build tracks and stations, drive detailed locomotives, and transport goods to earn money and experience. Play exciting Online Multiplayer sessions with your friends or create your very own sandbox!

Why similar: Trains 33.8% ★, Sandbox 13.3%, Building 12.7%, Immersive Sim 11%, Open World 10.7%

Explore a drowned Earth, restore lost systems, and raise the last human seeds in this first-person survival-crafting adventure. Build, scavenge, defend, and launch humanity back to the stars.

Why similar: Sailing 24.2% ★, Automation 17.1%, Base Building 13.3%, Sandbox 11.9%, Open World 9.5%

Design warships the way you want them, command fleets, win the naval arms race for your nation!

Why similar: Naval 59% ★, Building 23%, Sandbox 18%

Why You'll Like It: It is best for players who mainly enjoy the ship-design side of Stormworks and want to obsess over naval engineering details.

In Spaceflight Simulator, you will get to build your rockets, plan launches and flights, attempt landings, deploy payloads and explore new worlds.

Why similar: Sandbox 45.4%, Building 16.7%, Physics 13.2%, Exploration 13.2%, Open World 11.5%

My Summer Car is the ultimate car owning, building, fixing, tuning, maintenance AND permadeath life survival simulator. You start the game with hundreds of loose parts and assemble both car and engine.

Why similar: Open World 29.6%, Building 22.3%, Survival 19.3%, Sandbox 18.9%, First-Person 9.8%

Adventure awaits you and your friends in the world of Ylands! Gather resources, craft tools, construct anything and everything, and explore the lands! Build a ship and set sail, encountering mythical animals, a wide variety of sea-life, enemies of all kinds and much more!

Why similar: Sailing 28.2% ★, Open World Survival Craft 23.9% ★, Base Building 13.5%, Building 10.2%, Open World 9%

As the leader of a company specialized in restoring sites devastated by natural disasters, use your construction machinery to restart the local industry. Clear debris and faulty equipment, rebuild roads and bridges damaged by weather, and much more!

Why similar: Automation 28.7%, Building 23.3%, Physics 16.2%, Immersive Sim 13.2%, Base Building 12%

Mechanica is a multiplayer open-world survival game involving building and programming. Create your own bases, defenses, manufacturing systems and more. Explore the map and expand the scope and complexity of your creations.

Why similar: Programming 29.6% ★, Open World Survival Craft 16.1% ★, Base Building 14.3%, Building 11.9%, Automation 11.1%

A base-building open-world survival shooter that replaces your typical base with a giant drill. Alone or with friends, explore an island plagued by eruptions, upgrade your drill, and fight robots to uncover what's been hiding beneath the surface.

Why similar: Open World Survival Craft 29.5% ★, Base Building 14.4%, Sandbox 12.4%, Open World 12.1%, Building 11.4%

Take the role of a plane crash survivor stranded somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Come face to face with some of the most life threatening scenarios that will result in a different experience each time you play. Scavenge. Discover. Survive.

Why similar: Open World Survival Craft 46.6% ★, Survival 15.6%, Open World 13.2%, Building 9%, Sandbox 7.5%

Storm Chasing Simulator

Why similar: Immersive Sim 37.5%, Open World 37.4%, First-Person 12.7%, Exploration 12.4%

Mine and craft your way to orbit, build your own starship and explore a vast, dangerous galaxy alongside your crew. For players who love a meaningful survival progression, a unique and elegant building system, and epic space-opera scale.

Why similar: Building 38%, Sandbox 34.9%, Open World 16.8%, Physics 10.3%

Survive in a world ravaged by massive Titans and an ever changing ocean sim. Displace water to find resources for building and crafting unique items. Swim, sail, and fly to explore new islands and fight Titans.

Why similar: Sailing 25.4% ★, Sandbox 15.3%, Building 14.7%, Open World 11.8%, Survival 10%

Brickadia is a next-generation brick building sandbox that gives you the tools to create and play, your way. Build massive worlds, invent cool contraptions, and play in them however you like - all with your friends!

Why similar: Sandbox 26%, Building 21.9%, Physics 18.4%, PvP 11.5%, Character Customization 10.1%

Design and simulate the starships of your dreams! Command your ship or fleet in epic battles and manage your crew while exploring a dangerous galaxy. Play alone or with friends, test your ships in online PvP, and let your imagination reach for the stars!

Why similar: Building 53%, Survival 29.3%, Exploration 17.7%

Medieval Engineers is a sandbox game about engineering, construction and the maintenance of architectural works and mechanical equipment using medieval technology. Players build castles; construct mechanical devices and underground mining. There is an entire planet to explore!

Why similar: Building 28.9%, Sandbox 27.2%, Open World 17.6%, Physics 16.8%, Survival 9.4%

The ultimate space sandbox. Participate in epic fleet battles, form alliances, strive to dominate entire galaxies and harness the universe’s resources for your industrious empire or the destruction of others. Customise your experience, the universe is yours!

Why similar: Sandbox 41.5%, Building 27%, Open World 25.6%, Exploration 5.9%

Use the Nimbatus Drone Creator to construct physically simulated drones and try them out in a virtual testing environment. Do you have what it takes to become a drone engineer?

Why similar: Flight 27.5%, Sandbox 24.5%, Programming 18.7% ★, Physics 15.3%, Building 14%

Embark on the ultimate maritime experience with Seafarer: The Ship Sim. Choose between careers, take the helm of a variety of ships, and expand your fleet. Navigate a vast open world and become immersed in the beautiful expanses and rolling waves.

Why similar: Naval 44.4% ★, Sailing 21.1% ★, Immersive Sim 15.5%, Open World 12.1%, Exploration 6.9%

Interstellar Rift is an open world starship simulator with an emphasis on ship construction and multi-player interaction. Survive in a hostile galaxy with your own custom designed and constructed starship. Invite other players to join your crew or fight them across the galaxy!

Why similar: Sandbox 21.2%, Building 21%, Open World 17.3%, PvP 13.5%, Survival 12%

PixPhys is a 2D engineering sandbox with huge technical possibilities and scope for imagination: design equipment from a jet-powered cart to space stations.

Why similar: Programming 25% ★, Automation 19%, Sandbox 16%, Building 12.3%, Physics 10.8%

Plasma is a pure engineering sandbox. Use advanced visual programming and robotics tools to create anything you can imagine.

Why similar: Programming 27.6% ★, Automation 18%, Sandbox 17.6%, Building 12.5%, Base Building 7%

Build and explore in a true space sandbox survival adventure. Construct mighty capital vessels, sprawling planetary settlements, and vast space stations in your galactic journey to discover the mysteries of Empyrion!

Why similar: Open World Survival Craft 27.6% ★, Building 14.3%, Sandbox 13.6%, Open World 11.6%, Survival 9.6%

Developed by the creator of the original Kerbal Space Program, KitHack Model Club is a physics-based model building sandbox that offers limitless freedom for you and your friends. Design, build, battle, fly (and crash!) your very own RC vehicles, or experiment with over 2,400 ready-made vehicles!

Why similar: Automation 23.8%, Sandbox 17.3%, Building 15.7%, Open World 14%, Physics 12.3%

Play solo or in up to 10-player multiplayer co-op! Flashing Lights is an open world police, firefighting and EMS simulator game with plenty of opportunity for role-play or more relaxed fun with friends. Become the law or save lives! Discover leagues of player-created mods!

Why similar: Sandbox 29.2%, Open World 23.7%, Physics 22.3%, Third Person 14.5%, Exploration 10.3%

The sequel to the unfinished Sinking Simulator, now with a lot more POWER!!!! Witness your witty love of chaos and destruction sinking 2D ships and everything else on board!

Why similar: Sandbox 57.1%, Physics 26%, Naval 16.9% ★

Prepare the perfect heist in a fully destructible, simulated voxel world. Tear down walls with vehicles or use explosives to create your own shortcuts. Shape the environment to your advantage in the most creative ways you can imagine. Play solo or with up to 12 players in multiplayer.

Why similar: Sandbox 50.1%, Physics 36%, First-Person 13.9%

Satisfactory is a first-person open-world factory building game with a dash of exploration and combat. Play alone or with friends, explore an alien planet, create multi-story factories, and enter conveyor belt heaven!

Why similar: Automation 24.9%, Base Building 20.2%, Open World Survival Craft 11.7% ★, Building 11.4%, Open World 11.2%

Experience the thrill of becoming a storm chaser in Tornado: Research and Rescue! Capture twisters with a 90's VHS camera, warn towns, customise chases, and get up-close for thrilling photos. Deploy probes, collect data, and upgrade your truck, radar, and probes. Mod vehicles with Steam Workshop!

Why similar: Open World 44.8%, Physics 37.5%, First-Person 17.7%

Raw, real survival in the Pacific. Build a modular floating base. Master realistic sailing mechanics. Face challenging Pacific-like weather & seasons. Hunt, craft, build & navigate using Sun Dial, Sextant & Triangulation. Explore an endless island cluster-based world. Simulate real life scenarios!

Why similar: Sailing 23.4% ★, Open World Survival Craft 21.7% ★, Sandbox 10.6%, Building 9.9%, Immersive Sim 9.5%