8 alternativesMinecraft: $6.99
The best Minecraft alternatives
For most people the best alternative to Minecraft is Stardew Valley, and the best free one is Balatro+.
Stardew ValleyPick it if you want a relaxing game you can play for 50+ hours in 5-minute bursts.$4.99Compare at a glance
Minecraft is highlighted, so you can see what you give up and what you gain.
| App | Price | How you pay | Mac | iPhone | iPad | App Store | Arcade | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Minecraft | $6.99 | Pay once | 4.5 | |||||
| Stardew Valley | $4.99 | Pay once | 4.8 | |||||
 Balatro | $9.99 | Pay once | 5 | |||||
 Balatro+ | Apple Arcade | Apple Arcade | 4.9 | |||||
 Slay the Spire | $9.99 | Pay once | 4.3 | |||||
 Stardew Valley+ | Apple Arcade | Apple Arcade | 4.2 | |||||
 Bloons TD 6 | $6.99 once | Pay once | 4.9 | |||||
 Sneaky Sasquatch | Apple Arcade | Apple Arcade | 4.9 | |||||
 Dead Cells | $8.99 | Pay once | 4.8 |
Swipe the table sideways to see more
The alternatives, in order
-
Pick it if you want a relaxing game you can play for 50+ hours in 5-minute bursts.
The cozy farming RPG in full on your phone, with auto-save that makes 5-minute sessions work, for $4.99 once.
-
Pick this if you like poker or solitaire and want to own the game outright for $9.99.
A poker roguelike where Jokers bend the rules and every run ends differently, with no in-app purchases on the $9.99 version.
-
Pick it if you already pay for Apple Arcade, since it is the same poker roguelike at no extra cost.
The Apple Arcade edition of the poker roguelike where Jokers bend the scoring rules, free with your subscription.
-
Pick it if you enjoy strategy card games and want 1 you can replay for hundreds of hours.
A deckbuilding climb where every run changes, for $9.99 once with no ads and nothing to buy.
-
Pick this if you have Apple Arcade and would rather not pay $4.99 for the regular version.
The cozy farming RPG with the 1.6 update and no in-app purchases, at no extra cost for Apple Arcade subscribers.
-
Pick this if you like tower defense with real depth and want co-op with up to 4 players.
Deep tower defense with constant updates, offline play and 4-player co-op, for $6.99 once.
-
Pick this if you have Apple Arcade and want a funny life sim that kids and adults both enjoy.
A silly, ad-free Apple Arcade life sim where a Sasquatch raids campsites, gets a driver's license and takes jobs in town.
-
Pick this if you want hard, fast console-style action on your phone, with controller support.
A full console action roguelike on your iPhone, with a castle that changes every run and controller support, for one price.
When Minecraft is still the right pick
You want 1 game the whole family can play for years, together or on different devices.