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Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this.
AutomationBase-BuildingResource Management
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$35 ~231.8 hr median co-op complexity: heavy 97.5% of 232k
The Squirrel's verdictFactorio is a fully released, flat 2D factory game with belt-and-node automation and long-term planning payoff comparable to DSP's. Its defining addition is biters: enemies that attack your base, requiring you to build defense infrastructure alongside production. No planetary scale or space layer. Rated Overwhelmingly Positive with a median playtime of 231.8 hours.
Not for you if you want 3D planetary building and space logistics, or have no interest in defending your factory from enemy attacks.
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Base-BuildingAutomationOpen World
$39.99 ~144.1 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 97.3% of 275k
The Squirrel's verdictSame belt-and-factory automation loop, same disassemble-and-refund flexibility, but first-person 3D exploration replaces DSP's top-down planning, and building happens on foot across terrain instead of abstract layouts. Co-op is supported. Suited to players who want the automation obsession with physical traversal and verticality added in.
Not for you if you prefer DSP's top-down abstraction over first-person on-foot building, or want single-player without factoring in co-op-oriented design.
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Hidden Gem Hidden GemLoved by the players who found it, but still under the radar. Budget Pick Budget PickThe best game here for the least money.
AutomationMedievalCrafting
$17.99 ~70.2 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 89.9% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictSame compulsion: compact belt-and-machine optimization where recursive throughput math eats your evening. Alchemy Factory swaps planetary scale for a shopkeeper layer — you sell what you produce, and store reputation decay punishes neglect the way DSP never does. Co-op is supported. Fits players who want factory logic without deep space, in tighter, denser layouts.
Not for you if you want DSP's planetary scale and sandbox freedom rather than a shop-reputation system with progression rules dictating how you're meant to play.
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Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
AutomationBase-BuildingSpace
$18.99 ~40.1 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 85.1% of 808
The Squirrel's verdictOutworld Station gates progression through explicit objectives on fixed maps, making it a more guided experience than DSP's open sandbox. Factory chains, combat, and ship-building are all present, and co-op is supported. Reviewers note the maps are small with fixed resource points and that the mission structure heavily constrains how you expand. Median playtime is 40.1 hours.
Not for you if you want self-directed, open-ended scaling across a large world rather than objective-by-objective progression on small fixed maps.
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Base-BuildingAutomationResource Management
$19.99 ~40.6 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 80.9% of 3k
The Squirrel's verdictAstro Colony shares DSP's core loop: automate resource extraction, chain production lines, manage power draw, and scale up across a space setting. It adds native co-op and first-person base building on mobile asteroid platforms you dock and relocate. Progression is shorter and rougher, with unlock ordering that irritates rather than challenges. Fits players who want DSP's automation with a friend and less total time invested.
Not for you if you want DSP's depth of late-game logistics puzzles or expect smooth tech-tree pacing without odd unlock gates like needing an engineering lab for basic stairs.
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Base-BuildingSpaceColony Sim
$29.99 ~36.1 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 76.7% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth build sprawling automated production chains where planning belt logic and throughput matters more than reflexes. The Crust adds colonist and drone management underground, plus timed story quests that interrupt the sandbox pacing DSP lets you set yourself. Belt-to-machine connections and input routing are less refined than DSP's. For factory players wanting a new layout puzzle with survival-colony pressure layered on top.
Not for you if you want DSP's smooth mid-to-late transition rather than reports of large saves breaking and drones misprioritizing shipments.
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SurvivalAutomationOpen World Survival Craft
$19.99 ~18.3 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 79.9% of 601
The Squirrel's verdictShares the belt-and-production-line automation core, but scales down: no Dyson Sphere-style mega builds, no space logistics, and combat/survival elements folded in against enemies you farm for resources. Missing filters and speed upgrades that DSP factory-planners take for granted. Fits players who want a shorter, story-driven automation loop rather than an open-ended megaproject.
Not for you if you want DSP's scale of planning and endless expansion rather than a smaller, buggier, story-bound factory with combat mixed in.
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AutomationSpaceBase-Building
$19.99 ~34.6 hr median no co-op complexity: heavy 76.9% of 458
The Squirrel's verdictWhere DSP lets you sprawl across planets indefinitely, Final Upgrade structures production around specific expedition goals on a fixed run, making each session finite. The core logistics puzzle of chaining inputs into complex outputs is still central, but the median playtime of 34.6 hours reflects a deliberately bounded experience. The tutorial and UI are widely criticized as confusing.
Not for you if you want DSP's open-ended multi-planet scale, or need a clear tutorial and polished UI to get started.