Games like Hydroneer

The Squirrel's verdictReviewers describe MineMogul as Hydroneer's core idea — physics-based ore chunks routed through conveyors and processors — with the control friction reduced. The building feels tighter and more immediate, and the 96% positive rating reflects that. It is solo only and runs shorter than most games here; reviewers note median completion around 10–25 hours and call out conveyor sorting as still needing refinement.

Not for you if you want co-op, a large open world to explore, or enough content to sustain play well beyond 20–30 hours.

The Squirrel's verdictPlayers who want realistic heavy equipment operation — excavators, sluices, modern prospecting machinery — rather than Hydroneer's physics-toy crafting will find Gold Mining Simulator is built around that focus. It shares the open-ended, no-set-objectives structure and a similar upgrade-and-sell loop, but the complexity here is in operating real-world equipment with controls reviewers describe as overcomplicated. No co-op, and paid DLC is prominent.

Not for you if you want co-op play, prefer to avoid paid DLC gating, or are put off by complex multi-button equipment controls.

The Squirrel's verdictAlchemy Factory adds a shopkeeper layer — reputation, customer demand, and recipe-based production — on top of a grid-based factory-building loop. Unlike Hydroneer's first-person physics handling, everything here is compact blueprint placement. Co-op is genuinely supported. Reviewers praise the early-game balance but flag reputation decay and a profit wall in mid-to-late game as pacing problems. Median playtime is around 70 hours.

Not for you if you want open sandbox freedom rather than a shopkeeper progression system, or mid-game profit walls and reputation pressure sound unappealing.

The Squirrel's verdictOut of Ore keeps the dig-wash-sell-automate structure of Hydroneer but scales it up to heavy machinery: dozers, graders, and baggers replace handheld tools, and the game supports genuine multiplayer co-op sessions. Median playtime is around 76 hours. Reviewers note persistent vehicle physics bugs — dozers and graders misplacing or deleting dirt — and the co-op hosting setup requires buying the game twice to run a dedicated session.

Not for you if vehicle glitches break your experience, or you need straightforward dedicated server support without running a second PC.

The Squirrel's verdictRecycling Center Simulator runs a sorting-and-processing loop where incoming scrap gets categorized, sold, or converted for profit, with upgrades unlocking over time. The difference from Hydroneer is scope: automation options stay limited, and reviewers confirm manual scrap collection remains necessary even after most upgrades are purchased. Median playtime sits around 25 hours before most content is exhausted. Single-player only.

Not for you if you want automation to eventually cover collection entirely, need co-op, or require more than a few dozen hours of content depth.

The Squirrel's verdictAssembly Planter keeps the automation-and-resource-processing loop Hydroneer builds toward, but strips out first-person mining and physics fumbling for a top-down puzzle structure built around a recursive Shrinker mechanic that lets you re-chain and compact factories in tight spaces. Solo only, no sandbox freedom, structured levels instead of open goals.

Not for you if you want open-ended sandbox building rather than fixed levels, or you're already tired of fighting clunky UI and inventory friction.

The Squirrel's verdictBoth games ask you to build automated resource chains from scratch with minimal hand-holding and no tutorial worth trusting. Automation Empire drops the first-person physical mining and digging entirely, replacing it with top-down factory layout and logistics puzzles. Good fit if what you wanted from Hydroneer was the automation loop, not the shoveling.

Not for you if you want the first-person digging and physical tool-handling, since this is top-down factory-building with no mining or co-op.

The Squirrel's verdictJunkyard Simulator trades underground ore for surface scrap — collecting, crushing, and restoring cars and salvage instead of digging and washing minerals. The self-directed loop and gradual unlocking of upgrades work the same way Hydroneer's does once automation starts. Median playtime runs around 12 hours, shorter than most games on this page, and it adds optional timed tasks for players who want imposed structure. Reviewers flag controls and UI as friction points.

Not for you if you want co-op, expect deep automation to replace manual work, or have a low tolerance for clunky controls and a weak tutorial.