Minecraft has cemented itself a place in gaming history. Never before has a game swept the world by storm quite like Minecraft. To date, it has sold 11 million copies. Retailing at $26.95 today, it still sells thousands upon thousands of copies every single day. It has infinite replay value, and ever since its earliest stages of development it seems like gamers have gone absolutely nuts over this game.

As with every trend in games, there will be imitators and competitors. You may have heard of Terraria. It wasn't exactly like Minecraft, but it obviously took many of its gameplay elements from the success that it saw. It brought a unique flavor to this style of game, but ultimately it has been considered a failure in the gaming community. Development is dead, and it's being openly pirated and picked apart. Let's look at two more games that have a shot at making a bigger splash than Terraria did, and maybe even competing with Minecraft.

Cube World

On the face of it, Cube World looks like a more polished clone of Minecraft.

The similarities are all there. The visuals and general atmosphere seems mostly the same. Straight from the website, the game's creator states:

My inspirations were Minecraft, Zelda, Secret of Mana, Monster Hunter, Diablo, World of Warcraft and many more. My aim was to create an infinite, colorful, procedurally generated world, full of adventures, monsters, and mysteries. The result is Cube World, a voxel-based role-playing game.

Don't judge this book by its cover. Where Minecraft is primarily about constructing your world and surviving, Cube World is more of an exploration game. The world is generated around you, and the game plays more like an RPG.

There is no end to Cube World. The world is continually and randomly generated. You never reach an endpoint. There are no borders. You'll be able to explore landscapes that include jungles, deserts, greenlands, oceans, and more.

We all know that you're able to swim in Minecraft. You can even build a boat. In Cube World, you can climb, swim, dive, and even hang glide or sail around the map.

The way Cube World handles your character is one of the most striking differences between this game and Minecraft. Like any true RPG, you're able to select a class and race. Each class has specializations unique to it. For example, rogues are able to stealth, throw shurikens, and dodge attacks. Races include humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, and more. Like the world itself, the progression of your character in Cube World is limitless. There is no level cap.

Combat in Minecraft is rather dull. It's not very dynamic and doesn't require much skill. In Cube World, you're able to dodge attacks, string together combos, stun your opponent, and more.

Cube World is in closed alpha, but you have to look out for this game. I have a feeling this game is going to be huge. If you're interested in seeing some of Cube World's live gameplay early, you should check the Cube World streamers out on Twitch.

StarForge

Now, let's look at something completely different.

StarForge has been described as "Minecraft in space." Notch, from Minecraft, has even given some high praise to the development of this game (which is already available on Steam).

As you can see in the trailer, it's quite overwhelming. Us Minecraft fans are used to a bright world that looks constructed from LEGOs. StarForge is a procedural and infinite space world that you can help shape and explore. It's Minecraft for grown folks.

In StarForge, you gather necessary resources, construct your base, craft the tools you need, and ultimately survive on an alien planet that all of humanity has been transferred to as Earth's star is slowly dying. This game brings so many unique elements to the sandbox genre and its still in the earliest stages of development. It can only grow from here.

Having a bow or sword in Minecraft is cool, but in StarForge, there are infinite weapon possibilities. Do you want a three-headed chainsaw? It's actually possible.

The physics and seamlessness of StarForge is a huge perk. You can build out miles into space and then drop all the way back without waiting through loading times. You're able to chop down trees, use vehicles, and engage in combat with enemies in a very fluid atmosphere.

One of my favorite parts of Minecraft would have to be building a structure to defend against other players. In StarForge, there is a huge emphasis on fort defense. There is a game mode in StarForge where you can play co-op with a friend and defend against hostile alien creatures. This will require you to gather resources, loot chests, and strategize to stay alive.

Conclusion

Both of these games are on a development path that could actually butt heads. Cube World and StarForge could leave their alpha stages at the same time, pitting the Minecraft community in an interesting predicament. It's one that gamers should be celebrating though. Sandbox games offer so much value, and they're so hard to put down. With time, Cube World or StarForge could end up as what DayZ is now to the FPS genre. We just have to wait and see which of them breaks through (if not both).

Which of these two games look more fun to you? Have you played either of them? Let us know in the comments below!