10 Games Like Terraria You Can Play in Your Browser
Terraria hooks you with one shovel and a wooden sword. An hour later you are deep underground, building a house for an NPC and getting ready for a boss. That loop of digging, crafting and fighting is hard to put down. These games like Terraria run in a browser tab, so you can get a dose of mining and building on a computer where you cannot install anything.
Key takeaways
- Terraria is a download game for PC, consoles and phones, with no official browser version.
- Paper Minecraft on Scratch is the closest browser match, with side-view mining and building.
- Moomoo.io, Starve.io, Devast.io and Taming.io cover gathering, crafting and fighting other players.
- Sandboxels and Sandspiel are 2D sandbox games for players who just want to experiment.
Can you play Terraria in a browser?
No. Terraria, developed by Re-Logic and first released for PC in 2011, has to be installed on a computer, console or phone. Any site that claims to run the real game in a browser tab is best avoided.
The Terraria alternatives below are free browser games that share at least one part of its formula: mining and building, gathering resources to craft better gear, surviving against monsters, or simply playing in a world where everything can be changed.
Quick picks
| If you want… | Play |
|---|---|
| Side-view mining and building | Paper Minecraft |
| Blocky survival with friends | Bloxd.io |
| Pure building | Minecraft Classic |
| Gather, craft and defend | Moomoo.io or Taming.io |
| Survival against the elements | Starve.io or Devast.io |
| Digging deeper and deeper | Mr. Mine |
| A physics playground | Sandboxels or Sandspiel |
1. Paper Minecraft
Paper Minecraft is a 2D take on Minecraft built on Scratch by griffpatch, one of the platform’s best-known creators. Because it is viewed from the side, it plays more like Terraria than Minecraft does.
How it plays: You spawn in a generated world, dig down through layers of dirt and stone, collect ores, and craft better tools. You can build a shelter on the surface and deal with mobs as you explore. For a project made in a block-based coding tool, it goes surprisingly deep. Controls: WASD to move, mouse to mine and place, and keys for your inventory. Best for: The closest thing to Terraria you can play in a browser tab.
2. Bloxd.io
Bloxd.io is a blocky multiplayer game with several modes, and its survival mode is the part Terraria fans will want. It is 3D, but the routine of mining, crafting and building a base will feel familiar.
How it plays: You join a shared world, chop trees, mine stone and ores, craft tools and build. Other modes, such as parkour courses and team-based BedWars, are there when you want a quicker round. Controls: WASD to move, mouse to look, clicks to break and place blocks. Best for: Players who want a survival sandbox with other people around.
3. Minecraft Classic
Minecraft Classic is Mojang’s free browser version of very early Minecraft, released in 2019 for the game’s tenth anniversary. There is no survival, crafting or monsters here, only building with 32 block types.
How it plays: You get a world and a block menu and build whatever you like. You can share a link to bring up to nine friends into the same world. Controls: WASD, mouse, and B for the block menu. Best for: Terraria players who spend most of their time on houses and castles. Our guide to games like Minecraft has more block builders.
4. Moomoo.io
Moomoo.io is a top-down multiplayer survival game where you gather resources, build a base and defend it from other players. The view is different from Terraria, but the progression from wood to stone to better gear is the same.
How it plays: You hit trees, rocks and bushes for wood, stone and food, and gold comes from mining or windmills. As you level up, you pick new weapons and buildings, from walls and spikes to traps and turrets. Other players can raid you at any moment. Controls: WASD to move, mouse to aim and hit, number keys to select items. Best for: Players who enjoy Terraria’s base building and want real opponents.
5. Starve.io
Starve.io is a browser survival game about lasting as long as possible in a hostile world. You have to manage hunger, cold and thirst while gathering resources and crafting gear.
How it plays: You collect wood and stone, craft tools, build a campfire before the cold sets in, and find food and water. Nights are dangerous, and the best gear takes a long time to unlock. Controls: WASD to move, mouse to gather and attack, and a crafting menu. Best for: Players who like the early survival hours of a new Terraria world.
6. Devast.io
Devast.io is a post-apocalyptic survival crafting game played from above. You scavenge a ruined world, craft weapons and armor, and build a base to protect your loot.
How it plays: It moves at a slower, more methodical pace than most io games. You loot buildings, gather materials, craft better equipment and fight both creatures and other players. Controls: WASD to move, mouse to aim and use items. Best for: Players who want a long survival session with crafting at its core. For more like it, see our list of the best browser survival crafting games.
7. Taming.io
Taming.io is a top-down survival game with a twist: you can tame animals and bring them into battle. It shares Terraria’s habit of collecting helpers and gear as you progress.
How it plays: You gather resources, build defenses and level up your character, then tame creatures that follow and fight alongside you. Fights with other players decide who controls the map. Controls: WASD to move, mouse to gather and attack. Best for: Players who enjoy Terraria’s pets and summons.
8. Mr. Mine
Mr. Mine is an idle mining game that runs in a browser. It captures one specific Terraria feeling: the pull to dig one more layer to see what is down there.
How it plays: Your mine goes deeper level by level. You collect minerals, sell them, and upgrade your miners and equipment so you can reach deeper layers. Much of the progress happens on its own, so you check in, upgrade, and dig on. Controls: Mouse. Best for: Players who love digging but have only a few minutes at a time.
9. Sandboxels
Sandboxels is a falling-sand simulation by R74n with hundreds of elements to play with. It is one of the most detailed 2D sandbox games in a browser.
How it plays: You draw with materials such as sand, water, lava, plants and explosives, and the simulation handles the rest. Water puts out fire, lava cools into rock, and some elements react in surprising ways. Controls: Mouse or touch to paint, with a menu to choose elements. Best for: Players who love Terraria’s liquids and want to experiment without a goal.
10. Sandspiel
Sandspiel, by Max Bittker, is a simpler, prettier falling-sand toy. It has fewer elements than Sandboxels, but every one behaves in a satisfying way.
How it plays: Paint a scene with sand, water, plants, fire and more, then watch it grow, flow and burn. You can browse and remix scenes other players have shared. Controls: Mouse or touch. Best for: A calm creative break. Our list of the best browser sandbox games has more open-ended picks.
If you can install something
On a PC or console, the closest games to Terraria are Starbound, Core Keeper, Noita and of course Minecraft. Each takes a different part of the formula and runs with it, from space travel to falling-sand physics. None of them run in a browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a browser version of Terraria?
No. Terraria has to be installed on a PC, console or phone. Paper Minecraft on Scratch is the closest free browser alternative, with side-view mining and building.
What are the best 2D sandbox games in a browser?
Paper Minecraft is the best for mining and crafting. Sandboxels and Sandspiel are the best for physics and pure experimentation.
Are there Terraria alternatives with multiplayer in a browser?
Yes. Bloxd.io, Moomoo.io, Starve.io, Devast.io and Taming.io all put you in a shared world with other players. Minecraft Classic lets you invite friends with a link.
Are these games free?
Yes. Every game on this list is free to play in a browser. Some offer optional cosmetics or accounts.
Dig in
Terraria may need an install, but its best ideas are easy to find in a browser. Start with Paper Minecraft for the side-view feel, Moomoo.io for base building, and Sandboxels for experiments. When you need a break from the mines, the T-Rex Runner on our homepage only asks you to jump.
