Space Engineers 2 vs SpaceCraft vs Planet Crafter: Comparison

Space Engineers 2, SpaceCraft and The Planet Crafter keep showing up in the same Steam recommendations: all three are about space, building and survival. Under the hood, though, they play completely differently. This Space Engineers 2 comparison puts the three side by side so you can find the one that actually fits your taste.

⚒️ The three games at a glance

🧪 Space Engineers 2: for tech fans who want to build from scratch

Space Engineers 2 is the sequel to the voxel building classic and runs on the new VRAGE3 engine. You build on a unified 25 cm grid, connect production blocks with conveyors, and since the July 2026 update you can even automate things with timers, sensors and the Event Controller. The price: the game is still very early in development, and several systems (multiplayer, the full story) are missing entirely.

Combat is now built in (weapons, warheads, turrets), and Contracts unlock new blocks and tool tiers step by step instead of giving you everything from the start.

📦 SpaceCraft: the middle ground between building and exploration

SpaceCraft goes for a more beginner-friendly, modular kit system: hull parts give you module slots, and weight and thrust decide how your ship flies. Instead of the full engineering depth of Space Engineers, you get a more approachable system focused on scanning, exploring and the corporation guild system, which takes you from solo miner to large-scale industry together with other players.

If the complexity of Space Engineers ever beat you but you still want to build spaceships and mine resources, SpaceCraft has a much lower barrier to entry. You still get a real sense of progress from scanning, exploring and growing your own corporation.

💡 The Planet Crafter: relaxed progress without combat

The Planet Crafter skips combat and complex production chains entirely. Most recipes only need 2–3 ingredients, and there are no conveyor belts or power grids to wire up. Instead you face a single hostile planet and raise oxygen, heat and pressure step by step until the dead world turns into a living biosphere.

Since July 21, 2026, the game is also available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

📅 Development status and timeline compared

The three games are at very different points in their development:

• Space Engineers 2: playable alpha since January 2025. Developer Keen Software House plans about three years of Early Access (until roughly the end of 2027).
• SpaceCraft: Early Access by Shiro Games, expanded regularly with new systems like corporations
• The Planet Crafter: full release since April 10, 2024 after several years in Early Access, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S since July 21, 2026, and in Xbox Game Pass from day one

If you'd rather not put money into a very early alpha, The Planet Crafter is by far the most polished of the three. Space Engineers 2, on the other hand, still has big milestones like co-op and water ahead, with Early Access expected to run until roughly the end of 2027 according to its Steam page.

💰 Price, system requirements and modding compared

Beyond gameplay depth and development status, it's worth looking at cost, hardware demands and community content. This is where the three games differ quite a bit.

Space Engineers 2 and SpaceCraft are Early Access titles, The Planet Crafter is a finished full release. Check the Steam page of each game for the current price. You can also add the Planet Humble and Toxicity expansions to The Planet Crafter.

The system requirements reflect how mature each game is and what it's aiming for technically. Space Engineers 2 asks for the most hardware by far: at least 16 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 1660 Super or Radeon RX 5600 XT, DirectX 12 and 40 GB of storage, because the VRAGE3 engine calculates complex voxel physics in real time.

SpaceCraft is noticeably lighter with a minimum of 8 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 1060. The Planet Crafter runs even on very old hardware (Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, only 4 GB of storage), a clear advantage if you don't have a current gaming PC.

On modding, Space Engineers 2 is ahead right now: according to its Steam page you can share blueprints and entire worlds through the Steam Workshop, plus there's the VRAGE3 Mod Hub and a Mod Editor.

SpaceCraft's Steam page mentions neither Workshop nor mod support.

Miju Games offers no official mod support or Steam Workshop for The Planet Crafter. Community mods can only be added through third-party tools like BepInEx and sites like Nexus Mods.

🔗 Which game is right for you?

• You want maximum building depth and tech simulation? Space Engineers 2, knowing that you're playing an early alpha
• You want building, exploring and guild progression without the full Space Engineers complexity? SpaceCraft
• You want relaxed progress with no combat and no stress? The Planet Crafter

If you're unsure: The Planet Crafter, as a full release, is the easiest way in. SpaceCraft is the solid middle ground, and Space Engineers 2 is the pick if you enjoy following a growing alpha.

🎮 Quick check by play style

• I want to plan every cable and every conveyor myself: Space Engineers 2
• I want to build and explore, but without conveyor micromanagement: SpaceCraft
• I just want to watch a world grow after work: The Planet Crafter
• I want to play with friends without waiting for multiplayer patches: SpaceCraft or The Planet Crafter (both have working co-op, Space Engineers 2 doesn't yet)

❓ FAQ: Space Engineers 2 comparison

Which of the three games has no combat?
The Planet Crafter is completely combat-free. Space Engineers 2 and SpaceCraft both have combat.

Which game is easiest for beginners?
The Planet Crafter. It's a finished full release, and with 2–3 ingredients per recipe and no conveyor belts it has the simplest building mechanics.

Which games have co-op?
SpaceCraft and The Planet Crafter (up to 10 players on PC) have working co-op. Space Engineers 2 is single-player for now. According to the official roadmap, co-op multiplayer is planned for early 2027.

Which game needs the strongest hardware?
Space Engineers 2, with at least 16 GB RAM and a GTX 1660 Super. SpaceCraft and especially The Planet Crafter are much less demanding.

✨ Conclusion

This Space Engineers 2 comparison shows that the three games only look alike on the surface. If you compare them by screenshots, it's easy to underestimate how different combat, building depth and pace of progress really feel. The best approach is to ask what matters to you when you play: full technical control, a relaxed middle ground, or completely stress-free progress without enemies. All three have their own regularly updated guides on banrado.de, so head over to the game that suits you best.

As of October 2026. Space Engineers 2 multiplayer timeline per the official roadmap on 2.spaceengineersgame.com, The Planet Crafter console launch per the publisher's announcement for July 21, 2026, everything else checked against the Steam pages and patch notes of each game. We deliberately don't list prices.

More on each game: our Space Engineers 2 beginner's guide, the Space Engineers 2 roadmap, our guide to ship building in SpaceCraft and the Planet Crafter terraformation stages.