Terraria is quite possibly one of the best games currently on the market for Android. As a matter of fact, it was originally created to be played on PC, it’s regularly updated, and its content can be unlocked completely free of charge. So you can forget about micropayments or any type of payment system, for that matter, aside from the classic one. That said, Terraria has one clear rival in the world of mobile games: Minecraft. But how do the two compare? Let’s take a look.
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Terraria vs Minecraft: two totally different games
It is true that Terraria showed up on the scene with a concept that’s very similar to Minecraft. After all, there are blocks, construction and hard work in the mines. However, both games follow completely different paths with very clear differences that are obvious even at a simple glance. The truth is that they’re two totally different games, and each one has evolved in its own way.
So, you’re probably still wondering: which one is better? The truth is that this is a very difficult question to answer. First, let’s make a quick comparison.
Completely different graphics
Terraria is a completely 2D game where you can move sideways, up and down. The title from 505 Games offers a colorful and striking pixel art aesthetic that shines all on its own. The designs are impressively detailed, making it incredibly eye-catching for new players.
As for Minecraft, it has a totally different artistic style based on voxel aesthetics; that is, the world is made from cubes. Thus, everything can be measured in these cubes, but it makes the game aesthetics totally unique compared to anything you’re used to seeing since the settings are usually geometrically shaped. The game started out being programmed in “Java” language by a single person (Markus ‘Notch’ Persson), so the graphics were somewhat questionable at the beginning.
Over the years and thanks to the modding community, incredible things can now be done with Minecraft, making it even look photorealistic. In any case, Minecraft has never been ugly, but its style was just different from what we were used to seeing. That said, it’s thanks to this pixel aesthetic that the title is instantly recognizable at a glance.
A strength and a weakness
Both games are truly endless, but each one comes with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. While Terraria offers much more of an RPG approach that includes facing final bosses, leveling up your abilities and so on, this aspect of Minecraft—although it does exist—usually pales in comparison. In addition, Terraria’s non-playable characters (NPCs) have a much more interesting background and provide more value than the ones in Minecraft.
That said, when it comes to construction, Minecraft’s building system is much more elaborate. In Terraria, you can build basic buildings to live in and expand them to build an entire village. However, the only limit to the creations in Minecraft is the ingenuity of the users.
A much cleaner interface
Minecraft has a much less cluttered interface than Terraria. In fact, the 505 Games title can be a bit overwhelming at first, since it has a large number of on-screen buttons that can leave players feeling a bit confused. However, once you get used to it, the game wins in terms of depth thanks to this interface.
Crossplay: Terraria and Minecraft at the forefront
Whichever game you choose to play with your friends, both offer crossplay. This means you can play on any device, so you won’t miss a thing. Do you want to play on your phone while your friends are at home playing on their PlayStation or Xbox? No problem, just join their server and you’ll be able to do anything they can do.
So, which one is better?
At this point, you’re probably catching on to the fact that neither Terraria nor Minecraft can be considered a clear winner over the other. If you’re looking for more of an RPG experience with a greater focus on final bosses, combat and community building in the most classic RPG style, the logical choice would be Terraria. On the other hand, if you prefer to focus more on collecting and building, Minecraft is definitely the game for you to let your ingenuity and imagination run wild.
Translated by Sarah Odebralski
