Best Building indie games under $20
These are the best building indie games you can buy for under $20. indielist lists 103 paid building games with a list price at or below $20, ranked by Steam review count so the most-validated picks lead. The average list price here is $16.10, and the cheapest is Cookie Clicker at $4.99. The most reviewed is Terraria with 1,227,439 Steam reviews. Beyond the budget end, this wider list adds 87 mid-price picks between $10 and $20 that a stricter under-$10 list leaves out. Every price is the tracked Steam list price, not an estimate, and each game links to a white-box sales estimate you can open and audit rather than a black-box number. This is a value list: a sensible price crossed with real player validation, so you can find a building game that is actually good, not just affordable. Free-to-play titles are excluded here; this is about paid games that punch above their price.
Games
103
Avg list price
$16.10
Cheapest
$4.99
- T
Terraria
2011 · Action
$9.99 1,227,439 reviews · 97% positive
- G
Garry's Mod
2006 · Casual
$9.99 1,081,337 reviews · 97% positive
- S
Stardew Valley
2016 · Indie
$14.99 882,604 reviews · 98% positive
- A
ARK: Survival Evolved
2017 · Action
$14.99 583,081 reviews · 83% positive
- T
The Forest
2018 · Action
$19.99 577,971 reviews · 96% positive
- V
Valheim
2021 · Action
$19.99 455,972 reviews · 94% positive
- P
Project Zomboid
2013 · Indie
$19.99 350,081 reviews · 94% positive
- R
Raft
2022 · Adventure
$19.99 321,118 reviews · 93% positive
- P
People Playground
2019 · Action
$9.99 295,783 reviews · 98% positive
- S
Schedule I
2025 · Action
$19.99 282,319 reviews · 98% positive
- S
Starbound
2016 · Action
$14.99 120,624 reviews · 90% positive
- M
My Summer Car
2025 · Indie
$14.99 106,838 reviews · 95% positive
- S
Scrap Mechanic
2016 · Action
$19.99 105,678 reviews · 92% positive
- C
Cookie Clicker
2021 · Casual
$4.99 86,876 reviews · 96% positive
- D
Dyson Sphere Program
2021 · Indie
$19.99 83,095 reviews · 97% positive
- S
Supermarket Simulator
2025 · Casual
$19.99 78,530 reviews · 92% positive
- W
WorldBox - God Simulator
2021 · Indie
$19.99 50,046 reviews · 95% positive
- C
Core Keeper
2024 · Action
$19.99 49,416 reviews · 93% positive
- F
Forager
2019 · Action
$19.99 43,850 reviews · 90% positive
- S
Stranded Deep
2022 · Adventure
$19.99 43,449 reviews · 74% positive
- P
PC Building Simulator
2019 · Indie
$19.99 42,090 reviews · 94% positive
- G
Graveyard Keeper
2018 · Adventure
$19.99 39,086 reviews · 85% positive
- B
Banished
2014 · Indie
$19.99 37,798 reviews · 90% positive
- S
Stacklands
2022 · Casual
$7.99 28,925 reviews · 96% positive
- G
Gas Station Simulator
2021 · Casual
$19.99 27,291 reviews · 88% positive
- H
Hydroneer
2020 · Adventure
$14.99 26,916 reviews · 86% positive
- F
Fields of Mistria
2024 · Indie
$13.99 26,355 reviews · 98% positive
- F
Forts
2017 · Action
$14.99 25,120 reviews · 92% positive
- D
Dinkum
2025 · Adventure
$19.99 24,507 reviews · 92% positive
- N
Necesse
2025 · Action
$14.99 23,379 reviews · 93% positive
- T
Thronefall
2024 · Action
$12.99 23,359 reviews · 96% positive
- T
Tiny Glade
2024 · Casual
$14.99 22,250 reviews · 97% positive
- T
Townscaper
2021 · Casual
$5.99 20,019 reviews · 95% positive
- T
Travellers Rest
2020 · Adventure
$17.99 16,143 reviews · 88% positive
- G
Gold Mining Simulator
2017 · Indie
$19.99 15,011 reviews · 73% positive
- S
shapez
2020 · Casual
$9.99 14,069 reviews · 96% positive
- M
Mini Metro
2015 · Indie
$9.99 12,694 reviews · 96% positive
- L
Luma Island
2024 · Adventure
$19.99 12,542 reviews · 84% positive
- D
Dungeon Defenders
2011 · Action
$14.99 12,103 reviews · 93% positive
- K
Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD
2024 · Indie
$19.99 11,550 reviews · 88% positive
- S
Spaceflight Simulator
2022 · Indie
$14.99 9,531 reviews · 97% positive
- (
(the) Gnorp Apologue
2023 · Casual
$6.99 9,524 reviews · 95% positive
- P
Planetbase
2015 · Indie
$14.99 9,494 reviews · 80% positive
- T
Tank Mechanic Simulator
2020 · Action
$19.99 8,640 reviews · 88% positive
- A
Ale & Tale Tavern
2024 · Action
$14.99 8,487 reviews · 89% positive
- F
Fireworks Mania - An Explosive Simulator
2020 · Action
$14.99 7,453 reviews · 97% positive
- K
Kingdom Rush Origins - Tower Defense
2018 · Indie
$14.99 7,365 reviews · 96% positive
- W
while True: learn()
2019 · Indie
$12.99 7,294 reviews · 91% positive
- O
Opus Magnum
2017 · Indie
$19.99 7,102 reviews · 97% positive
- T
The Tenants
2022 · Casual
$19.99 7,042 reviews · 79% positive
- M
My Dream Setup
2023 · Casual
$5.99 6,797 reviews · 91% positive
- S
Streamer Life Simulator 2
2026 · Indie
$19.99 6,643 reviews · 81% positive
- M
Minami Lane
2024 · Casual
$4.99 5,991 reviews · 97% positive
- L
Let's School
2023 · Casual
$19.99 5,817 reviews · 93% positive
- B
Becastled
2025 · Indie
$19.99 5,579 reviews · 82% positive
- R
Rising World
2014 · Action
$14.99 5,252 reviews · 86% positive
- M
Moonstone Island
2023 · Adventure
$19.99 4,963 reviews · 84% positive
- W
World of Goo
2008 · Indie
$14.99 4,807 reviews · 94% positive
- G
gogh: Focus with Your Avatar
2025 · Casual
$11.99 4,659 reviews · 91% positive
- T
TheoTown
2019 · Adventure
$9.99 4,520 reviews · 95% positive
- F
Fun with Ragdolls: The Game
2019 · Action
$14.99 4,473 reviews · 88% positive
- F
Factory Town
2021 · Indie
$19.99 4,131 reviews · 91% positive
- I
I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival
2024 · Indie
$19.99 3,966 reviews · 85% positive
- S
Shadow Tactics: Aiko's Choice
2021 · Indie
$19.99 3,942 reviews · 93% positive
- G
Gladiator Guild Manager
2024 · Indie
$14.99 3,772 reviews · 81% positive
- S
SHENZHEN I/O
2016 · Indie
$14.99 3,718 reviews · 95% positive
- E
Emberward
2024 · Action
$19.99 3,691 reviews · 97% positive
- C
Cepheus Protocol
2020 · Action
$19.99 3,683 reviews · 76% positive
- A
Animal Shelter
2022 · Adventure
$19.99 3,602 reviews · 88% positive
- T
Tinkerlands
2025 · Action
$12.99 3,542 reviews · 86% positive
- J
Juno: New Origins
2023 · Indie
$19.99 3,511 reviews · 89% positive
- P
Plan B: Terraform
2025 · Indie
$15.99 3,465 reviews · 91% positive
- R
REKA
2024 · Adventure
$19.99 3,440 reviews · 83% positive
- S
SUMMERHOUSE
2024 · Casual
$4.99 3,333 reviews · 93% positive
- C
Calico
2020 · Casual
$11.99 3,229 reviews · 87% positive
- E
Element TD 2 - Tower Defense
2021 · Indie
$14.99 3,220 reviews · 90% positive
- S
Space Pirates And Zombies 2
2017 · Action
$19.99 2,732 reviews · 79% positive
- G
GemCraft - Frostborn Wrath
2020 · Action
$12.99 2,675 reviews · 89% positive
- S
SpaceChem
2011 · Indie
$9.99 2,617 reviews · 92% positive
- H
Heat
2020 · Action
$19.99 2,614 reviews · 49% positive
- R
Rolling Line
2018 · Casual
$19.99 2,405 reviews · 96% positive
- A
Astro Colony
2026 · Action
$19.99 2,348 reviews · 81% positive
- F
Farmer's Life
2023 · Casual
$19.99 2,348 reviews · 89% positive
- F
Farm Manager 2021
2021 · Casual
$19.99 2,282 reviews · 79% positive
- B
Builder Simulator
2022 · Adventure
$19.99 2,182 reviews · 72% positive
- H
House Builder
2024 · Adventure
$19.99 2,182 reviews · 80% positive
- B
Beltmatic
2024 · Casual
$6.99 2,176 reviews · 94% positive
- F
Flyout
2023 · Indie
$19.99 2,100 reviews · 83% positive
- L
Lemon Cake
2021 · Casual
$14.99 1,670 reviews · 85% positive
- T
The Last Starship
2026 · Indie
$19.99 1,643 reviews · 76% positive
- O
Obenseuer
2018 · Indie
$19.99 1,586 reviews · 94% positive
- F
Farlands
2026 · Casual
$17.99 1,507 reviews · 92% positive
- M
Microcivilization
2026 · Indie
$17.99 1,421 reviews · 79% positive
- A
Ale Abbey - Monastery Brewery Tycoon
2025 · Casual
$14.99 1,267 reviews · 89% positive
- D
Dustland Delivery
2024 · Adventure
$7.99 1,242 reviews · 88% positive
- U
UnReal World
2016 · Indie
$14.50 1,230 reviews · 94% positive
- T
Tiny Town VR
2017 · Casual
$14.99 1,203 reviews · 92% positive
- B
Badlands Crew - Drive, Command, Conquer
2025 · Action
$18.99 1,106 reviews · 79% positive
- A
Aquarist
2024 · Casual
$15.99 923 reviews · 84% positive
- C
Contraption Maker
2014 · Casual
$12.99 915 reviews · 91% positive
- M
Mad Smartphone Tycoon
2024 · Casual
$11.99 537 reviews · 72% positive
- U
Urge
2021 · Action
$17.99 487 reviews · 90% positive
- L
LOK Digital
2024 · Casual
$14.99 461 reviews · 99% positive
Frequently asked questions
- What are the best building indie games under $20?
- indielist lists 103 paid building indie games priced at or below $20, ranked by Steam reviews, led by Terraria (1,227,439 reviews). The cheapest is Cookie Clicker at $4.99.
- How is this "under $20" list built?
- By a data filter, not opinion: a paid building game qualifies if its tracked Steam list price is at or below $20. The list is ranked by review count and updates as prices and the catalog change. Free-to-play games are excluded.