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SpaceEngineVSThe Sapling

Which game gives you more value right now? Every metric, head to head.

SpaceEngine

SpaceEngine

CasualIndieSimulationEarly AccessSingleplayer3DFuturistic +13
Quality
77Popularity
34Value
47
SteamBest price· Steam
$29.99
Buy
VS
The Sapling

The Sapling

SimulationEarly AccessSingleplayerCasualSandbox +15
Quality
72Popularity
27Value
40
SteamBest price· Steam
$15.99
Buy

Winner

SpaceEngine wins 10 of 13 head-to-head metrics.

A fair option right now, though it's not quite compelling enough to jump on immediately.

Buy on Steam
10
SpaceEngine
10 of 13 metrics
The Sapling
3 of 13 metrics
3

Head-to-head metrics

Direct metric-by-metric comparison: winner determined by count, no weighting

Value
Pricing & deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$29.99 Wins
N/A -
Historical Low Price (USD)
$17.99 Wins
N/A -
Sales Frequency
9 price changes Wins
0 price changes -
Quality
Critical & user reception
Steam Review Score
96.2% positive Wins
89% positive -
Total Steam Reviews
16.0K Wins
1.9K -
Positive Steam Reviews
15.4K Wins
1.7K -
Negative Steam Reviews
607 -
213 Wins
Popularity
Community & activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
238 Wins
26 -
Steam Recommendations
16.1K Wins
1.9K -
Features
Features & content
Achievements
0 -
5 Wins
Supported Languages
18 languages Wins
1 language -
Release Date
Jun 2019 -
Dec 2019 Wins
GameValio recommendation
MaybeSpaceEngine

A fair option right now, though it's not quite compelling enough to jump on immediately.

Wait for SaleThe Sapling

Hold off for now. History suggests a better price is likely still coming.

Statistics over time

Side-by-side historical trends: same time range, same scale

Time range:
SpaceEngine
The Sapling

Player count trends

· Concurrent players over time

Review score trends

· Positive review ratio over time

Review volume trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

SpaceEngine

SpaceEngine

1 Store
Steam
Steam$29.99Buy
The Sapling

The Sapling

1 Store
Steam
Steam$15.99Buy

SpaceEngine

Quality

Well received by the community, with more hits than misses.

96% positive (16,039 reviews): overwhelmingly positive
16,039 reviews: large sample

Value

Value isn't great at this price: better opportunities expected.

$29.99: mid-range price

Popularity

Past its peak but still active: niche experience.

Players down 53% in recent days
130 concurrent players: smaller but active
16,039 total reviews: proven game with large community

The Sapling

Quality

Well received by the community, with more hits than misses.

89% positive (1,942 reviews): very positive reception
1,942 reviews: solid data foundation

Value

Unfavorable value right now: better ways to spend your money.

$15.99: reasonable price

Popularity

Low popularity: few active players and little community discussion.

Players up 23% in recent days
32 concurrent players: niche audience
Game detailsSpaceEngineThe Sapling
Release date
June 11, 2019
December 12, 2019
Developers
Cosmographic Software
Wessel Stoop
Publishers
Cosmographic Software
Wessel Stoop
Platforms
Windows
Linux, Windows
Achievements
—
5

SpaceEngine

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-4430 or AMD FX-8350
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce GTX 1060 (5/6 GB) or Radeon RX 480 (8 GB)
  • Storage: 50 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: Screen resolution of at least 1920x1080 recommended for all user interface elements to fit comfortably. Graphics card should have at least 5 GB of VRAM.

The Sapling

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
Which is better: SpaceEngine or The Sapling?

SpaceEngine won the comparison against The Sapling based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table. No weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is SpaceEngine worth buying over The Sapling?

Based on the metrics, SpaceEngine won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. SpaceEngine currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Oct 13, 2026, 02:13 PM UTC

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

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