Stardew Valley leans heavily into farming and relationship-building while Terraria focuses more on exploration and combat.
Both games offer open-ended progression, but Terraria has more boss fights and a complex crafting system.
Stardew is more laid back with structured daily routines, while Terraria can get intense quickly in expert mode.
If you love sandbox creativity and combat, Terraria is the go-to.
If you're after slow-paced simulation with community-building, Stardew shines.