TOP 5 Best Mining Games of All Time

by Mike Alexander / Top Lists, Articles / 04 Jan 2023

When you think about mining games, what comes to mind? Probably Minecraft, right? While Minecraft is probably the most well-known mining game on the planet, it is by no means the only one. There are a ton of games that simulate the act of extracting minerals from the ground, and some of them even look better than Minecraft RTX! If you ever get tired of Minecraft, but still want that jolt of excitement you feel from finding a motherlode, then you might find your next favorite game on this list of the Top 5 Best Mining Games of All Time… that aren’t Minecraft! If you’re ready to start digging for riches, grab your pickaxe and let’s get started!

Gold Rush: The Game

If you’re a fan of the Discovery Channel show Gold Rush, then Gold Rush: The Game was made especially for you. This complete gold mining simulator takes you on a journey from rags to riches and has a host of awesome features. You can’t mine without mining equipment, and Gold Rush: The Game has plenty of that. You’ll have access to excavators, drills, front-end loaders, bulldozers, and many more! Each of these vehicles has different methods of operations, so you’ll need to learn and master each one. Just like in real life, these machines can break down. When things fail, you’ll need to fix them to get the operation back up and running. There is also fully deformable terrain and fully-rendered, highly realistic mining processes for you to observe.

Gold Hunter

The Early Access game Gold Hunter by eXtreme Studios is another awesome mining game that has a few extra tricks up its sleeves. In this one, you’ll start with a metal detector and work your way up to a full mining operation as you dig up that precious gold. Gold Hunter also boasts a number of features in its current state, including a multiplayer mode, a 14 square kilometer map, a bunch of claims, extensive operation simulations, and Steam Cloud integration. There are more features on the way as development continues like a bigger 81 square kilometer map, seasons, weather, and more than 60 claims to take advantage of. Gold Hunter even allows you to build a house in addition to your own mining company. Everyone needs a place to sleep and spend time with family, even busy mine owners. When you aren’t running things or spending time in your house, you can freely explore the massive map to see everything it has to offer.

Hydroneer

Hydroneer is a sandbox mining game with a unique personality. You’ll use handheld tools, hydro-mining machines, and even player creations to dig deep into the earth and find your loot. With the game’s advanced voxel terrain, you can create tunnels, cave networks, and quarries. In your digging, you might come across some interesting relics and locations that have even more goodies for you to take. If you find a dungeon, you know you’re going the right way! You choose where to build your base on a huge map full of points of interest and helpful locations like small towns where you can buy supplies. Whether you isolate yourself or become part of a community, the choice is yours.

Galactic Mining Corp

This spunky mining game takes mining operations to a new location, the final frontier! In Galactic Mining Corp, you’ll set up a mining operation on an alien planet and deal with all kinds of space-based threats like alien worms that will dig themselves into your mines and take your stash. Hire unique, interesting crew members from a roster of over 70 to man your various machinery and manage your base. It’s not just gold you’ll collect in this game, there are all kinds of alien resources for you to obtain and study. As you progress, you’ll level up your gear, making you more efficient in your endeavors.

Crypto Mining Simulator

In this day and age, few people are still mining for gold. Now, the new-age version of mining takes place in cyberspace! In Crypto Mining Simulator, you’ll need an army of mining rigs. To build them, you’ll need to assemble each one from various computer parts, including over 1000 GPUs! This game features realistic mining algorithms and money earning, room customization, and free placement of your mining rigs so you can organize your operation however you like. Soon, the developers plan to add a VR mode, so you can be fully immersed in the world of Crypto Mining Simulator.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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