The Blockheads vs Ylands
The Blockheads
The Blockheads is the game to play if you want to play a sandbox/survival game that's almost the same as Minecraft but with a whole lot more crafting.Featuring an isometric 2D look, the Blockheads is a game where you can venture off into the world to explore and possibly discover hidden treasures. You can also collect blocks, craft, and build almost everything you can see in the game through the game's many upgradable workbenches. The game even allows you to go fishing and open a shop so you can sell your wares. However, like Minecraft, there are dangers lurking at every corner so you may need to be vigilant and get a weapon as soon as you can.
Interestingly, unlike Minecraft, you actually need to take care of your Blockhead. This means making sure he or she gets enough rest or they will perform the actions you ask of them at a much slower speed. There are also hunger and happiness levels so be sure you keep an eye on that.
Ylands
Ylands is a sandbox adventure game that has a gameplay that's a lot like a massively expanded version of Minecraft with a lot more resources for you to gather, items to craft, and amazing things to build. Instead of being "just a game", Ylands is more like a platform, much like Roblox is, where players are given the tools to create whatever worlds or games they like, be it a fun go-kart racing game that's inspired from Lega Racers or even a watery world where epic pirate-themed naval battles can take place. The worlds are completely interactive as well and every action you do will modify, no matter how slightly, the game environment of that segment of the world you happen to be in. In fact, if you change a terrain and populate it with an entirely different diversity of flora and fauna, you can basically change the climate system there.Unlike Minecraft though, Ylands has opted for a more polygonal appearance which gave it the extra leverage it needed to overcome the painful dismissal and degratory label of being simply a "Minecraft clone" - which admittedly, Ylands is most definitely not. The game has so much going for it and players truly have all the freedom within the game's pretty wide parameters to literally create anything they like. Of course, the game also supports sharing, so you can let other players in Yland enjoy that (for example) crazy maze-running game you've just made!
Ylands is most certainly impressive to say the least. However, due to its indie origins, not many players know about the game, let alone buy it on Steam. So, if you really like Minecraft-like sandbox games, you simply must give this game a try, and if you've had a great time there, be sure to recommend it to your friends or even buy it for them as their Christmas/ birthday gift!