Terraria Review: A 2D Sandbox Still Getting Free Updates Fifteen Years On

Terraria is a 2D sandbox from Re-Logic. You dig, build, craft better gear and fight bosses in a randomly generated world. Re-Logic itself describes it as a metroidvania in a sandbox. The game came out on May 16, 2011 on PC and today runs on consoles and phones. We’ll tell you what it does well, where it stumbles and whether it’s for you.

What Terraria is about

Every game starts in a randomly generated world. You dig and mine resources, craft ever better weapons, armor and tools, and build. NPCs, including merchants, move into the houses you build. The game’s motto is “Dig, Fight, Explore, Build!” and that’s exactly how it plays: you build for a while, then head into the depths, then go after a boss.

The game has two big phases. Pre-Hardmode ends with the Wall of Flesh boss fight, after which the world switches to Hardmode with tougher enemies and better loot. You can choose from four difficulties: Journey, Classic, Expert and Master. Since 2020 Journey Mode offers better starting gear, item duplication and adjustable difficulty from a world without enemies to Master Mode hordes.

What has changed since launch

Re-Logic has been expanding the game for free for fifteen years. The big updates 1.3 (2015), Journey’s End (2020) and Labor of Love (2022) were free too. The latest major update, 1.4.5 Bigger & Boulder, came out on January 27, 2026 on PC, consoles and mobile. It brought a new crafting interface, easier inventory management and more accessible secret world seeds. The game now has over 6,000 items. Next up is version 1.4.6 with the first phase of crossplay. According to the October 29, 2026 update it’s finished and in testing, but Re-Logic doesn’t have an exact date.

Re-Logic explicitly states that it funds the game without microtransactions and without raising the price. Mods work through the free tModLoader and Steam Workshop. As of May 16, 2026 Terraria had sold 70 million copies and the average PC player had spent over 100 hours in it.

What critics praise and what bothers players

On Metacritic the Xbox 360 version has 81 from 39 reviews, PC 83, PS Vita 85 and Switch 82. Those reviews date from 2011 to 2013, before updates 1.3, 1.4 and 1.4.5. IGN (90) praises how it expands familiar sandbox gameplay with combat and adventure. GameSpot (85) writes about a world bursting with content and surprises. Eurogamer (90) warns the first few hours will feel bewildering, but the effort pays off.

The criticism is mostly about guidance. PC Gamer UK (79) pointed to the lack of a tutorial and, back then, buggy netcode, and Polygon (65) wrote that the game could do a better job of leading players to what they need for survival and progression. GamesRadar+ (70) admits it doesn’t make a great first impression, but it’s hard to find a game with this much content. Steam players rate it 97.4% positive out of 1,564,218 reviews, which is Overwhelmingly Positive, and 96% in the last 30 days (as of November 3, 2026). In 2021 it won the Steam Award for Labor of Love.

Price, platforms and languages

Terraria costs €9.75 / $9.99 on Steam (regular price as of November 3, 2026). It runs on PC (Windows, macOS, Linux), PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, iOS and Android. Crossplay currently works between PC, dedicated servers and mobile; consoles get it with version 1.4.6. The requirements are minimal: 2.5 GB of RAM and 200 MB of storage. On Steam Deck the game is Verified.

The game is available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Who Terraria is for (and who it isn’t)

It’s for you if you enjoy building but also want combat, bosses and loot. Terraria works solo or with friends in a shared world, and for under €10 you get a game you can keep coming back to for years.

Skip it if you don’t want to look anything up outside the game. Terraria tells you very little, and without a guide or wiki newcomers get lost easily. On console, expect updates to arrive later than on PC.

Verdict: Is Terraria worth it?

Yes. Terraria is one of the best games you can buy for under €10. We’re giving it 9/10.

Players on Steam rate it almost unanimously positive, and after fifteen years Re-Logic keeps expanding it for free. Points off for weak guidance at the start and crossplay with consoles that’s still missing.

Playing Terraria? More reviews are in our Reviews section, and you can find players for your world on the GamersTogether Discord.

FAQ

This review is based on player ratings on Steam and critic scores on Metacritic, on reviews from IGN, GameSpot, Eurogamer, PC Gamer UK, GamesRadar+ and Polygon, and on official announcements from Re-Logic. Information verified on November 3, 2026. More reviews are in our Reviews section.