A mixed breed of Adventure, building, survival and lots more, Terraria is a great little number.
While the similarities are indeed there, Terraria is in a world of its own when it comes to gaming.
Terraria is a 2d game developed by the Indie Company Re-Logic. It takes its basis in the Sandbox Genre, starting you off with nothing but a copper axe and Pick, and letting you loose. The game gives you little instruction, except for a Guide to help you get along.
You build a house for two reasons: Shelter from attack and a place for NPC's to move into. There are multiple NPCs, each with their own use, and they move in after certain requirements have been met. For instance, a Merchant will move in once you collect 50 silver.
The focus of the game is to improve your character. While there are no RPG leveling systems here, there is an RPGish feel as you improve your characters Tools, weapons, accessories and Armor over time. The character improvement is as paced as you want it to be, but the game has a way of keeping everything balanced.
The world is split into two. The upper world and the underground. The upper world consists of three environments: The normal world, the corruption and the Dungeon. The corruption is an evil place where tough enemies subside, but a lot of loot is hidden here. The Dungeon is guarded by the toughest in game boss, and the Dungeon itself is quite a tough place to explore, but it yields fantastic items. In the normal world, there is the normal environment and floating islands. These Islands have different loot than anywhere else in the game world.
The underground is split in 4. Close to the surface, where minor loot and slimes reside. Middle Earth, where skeletons and tougher slimes reside, but the loot is better. The Underworld, a place filled with lava and extremely tough enemies, but the loot here is fantastic. And finally, the Underground Jungle, a mysterious place filled with great loot and tough enemies.
All in all, Terraria has a lot to do. The character system is great, and there are pretty much no bugs. However, the music is quite repetitive, and the enemy pathfinding is horrible.
Aside from this, Terraria is a fantastic, overlooked game. I'd recommend it to anyone with time on their hands.