Games like Definitive Guide to Video Game Reward Design

Games Are for Players, not Stock Holders The Urgent Case for Co-operative, Player-Governed Live Service Games "The system is working exactly as intended and must be dismantled." Live service games promise us ever-evolving worlds and vibrant communities. Yet, too often, this potential is tarnished by player frustration, developer burnout, and the creeping sens… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Games Are for Players, not Stock Holders.

61%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization, stability

61% User Score Based on 237 reviews

Chrono CCG is an indie card battler where rival syndicates clash across unraveling timelines, fighting to rewrite history. Construct your deck around powerful Divers, watch your agents ascend to their Immortalized forms mid-match, and Shift time itself on the battlefield to tip the scales in your favor. Built by community leaders of the digital CCG genre rallying together, taking the lessons of t… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Chrono CCG.

Unlock the Secrets of Player Behavior: A Guide to Process Mining for Game Development Have you ever wondered... Why do most players gather all the components for a powerful item, but only a fraction ever craft it? What are the hidden paths that lead players to success in a complex puzzle, and which ones lead to failure? Players report a feature feels "slow,"… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Games User Research: Process Mining.

Master Personal Finance with StockMotion Empower yourself with the financial knowledge you need to succeed with StockMotion, the premier educational app for personal finance. Whether you're just starting to explore financial concepts or you're looking to deepen your understanding, StockMotion offers an engaging and interactive learning experience that will set you on the path to financial confide… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to StockMotion.

100%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, replayability

100% User Score Based on 481 reviews

Master time in this story-rich time-bending puzzle game. You travel back in time to be in two places at once, to solve puzzles impossible to complete alone. Your success hinges on your ability to collaborate with yourself. Can you learn to manipulate time to save humanity? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Chronigma.

82%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, grinding

82% User Score Based on 406 reviews

Engineered for failure or victory, your customization and piloting skills are the keys to your success in Vector 36. Race across the terraformed surface of Mars in a completely customizable skimmer built to suit your piloting preference. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Vector 36.

82%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:atmosphere, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, gameplay

92% User Score Based on 40 reviews

Buying also grants you a free steam key! A fast, casual haunted 4X game with asymmetric factions and roguelike elements. Enjoy brief, 30 minute skirmishes in a unique setting filled with strategic choices, or delve into a story-rich campaign with 5 different endings, all without the slow and tedious 'long wars' typical of the genre. Whether you're a Kingdom, Bandits, a Rat King, or a Dark Lord… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to DR4X.

Stop Guessing What Your Players Want. Start Knowing. In the competitive world of game development, understanding your players is the key to creating successful, engaging, and beloved games. But how do you move beyond assumptions and gather actionable insights into the player experience? Games User Research Methods is your comprehensive and practical guide to the world of games user research. Thi… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Games User Research Methods.

96%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, story

96% User Score Based on 2,695 reviews

Experience the ultimate blend of strategy and intrigue as you navigate the treacherous landscapes of Arrakis in the award-winning board game Dune: Imperium! Battle online, locally with AI, or against the formidable House Hagal. Earn Achievements that showcase your prowess as a leader. Embark on more than a dozen Challenges that will test your wit and cunning. Compete for badges in the rotating Ski… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dune: Imperium.

76%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:music, monetization

76% User Score Based on 122 reviews

Yomi is a fighting game in card form. Learn your character, practice combos, and read the opponent's tendencies. 10 characters to choose from, plus 10 more expansion characters available for purchase inside the app. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Yomi.

87%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, optimization

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, story

87% User Score Based on 1,311 reviews

“Screeps” is a wordplay for “scripts” and “creeps.” It is an MMO RTS game for programmers in an open persistent shared world. Each player uses JavaScript (or compilers of other languages into JavaScript) to write AI of his or her colony of units (“creeps”) which live and operate in real time even while the player is offline. The game world is generated procedurally and consists of rooms. Players c… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Screeps: World.

82%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, monetization

84% User Score Based on 922 reviews

Critic Score 79%Based on 5 reviews

Mind Scanners is a retro-futuristic management game in which you diagnose the citizens of a dystopian metropolis. Locate a host of other-worldly characters and use arcade-style treatment devices to help them. Manage your time and resources to keep The Structure in balance. Remember, you take full responsibility for your patients. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mind Scanners.

80%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

80% User Score Based on 342 reviews

Ichi is an easy to play but challenging one button puzzle game. Don't be deceived by the game simplistic look, it’s a braintwister for sure! Collect golden rings by rotating objects, using teleporters, breaking blocks and more. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ichi.

75%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story

75% User Score Based on 160 reviews

A first-person city-building game with powerful tools that allow you to build faster and bigger. Design your own construction blocks and furniture in factories, terraform the open world, build roads and use vehicles to travel to different cities that you or your friends create in solo or coop mode. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Technicity.

About This Game Get ready to leap, explore, and find your way out! Locks n Leaps is an engaging platforming adventure where your quick thinking and precise jumps are the only tools that can guarantee your freedom. Trapped in an enigmatic archipelago made up of several challenging islands, your objective is simple, but the execution will require skill: find the hidden keys, unlock the doors block… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Locks 'n' Leaps.

It's Not an Accident. It's an Architecture. Ever felt a beloved hobby slowly transform into a system of obligation and financial pressure? You're not alone. The frustration you feel in a game isn't a flaw; it's often a meticulously engineered feature. This book is a codex of forbidden knowledge, a guide to the hidden architecture of digital manipulation designed not as an attack on games, but as … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dark Patterns in Game Design.

The award winning RPG of monster hunting has been updated! Get ready for Slayers 1.5. The City sits at the nexus of the world. Once you're inside it, it is the world. Something drives the borders of The City ever-onward, crawling towards the horizon. Urban sprawl made real. Neighborhoods appear and disappear overnight, The City is filled to brim with no shortage of interesting characters, culture… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Slayers.

77%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization, grinding

77% User Score Based on 292 reviews

## Build Your Oddball Team Crazy Oddballs: Idle RPG is a chaotic idle RPG where bizarre heroes, ridiculous gear, and long-term progression come together. Recruit strange heroes, collect powerful loot, and create unexpected build combinations as your team grows stronger over time. ## Loot, Builds, and Progression Every piece of gear can change how your team performs. Experiment with different … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Crazy Oddballs: Idle RPG.

97%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, character development

97% User Score Based on 1,305 reviews

Premise The Message from Deep Space is an odyssey of puzzles. Take the role of the mission's Translator, working alongside a scrappy band of scientists, and venture headfirst into the world of deciphering an alien language --- completely from the ground up. Scenario Set in 1973, Earth is the recipient of a meteorite that broadcasts radio waves. In the role of the mission's Translator, the player i… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Message from Deep Space.

95%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, graphics

95% User Score Based on 177 reviews

A Compact Fictional Language Deciphering GameYou are an apothecary. Prescribe the right medicine according to the conditions of the patients who visit you. In your workshop, you only have a manual written in a fictional language. You must decipher the fictional language to concoct and prescribe the medicine. Test the effects directly on patients to confirm them. Even if you fail, you can retry on… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Apothecary of Trubiz.

Your family has been poor for generations, and now you have grown into manhood with one goal: free them from poverty and struggle. Take control of Jack as you begin a journey with one goal...and it becomes something very different that shakes your family to its foundations. Features: An exploration RPG with over 150 items to use and equip, random loot and over 25 monsters to fight. Each game is… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sea Of Secrets.

95%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, atmosphere

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, music

95% User Score Based on 998 reviews

It takes a while to go back to sleep, but inevitably, you return. To dream of the Fallstruktur. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to FALLSTRUKTUR.

74%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, graphics

74% User Score Based on 149 reviews

Start your path as a simple human — and build your own story of becoming a true mage. Plan your daily routines, manage carefully crafted lists of actions, and steadily improve every aspect of your magical life. Explore a rich and expanding world full of opportunities. Unlock new actions, resources, and systems at your own pace — and discover how much there is to unfold. Every hour brings somethin… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Idle Awakening: Mages Path.

93%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization, graphics

93% User Score Based on 1,497 reviews

More than 1200 exercises quickly help beginners to form basic tactical vision If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Chess Tactics for Beginners.

Geopogo Cities: Explore real cities—SF, NY, London, Miami—in 3D. Place buildings, tweak layouts, and roam urban icons in early access. Roads, systems, and expanded tools coming to build a full city sim. Shape the future with us! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Geopogo Cities.

92%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability

92% User Score Based on 63 reviews

Exographer is an exploration game based in science. Become an explorer, stranded in an alien planetoid, and discover the secrets of an extinct civilization. Gain new powers to avoid dangers and obstacles in your journey, and use your camera to reveal particles and hidden clues. Travel to a strange planetoid Accompany InI, on a rescue mission in an alien world. Discover the remains of an extinct c… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Exographer.

49%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, stability

75% User Score Based on 16 reviews

StartPlay is ultimate game creator for kids, allowing young minds to bring their imagination to life without writing a single line of code! user-friendly game builder empowers children to design, develop, and share their own games with players around the world. Key Features: No-Code Game Development: Create engaging games effortlessly using our intuitive graphical interface. Perfect for begin… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to StartPlay.

90%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story

90% User Score Based on 67 reviews

This game is apart of the GMTK Game Jam with the theme being "Roles Reversed" How To Play Download, unzip, and run EpicQuest.exe The game uses WASD controls, and key binds are listed inside the main level as well as instructions. Game Info It is time to switch roles and play as the quest giving NPC instead of the adventurer for once. Inspired by a "Viva La Dirt League" skit you will use tools to h… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Epic Quests.

98%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, monetization

98% User Score Based on 726 reviews

Wagotabi is an educational RPG teaching Japanese from the ground up. Immerse yourself in the language through interactive dialogues, quest-solving, and puzzles, all while exploring Japan and its rich culture. Will you become a Japanese master? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Wagotabi: A Japanese Journey.

86%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:character development, stability

86% User Score Based on 230 reviews

A mystery thriller visual novel featuring line search and jump functions. During a gem exhibition in the rural town of Yushibana, smoke floods the building, activating emergency shutters that trap eight people inside. With no way out, they must find the truth behind their imprisonment and grapple with an increasingly complex series of unnatural events. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass.

76%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, optimization

87% User Score Based on 524 reviews

Critic Score 52%Based on 4 reviews

Fract Osc is a musical exploration game. You arrive in a forgotten place and explore the vast and unfamiliar landscape to discover the secrets of a world built on sound. You rebuild its machinery by solving puzzles and bring the world back to life by shaping sound and creating music in the game. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to FRACT OSC.

88%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, stability

88% User Score Based on 176 reviews

How did Crystal Dynamics reinvent Tomb Raider? The Final Hours of Tomb Raider is a digital book that takes you inside the studio during the four year development of this franchise reboot. Journalist Geoff Keighley chronicles the team’s journey, illustrating this 11,000 word story with never-before-seen art and videos from parts of the game left on the cutting room floor. Key Features In the … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Tomb Raider - The Final Hours Digital Book.

83%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:atmosphere, replayability

83% User Score Based on 163 reviews

Gather weapons and warriors from the community's imagination in the first strategy card game designed by its players. Create any card you can imagine, and The Collective decides what will show up on the battlefield. Test your skills (not your wallet) in the game that is never beaten, never solved. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Collective Card Game.

50%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, stability

50% User Score Based on 123 reviews

Longsword brings turn-based tabletop tactics to the digital world of PC Gaming. In Longsword, you will collect and build an army comprised of miniature champions, spells, equipment, and structures. You can then customize the appearance of your army and enter it into battle on a hex-based tabletop battlefield! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Longsword Tabletop Tactics.

71%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, optimization

77% User Score Based on 270 reviews

Critic Score 50%Based on 2 reviews

A strategy game of exploration, endurance, and space travel on an interstellar gothic monastery. Explore solar systems, harvest resources, construct outposts, and face hazards in the challenging universe of The Banished Vault. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Banished Vault.

70%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, replayability

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics

70% User Score Based on 472 reviews

Academagia, the greatest of the ancient schools for wizards. Build the legend of your mage with thousands of options, emergent storytelling and endless replayability. The definitive version of the magical life simulator is at last on Steam! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Academagia: The Making of Mages.

93%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

99% User Score Based on 2,754 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 4 reviews

A mind-bending recursive puzzle game about boxes within boxes. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Patrick's Parabox.

83%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization, grinding

83% User Score Based on 636 reviews

Prismata is a turn-based strategy game made by Lunarch Studios. It borrows familiar elements from RTS games, CCGs, tabletop strategy games, and combines them in a simple but innovative way. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Prismata.

44%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:emotional, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:music, graphics

44% User Score Based on 262 reviews

Escape This is a casual puzzle game. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Escape This.

50%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics

71% User Score Based on 21 reviews

Yrminsul is a strategy game where thebattles are in the form of a tower defense. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Yrminsul.

68%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, story

68% User Score Based on 224 reviews

Uncrewed is a real-time strategy game for the PC with the ability to design units from scratch. Unlike in more traditional RTS, units obey the laws of physics, making design choices especially important. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Uncrewed.

Kombucha Craft is a sandbox management game where you control every step of kombucha production. From choosing the tea to fermentation and flavor additions, every decision impacts taste, acidity, and overall quality. Experiment freely, take risks, discover unique recipes, and learn to master a demanding production process where mistakes are part of the journey. It’s up to you to find the perfect … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Kombucha Craft.

Suzunaan on Fire is the first Touhou doujin game produced by Creator Team from Crestruction. Players will roleplay Kosuzu Motoori and figure out the way to escape from fire. If you like puzzle games and also like Touhou, welcome to play our first game. As everyone knows, Suzunaan is a bookshop. As everyone knows, not only human beings usually visit this bookshop. As everyone knows, also, fire usu… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Suzunaan on Fire.

Master the Elegance of Orbital Mechanics GravBoost is a physics-driven space action sim that challenges you to harness the most fundamental force of the universe: Gravity. Core Mechanics: Gravitational Slingshots: Use planetary gravity wells to gain velocity and alter your course. Every degree of entry matters—miss the mark, and you'll either crash into the surface or drift eternally into the… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to GravBoost.

It's Not a Bug. It's a Blueprint. Ever felt a game was designed to be intentionally frustrating? That its economy was engineered to create problems only a cash shop could solve? You were probably right. Those aren't accidents; they are the result of a coherent, data-driven, and often deeply cynical design philosophy. Manipulative Game Design is a codex of forbidden knowledge, a hands-on guide th… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Manipulative Game Design.

Turn Player Feedback Into Your Most Powerful Design Tool Your players are talking. In forum posts, in survey comments, in playtest sessions. They're leaving a trail of data that holds the secret to making your game more intuitive, engaging, and successful. But how do you make sense of it all without a dedicated data science team or expensive software? Games User Research: Data Anal… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Games User Research: Data Analysis and Visualization.

Thanks for visiting my page – this is my entry for the Physics Game Jam 2023! In this puzzle game the objects are simple, knock down all 10 pins, its as simple as that... ruthlessly hunt down all pins and knock them down... its easy :), no matter where they go, or who stands in your way... knock the pins down, it couldn't be more fun I'm using this space as a sort of blog to document my journey … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Strike!.

Get ready to experience the intensity and excitement of rugby 7s like never before with our new game! In this retro-inspired 2D action game, you'll take on the role of a rugby player and lead your team to victory in a full career mode, complete with team building, trading of players, and more. With real physics and a range of challenging gameplay features, including stamina, CPU AI off the ba… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Rugby Sevens 23.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization, replayability

84% User Score Based on 594 reviews

Relic Arena is a free-to-play multiplayer autobattler from the unhinged minds of Dota legends SUNSfan and Jenkins. Build your own heroes, craft insane combos, and rewrite history with style! Unlike other autobattlers, units are free—you just buy the spells. Each round, grab historical Relics from the shop and slap them onto any unit you want. Every Relic provides unique abilities and upgrade … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Relic Arena.

74%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:humor, optimization

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics

100% User Score Based on 25 reviews

FOLLOW US About the GameFeng Shui Meowjong is a unique light roguelike card game that fuses traditional mahjong mechanics with roguelike progression and mystical Feng Shui-inspired tactics.In this strategic turn-based system, you reinterpret classic mahjong gameplay using a fixed set of 14 tiles to form combinations such as Chi (Chow), Pong (Pung), and Pair. At the same time, you activate powe… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Feng Shui Meowjong.