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.

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.

96%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, music

96% User Score Based on 737 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.

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.

57%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story

84% User Score Based on 19 reviews

Fight against brain-rot in this story-driven educational physics puzzle game. You will need to learn and apply high school physics concepts to solve increasingly challenging problems and uncover a galaxy spanning plot. When you have finished, you will be able to take a college level physics course. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Newton's Fourth Law.

81%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, music

81% User Score Based on 150 reviews

Take your hammer and get the coals burning! It's time for fire, metal and magic! In this game you will: Forge, bend, cut and sharpen metal. Work with wood and bone. Weave chainmail. Use potions and spells. Take blacksmithing orders, creating unique weapons, armor and other curious items. Upgrade your dwelling and forge. Find useful items and new friends who are willing to help. Explore hig… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Blacksmith. Song of two Kings..

81%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:replayability, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics

85% User Score Based on 46 reviews

Puzzle Strike is an online deckbuilding puzzle game from David Sirlin, lead designer of Puzzle Fighter HD Remix and creator of the Fantasy Strike universe. Improve your deck (of chips!) as the game unfolds and crush your opponents under a mountain of gems! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Puzzle Strike.

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.

95%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, stability

95% User Score Based on 60 reviews

Word Wizardry and Superior Strategy Await You Embark on a roguelike deckbuilding adventure that combines the thrill of word crafting and deckbuilding strategy. Craft a unique deck of letter cards, collecting rewards and unlocking new cards with each victory. Battle your way through genre after genre until you reach the final boss and emerge victorious. Become a Word Crafting Prodigy In ea… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Paperback Adventures.

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.

93%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, replayability

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics

93% User Score Based on 87 reviews

Crave deep games that scratch the optimization itch?This non-linear, story-driven open-ended puzzle universe runs on the actual laws of of quantum physics. This game respects your intelligence and its complexity ranges from fully guided tutorials designed for absolute beginners to brutal quantum-algorithm puzzles that takes days to solve and asynchronous PvP battles where anything can happen. Ever… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Quantum Odyssey.

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.

57%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, music

81% User Score Based on 21 reviews

Explore the incredible power of reinforcement learning to inspire, train and customize adorably intelligent machines in this cozy life sim. Craft and inspire each Little Machine’s unique personality, then train them to do amazing things! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Little Learning Machines.

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 ro… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dune: Imperium.

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: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.

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 that isn’t enough, the game includes a level editor that allows you to create your own levels and share them with anyone around the globe! 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.

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.

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.

98%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, story

98% User Score Based on 103 reviews

The Art of Reflection is a first-person puzzle game that explores mirrors as if you could pass right through them. What happens when you cross through a mirror and walk around in mirror-land? What if objects, or even gravity aren't the same on the other side? Unfold complex reflected paths as you learn to navigate this world with mastery. Your primary tool is a snap zoom that lets you pass thr… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Art of Reflection.

98%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

98% User Score Based on 256 reviews

Pixel Art Academy: Learn Mode Pixel Art Academy is an educational game for learning how to draw. In Learn Mode, you jump straight into the game's interactive tutorials for the fastest way of becoming a pixel artist. After you learn how to use the basic drawing tools, you put theory into practice by first copying an existing pixel art sprite. When you've shown you got the hang of the tools, you ge… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Pixel Art Academy: Learn Mode.

99%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding

99% User Score Based on 606 reviews

Want to learn Japanese but don’t know where to start? Tried many learning methods, but none kept you motivated? Struggling to apply what you're learning in real life? Wagotabi is a fun and immersive RPG adventure set in real Japan. Fully accessible to beginners, it focuses on teaching the most practical words and grammatical concepts first, in concrete situations: asking for directions, ordering … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Wagotabi: A Japanese Journey.

89%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, atmosphere

89% User Score Based on 269 reviews

Heal your patients' mind? In Wantless, you play as Eiris, one of the last remaining Transposers - doctors who can delve into their patients' tortured minds to alleviate their torments, erase memories, or even more... Confront horrors made manifest, woes and sinister thoughts in this fast-paced and challenging Tactical RPG. Forge your skills, shape your build and engage in ruthless combat as you… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Wantless : Solace at World’s End.

70%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story

74% User Score Based on 46 reviews

Machine Learning: Episode I is a first person arcade puzzle game built for HTC Vive. You play as an A.I. robot created in DARPA laboratory in the near future. One of the scientists is here to test your physical, perception and cognitive skills. By using the power of room-scale VR and Vive controllers, you will be solving a variety of unique puzzles. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Machine Learning: Episode I.

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 80%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.

69%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, replayability

69% User Score Based on 98 reviews

Possessed is a fast-paced story driven survival first person shooter spread across 3 action-packed regions. It features witty characters, terrifying creatures and a strong focus on physics and world interaction. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Possessed.

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.

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.

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.

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!.

80%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, character development

80% User Score Based on 65 reviews

Run a sizzling cam studio filled with beautiful models for every taste. In AV Sex Manager, you choose the perfect lineup based on daily audience cravings, use hands-on tools to verify hidden traits, and unlock rewards through strong performance. Learn the roster, read the demand, and send them live. You’re hired to run a sizzling cam studio with beautiful models for every taste all different,… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to AV Sex Manager.

87%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, optimization

87% User Score Based on 173 reviews

Read before buyingIs Craftlings for you?Craftlings is a mix of strategy, resource management, settlement building, and automation, with strong dynamic puzzle elements created by indirect control over the Craftlings and their behaviors. This introduces local logistic challenges for resource delivery that you, as a player, have to solve. Who will enjoy Craftlings?If you enjoy slow-paced, thoughtful… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Craftlings.

78%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, graphics

78% User Score Based on 125 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.

95%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, character development

95% User Score Based on 76 reviews

Pilot mecha in rhythm-RPG dance battles. Assemble a squad of colossal dancers, challenge every rival you lock eyes with, compete for the championship trophy, and uncover the secrets of a world where everything moves to the drumbeat of steel feet. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Steel Century Groove.

63%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, monetization

85% User Score Based on 26 reviews

Dive into the world of social entrepreneurship with Startup Quest Bakery, a brief simulation game that challenges you to set up and run a bakery social enterprise successfully. This game serves as a dynamic introduction to startup operations, putting your strategic decision-making to the test. The Challenge You've made it to the final round of a prestigious European Union competition, contending … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Startup Quest Bakery.

90%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability

90% User Score Based on 557 reviews

Endure an authentic survival experience unlike any other in The Last Plague: Blight. Carefully tend to your well-being, brave countless threats, and overcome daunting challenges within a disease-ridden procedurally generated open world. Delve into the heart of the Blight and bring it to an end. An obscure disease known as the Blight has descended upon the land. Barely escaping its devastatin… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Last Plague: Blight.

96%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability

98% User Score Based on 49 reviews

You are a firefly of energy, navigating from Orb to Orb, giving them life, and solving puzzles to revive the mysterious universe around you. An evil shadow interferes with your quest and seems to grow ever more menacing. Can you and your allies stop it from taking over your world? Be in several places at once: control multiple Orbs and make them cooperate to solve puzzles. Like playing co-op w… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Orbyss.

99%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, story

99% User Score Based on 373 reviews

Egg Squeeze is a biological intuition test where you squeeze eggs for as long as you can without breaking them. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Egg Squeeze.

76%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:monetization, optimization

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, gameplay

76% User Score Based on 63 reviews

AirlineSim's Payment ModelAirlineSim is played in game worlds which differ in configuration and duration. While some of those (with short durations) are free forever, most require a certain amount of credits to play, depending on game world duration. Credits are charged on a daily basis and can be purchased in-game. There are no recurring subscriptions, topping up credits happens exclusively at th… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to AirlineSim.

97%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, grinding

97% User Score Based on 458 reviews

This is a mod for the game Dawnfolk made by Darenn Keller. It adds a new science building, the Light Spire. I've seen a fair number of players a bit upset that the light well does not have an upgrade. But adding this building after release makes the balancing a bit complicated, so a mod is the perfect way to solve this! You can upgrade the light well into a light spire. It produces slighly m… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dawnfolk.

96%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability

96% User Score Based on 1,008 reviews

Wishlist More From Panitia GameDev About the GameCookard is a cooking game where you run a restaurant by stacking cards to prepare and serve dishes to customers.Prepare DishEvery dish requires a certain set of steps and ingredients, which can typically be completed by dragging ingredient cards (such as Egg, Dough, Honey) to utensil cards (such as Oven, Stove). You can always check the Recipes se… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Cookard.

74%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, music

74% User Score Based on 54 reviews

Create and sell games, gain fame and wealth, research new technologies, hire employees, upgrade your office, manage taxes and salaries, take loans if needed, and compete with 5000 companies. Experience the thrill of running your own studio in Game Builder Tycoon. Design standout games by selecting key elements like art, features, quests, dialogue, music, level, and world design. Assign tasks to c… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Game Builder Tycoon.

89%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding

89% User Score Based on 1,071 reviews

An attractive puzzle platformer where you use magnetism to escape a factory. Meet a cast of magnet characters and work together to solve logical conundrums. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mind Over Magnet.

97%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, stability

97% User Score Based on 87 reviews

Mix Universe is a musical sandbox game where you play as a Mixonaut adding beautiful vibes to the universe. Everything you hear and see is 100% real-time and editable in-game. It is designed with beginners in mind with tutorials and automatic vibe nodes to help make it so you don't need to know anything about music to have fun. For those who want to push it a bit further, you can edit each note, … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mix Universe.

92%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, music

97% User Score Based on 183 reviews

Critic Score 86%Based on 1 reviews

Play the history. Go behind the scenes of Jordan Mechner's landmark game Karateka in this interactive documentary from Digital Eclipse, with archival materials, video features, and more. Experience pixel-perfect versions of this legendary game, with all-new features. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Making of Karateka.