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Games like Return to Dark Castle

Games like Return to Dark Castle

Games like Return to Dark Castle

Looking for games like Return to Dark Castle? Here are top platformer recommendations with a fantasy focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with Alwa's Awakening, Astalon: Tears of the Earth or Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee®.

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  1. 76%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability
    78% User Score Based on 850 reviews
    Critic Score 75%Based on 12 reviews

    In Alwa's Awakening you play as Zoe, a heroine sent from another world to bring peace to the land of Alwa. Equipped only with a magic staff she awakens in a distant land and must set out to help the people. Traverse dangerous dungeons, meet interesting and fun characters and explore the world in this 8-bit adventure game. Just like the old classics you won't have a flashing arrow telling you exact… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Alwa's Awakening.

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  2. 87%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    90% User Score Based on 878 reviews
    Critic Score 84%Based on 9 reviews

    Uphold your pact with the Titan of Death, Epimetheus! Fight, climb and solve your way through a twisted tower as three unique adventurers, on a mission to save their village from impending doom! Three heroic explorers wander the post-apocalyptic desert on a mission to save their village from despair. They soon find a dark, twisted tower that has risen from the depths of the planet and seemingly h… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Astalon: Tears of the Earth.

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  3. 90%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    90% User Score Based on 2,456 reviews

    Selected by the fickle finger of fate, Abe™, floor-waxer first class for RuptureFarms, was catapulted into a life of adventure when he overheard plans by his boss, Molluck the Glukkon™, to turn Abe and his fellow Mudokons into Tasty Treats as part of a last-ditch effort to rescue Molluck's failing meat-packing empire. During his escape from RuptureFarms, Abe received a v… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee®.

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  4. 94%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    96% User Score Based on 19,114 reviews
    Critic Score 90%Based on 9 reviews

    Shovel Knight is a sweeping classic action adventure game with awesome gameplay, memorable characters, and an 8-bit retro aesthetic. It's a hot mashup of new and old! You play as the eponymous Shovel Knight, a small knight with a huge quest. Shovel Knight has come to this land with two goals: to defeat the evil Enchantress and quest for his lost beloved. He wields a Shovel Blade: a multipurpos… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Shovel Knight.

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  5. 79%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
    79% User Score Based on 1,578 reviews
    Critic Score 80%Based on 6 reviews

    Remember when games were tough? Return to the Golden Age of arcades with an all-NEW hardcore action experience that pulls no punches. Volgarr the Viking possesses all the hallmarks of the true classics - simple controls, high challenge, and meticulous design - combined with hand-made pixel If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Volgarr the Viking.

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  7. 90%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    94% User Score Based on 502 reviews
    Critic Score 68%Based on 1 reviews

    Sphinx and The Cursed Mummy is an original 3rd person action-adventure inspired by the mythology of ancient Egypt. Travelling the world via magical portals to foil the evil plans of Set. Sphinx's Journey will require all his wits, agility, and special powers. He will also rely on his reluctant hero friend, The Mummy, to help when being inconspicuous is the only solution. By finding the stolen magi… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy.

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  8. 83%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    87% User Score Based on 764 reviews
    Critic Score 68%Based on 2 reviews

    Odallus is a NES inspired exploration game with lots of action. It brings elements of classics such as Ghosts’n Goblins, Demon’s Crest and Castlevania while subverting some modern twists. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Odallus: The Dark Call.

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  10. 74%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    74% User Score Based on 1,572 reviews

    Castle In The Darkness is a fun and challenging shout out to the early days of video games! It's an action exploration platformer with some RPG elements, much like games from the Castlevania or Metroid series. It's super fast-paced, challenging, and full of secrets! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Castle In The Darkness.

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  11. 83%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    87% User Score Based on 372 reviews
    Critic Score 78%Based on 3 reviews

    Alwa’s Legacy is a modern retro game full of dangerous dungeons, magical items and ancient secrets. By upgrading your magic, any way forward is right in this non-linear adventure game full of exploration. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Alwa's Legacy.

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  12. 96%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, stability
    96% User Score Based on 265 reviews

    Overview The original design of the never-before seen point and click adventure is being brought to life after 30+ years in the vault - Beyond Shadowgate! This new PC game has been created by the designers of the original 8-bit hit Shadowgate and a leading 8-bit adventure studio! With a world that is over five times larger than Shadowgate, Beyond Shadowgate captures the same look and fee… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Beyond Shadowgate.

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  13. 85%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    85% User Score Based on 1,094 reviews

    Thousands of years ago a meteor crashed into Antarctica and the shockwaves of its impact are being felt in the modern age. Lara Croft will follow clues leading to a deadly secret, boldly leaping chasms and blasting monsters that no one has leaped or blasted before. This time she faces a mystery that's from way out of this world. Tomb Raider III is a complex adventure that combines puzzles with hig… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Tomb Raider III (1998).

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  14. 91%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    96% User Score Based on 4,778 reviews
    Critic Score 80%Based on 3 reviews

    Freedom Planet is a combat-based platform adventure that pits a spunky dragon girl and her friends against an alien attack force. There's trouble around every turn, from insects to giant robots to sheer explosive destruction, but you'll have a variety of special fighting abilities to blast your way through each stage. As Lilac, you can use Dragon powers to whip enemies with your hair, spin like a… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Freedom Planet.

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  15. 92%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
    92% User Score Based on 3,558 reviews

    You Have to Win the Game is an free exploration platformer with a retro 1980s PC aesthetic. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to You Have to Win the Game.

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  16. 90%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    93% User Score Based on 6,120 reviews
    Critic Score 80%Based on 2 reviews

    "Captures everything that's fun about old-school RPGs." 4.5/5 – GameSpy "The balance between exciting combat, thought-provoking puzzle work, and open-ended exploration is stellar." 8.5/10 – IGN "I lost count as to how many times I threw my fist in the air and shouted, "YES!" after successfully completing a puzzle." 9.5/10 – Destructoid "Undoubtedly the best Indie Game I have played so far and at a… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Legend of Grimrock.

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    89%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability
    91% User Score Based on 230 reviews
    Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

    Fallen Leaf is a retro side-scrolling adventure focused on tight, action-packed level design set in a whimsical world where almost anything goes! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Fallen Leaf.

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  20. 80%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, replayability
    86% User Score Based on 222 reviews
    Critic Score 62%Based on 2 reviews

    Inhabit Krog, a mysterious blue creature in a red loincloth, as he traverses a labyrinth of ladders, levers, traps, and monsters. Explore the nooks and crannies of a bizarre and evocative world as you hack and slash your way to victory, leaving a graveyard of grotesque bosses in your wake. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Primal Light.

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  21. 96%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
    96% User Score Based on 333 reviews

    Our feather-shelled heroes were swept away by a storm, and they need your help! In this '90s-inspired platforming adventure, take on over forty handcrafted stages to discover the secrets of their world, the moon and beyond! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Windswept.

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  22. 84%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, atmosphere
    Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, stability
    94% User Score Based on 8,232 reviews
    Critic Score 75%Based on 14 reviews

    You killed the Demons once, they were all dead. Or so you thought... A single Demon Entity escaped detection. Systematically it altered decaying, dead carnage back into grotesque living tissue. The Demons have returned - stronger and more vicious than ever before. You mission is clear, there are no options: kill or be killed! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Doom 64.

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  23. 82%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, stability
    95% User Score Based on 3,970 reviews
    Critic Score 83%Based on 35 reviews

    N++ is a fast-paced, action-packed puzzle platformer set in the distant future. You play as a ninja -- darting through obstacles, narrowly evading a slew of inadvertently homicidal enemy robots, and collecting gold in a minimalist, sci-fi world. You know, traditional ninja stuff. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to N.

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  24. 88%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    87% User Score Based on 814 reviews
    Critic Score 79%Based on 2 reviews

    In La-Mulana 2, you will take on the role of Lumisa Kosugi on a mission to find the entrance to the ruins of Eg-Lana, which is rumored to be the source of recent monster appearances. The ruins themselves are compromised of a variety of areas as well as huge boss creatures known as Guardians. Who knows what lies in wait at the end of Eg-Lana? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to La-Mulana 2.

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  25. 82%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding
    87% User Score Based on 183 reviews
    Critic Score 77%Based on 14 reviews

    Take on the role of Demi, a young soldier who wakes up in the empty shell of a ruined building, in the center of a strange new world, disconnected from her old life and physical body. With each new challenge she overcomes Demi slowly pieces together the future now laid out before her. This remastered edition stays true to the original concept with an emphasis on player skill and creativity, but w… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Super Cloudbuilt.

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  26. 85%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, stability
    83% User Score Based on 2,140 reviews
    Critic Score 93%Based on 1 reviews

    Adventurer Lara Croft has been hired to recover the pieces of an ancient artifact known as the Scion. With her fearless acrobatic style she runs, jumps, swims and climbs her way towards the truth of its origin and powers - leaving only a trail of empty tombs and gun-cartridges in her wake. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Tomb Raider.

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  27. 92%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    92% User Score Based on 1,360 reviews

    Super Fancy Pants Adventure is a wild free-running adventure with buttery smooth platforming and a slick fountain pen! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Super Fancy Pants Adventure.

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  28. 89%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    89% User Score Based on 754 reviews

    Throw on your nostalgia goggles and travel back in time with Super Win the Game, a retro-core explosion of exploration and platforming action!! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Super Win the Game.

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  29. 85%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
    91% User Score Based on 306 reviews
    Critic Score 67%Based on 3 reviews

    After 34 years in the shadows, prepare to see this legendary action adventure in a new light! Looking and playing better than ever before, Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn is Tengo Project’s remake of a cult classic, that the fans have been waiting for. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Shadow of the Ninja Reborn.

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  30. 85%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    85% User Score Based on 1,804 reviews

    The second instalment in the Tomb Raider series invites you to join Lara as she travels around the globe to retrieve a precious artefact before it falls into the wrong hands. The legendary artefact, the Dagger of Xian, is said to give its possessor the power of a fire breathing dragon. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Tomb Raider II.

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  31. 88%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    88% User Score Based on 3,136 reviews

    Ys I & II Chronicles+ is the most modernized and up-to-date remake of Falcom’s classic franchise-spawning action RPGs from 1987 and 1988. Come see how the story began, and witness the birth of a legend! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ys I & II Chronicles+.

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  32. 84%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    84% User Score Based on 671 reviews

    Thousands of years ago a meteor crashed into Antarctica and the shockwaves of its impact are being felt in the modern age. Lara Croft will follow clues leading to a deadly secret, boldly leaping chasms and blasting monsters that no one has leaped or blasted before. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Tomb Raider III.

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  33. 81%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, optimization
    84% User Score Based on 443 reviews
    Critic Score 65%Based on 1 reviews

    The Eternal Castle: Remastered is a remake of the original "Eternal Castle" from 1987, with additional game mechanics, sophisticated sound design, polished 2-bit CGA animated graphics, and modernized game design. Numerous outlets have questioned the title's "lost game" backstory as almost no corroborating accounts have been found to verify the title's development backstory. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Eternal Castle: Remastered.

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  34. 87%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    91% User Score Based on 7,404 reviews
    Critic Score 79%Based on 32 reviews

    Explore and uncover the mystery of a surreal alien world by blasting aliens and glitching your environment in this intense retro side-scrolling action/adventure. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Axiom Verge.

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  35. 79%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, optimization
    78% User Score Based on 309 reviews
    Critic Score 81%Based on 2 reviews

    Cursed is an action platformer with a compendium of myths from medieval Spain and the spirit of a mid-to-late '80s arcade game. Run, jump and throw your weapons as you move through decadent medieval landscapes full of dangers and monsters. Learn about each situation and enemy pattern in order to progress. Open chests and hit hidden spots for bonuses, weapons and equippable objects. Find the five … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Cursed Castilla.

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  36. 74%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    75% User Score Based on 351 reviews
    Critic Score 70%Based on 4 reviews

    AGGELOS is a mesmerizing new action-RPG inspired by the likes of Wonder Boy that looks like it was plucked straight out of the 16-bit era... but plays like a modern-day marvel! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to AGGELOS.

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  37. 88%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    92% User Score Based on 12,008 reviews
    Critic Score 85%Based on 21 reviews

    You control a family of characters one at a time, and when your character dies, you choose who his or her successor is, whether it is a barbarian son of yours who has OCD, your daughter who became a ninja even though she can't see well, an assassin who is fighting for the gays, or a miner who wants to collect gold! Traits are randomized each time upon death, leading to multiple playthroughs with 3… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Rogue Legacy.

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  38. 94%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, optimization
    97% User Score Based on 96 reviews
    Critic Score 85%Based on 1 reviews

    Saint Slayer is an NES-style 2D action game, featuring loads of stages, enemies, and gore set against the backdrop of late-17th century Europe. Play as the ex-soldier Rudiger and wield the Spear of Sacrilege as you save the Holy Roman Empire from the corrupt Catholic priest Father Pacer. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege.

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  39. 85%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, stability
    93% User Score Based on 717 reviews
    Critic Score 76%Based on 33 reviews

    Embark on an epic 3D platforming collectathon adventure with Yooka and Laylee! Yooka-Replaylee is packed with new moves, more story, exciting challenges, hidden secrets, and more than double the collectibles to uncover. Can you help them rescue the world’s biggest treasure? Two unlikely treasure hunters retell the story of their greatest adventure; how they crashed their ship, discovered perhap… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Yooka-Replaylee.

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  40. 94%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    95% User Score Based on 1,450 reviews
    Critic Score 91%Based on 3 reviews

    Three incredible action adventure games from the Castlevania series have finally returned, for the first time! But wait, there's more! Haunted Castle Revisited, a redesigned version of the very first Castlevania arcade game, makes its debut! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Castlevania Dominus Collection.

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  41. 88%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, story
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    88% User Score Based on 857 reviews

    Few are chosen. Fewer succeed. You stumble upon a battered old book and find yourself transported to the island of Myst. As you explore the surreal landscape, you quickly learn that something has gone wrong.  Terribly wrong. An ancient betrayal must be unveiled. Secret books concealed on the island of Myst lead the way to incredible worlds born of a master storyteller’s imagination. Yet one… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Myst: Masterpiece Edition.

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  42. 92%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
    92% User Score Based on 212 reviews

    An old rusty key found deep in a cave, what could it open? Explore a dense world, fight ferocious enemies, and solve puzzles in search for answers. Master key features : Item based exploration Dozens of enemies Shops, weapons, and powerups Dungeons Between 5 and 20 hours of content Lots of secrets If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Master Key.

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  43. 86%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    92% User Score Based on 3,614 reviews
    Critic Score 79%Based on 11 reviews

    Battle with swords and whips in this retro-style action game brought to you by game creator Koji Igarashi and Inti Creates! Play as Zangetsu, a demon slayer bearing a deep grudge, who must travel through perilous lands to defeat a powerful demon lurking in a dark castle. Zangetsu will meet fellow travelers along the way, who can join your journey as playable characters. Switching to these charac… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon.

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  44. 87%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    93% User Score Based on 1,823 reviews
    Critic Score 82%Based on 19 reviews

    Embark on a brand new adventure with Shantae, the hair-whipping belly dancing genie. When she loses her magic, Shantae must team up with her nemesis, the nefarious pirate Risky Boots in order to save Sequin Land from an evil curse. As a pirate, Shantae gains new weapons to advance her quest, slay monsters, battle epic bosses…and hopefully get her magic back in the bargain! But can she really trust… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Shantae and the Pirate's Curse.

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  45. 85%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    90% User Score Based on 9,804 reviews
    Critic Score 77%Based on 48 reviews

    Buy Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy on PS4. Play as Crash or his sister Coco and bound, spin, and even motorcycle your way through three mad-cap adventures. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.

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  46. 84%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
    Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
    84% User Score Based on 3,659 reviews
    Critic Score 83%Based on 2 reviews

    Deceived by the treacherous Vizier, I was led to unleash the Sands of Time curse upon the Sultan's kingdom. With little but an ancient dagger and a devious princess to aid me, I must undo my fatal mistake. Mine is a fight for survival… not glory. • Reverse, accelerate, and slow time itself with the almighty Sands of Time. • Master the Prince's speed, agility, and ferocious fighting skills. • Expl… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

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  47. 83%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    83% User Score Based on 1,263 reviews

    Environmental Station Alpha is an action adventure platformer with a retro aesthetic and heavy emphasis on exploration. In the game the player controls a robot sent to investigate a mysterious, abandoned space station with the mission to find out what exactly took place there. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Environmental Station Alpha.

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  50. 91%Game Brain Score
    Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music
    Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
    94% User Score Based on 1,112 reviews
    Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

    Infernax is the adventures of a great knight who returns to his homeland only to find it plagued with unholy magic. Uncover the mysteries of the curse and face the consequences of your actions. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Infernax.

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