1979 Revolution: Black Friday Thumbnail

1979 Revolution: Black Friday similar games & best alternatives

1979 Revolution: Black Friday

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, Nintendo Switch • 2016

Related articles

Quick resume

1979 Revolution: Black Friday is a choice driven, narrative game that brings players into the brooding world of a nation on the verge of collapse. Play as Reza, an aspiring photojournalist, and make life and death decisions as you survive the gritty streets of Iran in the late 1970’s.

Global score

77/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Immersive historical narrative
    • Well-written characters and dialogue
    • Educational content with real photos and documents
    • Emotional and thought-provoking story
    • Affordable price

    Cons

    • Very short gameplay length
    • Limited impact of player choices
    • Basic and minimal gameplay mechanics
    • Some technical issues and bugs
    • Abrupt and incomplete ending

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      3

      "Players make dialogue and action choices affecting story details and character interactions, though overall plot is mostly linear."

      Capsule for The Detail The Detail

      "Players make dialogue and action choices that influence character behavior and story tone, though the overall plot remains linear."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      -2

      "Gameplay is simple and mostly involves selecting options and minor gestures, with limited skill or challenge."

      Capsule for Erica Erica

      "Gameplay is simple with limited skill challenges, mostly quick-time events and basic interactions."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -5

      "No competitive elements or player comparison; focus is on personal narrative experience."

      Capsule for The Invincible The Invincible

      "No competitive elements or player comparison; focus is on personal narrative experience."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      -3

      "Short game (~1.5-2 hours) with limited replay value, leading to relatively low long-term engagement."

      Capsule for Evo Explores Evo Explores

      "Short game (~2 hours) with some replay value but limited long-term engagement."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -4

      "Single player experience focused on individual narrative; no multiplayer or teamwork."

      Capsule for Introvert: A Teenager Simulator Introvert: A Teenager Simulator

      "Single-player experience focused on individual story; no multiplayer or teamwork."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      1

      "Some player choice in dialogue and decisions, but within a fixed narrative and limited gameplay variation."

      Capsule for The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries

      "Some player choice in dialogue and actions, but within a fixed narrative framework."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; story-driven personal experience."

      Capsule for STEINS;GATE STEINS;GATE

      "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; story-driven and empathetic."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Immersive historical setting and narrative provide a strong escape from real life."

      Capsule for A Legionary's Life A Legionary's Life

      "Immersive historical setting provides escape into a different culture and time."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest in story and history; no obligation or pressure reported."

      Capsule for Martial Law Martial Law

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest in history and story; no obligation or pressure."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      2

      "Players explore different dialogue options and story branches, though within a fixed narrative framework."

      Capsule for Tales from the Borderlands Tales from the Borderlands

      "Players explore different dialogue choices and minor story branches on replay."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      1

      "Limited environmental exploration within small areas; focus is on narrative and dialogue rather than open-world discovery."

      Capsule for The Wolf Among Us The Wolf Among Us

      "Limited environmental exploration; focus on narrative and interacting with objects."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      -3

      "Minimal customization or self-expression; character and environment are predefined."

      Capsule for Plasticity Plasticity

      "Minimal customization or self-expression; character and setting are predefined."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      -5

      "Highly realistic and grounded in historical events with no fictional or fantastical elements."

      Capsule for Six Days in Fallujah Six Days in Fallujah

      "Based on realistic historical events with no fictional or fantastical elements."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -4

      "Primarily a solitary experience with minimal social interaction."

      Capsule for Nurse Love Addiction Nurse Love Addiction

      "Primarily a solitary experience with limited social interaction."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      3

      "Players learn about Iranian history and political events, gaining knowledge and insight."

      Capsule for The Cat and the Coup The Cat and the Coup

      "Players learn about Iranian history and culture through story and collectible content."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

      Capsule for THE ENIGMA MACHINE THE ENIGMA MACHINE

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires focused attention on dialogue and choices; not designed for casual or background play."

      Capsule for Arcade Spirits Arcade Spirits

      "Requires focused attention during dialogue and quick-time events; not casual or background play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      2

      "Emotional connection to characters and story creates a sense of closeness."

      Capsule for planetarian HD planetarian HD

      "Emotional connections to characters and story foster some sense of closeness."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -4

      "No leadership or group management roles; player acts individually within a scripted narrative."

      Capsule for Metro: Last Light Redux Metro: Last Light Redux

      "No leadership or group management; player follows scripted narrative."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      1

      "Progression through story chapters and unlocking endings; no item or power accumulation."

      Capsule for Destiny's Princess: A War Story, A Love Story Destiny's Princess: A War Story, A Love Story

      "Some progression through story chapters and unlocking historical content, but no item or power accumulation."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      -1

      "Tense atmosphere with moments of suspense; not primarily relaxing."

      Capsule for Layers of Fear 2 (2019) Layers of Fear 2 (2019)

      "Tense and emotional narrative with moments of stress and urgency."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      1

      "Moderate sensory stimulation through voice acting, music, and visuals; not intense or highly stimulating."

      Capsule for Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases

      "Moderate sensory stimulation through voice acting and atmospheric audio, but not intense."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems; individual experience."

      Capsule for The Turing Test The Turing Test

      "No social recognition or status systems; individual experience."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      5

      "Strong narrative immersion with well-written story, character development, and historical context."

      Capsule for Yasuke Simulator Yasuke Simulator

      "Strong narrative immersion with well-developed characters and historical context."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      -3

      "Limited strategic or problem-solving gameplay; mostly dialogue choices and QTEs."

      Capsule for The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries

      "Limited strategic or problem-solving gameplay; mostly dialogue choices and QTEs."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      2

      "Some suspense and tension in story and interrogation moments, but overall controlled experience."

      Capsule for Chicken Police - Paint it RED! Chicken Police - Paint it RED!

      "Some suspense and emotional tension in interrogation and revolution scenes."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      1

      "Generally perceived as good value for a short but high-quality narrative experience, though some note short length."

      Capsule for Necrobarista Necrobarista

      "Good educational and narrative value for price, though short length noted."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      -2

      "Violence is present in story but not glorified or emphasized in gameplay; focus is on survival and moral dilemmas."

      Capsule for Richard & Alice Richard & Alice

      "Violence is depicted but player engagement is mostly non-violent; focus on story."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      1

      "Some elements of avoiding danger and uncovering threats, but no active survival mechanics."

      Capsule for Scratches - Director's Cut Scratches - Director's Cut

      "Some scenes involve avoiding danger or death, but minimal survival mechanics."

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Strategy, Survival, Competence, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Survival. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fantasy, Relaxation.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Last update: 30/04/2026