Ascent of Ashes similar games & best alternatives

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Ascent of Ashes

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2025

Should you play it?

A colony sim set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia. Build and defend your base. Manage your survivors. Engage raiders, aliens, Remnant soldiers and other factions in real-time-with-pause combat. Or use stealth to outwit them. Explore the massive world. Survive at all costs

What works
  • Strong potential and foundation
  • Active and responsive developers
  • Creative base building and customization
  • Tactical combat with z-levels
  • Affordable price for early access
Things to keep in mind
  • Numerous bugs and performance issues
  • Lack of tutorial and quality of life features
  • Limited content and progression
  • Clunky controls and ui
  • Save/load instability

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Here Comes The Swarm

  • Void War

  • Beyond the Map

  • Organ Trail: Director's Cut

  • Yggdra Union

  • Craft Hero

  • IDUN - Frontline Survival

  • Railroads & Catacombs

  • Roman Triumph: Survival City Builder

Search more ->

Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Blightstone

  • Approaching Infinity

  • Goblins of Elderstone
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Autonomy

    Mercury Fallen
  • Creativity

    My Colony
  • Escapism

    Galactic Glitch

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

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

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • 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 (hidden on purpose).

Ascent of Ashes: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Fellowship, Intimacy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Story, Growth.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    3

    "Players indirectly control colonists by assigning roles and priorities, but colonists act autonomously within those constraints."

    Capsule for Mercury Fallen Mercury Fallen

    "Players can direct colonists' actions but control is limited and sometimes frustrating; some automation but many manual controls needed."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    2

    "Game involves managing multiple tasks and mini-games requiring attention and skill, but many players find it repetitive and some mechanics buggy."

    Capsule for Pets Hotel Pets Hotel

    "Game involves skillful management and overcoming bugs; however, many tasks are repetitive and some mechanics are underdeveloped."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -4

    "Focus is on personal colony management and survival rather than competing against others."

    Capsule for Grim Realms Grim Realms

    "Focus is on personal colony management and survival rather than competing against others."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    2

    "Players report habitual play, replaying arenas and training; some frustration with bugs may reduce continuous engagement."

    Capsule for Gladius | Gladiator VR Sword fighting Gladius | Gladiator VR Sword fighting

    "Players show willingness to keep playing and supporting despite bugs, indicating some habitual engagement."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -3

    "Gameplay centers on managing own colony with limited multiplayer or cooperative features."

    Capsule for Odd Realm Odd Realm

    "Gameplay centers on individual colony management with limited multiplayer or cooperative elements."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    3

    "Players design and expand colonies with choice of buildings and layouts, though some UI limitations reduce ease of creative planning."

    Capsule for My Colony My Colony

    "Players can build multi-floor structures, customize colonists, and manage base layouts, supporting creative expression."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -4

    "Interactions are mostly with AI enemies; no evidence of player dominance over others."

    Capsule for Craft Hero Craft Hero

    "Interactions are mostly with environment and AI enemies, no evidence of player dominance over others."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    3

    "Players use the game as a fun distraction and immersive experience away from real life."

    Capsule for Galactic Glitch Galactic Glitch

    "Players use the game as a distraction and immersive survival experience away from real life."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and support for the developer, not obligation."

    Capsule for Sirius Sirius

    "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and support for the devs, not out of obligation."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    3

    "Players try new tools, explore different wrecks, and experiment with crafting and base building."

    Capsule for Breathedge Breathedge

    "Players explore mechanics, try expeditions, and experiment with base building despite bugs and limitations."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    2

    "Map exploration and resource gathering are part of gameplay, though the environment is fixed; some discovery involved."

    Capsule for Eternal Return Eternal Return

    "Expeditions and map exploration are part of gameplay, though limited by current content and bugs."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    3

    "Character customization and cosmetic options allow for player self-expression."

    Capsule for Red Eclipse Red Eclipse

    "Colonist cosmetic customization and gear appearance options allow for player self-expression."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    2

    "Set in a post-apocalyptic fictional world with imaginative traps and characters, but grounded in plausible gameplay mechanics."

    Capsule for Meet Your Maker Meet Your Maker

    "Game features a post-apocalyptic setting with tactical combat and survival elements, somewhat fictional but grounded."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -3

    "Minimal social or community features; mostly single-player experience with limited social interaction."

    Capsule for Rise of Piracy Rise of Piracy

    "Minimal social or community features; mostly single-player experience."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    2

    "Players learn complex systems and improve colony management skills over time."

    Capsule for Odd Realm Odd Realm

    "Players learn and improve colony management skills, though limited by current game state."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -4

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity elements."

    Capsule for Dungreed Dungreed

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity elements."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Requires player attention and active management; not suitable for background or idle play."

    Capsule for HELLMART HELLMART

    "Requires player attention and management; not suited for idle or background play."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -4

    "No evidence of close social relationships or emotional sharing among players."

    Capsule for Shortest Trip to Earth Shortest Trip to Earth

    "No evidence of close social relationships or emotional sharing between players."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    2

    "Players direct and manage colonists and production, but no multiplayer leadership roles."

    Capsule for Kubifaktorium Kubifaktorium

    "Players lead and manage colonists but lack complex leadership dynamics or authority over others."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    3

    "Players unlock new technologies, build upgrades, and expand their colony progressively."

    Capsule for Mercury Fallen Mercury Fallen

    "Players accumulate resources, research technologies, and upgrade their colony over time."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    0

    "Mixed experience: some find it relaxing, others find it frustrating due to bugs and difficulty."

    Capsule for Grim Realms Grim Realms

    "Mixed experience: some find it relaxing, others frustrated by bugs and performance issues."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    2

    "Pleasant visuals, music, and sound design provide sensory enjoyment."

    Capsule for Bee Simulator Bee Simulator

    "Visuals and sound design are appreciated and contribute to sensory enjoyment."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -4

    "No social recognition or status systems apparent."

    Capsule for I Am Cat I Am Cat

    "No social recognition or status systems apparent."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    0

    "Minimal narrative with some questlines; primarily a sandbox experience without strong story focus."

    Capsule for Helium Rain Helium Rain

    "Minimal narrative or lore currently; focus is on sandbox colony simulation."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    3

    "Players engage in tactical planning, squad building, and resource management requiring strategic thinking."

    Capsule for WE ARE FOOTBALL WE ARE FOOTBALL

    "Players engage in planning, resource management, and tactical combat requiring strategic thinking."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    2

    "Combat and survival elements provide moments of tension and excitement."

    Capsule for TerraTech TerraTech

    "Combat and survival elements provide moments of tension and excitement."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    2

    "Players feel they get good entertainment value especially supporting an indie solo developer despite early access state."

    Capsule for Trench Tales Trench Tales

    "Players perceive value in supporting an indie project with potential despite current rough state."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    3

    "Combat and destruction of enemies are core gameplay elements."

    Capsule for Cozy Space Survivors Cozy Space Survivors

    "Combat and destruction of enemies are core gameplay elements."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    3

    "Survival elements like hunting, resource management, and avoiding threats are central to gameplay."

    Capsule for The WILDS The WILDS

    "Survival mechanics and threat management are central to gameplay."

Last update: 19/07/2026