Cards of Cthulhu similar games & best alternatives

Cards of Cthulhu - cards-of-cthulhu_1.avif
Cards of Cthulhu - cards-of-cthulhu_2.avif
Cards of Cthulhu - cards-of-cthulhu_3.avif
Cards of Cthulhu - cards-of-cthulhu_4.avif
Cards of Cthulhu - cards-of-cthulhu_5.avif
Cards of Cthulhu - cards-of-cthulhu_6.avif

Cards of Cthulhu

Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac • 2016

Should you play it?

CARDS OF CTHULHU is the Roguelike Card RPG full of madness. Experience the unique combination of strategic deck-building with fast-paced combat and face-off parody monsters from horror B movies.

What works
  • Accessible and quick to pick up
  • Unique blend of real-time card battles and roguelike elements
  • Low price with decent challenge
  • Distinctive art style
  • Progression through unlocking cards and difficulty modes
Things to keep in mind
  • Limited card variety and repetitive enemies
  • Minimal narrative and superficial lovecraft theme
  • Lack of multiplayer or social features
  • Short overall content and replayability
  • Audio and visual repetition

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Asgard's Fall: Origins

  • Pixel Survivors : Roguelike

  • Pixel Puzzles: UndeadZ

  • Iron Sea Defenders

  • Fray Fight

  • 10,000,000

  • Fights in Tight Spaces

  • Battle Group 2

  • Insect Swarm
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Pixel Survivors : Roguelike

  • Iron Sea Defenders

  • Polygon Attack
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Progression

    Blood Card
  • Value

    My Cute Commissar
  • Autonomy

    Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers

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 for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • 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).

Cards of Cthulhu: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Story, Fantasy, Exploration, Intimacy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Violence. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Competition, Expression.

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 can plan and adapt their deck and strategies based on visible opponent decks and card probabilities, allowing meaningful decision-making rather than following preset routines."

    Capsule for Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers

    "Players choose cards to build their deck and decide when to play them in real-time battles, allowing some control over strategy despite limited deck size."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    2

    "Game requires skillful deck management and tactical play, but high RNG and unbalanced cards reduce consistent skill expression."

    Capsule for Super Bullet Break Super Bullet Break

    "The game requires timing and strategic card use, but the limited card pool and repetitive enemy patterns reduce the depth of skill needed."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -5

    "Single-player game with no multiplayer or ranked modes; focus is on personal progression and self-set goals."

    Capsule for Love n War: Hero by Chance Love n War: Hero by Chance

    "Entirely single-player with no multiplayer or ranked modes; focus is on personal progression and self-challenge."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    1

    "Short sessions with incremental progression encourage repeated play, but many players find the game repetitive and tend to stop after completion."

    Capsule for Agrivore: Incremental Farming Agrivore: Incremental Farming

    "Short sessions with roguelike progression encourage repeated play, but repetitive content and limited variety reduce long-term engagement."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -5

    "No cooperative or multiplayer features; gameplay is entirely solo."

    Capsule for Hands of Necromancy Hands of Necromancy

    "No cooperative or multiplayer features; gameplay is solo only."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    1

    "Deck building and card customization allow creative strategies, though within predefined card sets."

    Capsule for Yu-Gi-Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION Yu-Gi-Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION

    "Some deck-building and card synergy choices exist, but limited card variety and random draws constrain creative strategies."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "No social or multiplayer dominance elements; interactions are individual and non-competitive."

    Capsule for Super Bullet Break Super Bullet Break

    "No social or competitive dominance elements; interactions are purely single-player."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    3

    "Players use the game for fun, relaxation, and distraction from real life, enjoying social and creative escape."

    Capsule for Scribble It! Scribble It!

    "Players use the game as a distraction and quick entertainment; some find it relaxing and a brief escape from real life."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily for fun and challenge; no evidence of obligation or external pressure to play."

    Capsule for Remnant: From the Ashes Remnant: From the Ashes

    "Players engage voluntarily for fun and challenge; no evidence of obligation or external pressure to play."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    2

    "Players explore strategies and learn card combinations; limited rule variations reduce novelty."

    Capsule for Koi-Koi Japan [Hanafuda playing cards] Koi-Koi Japan [Hanafuda playing cards]

    "Players experiment with card combinations and timing, though limited card pool and repetitive enemies restrict novelty."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    -3

    "Game progression is linear with limited areas and no open exploration or discovery."

    Capsule for Magic Archery Magic Archery

    "Game progression is linear with fixed enemy encounters; minimal discovery or new area exploration."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    -4

    "No character customization or avatar personalization; visual style is fixed and cartoonish."

    Capsule for Mad Bullets Mad Bullets

    "No character customization or avatar personalization; visual style is fixed and standardized."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    2

    "Cartoonish monsters and a simple story provide a light fantasy setting, though minimal narrative depth."

    Capsule for Bomb The Monsters! Bomb The Monsters!

    "The game features Lovecraft-inspired monsters and a fictional setting, but narrative and mythos depth are minimal."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -5

    "No social or community features; gameplay is individual and isolated."

    Capsule for Echoes+ Echoes+

    "No community or social features; gameplay is isolated and individual."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    3

    "Players learn enemy patterns, improve skills, and unlock meta progression and new items over time."

    Capsule for Beat Blast Beat Blast

    "Players unlock new cards and increase stats through progression, learning enemy patterns and improving strategy."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

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

    Capsule for Capes Capes

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

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Requires player attention to set up and manage battles; not designed for passive or background play."

    Capsule for Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator 2 Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator 2

    "Requires player attention and active decision-making during real-time battles; not suitable for passive play."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -5

    "No social or emotional relationship-building elements present."

    Capsule for Gorogoa Gorogoa

    "No social or emotional relationship-building elements present."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management mechanics; single-player experience."

    Capsule for ONE PIECE World Seeker ONE PIECE World Seeker

    "No leadership or group management mechanics; purely single-player experience."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    4

    "Strong progression through unlocking cards, achievements, and increasing difficulty levels."

    Capsule for Blood Card Blood Card

    "Strong progression through unlocking cards, increasing health, and accessing harder difficulty modes."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    1

    "Some players find the game relaxing and enjoyable, though battles can be intense."

    Capsule for Supreme Commander 2 Supreme Commander 2

    "Some players find the game relaxing and a good way to unwind, though others find repetitive battles stressful."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    1

    "Enjoyable art style, music, and sound effects provide sensory stimulation, though some found audio repetitive."

    Capsule for Adventure Time: Finn and Jake's Epic Quest Adventure Time: Finn and Jake's Epic Quest

    "Art style and sound effects provide moderate sensory stimulation; some find the visuals appealing but audio repetitive."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -5

    "No social recognition or status systems; achievements exist but are personal and not publicly ranked."

    Capsule for Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York

    "No social recognition or status systems; achievements exist but are personal and not publicly ranked."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    -3

    "Minimal narrative; focus is on gameplay mechanics rather than story immersion."

    Capsule for Idle Pixel Fantasy Idle Pixel Fantasy

    "Minimal narrative present; story is superficial and mostly conveyed outside gameplay, with little immersion."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    3

    "Requires timing, combo planning, and adapting to enemy patterns, though not deeply complex strategy."

    Capsule for Hi-Fi RUSH Hi-Fi RUSH

    "Requires tactical timing and deck-building decisions, though limited card variety and repetitive enemies reduce complexity."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    1

    "Some tension in battles but overall predictable and casual gameplay."

    Capsule for Aeon Command Aeon Command

    "Some tension from real-time battles and timing, but overall predictable and repetitive gameplay limits thrill."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    4

    "Low price and short playtime provide good value for casual players seeking light entertainment."

    Capsule for My Cute Commissar My Cute Commissar

    "Low price and short playtime provide good value for casual players seeking quick, inexpensive entertainment."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    3

    "Combat-focused gameplay involving defeating monsters and bosses."

    Capsule for Quest of Dungeons Quest of Dungeons

    "Combat-focused gameplay involving attacking monsters with cards and automatic damage."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    2

    "Players must manage health and resources to survive waves of enemies and bosses."

    Capsule for Castle Crashers® Castle Crashers®

    "Players must manage health and card resources to survive waves of enemies and bosses."

Last update: 09/07/2026