CATch the Stars similar games & best alternatives

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CATch the Stars

PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch • 2020

Should you play it?

CATch the Stars is a minimalist puzzle with a pleasant and original soundtrack. Click on the right star, solve the puzzles and form constellations with a beautiful and relaxing environment. No score, no timer and no pressure.

What works
  • Relaxing and calming atmosphere
  • Simple yet engaging puzzle mechanics
  • Pleasant music and visuals
  • Good value for price
  • Progressive difficulty and achievement system
Things to keep in mind
  • Very short gameplay duration
  • Lack of instructions or tutorial
  • No undo move feature
  • Minimal story and character involvement
  • No multiplayer or social features

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Archaica: The Path of Light

  • Tales of the Orient: The Rising Sun

  • Mars Power Industries Deluxe

  • Golf Peaks

  • A Monster's Expedition

  • Patrick's Parabox

  • Orbox C

  • Lowglow

  • Machinika: Museum
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Archaica: The Path of Light

  • Tales of the Orient: The Rising Sun

  • Mars Power Industries Deluxe
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Relaxation

    LEGO® Builder's Journey
  • Value

    Tick Tock Isle
  • Autonomy

    Wayout

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).

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

Why this game works

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

  • Autonomy

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    4

    "Players freely choose how to approach puzzles and decide their own moves without imposed routines."

    Capsule for Wayout Wayout

    "Players freely decide the order to move stars and solve puzzles without imposed routines."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

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    "Puzzles require logical thinking and problem solving, providing a moderate challenge with feedback through progression."

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    "Puzzles require logical thinking and planning, providing a moderate challenge with feedback through success or reset."

  • Competition

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    "Focus is on personal puzzle solving at own pace; no competitive or ranked elements mentioned."

    Capsule for Back to Bed Back to Bed

    "Focus is on personal puzzle solving at own pace; no competitive or ranked elements."

  • Continuation

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    "Players report enjoying the game enough to replay minigames and spend several hours, though it is a short experience."

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    "Some players report replaying multiple times and enjoying the relaxing experience, but game is short and can be completed quickly."

  • Cooperation

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    "Single-player puzzle game with no multiplayer or cooperative features."

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  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

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    "Limited creativity mainly in puzzle solving and piece placement; no creation or modification of content."

    Capsule for Cats Huddled Together 挤在一起的猫猫们 Cats Huddled Together 挤在一起的猫猫们

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  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

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    "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; purely individual puzzle solving."

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  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

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    "Many reviews highlight relaxing, calming, and stress-relieving qualities, providing a mental break from real life."

    Capsule for Pan'orama Pan'orama

    "Many reviews highlight relaxing, calming, and stress-relieving qualities, providing escape from real life."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

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    "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and relaxation, no obligation or pressure reported."

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    "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and relaxation, no obligation or pressure reported."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    3

    "Players explore complex mechanics, experiment with tactics, and learn through trial and error."

    Capsule for Wolfpack Wolfpack

    "Players learn mechanics by trial and error and experiment with move orders to solve puzzles."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

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    "Some discovery in puzzle solutions and user-created levels, but limited spatial exploration."

    Capsule for Eets Munchies Eets Munchies

    "Some discovery in learning new puzzle mechanics and constellations, but limited spatial exploration."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    -3

    "Minimal customization or personalization options; standard presentation throughout."

    Capsule for Fruit Mountain Fruit Mountain

    "Minimal customization or personalization; standard visual presentation with fixed art and music."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    2

    "Light fantasy elements through imaginative stories from cat’s adventures and anthropomorphic cat behavior."

    Capsule for Screen Cat Screen Cat

    "Light fantasy theme with imaginative cat traveling and constellations, but grounded in simple puzzle mechanics."

  • Fellowship

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    "No social or community features; strictly single-player experience."

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  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

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    "Players develop puzzle-solving skills and learn new mechanics progressively."

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    "Players develop puzzle-solving skills and learn new mechanics progressively."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

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    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    Capsule for Car Manufacture Car Manufacture

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

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    "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles; not suited for background or idle play."

    Capsule for Lumino City Lumino City

    "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles; no background or idle play."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

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    "No social or emotional relationship building; solitary gameplay."

    Capsule for Share Share

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  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management elements present."

    Capsule for FORM FORM

    "No leadership or group management elements present."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    3

    "Progression through unlocking and completing puzzle levels and achievements."

    Capsule for Missing Translation Missing Translation

    "Progression through 50 levels unlocking new puzzles and mechanics; achievement completion."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    5

    "Highly relaxing atmosphere with soothing music and gentle puzzle challenges."

    Capsule for LEGO® Builder's Journey LEGO® Builder's Journey

    "Strongly relaxing atmosphere with calming music and gentle puzzle difficulty."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

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    "Pleasant visual and auditory stimuli with cute art and calming soundtrack."

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    "Pleasant visual and auditory stimuli with soothing soundtrack and cute art."

  • Status

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    "No social recognition or status systems; individual play without visibility."

    Capsule for Outlast Outlast

    "No social recognition or status systems; individual play without visibility."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

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    "Minimal narrative; mostly context-free puzzle gameplay."

    Capsule for Sometimes: Success Requires Sacrifice Sometimes: Success Requires Sacrifice

    "Minimal story limited to intro/outro; gameplay is mostly context-free puzzle solving."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    3

    "Requires planning and logical sequencing to solve puzzles effectively."

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    "Requires planning and logical sequencing to solve puzzles effectively."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    -3

    "Low suspense or risk; calm and predictable puzzle solving."

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    "Low suspense or risk; calm and predictable puzzle solving."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    5

    "Highly praised for excellent value given low price and enjoyable experience."

    Capsule for Tick Tock Isle Tick Tock Isle

    "Highly praised for excellent value given low price and enjoyable experience."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    -5

    "No violence; gameplay focuses on constructive puzzle solving."

    Capsule for The House of Da Vinci 2 The House of Da Vinci 2

    "No violence; gameplay focused on constructive puzzle solving."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    -5

    "No survival or threat elements; stable and safe puzzle environment."

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Last update: 12/07/2026