Catmaze similar games & best alternatives
Catmaze
2018
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Quick resume
Catmaze is a fairy metroidvania inspired by Slavic myths. Age-old tales will come to life in the unforgettable adventure of Alesta, a sorceress whose courage guides her through mysterious paths and dark forests in search of the lost road to Nav, the world of the dead.
Global score
84/100
Genres
Action, Adventure, Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Platform
Similar games
Pros
- Engaging exploration and map design
- Unique slavic mythology setting
- Varied familiars and combat options
- Strong narrative and characters
- Appealing pixel art and music
Cons
- Some control and hitbox issues
- Minor bugs and glitches
- Clunky platforming sections
- Lack of polish in animations
- Limited replayability beyond 100%
Motivations
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Autonomy
Game with the same Autonomy vibe
4"Players have freedom to explore, experiment with choices and routes, and influence story outcomes."
DELTARUNE
"Players have freedom to explore a large map non-linearly and make choices affecting story outcomes; not heavily guided."
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Competence
Game with the same Competence vibe
3"Platforming and combat require skill and precision, with boss fights demanding pattern recognition and strategy."
TY the Tasmanian Tiger
"Combat and platforming require skill and precision, with some challenging boss fights and puzzles."
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Competition
Game with the same Competition vibe
-4"Focus is on personal exploration and story progression without competitive elements or leaderboards."
FATAL FRAME / PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
"Focus is on personal exploration and story progression without competitive elements or leaderboards."
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Continuation
Game with the same Continuation vibe
4"Players report long play sessions, replaying the game multiple times, and engaging with side quests and collectibles."
River City Girls 2
"Players report long play sessions, replaying the game, and engagement with side quests and exploration."
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Cooperation
Game with the same Cooperation vibe
-5"Single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay elements."
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
"Single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay elements."
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Creativity
Game with the same Creativity vibe
3"Players can customize gear, skills, and playstyle; exploration and approach to combat allow creative choices."
Assassin's Creed® Origins
"Players customize combat style via familiars and amulets; exploration and puzzle solving encourage creative approaches."
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Domination
Game with the same Domination vibe
-5"No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; game is single-player and narrative-driven."
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
"No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; game is single-player and story-driven."
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Escapism
Game with the same Escapism vibe
4"Players use the game to immerse in Greek mythology and epic battles, escaping into a richly detailed fantasy-historical world."
A Total War Saga: TROY
"Players use the game to immerse in a fantasy world based on Slavic mythology, escaping real life."
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Expectation
Game with the same Expectation vibe
-4"Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment, not obligation or external pressure."
Lies of P
"Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment, not obligation or external pressure."
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Experimenting
Game with the same Experimenting vibe
3"Players explore unique environments and try different puzzle solutions, encouraging experimentation."
The Dream Machine: Chapter 1 & 2
"Players try different familiars and strategies; exploration and puzzle solving encourage experimentation."
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Exploration
Game with the same Exploration vibe
5"Massive interconnected map with many secrets and backtracking; core motivation is discovery."
Afterimage
"Strong emphasis on discovering secrets, backtracking, and exploring a large interconnected map."
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Expression
Game with the same Expression vibe
2"Some character progression and build customization through equipment and familiars, but limited avatar personalization."
Crown Trick
"Some character customization via familiars and amulets, but limited cosmetic or avatar personalization."
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Fantasy
Game with the same Fantasy vibe
5"Game deeply rooted in Slavic folklore and fairy tale fantasy with supernatural elements."
BLACKTAIL
"Game is deeply rooted in Slavic mythology and fantasy storytelling with magical elements."
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Fellowship
Game with the same Fellowship vibe
-5"Single-player game with minimal social interaction or community involvement."
NieR:Automata™
"Single-player game with minimal social interaction or community involvement."
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Growth
Game with the same Growth vibe
4"Players develop skills, learn enemy patterns, and improve through upgrades and exploration."
Death's Door
"Players develop skills, learn enemy patterns, and improve through upgrades and exploration."
-
Health
Game with the same Health vibe
-5"Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend
"Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."
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Idle
Game with the same Idle vibe
-4"Requires focused attention and continuous engagement; not designed for idle or background play."
Control Ultimate Edition
"Requires focused attention and continuous engagement; not designed for idle or background play."
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Intimacy
Game with the same Intimacy vibe
-4"Limited to narrative character interactions; no close social relationships or multiplayer bonding."
Cosmic Star Heroine
"Limited to narrative character interactions; no close social relationships or multiplayer bonding."
-
Leadership
Game with the same Leadership vibe
-5"No leadership or group management elements; single-player experience."
Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition
"No leadership or group management elements; single-player experience."
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Progression
Game with the same Progression vibe
4"Players accumulate items, upgrades, and unlock new areas through progression."
Bear Simulator
"Players accumulate familiars, upgrades, and items to advance and unlock new areas."
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Relaxation
Game with the same Relaxation vibe
3"Generally a balanced challenge with moments of flow and enjoyment."
Aground
"Generally balanced challenge with moments of flow; some frustration reported but overall enjoyable."
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Sensation
Game with the same Sensation vibe
3"Enjoyable pixel art, music, and atmospheric design provide sensory stimulation."
La-Mulana 2
"Appealing pixel art, music, and atmospheric design provide sensory enjoyment."
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Status
Game with the same Status vibe
-5"No social recognition or status systems; individual-focused gameplay."
Subnautica
"No social recognition or status systems; individual-focused gameplay."
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Story
Game with the same Story vibe
4"Engaging narrative with character interactions, lore, and side quests enriches immersion."
Dungeon Siege II
"Narrative immersion with engaging characters, side quests, and multiple endings."
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Strategy
Game with the same Strategy vibe
3"Combat and exploration require planning, pattern recognition, and tactical use of abilities and upgrades."
Minishoot' Adventures
"Combat and exploration require planning and tactical use of familiars and upgrades."
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Thrill
Game with the same Thrill vibe
2"Some suspense and challenge in boss fights and platforming sections, but mostly controlled gameplay."
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
"Some suspense in boss fights and platforming challenges, but mostly controlled gameplay."
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Value
Game with the same Value vibe
4"Players report good value for time and money, especially given price and content."
Kubifaktorium
"Players report good value for time and money, especially given game length and content."
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Violence
Game with the same Violence vibe
2"Combat involves fighting enemies but is not focused on gratuitous violence or destruction."
Loren The Amazon Princess
"Combat involves defeating enemies but is not focused on gratuitous violence or destruction."
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Survival
Game with the same Survival vibe
1"Some elements of resource management and avoiding damage, but low threat level overall."
Fishing: Barents Sea
"Some resource management and avoiding damage, but overall moderate threat level."
Analysis
A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Cooperation, Leadership, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration, Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Survival.
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