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Catmaze similar games & best alternatives

Catmaze

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Linux • 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

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      4

      "Players have freedom to explore, experiment with choices and routes, and influence story outcomes."

      Capsule for DELTARUNE DELTARUNE

      "Players have freedom to explore a large map non-linearly and make choices affecting story outcomes; not heavily guided."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      3

      "Platforming and combat require skill and precision, with boss fights demanding pattern recognition and strategy."

      Capsule for TY the Tasmanian Tiger TY the Tasmanian Tiger

      "Combat and platforming require skill and precision, with some challenging boss fights and puzzles."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -4

      "Focus is on personal exploration and story progression without competitive elements or leaderboards."

      Capsule for FATAL FRAME / PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse FATAL FRAME / PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse

      "Focus is on personal exploration and story progression without competitive elements or leaderboards."

    • 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."

      Capsule for River City Girls 2 River City Girls 2

      "Players report long play sessions, replaying the game, and engagement with side quests and exploration."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

      "Single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay elements."

      Capsule for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

      "Single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay elements."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      3

      "Players can customize gear, skills, and playstyle; exploration and approach to combat allow creative choices."

      Capsule for Assassin's Creed® Origins Assassin's Creed® Origins

      "Players customize combat style via familiars and amulets; exploration and puzzle solving encourage creative approaches."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; game is single-player and narrative-driven."

      Capsule for Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

      "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; game is single-player and story-driven."

    • 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."

      Capsule for A Total War Saga: TROY A Total War Saga: TROY

      "Players use the game to immerse in a fantasy world based on Slavic mythology, escaping real life."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment, not obligation or external pressure."

      Capsule for Lies of P Lies of P

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment, not obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Players explore unique environments and try different puzzle solutions, encouraging experimentation."

      Capsule for The Dream Machine: Chapter 1 & 2 The Dream Machine: Chapter 1 & 2

      "Players try different familiars and strategies; exploration and puzzle solving encourage experimentation."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      5

      "Massive interconnected map with many secrets and backtracking; core motivation is discovery."

      Capsule for Afterimage Afterimage

      "Strong emphasis on discovering secrets, backtracking, and exploring a large interconnected map."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      2

      "Some character progression and build customization through equipment and familiars, but limited avatar personalization."

      Capsule for Crown Trick Crown Trick

      "Some character customization via familiars and amulets, but limited cosmetic or avatar personalization."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      5

      "Game deeply rooted in Slavic folklore and fairy tale fantasy with supernatural elements."

      Capsule for BLACKTAIL BLACKTAIL

      "Game is deeply rooted in Slavic mythology and fantasy storytelling with magical elements."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

      "Single-player game with minimal social interaction or community involvement."

      Capsule for NieR:Automata™ NieR:Automata™

      "Single-player game with minimal social interaction or community involvement."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      4

      "Players develop skills, learn enemy patterns, and improve through upgrades and exploration."

      Capsule for Death's Door 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."

      Capsule for BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend

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

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -4

      "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement; not designed for idle or background play."

      Capsule for Control Ultimate Edition Control Ultimate Edition

      "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement; not designed for idle or background play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -4

      "Limited to narrative character interactions; no close social relationships or multiplayer bonding."

      Capsule for Cosmic Star Heroine 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."

      Capsule for Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition

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

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Players accumulate items, upgrades, and unlock new areas through progression."

      Capsule for Bear Simulator Bear Simulator

      "Players accumulate familiars, upgrades, and items to advance and unlock new areas."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      3

      "Generally a balanced challenge with moments of flow and enjoyment."

      Capsule for Aground Aground

      "Generally balanced challenge with moments of flow; some frustration reported but overall enjoyable."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      3

      "Enjoyable pixel art, music, and atmospheric design provide sensory stimulation."

      Capsule for La-Mulana 2 La-Mulana 2

      "Appealing pixel art, music, and atmospheric design provide sensory enjoyment."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems; individual-focused gameplay."

      Capsule for Subnautica Subnautica

      "No social recognition or status systems; individual-focused gameplay."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      4

      "Engaging narrative with character interactions, lore, and side quests enriches immersion."

      Capsule for Dungeon Siege II Dungeon Siege II

      "Narrative immersion with engaging characters, side quests, and multiple endings."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      3

      "Combat and exploration require planning, pattern recognition, and tactical use of abilities and upgrades."

      Capsule for Minishoot' Adventures Minishoot' Adventures

      "Combat and exploration require planning and tactical use of familiars and upgrades."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      2

      "Some suspense and challenge in boss fights and platforming sections, but mostly controlled gameplay."

      Capsule for Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

      "Some suspense in boss fights and platforming challenges, but mostly controlled gameplay."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      4

      "Players report good value for time and money, especially given price and content."

      Capsule for Kubifaktorium Kubifaktorium

      "Players report good value for time and money, especially given game length and content."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      2

      "Combat involves fighting enemies but is not focused on gratuitous violence or destruction."

      Capsule for Loren The Amazon Princess Loren The Amazon Princess

      "Combat involves defeating enemies but is not focused on gratuitous violence or destruction."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      1

      "Some elements of resource management and avoiding damage, but low threat level overall."

      Capsule for Fishing: Barents Sea 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