ELEX similar games & best alternatives
ELEX
2017
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Quick resume
ELEX is a handcrafted action role-playing experience from the award-winning creators of the Gothic series, set in a brand new post-apocalyptic Science Fantasy universe that puts players into a huge seamless game world full of original characters, mutated creatures, deep moral choices and powerful action.
Global score
74/100
Genres
Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG)
Similar games
Pros
- Rich open world and lore
- Meaningful player choices and faction systems
- Challenging and rewarding combat progression
- Immersive companions with personal quests
- Long playtime and high replayability
Cons
- Clunky and punishing early combat
- Some bugs and technical issues
- Steep learning curve
- Limited character customization (no gender choice)
- Ui and map could be improved
Motivations
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Autonomy
Game with the same Autonomy vibe
4"Players have freedom to choose factions, quests, and play styles including rebellion, trading, or conquest."
Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword
"Players have freedom to choose factions, quests, and play styles; no hand-holding or forced linearity"
-
Competence
Game with the same Competence vibe
3"Combat is challenging especially early on and requires timing and skill development; progression involves learning new abilities and managing resources."
Risen 2: Dark Waters
"High skill and strategy needed especially early on; combat is challenging and requires mastery"
-
Competition
Game with the same Competition vibe
-4"Focus is on personal progression and exploration without mention of PvP or leaderboards."
Cathedral
"Focus is on personal progression and exploration; no mention of PvP or leaderboards"
-
Continuation
Game with the same Continuation vibe
4"Players report long play sessions, repeated attempts, and high engagement despite difficulty and frustration."
HighFleet
"Many players report long playtimes and high engagement despite initial difficulty"
-
Cooperation
Game with the same Cooperation vibe
2"Companions accompany players and contribute to combat and story, but multiplayer or cooperative play is absent."
The Outer Worlds
"Companions with their own quests and interactions support player but no multiplayer"
-
Creativity
Game with the same Creativity vibe
3"Players can customize characters extensively, craft and upgrade weapons, and choose different approaches to quests."
Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG
"Players can customize character builds, weapons, and approach quests in multiple ways"
-
Domination
Game with the same Domination vibe
-3"Interactions emphasize balanced faction relationships and consequences rather than exerting control or superiority over others."
Brigand: Oaxaca
"Interactions emphasize faction choices and consequences rather than dominance over others"
-
Escapism
Game with the same Escapism vibe
4"Immersive story and world provide strong escape from reality"
fault - milestone one
"Immersive world and story provide strong escape from real life"
-
Expectation
Game with the same Expectation vibe
-4"Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and exploration, not out of obligation"
Survival: Fountain of Youth
"Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest and exploration, not obligation"
-
Experimenting
Game with the same Experimenting vibe
3"Players try different factions, army builds, and strategies, with modes encouraging experimentation."
Brigandine The Legend of Runersia
"Players encouraged to try different factions, skills, and combat tactics"
-
Exploration
Game with the same Exploration vibe
5"Huge seamless open world with many biomes, hidden areas, and secrets to discover."
Sacred 2 Gold
"Large handcrafted open world with many secrets and varied biomes to discover"
-
Expression
Game with the same Expression vibe
3"Character skill builds and faction choices allow personal expression within the game’s systems."
Gothic II: Gold Edition
"Character builds, faction choices, and companion relationships allow personal expression"
-
Fantasy
Game with the same Fantasy vibe
4"Set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world with supernatural elements and imaginative fiction; strong narrative fantasy themes."
DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT
"Mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic fiction with imaginative lore"
-
Fellowship
Game with the same Fellowship vibe
1"Some social elements through companions and factions, but mostly single-player experience"
ELEX II
"Some social interaction with companions and factions, but primarily single-player"
-
Growth
Game with the same Growth vibe
4"Character development, skill acquisition, and learning game systems are important motivations."
Archmage Rises
"Strong emphasis on character development, skill acquisition, and learning game systems"
-
Health
Game with the same Health vibe
-4"Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; long sessions reported."
Nine Parchments
"Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; long sessions reported"
-
Idle
Game with the same Idle vibe
-4"Requires sustained attention and focus; not designed for casual or background play."
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
"Requires sustained attention and focus; not casual or background play"
-
Intimacy
Game with the same Intimacy vibe
2"Companions have personalities and some romance options; relationships are present but not deeply emotional or intimate."
Expeditions: Viking
"Companions have personal quests and relationships, including romance options"
-
Leadership
Game with the same Leadership vibe
1"Player leads companions and factions to some extent but mostly in a collaborative rather than authoritative role"
ELEX II
"Player leads companions and influences factions but no multiplayer leadership"
-
Progression
Game with the same Progression vibe
5"Strong progression through quests, skill upgrades, equipment, and faction ranks."
Risen 3 - Titan Lords
"Strong progression through leveling, gear upgrades, faction ranks, and skills"
-
Relaxation
Game with the same Relaxation vibe
-2"Early game is stressful and punishing; requires patience and persistence rather than relaxation."
Gothic 1
"Early game is stressful and punishing; later game more satisfying but still challenging"
-
Sensation
Game with the same Sensation vibe
2"Visual and auditory atmosphere creates emotional engagement and sensory immersion."
Deer Man
"Visual and auditory elements contribute to immersion and emotional engagement"
-
Status
Game with the same Status vibe
-3"No social status or leaderboard systems; focus on individual story and achievements"
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
"No social status or leaderboards; focus on individual story and progression"
-
Story
Game with the same Story vibe
5"Complex narrative with character development, faction politics, and meaningful choices"
ELEX II
"Rich narrative with faction conflicts, character development, and meaningful choices"
-
Strategy
Game with the same Strategy vibe
4"Combat and quest solving require tactical thinking, timing, and planning."
Drova - Forsaken Kin
"Combat and quest approaches require planning, timing, and tactical thinking"
-
Thrill
Game with the same Thrill vibe
3"High difficulty and risk of failure create suspense and excitement."
Intralism
"High difficulty and risk create tension and excitement, especially early on"
-
Value
Game with the same Value vibe
4"Long playtime and rich content provide strong value for time and money invested."
La-Mulana
"Long playtime and rich content provide good value for money"
-
Violence
Game with the same Violence vibe
4"Combat involves defeating enemies with weapons and skills, featuring destruction and action."
Ember Knights
"Combat involves fighting and destruction of enemies with various weapons"
-
Survival
Game with the same Survival vibe
4"Resource management and survival against threats are important gameplay aspects."
Prey
"Early game emphasizes survival against powerful enemies and resource management"
Analysis
Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation, Competition.
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.
Where to buy
Last update: 30/04/2026