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In Sound Mind similar games & best alternatives

In Sound Mind

PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 • 2021

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Quick resume

In Sound Mind is an imaginative first-person psychological horror with frenetic puzzles, unique boss fights, and original music by The Living Tombstone. Journey within the inner workings of the one place you can’t seem to escape—your own mind.

Global score

95/100

Genres

Action, Indie, Adventure, Platform, Shooter, Puzzle

Similar games

    Pros

    • Engaging psychological horror story
    • Unique and clever puzzles
    • Immersive atmosphere and sound design
    • Creative level and enemy design
    • Excellent soundtrack by the living tombstone

    Cons

    • Performance and optimization issues
    • Some clunky combat mechanics
    • Occasional frustrating puzzles
    • Minor bugs and softlocks reported
    • Limited replay incentives beyond achievements

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

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      4

      "Players have freedom to explore large open areas, choose stealth or combat approaches, and solve puzzles with multiple methods."

      Capsule for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

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    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

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      "Puzzles require deduction and some trial and error; combat is basic but requires resource management and aiming skills."

      Capsule for ZERO PROTOCOL ZERO PROTOCOL

      "Puzzles require logical thinking and some skill; combat is straightforward but requires some aiming and resource management."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -5

      "Single-player experience focused on personal story and exploration without competitive elements."

      Capsule for The Medium The Medium

      "Single-player experience focused on personal story and exploration without competitive elements."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      4

      "Players report being hooked for long sessions, with compelling story and gameplay loops encouraging habitual play."

      Capsule for Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

      "Many players report being hooked for long sessions, with engaging story and atmosphere encouraging continued play."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

      "Entirely single-player with no cooperative or multiplayer components."

      Capsule for System Shock System Shock

      "Entirely single-player with no cooperative or multiplayer components."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      4

      "Highly creative art style, unique storylines, and inventive puzzles encourage creative problem solving."

      Capsule for Broken Age Broken Age

      "Unique puzzles, inventive mechanics tied to story and characters, and creative level design."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No social dominance or power over others; focus on individual experience."

      Capsule for In Between In Between

      "No social dominance or power over others; focus is on individual experience."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Strong psychological horror and surreal atmosphere provide immersive escape from reality."

      Capsule for REVEIL REVEIL

      "Strong psychological horror and surreal environments provide immersive escape from reality."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and intrinsic motivation for story and atmosphere."

      Capsule for The Last Door - Collector's Edition The Last Door - Collector's Edition

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and intrinsic motivation for story and atmosphere."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Players explore and experiment with various puzzle mechanisms and objects to discover solutions."

      Capsule for The Room Two The Room Two

      "Players experiment with various gadgets and puzzle solutions, exploring different mechanics."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      4

      "Encouraged to discover new areas, hidden chests, and lore through exploration."

      Capsule for REKA REKA

      "Encouraged to explore detailed environments, find hidden lore, collectibles, and secrets."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      -3

      "Limited customization; focus is on narrative and puzzle solving rather than avatar or environment personalization."

      Capsule for The Rewinder The Rewinder

      "Limited customization; focus is on narrative and puzzle solving rather than avatar personalization."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      4

      "Surreal, psychological horror with supernatural and imaginative elements."

      Capsule for Close Your Eyes [Old Version] Close Your Eyes [Old Version]

      "Surreal, psychological horror setting with imaginative and symbolic environments."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

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

      Capsule for STEINS;GATE ELITE STEINS;GATE ELITE

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

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      3

      "Players develop problem-solving skills and learn new mechanics throughout the game."

      Capsule for Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse

      "Players develop problem-solving skills and learn new mechanics throughout the game."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay typical of single-player PC games; no physical activity involved."

      Capsule for The Last of Us™ Part I The Last of Us™ Part I

      "Sedentary gameplay typical of single-player PC games; no physical activity involved."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -4

      "Requires focused attention and engagement due to challenging combat and puzzles."

      Capsule for SILENT HILL f SILENT HILL f

      "Requires focused attention and engagement; puzzles and combat demand active play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -4

      "Emotional connection to story and characters but no social or close interpersonal interactions."

      Capsule for LOST EMBER LOST EMBER

      "Emotional connection to story and characters but no social or interpersonal interaction."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -5

      "No leadership or group management elements; purely individual experience."

      Capsule for Outer Wilds Outer Wilds

      "No leadership or group management elements; purely individual experience."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      3

      "Players accumulate gadgets, upgrades, and complete objectives to progress through the story and improve performance."

      Capsule for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory® Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory®

      "Players collect items, unlock gadgets, and improve stats to progress through the story."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      1

      "Atmosphere is tense and unsettling but balanced with moments of calm."

      Capsule for Close Your Eyes [Old Version] Close Your Eyes [Old Version]

      "Atmosphere is tense and eerie with moments of calm, balancing suspense and flow."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      4

      "Strong sensory stimulation through visuals, sound design, and music creating emotional impact."

      Capsule for White Shadows White Shadows

      "Strong sensory stimulation from visuals, sound design, and music enhancing emotional impact."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

      "No social recognition or ranking systems; focus is on personal narrative experience."

      Capsule for Killer Frequency Killer Frequency

      "No social recognition or ranking systems; focus on personal narrative experience."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      5

      "Narrative-driven game with deep psychological and social themes, strong emphasis on storytelling."

      Capsule for [Bober Bros] The Hole [Bober Bros] The Hole

      "Narrative-driven game with deep psychological themes and engaging character arcs."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      3

      "Players must plan puzzle solutions and combat tactics, requiring analytical thinking."

      Capsule for Realms of the Haunting Realms of the Haunting

      "Players must plan puzzle solutions and combat tactics, though not highly complex."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      4

      "Psychological horror and suspense create feelings of tension and relief."

      Capsule for SILENT HILL 2 SILENT HILL 2

      "Psychological horror and suspense create tension and moments of relief."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      4

      "Players report high satisfaction with length, quality, and storytelling, perceiving good value for time and money."

      Capsule for Old Skies Old Skies

      "Players report high satisfaction and value for time spent given story length and quality."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      2

      "Combat involves shooting and defeating enemies, but violence is not gratuitous or central."

      Capsule for Outcast - Second Contact Outcast - Second Contact

      "Includes combat and shooting elements but violence is not gratuitous or central."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      2

      "Some survival elements in combat and resource management, but overall low risk and forgiving gameplay."

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      "Some resource management and avoidance of enemies, but not high-risk survival gameplay."

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Cooperation, Leadership, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Expression, 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.

    Last update: 30/04/2026