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Iris and the Giant similar games & best alternatives

Iris and the Giant

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Linux • 2020

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Quick resume

Iris and The Giant is a fusion of the CCG, RPG and roguelike genres. You play as Iris, who must brave her fears in her imaginary world. Dive into a melancholic and gripping adventure, filled with cute monsters and buried memories. Ready to face your inner demons?

Global score

88/100

Genres

Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Adventure, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Puzzle, Tactical, Card & Board Game

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique and engaging deckbuilding mechanics
    • Emotional and touching narrative
    • Beautiful minimalist art style
    • Challenging and strategic gameplay
    • Good value for price especially on sale

    Cons

    • Some bugs and technical issues
    • Limited replayability after main story
    • Lack of detailed tutorials and explanations
    • Fixed level layouts reduce variety
    • Some frustrating difficulty spikes and rng dependence

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      3

      "Players have meaningful choices in deck building, character selection, and path progression, allowing control over strategy and playstyle."

      Capsule for Nitro Kid Nitro Kid

      "Players have meaningful choices in card play, path selection, and upgrades, allowing control over strategy despite some fixed level layouts."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      4

      "The game offers challenging tactical combat requiring skillful positioning, resource management, and deckbuilding mastery."

      Capsule for Trials of Fire Trials of Fire

      "The game offers challenging tactical combat requiring skillful deck and resource management, with a learning curve and strategic depth praised by players."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -3

      "Focus is on personal progression and mastery rather than direct competition or leaderboards; players set their own goals and improve individually."

      Capsule for Mortal Sin Mortal Sin

      "Focus is on personal progression and strategy rather than direct competition or leaderboards; players set their own goals and pace."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      1

      "Some players report replay value via resetting achievements, but overall short playtime limits long engagement."

      Capsule for 100 hidden birds 2 100 hidden birds 2

      "Some players report replayability through unlocks and achievements, but others find limited long-term engagement after completing main content."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

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

      Capsule for SIGNALIS SIGNALIS

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

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      2

      "Some player desire for modding, custom maps, and character customization; current gameplay mostly uses predefined characters and cards."

      Capsule for Demeo Demeo

      "Players customize their deck and choose upgrades, but the game uses mostly predefined cards and fixed level designs."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control over others; gameplay is solitary and non-competitive."

      Capsule for Hob Hob

      "No evidence of exerting control over others; gameplay is solitary and non-competitive."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "The game offers emotional immersion and distraction through story and atmosphere, helping players escape real-life stress."

      Capsule for Sepia Tears Sepia Tears

      "The game’s narrative and atmosphere provide emotional immersion and a way to explore inner struggles, serving as an escape from real life."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment; no indication of obligation or external pressure."

      Capsule for 永冻之壳 The Shell of Permafrost 永冻之壳 The Shell of Permafrost

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment; no indication of obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Players experiment with different card combinations and strategies; scenario-specific mechanics encourage trying new approaches."

      Capsule for Hard West Hard West

      "Players experiment with different card combinations, strategies, and upgrade paths to overcome challenges."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      1

      "Some secrets and hidden items exist, but levels are mostly linear and straightforward."

      Capsule for I Am Sakuya: Touhou FPS Game I Am Sakuya: Touhou FPS Game

      "Some exploration of secret paths and hidden elements exists, but main levels are mostly static and linear."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      -2

      "Limited customization mainly through upgrades; no deep avatar or environment personalization."

      Capsule for Bouncemasters Bouncemasters

      "Limited customization mostly tied to deck and upgrade choices; no avatar or environment personalization."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      4

      "Strong fantasy elements intertwined with real-life emotional story, including magic and mythical creatures."

      Capsule for Lost Words: Beyond the Page Lost Words: Beyond the Page

      "Strong fantasy elements with mythical creatures and imaginative narrative representing inner emotional struggles."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

      "No social or community gameplay elements; experience is solitary."

      Capsule for Black Myth: Wukong Black Myth: Wukong

      "No social or community gameplay elements; experience is solitary."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      4

      "Players develop skills and knowledge through repeated runs, unlocking new characters, abilities, and strategies."

      Capsule for The Hand of Merlin The Hand of Merlin

      "Players develop skills and knowledge through repeated runs, unlocking new cards, powers, and strategies."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "No physical activity or health-related gameplay aspects."

      Capsule for Rescue HQ - The Tycoon Rescue HQ - The Tycoon

      "No physical activity or health-related gameplay aspects."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires focused attention and strategic planning; not suited for casual or background play."

      Capsule for Sniper Elite 4 Sniper Elite 4

      "Requires focused attention and strategic planning; not suited for casual or background play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -5

      "No close social interactions or relationship-building features."

      Capsule for Roundguard Roundguard

      "No close social interactions or relationship-building features."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -5

      "No leadership or group management mechanics present."

      Capsule for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition Deluxe (2009) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition Deluxe (2009)

      "No leadership or group management mechanics present."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Strong progression through unlocking cards, patches, and character upgrades across runs."

      Capsule for Nitro Kid Nitro Kid

      "Strong progression through unlocking cards, memories, imaginary friends, and upgrades across runs."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      3

      "Generally relaxing with balanced challenge; some tension in higher difficulties."

      Capsule for 月圆之夜 (Night of Full Moon) 月圆之夜 (Night of Full Moon)

      "Generally described as relaxing with a balanced challenge, though some frustration reported at difficulty spikes."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      2

      "Enjoyable art, music, and sound design provide sensory stimulation, though not intense or extreme."

      Capsule for Still There Still There

      "Enjoyable art, music, and sound design provide pleasant sensory experience, though not highly intense."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

      "No social status or recognition systems; achievements are personal and not publicly ranked."

      Capsule for Little Nightmares Little Nightmares

      "No social status or recognition systems; achievements are personal and not publicly ranked."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      4

      "Narrative is well-developed, emotionally engaging, and integral to the gameplay experience."

      Capsule for Chrono Gear: Warden of Time Chrono Gear: Warden of Time

      "Narrative is a key component, emotionally engaging and integrated into gameplay, though some find it simplistic."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      4

      "Requires tactical thinking in combat, card deck building, and adapting to enemy mechanics."

      Capsule for Book of Demons Book of Demons

      "Requires tactical thinking, planning card usage and enemy prioritization; praised for strategic depth."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      2

      "Combat provides some excitement and tension, but overall experience is more creative than adrenaline-driven."

      Capsule for NavalArt NavalArt

      "Some tension and challenge in combat, but overall experience is more contemplative than adrenaline-fueled."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      3

      "Generally considered good value especially on sale; many hours of gameplay for price."

      Capsule for Royal Defense Royal Defense

      "Generally considered good value especially on sale, with many hours of engaging gameplay for the price."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      2

      "Combat involves attacking enemies, but stylized and card-based rather than graphic violence."

      Capsule for Breach Wanderers Breach Wanderers

      "Combat involves defeating enemies with cards, but violence is stylized and symbolic rather than graphic."

    • Survival

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      3

      "Players must avoid failure through careful resource and risk management."

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      "Players must manage resources and avoid failure by careful planning and card management."

    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. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Expression, Continuation, Exploration.

    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

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 30/04/2026