ISLANDS: Non-Places Thumbnail

ISLANDS: Non-Places similar games & best alternatives

ISLANDS: Non-Places

PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Linux • 2016

Related articles

Quick resume

The familiar becomes magical in this critically acclaimed interactive artscape. Explore ten scenes inspired by the everyday and let your expectations of reality be transformed. Carl Burton's other work has been featured in the New York Times, Serial, Colossal, and Medium.

Global score

83/100

Genres

Casual, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique artistic and surreal experience
    • Beautiful visuals and sound design
    • Relaxing and meditative atmosphere
    • Thought-provoking and evocative
    • Affordable price

    Cons

    • Very short gameplay length
    • Minimal interactivity and challenge
    • Lack of traditional narrative or progression
    • No replay value for many players
    • Some find audio irritating or repetitive

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      -3

      "Gameplay is limited to clicking and looking around predefined scenes with minimal player control."

      Capsule for Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft

      "Player actions are limited to clicking highlighted objects in a linear sequence with minimal freedom."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      -4

      "Gameplay involves passive watching with no skill or challenge, focusing on predictable, repetitive observation."

      Capsule for Paint Drying Simulator Paint Drying Simulator

      "Gameplay involves simple clicking with no skill or challenge, emphasizing passive observation."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -5

      "No competitive elements; focus is on solitary experience without comparison to others."

      Capsule for The Stillness of the Wind The Stillness of the Wind

      "No competitive elements or comparison to others; purely a solitary experience."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      0

      "Short game length (~1 hour) with some players replaying immediately, but generally limited replay value."

      Capsule for Welcome to Kowloon Welcome to Kowloon

      "Short experience (~45 minutes) with some replay value but generally not designed for long habitual play."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

      "Entirely single-player with no cooperative or social gameplay."

      Capsule for The Flood The Flood

      "Entirely single-player with no cooperative or social gameplay."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      4

      "Highly creative environments, religious symbolism, and narrative design with unique artistic expression."

      Capsule for Gray Dawn Gray Dawn

      "Highly creative and artistic environments that encourage personal interpretation and aesthetic appreciation."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; experience is personal and equal."

      Capsule for Rental Rental

      "No elements of control or superiority over others; experience is personal and equal."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "The surreal, dreamlike atmosphere and abstract story provide a strong escape from reality."

      Capsule for Etherborn Etherborn

      "Provides a surreal, dreamlike escape from reality through abstract art and atmosphere."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Engagement driven by intrinsic interest in art and creativity rather than obligation or external pressure."

      Capsule for Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist

      "Engagement is voluntary and driven by curiosity and intrinsic interest in art rather than obligation."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      -2

      "Gameplay follows established point-and-click routines with limited novelty or experimentation."

      Capsule for Shiver Shiver

      "Interaction is limited and guided; little room for novel experimentation beyond clicking highlighted spots."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      3

      "Players explore surreal environments and uncover complex story elements and hidden meanings."

      Capsule for Hello Charlotte EP3: Childhood's End Hello Charlotte EP3: Childhood's End

      "Players explore surreal environments at their own pace, discovering unfolding scenes."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      -3

      "No customization or personalization options; presentation is fixed and minimalistic."

      Capsule for Space Between Worlds Space Between Worlds

      "No customization or personalization options; presentation is fixed by the artist."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      4

      "Abstract, surreal, and dreamlike narrative and visuals create an imaginative, non-realistic experience."

      Capsule for OK/NORMAL OK/NORMAL

      "Strong surreal and imaginative elements creating a dreamlike, abstract experience."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

      "No social or community features; experience is solitary."

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

      "No social or community features; experience is solitary."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      -4

      "Little learning or skill development; gameplay is simple and repetitive with minimal progression."

      Capsule for OMON Simulator OMON Simulator

      "Minimal learning or skill development; gameplay is straightforward and repetitive."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "Sedentary experience with no physical activity involved."

      Capsule for CLANNAD Side Stories CLANNAD Side Stories

      "Sedentary experience with no physical activity involved."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      3

      "Short sessions and minimal interaction allow for casual, low-attention engagement."

      Capsule for Creature Romances: Kokonoe Kokoro Creature Romances: Kokonoe Kokoro

      "Designed for relaxed, casual engagement with minimal demands on attention."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -5

      "No social interaction or relationship-building elements."

      Capsule for A Game About Feeding A Black Hole A Game About Feeding A Black Hole

      "No social interaction or relationship-building elements."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -5

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

      Capsule for MiSide MiSide

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

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      -4

      "No accumulation of items or upgrades; static experience with fixed scenes."

      Capsule for KIDS KIDS

      "No accumulation of items or upgrades; static progression through linear scenes."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      4

      "Calm, meditative atmosphere with soothing soundtrack and gentle pacing promotes relaxation."

      Capsule for A Mortician's Tale A Mortician's Tale

      "Calm, meditative atmosphere designed for relaxation and contemplation."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      4

      "Strong sensory stimulation through visuals, sound design, and physics effects; immersive emotional experience."

      Capsule for Paper Beast Paper Beast

      "Strong sensory stimulation through visuals and audio creating immersive emotional experiences."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems present."

      Capsule for DreadOut 2 DreadOut 2

      "No social recognition or status systems present."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      2

      "Narrative is abstract and environmental, conveyed symbolically without explicit storytelling."

      Capsule for Kairo Kairo

      "No traditional narrative but conveys abstract, evocative themes through visual and audio storytelling."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      -5

      "No strategic or problem-solving elements; gameplay is linear and straightforward."

      Capsule for Serre Serre

      "No strategic or problem-solving elements; gameplay is simple and linear."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      -4

      "No suspense or risk; experience is controlled and predictable."

      Capsule for Home Design 3D Home Design 3D

      "Lacks suspense or risk; experience is controlled and predictable."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      1

      "Generally considered good value for a short, high-quality artistic experience, especially on sale."

      Capsule for Monument Valley 2 Monument Valley 2

      "Generally considered worth the low price for the unique artistic experience, though some find it short."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      -5

      "No violence or destructive gameplay elements."

      Capsule for Gorogoa Gorogoa

      "No violence or destructive gameplay elements."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      -5

      "No threats or survival mechanics; stable, safe environment."

      Capsule for Ever Seen A Cat? Ever Seen A Cat?

      "No threats or survival mechanics; stable, safe environments."

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Autonomy, Strategy, Experimenting, Competence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Progression, Growth.

    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