La-Mulana 2 similar games & best alternatives
La-Mulana 2
2018
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Quick resume
The long-awaited sequel to La-Mulana, La-Mulana 2 follows Lumisa Kosugi as she explores the ancient ruins of La-Mulana. Desperate to find the cause of the recent slew of monsters appearing from the ruins, Lumisa discovers the "other" La-Mulana: the ruins known as Eg-Lana.
Global score
85/100
Genres
Action, Adventure, Indie, Platform, Puzzle
Similar games
Pros
- Deep and rewarding puzzles
- Nonlinear exploration
- Challenging platforming and combat
- Rich lore and atmosphere
- Long playtime with replayability
Cons
- Steep difficulty curve
- Some obtuse puzzles requiring note-taking
- Occasional bugs and softlocks
- Lack of quality-of-life features for note management
- Some uneven boss design
Motivations
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Autonomy
Game with the same Autonomy vibe
4"Players have freedom to explore, solve puzzles in nonlinear ways, and choose how to approach challenges with minimal handholding."
Shipwrecked 64
"Players have freedom to explore the ruins in nonlinear ways and solve puzzles with minimal handholding."
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Competence
Game with the same Competence vibe
5"High skill ceiling with challenging puzzles, timing, and coordination requiring mastery and rewarding player skill."
Desperados III
"High skill ceiling with challenging platforming, combat, and complex puzzles requiring note-taking and logical reasoning."
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Competition
Game with the same Competition vibe
-4"Focus is on personal puzzle solving and exploration rather than competing against others."
Hello Neighbor 2
"Focus is on personal puzzle solving and exploration rather than competing against others."
-
Continuation
Game with the same Continuation vibe
5"Players report long playtimes, repeated attempts, and habitual return to the game."
DARK SOULS™ II
"Players report long playtimes, repeated returns after breaks, and strong attachment to the game."
-
Cooperation
Game with the same Cooperation vibe
-5"Single-player experience focused on individual puzzle solving and exploration."
Obduction
"Single-player experience focused on individual puzzle solving and exploration."
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Creativity
Game with the same Creativity vibe
4"Players create notes, sketches, and experiment with puzzle mechanics; game encourages creative thinking."
Quern - Undying Thoughts
"Players create their own notes, maps, and strategies to solve puzzles; game encourages creative problem solving."
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Domination
Game with the same Domination vibe
-5"No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; cooperative or social dominance not present."
BLACKTAIL
"No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; cooperative or social dominance not present."
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Escapism
Game with the same Escapism vibe
4"Players immerse themselves in a mysterious ancient world to escape reality through exploration and puzzle solving."
La-Mulana
"Players immerse themselves in a mysterious ruin exploration and puzzle-solving experience, escaping real life."
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Expectation
Game with the same Expectation vibe
-4"Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and curiosity despite difficulty and frustration."
Fear & Hunger
"Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and curiosity, despite difficulty and frustration."
-
Experimenting
Game with the same Experimenting vibe
4"Game encourages trying new puzzle mechanics and experimenting with solutions."
Dungeons of Dreadrock
"Game encourages trying new puzzle solutions, exploring different areas, and testing mechanics."
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Exploration
Game with the same Exploration vibe
5"Strong emphasis on discovering new areas, secrets, and lore in a dense interconnected world."
Ghost of a Tale
"Strong emphasis on discovering new areas, secrets, and piecing together clues across a large interconnected world."
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Expression
Game with the same Expression vibe
-3"Limited character customization; focus is on gameplay and puzzle solving rather than avatar personalization."
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee®
"Limited character customization; focus is on gameplay and puzzle solving rather than avatar personalization."
-
Fantasy
Game with the same Fantasy vibe
4"Game features mythological elements, supernatural themes, and adventurous fiction beyond realistic scenarios."
Tomb Raider: Underworld
"Game features mythological themes, ancient ruins, and fantastical elements."
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Fellowship
Game with the same Fellowship vibe
-4"Minimal social interaction; primarily a solitary experience."
Reigns: Her Majesty
"Minimal social interaction; primarily a solitary experience."
-
Growth
Game with the same Growth vibe
5"Players develop new skills in puzzle solving, code breaking, and critical thinking through challenging gameplay."
Shipwrecked 64
"Players develop skills in puzzle solving, note-taking, and platforming through challenging gameplay."
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Health
Game with the same Health vibe
-4"Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; some frustration reported but no rehab or exercise elements."
Megaton Rainfall
"Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; some frustration reported but no rehab or exercise elements."
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Idle
Game with the same Idle vibe
-4"Requires constant attention and focus due to time pressure and puzzle complexity."
CiniCross
"Requires constant attention and focus due to difficulty and puzzle complexity."
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Intimacy
Game with the same Intimacy vibe
-5"No evidence of close social relationships or emotional sharing; solitary play."
Bleak Faith: Forsaken
"No evidence of close social relationships or emotional sharing; solitary play."
-
Leadership
Game with the same Leadership vibe
-5"No leadership or group management roles; single-player experience."
Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach
"No leadership or group management roles; single-player experience."
-
Progression
Game with the same Progression vibe
4"Players collect items, upgrade watch, and progress through story and puzzles."
Wanderer
"Players collect items, weapons, and upgrades to progress through puzzles and areas."
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Relaxation
Game with the same Relaxation vibe
-4"Game induces frustration and tension due to high difficulty and frequent deaths."
Bloody Trapland
"Game induces frustration and tension due to difficulty and trial-and-error gameplay."
-
Sensation
Game with the same Sensation vibe
3"Enjoyable pixel art, music, and atmospheric effects provide sensory stimulation."
Castlevania Advance Collection
"Enjoyable pixel art, music, and atmospheric design provide sensory stimulation."
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Status
Game with the same Status vibe
-4"Achievements and progress are personal; no social recognition or leaderboards."
Little Big Workshop
"Achievements and progress are personal; no social recognition or leaderboards."
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Story
Game with the same Story vibe
4"Narrative immersion through environmental storytelling, NPCs, and lore."
Abiotic Factor
"Narrative immersion through lore, NPCs, and interconnected mythologies."
-
Strategy
Game with the same Strategy vibe
5"Strong emphasis on mental challenge, problem solving, and planning multiple approaches to puzzles."
Ctrl Alt Ego
"Heavy emphasis on mental challenge, logical reasoning, and planning to solve puzzles."
-
Thrill
Game with the same Thrill vibe
3"Suspenseful moments, traps, and enemy encounters create tension and excitement."
Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation (1999)
"Suspense from traps, boss fights, and puzzle solving creates tension and excitement."
-
Value
Game with the same Value vibe
4"Players report high value for time invested with extensive content and replayability."
Total War: SHOGUN 2
"Players report high value for time invested due to extensive content and replayability."
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Violence
Game with the same Violence vibe
2"Combat involves shooting and defeating enemies, but violence is not gratuitous or central."
Outcast - Second Contact
"Combat and boss fights involve defeating enemies, but violence is not gratuitous or central."
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Survival
Game with the same Survival vibe
3"Players must manage health, resources, and avoid death traps to survive and progress."
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
"Players must avoid death traps and manage health to survive challenging environments."
Analysis
Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Relaxation, Survival, Violence, Fellowship. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration, Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Expression.
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