NO THING similar games & best alternatives
NO THING
2016
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Quick resume
The year is 1994 and it is the future. NO THING is a minimalistic surreal action game set in totalitarian regime of future. Tells the story of an office clerk who is sent with important message to the Queen of Ice.
Global score
86/100
Genres
Action, Adventure, Indie
Similar games
Pros
- Unique vaporwave aesthetic
- Challenging and addictive gameplay
- Engaging dystopian narrative
- Excellent electronic soundtrack
- High replay value
Cons
- Extreme difficulty causing frustration
- Visual effects can cause eye strain or motion sickness
- Lack of checkpoints increases repetition
- Minimal gameplay variety
- Some input responsiveness issues
Motivations
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Autonomy
Game with the same Autonomy vibe
3"Players have freedom to move left and right at will, but all other actions must be timed to the beat, giving a mix of control and constraint."
Inside My Radio
"Players control left/right turns freely but within a constrained runner mechanic"
-
Competence
Game with the same Competence vibe
4"Game challenges reflexes and precision timing with increasing difficulty, especially in later levels, requiring skill and mastery."
Cube Runner
"High difficulty and skill required to master timing and reflexes; repeated failures common"
-
Competition
Game with the same Competition vibe
-3"Focus is on personal progression and mastery rather than competing against others"
Dark Devotion
"Focus is on personal mastery and progression rather than competing with others"
-
Continuation
Game with the same Continuation vibe
4"Players often engage in long sessions, repeatedly retrying difficult levels and returning to the game despite frustration."
Super Meat Boy
"Players repeatedly retry levels and return to the game despite frustration"
-
Cooperation
Game with the same Cooperation vibe
-5"Single-player experience with no cooperative elements"
Slain: Back from Hell
"Single player experience with no cooperative elements"
-
Creativity
Game with the same Creativity vibe
1"Players create their own story path by choices, but within predefined narrative and character routes."
Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds
"Some interpretation of story and player route choices, but gameplay is limited to preset paths"
-
Domination
Game with the same Domination vibe
-5"No evidence of exerting control over others; purely individual challenge."
Dragon's Lair
"No evidence of exerting control over others; purely individual challenge"
-
Escapism
Game with the same Escapism vibe
4"Players use the game as a psychedelic, humorous escape with surreal elements and stress relief."
SAMOLIOTIK
"Players use the game as a surreal, psychedelic escape from reality"
-
Expectation
Game with the same Expectation vibe
-4"Players engage voluntarily driven by intrinsic interest and personal desire to overcome challenges."
Celeste
"Players engage voluntarily driven by interest in unique experience and challenge"
-
Experimenting
Game with the same Experimenting vibe
2"Players experiment with timing and movement strategies to overcome difficult levels."
Blaite
"Some experimentation with timing and routes to overcome difficult levels"
-
Exploration
Game with the same Exploration vibe
1"Some exploration of level layouts and alternative paths, but limited by short demo content."
Vectromirror 0™
"Limited exploration of level layouts and alternate paths within levels"
-
Expression
Game with the same Expression vibe
-3"Minimal character customization and cosmetic options; fixed aesthetics."
King Arthur: Legion IX
"Minimal customization or personalization; aesthetic is fixed and stylized"
-
Fantasy
Game with the same Fantasy vibe
3"Set in a dystopian, stylized world with surreal and symbolic elements, evoking imaginative fiction."
Monochroma
"Surreal dystopian narrative and vaporwave aesthetic create imaginative fiction"
-
Fellowship
Game with the same Fellowship vibe
-5"No social or community features; gameplay is solitary"
Space Run
"No social or community features; solitary gameplay"
-
Growth
Game with the same Growth vibe
3"Players develop timing and reflex skills, learning level layouts and improving performance over time."
FOTONICA
"Players develop reflexes, timing, and understanding of level design through repeated play"
-
Health
Game with the same Health vibe
-5"Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity"
Master Reboot
"Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity"
-
Idle
Game with the same Idle vibe
-4"Requires focused attention and precise input; not suitable for passive or background play."
Super Hipster Lumberjack
"Requires focused attention and continuous input; not suitable for passive play"
-
Intimacy
Game with the same Intimacy vibe
-5"No close social relationships formed within gameplay; interactions are minimal and surface-level."
Locked Up
"No close social interactions or relationships formed through gameplay"
-
Leadership
Game with the same Leadership vibe
-5"No leadership or group management roles present"
Fictorum
"No leadership or group management roles present"
-
Progression
Game with the same Progression vibe
3"Includes ranking systems, leveling, and some unlockable features encouraging progression."
Pool 2D - Poolians
"Progression through levels and percentage completion; some score and speed modifiers"
-
Relaxation
Game with the same Relaxation vibe
-3"High tension and frustration reported; gameplay is challenging and fast-paced rather than relaxing."
Penarium
"High tension and frustration reported; challenging and fast-paced gameplay"
-
Sensation
Game with the same Sensation vibe
4"Strong sensory stimulation from glitchy visuals, fast action, and a highly praised electronic soundtrack."
Flywrench
"Strong sensory stimulation from vivid colors, glitch effects, and electronic soundtrack"
-
Status
Game with the same Status vibe
-4"No social recognition or status systems; focus is on personal achievement"
Space Run
"No social recognition or status systems; focus on personal achievement"
-
Story
Game with the same Story vibe
4"Narrative-driven with voice acting, character dialogue, and lore; story is a meaningful part of the experience."
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree
"Narrative delivered via robotic voice with dystopian themes; integral to experience"
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Strategy
Game with the same Strategy vibe
2"Some planning and problem solving involved in optimizing routes and timing, though levels are short and straightforward."
FrostRunner
"Requires timing and route memorization; some planning to optimize runs"
-
Thrill
Game with the same Thrill vibe
4"High speed and risk of falling create suspense and adrenaline rushes."
FOTONICA
"Tension and adrenaline from fast pace, risk of falling, and difficult turns"
-
Value
Game with the same Value vibe
4"Players feel the game offers strong return on investment with unique experience, emotional impact, and replay value."
Anodyne 2: Return to Dust
"Players feel good return on investment due to unique experience and replay value"
-
Violence
Game with the same Violence vibe
-5"No combat or destruction; gameplay is constructive and focused on navigation."
Marble It Up! Ultra
"No combat or destructive elements; gameplay is constructive navigation"
-
Survival
Game with the same Survival vibe
3"Players must avoid failure by maintaining balance and not falling, creating a survival challenge."
Roll'd
"Avoiding falling and failure is core challenge; managing speed and turns to survive"
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. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence, Expression, Creativity.
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