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Salt similar games & best alternatives

Salt

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2018

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Quick resume

Salt is an open world exploration game where you sail from island to island looking for loot and new discoveries! Relax and explore at your own pace, picking a direction and setting sail across a vast ocean filled with quests, merchants, ruins, pirates, and other mysterious places.

Global score

77/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Point-and-click, Puzzle

Similar games

    Pros

    • Relaxing and immersive exploration
    • Vast procedurally generated world
    • Frequent updates and active devs
    • Customizable ships and crafting
    • Engaging navigation and map-making

    Cons

    • Basic and repetitive combat
    • Limited multiplayer features
    • Some bugs and early access issues
    • Tedious long-distance sailing
    • Minimal survival challenge

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      4

      "Players have freedom to explore a vast procedural universe, choose missions, customize characters and ships, and decide playstyle."

      Capsule for Stellar Tactics Stellar Tactics

      "Players have freedom to explore vast procedurally generated world, choose their own path, craft and upgrade ships, and decide how to approach quests and combat."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      3

      "Game involves skillful ship control, tactical combat, fleet management, and progression through upgrades and research."

      Capsule for Starpoint Gemini Warlords Starpoint Gemini Warlords

      "Game involves skillful navigation, combat, crafting, and exploration with progression through acquiring better gear and ships."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -3

      "Focus is on personal progression and exploration rather than competing with others; multiplayer is cooperative."

      Capsule for Luma Island Luma Island

      "Focus is on personal exploration and progression rather than competing against others; multiplayer is limited and cooperative."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      4

      "Players report long play sessions, strong attachment to the world, and habitual engagement with quests and exploration."

      Capsule for Outcast - A New Beginning Outcast - A New Beginning

      "Players report long play sessions, addictive exploration, and ongoing engagement with quests and world discovery."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      2

      "Co-op multiplayer is available and enjoyed by some players, but the core experience is often solo."

      Capsule for PowerWash Simulator PowerWash Simulator

      "Multiplayer co-op exists and is enjoyable, but game can be played solo; cooperation is present but not core."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      3

      "Players can customize ships, unlock perks, and create or download custom ships via Steam Workshop, adding creative expression to gameplay."

      Capsule for Beat Hazard Beat Hazard

      "Players can customize ships, craft items, and create their own maps and notes, enabling creative expression within exploration."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -4

      "Interactions with others are cooperative and balanced; no evidence of dominance or power imposition."

      Capsule for Factorio Factorio

      "Interactions with others are balanced and cooperative; no evidence of dominance or power imposition."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      5

      "Highly immersive and relaxing experience that allows players to escape real life stress through slow-paced sailing and exploration."

      Capsule for Sailwind Sailwind

      "Highly relaxing and immersive exploration game providing escape from real life stress through sailing and discovery."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment; no evidence of obligation or pressure to play."

      Capsule for Besiege Besiege

      "Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest and enjoyment; no evidence of obligation or pressure to play."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Exploration of new islands, experimenting with different weapons, crafting recipes, and navigation techniques."

      Capsule for Salt 2: Shores of Gold Salt 2: Shores of Gold

      "Players explore new islands, experiment with crafting recipes, and try different strategies for combat and navigation."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      5

      "Core gameplay involves discovering new islands, underwater wrecks, and resources in a procedurally generated world."

      Capsule for Stranded Deep Stranded Deep

      "Core gameplay is discovering new islands, secrets, and treasures in a vast procedurally generated ocean world."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      3

      "Ship customization and visual personalization allow for player self-expression."

      Capsule for Underspace Underspace

      "Customization of ships and personal maps allows for player self-expression and personalization."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      3

      "The game features a surreal, stylized world with a mysterious story and imaginative elements."

      Capsule for Hello Neighbor Hello Neighbor

      "Game features pirates, ancient mysteries, and fantastical elements in a stylized, cartoonish world."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      2

      "Community and multiplayer co-op foster social connection, though solo play is common."

      Capsule for Pixel Privateers Pixel Privateers

      "Community and multiplayer co-op foster social connection, though solo play is common."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      4

      "Players develop skills in combat, crafting, and navigation; progression through learning."

      Capsule for Grounded Grounded

      "Players develop skills in navigation, combat, crafting, and map-making, showing clear learning and progression."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -3

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; players mostly seated and focused on screen."

      Capsule for Craft The World Craft The World

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; players mostly seated and focused on screen."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires active attention for combat, crafting, and exploration; not designed for idle play."

      Capsule for Feel The Snow Feel The Snow

      "Game requires active attention for exploration, combat, and crafting; not designed for idle play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -3

      "Social interactions are limited to cooperative gameplay; no evidence of close emotional relationships."

      Capsule for The Haunted: Hells Reach The Haunted: Hells Reach

      "Social interactions are limited to cooperative gameplay and community; no evidence of close emotional relationships."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -2

      "No evidence of leadership roles; cooperative play is balanced and shared."

      Capsule for LEGO® Batman™ 3: Beyond Gotham LEGO® Batman™ 3: Beyond Gotham

      "Some cooperative play but no strong evidence of leadership roles or group management."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Players accumulate ships, weapons, upgrades, and crew experience; crafting and research add progression."

      Capsule for Between the Stars Between the Stars

      "Players accumulate better ships, weapons, and gear through exploration and quest completion."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      5

      "Game is described as soothing, calming, and relaxing with peaceful music and visuals."

      Capsule for Aquarium Designer Aquarium Designer

      "Game is widely described as relaxing, therapeutic, and calming with beautiful visuals and sound."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      3

      "Enjoyable visuals, weather effects, and ambient sounds contribute to sensory pleasure and immersion."

      Capsule for Farthest Frontier Farthest Frontier

      "Enjoyable visual effects like sunsets, ocean waves, and ambient sounds provide sensory pleasure."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -3

      "No emphasis on social recognition or leaderboards; focus is on personal achievement."

      Capsule for Uninitialized Uninitialized

      "No emphasis on social recognition or leaderboards; focus is on personal achievement."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      2

      "There is a light narrative and quests, but much of the experience is player-driven exploration and activities."

      Capsule for Sail Forth Sail Forth

      "There is a narrative and quests, but the story is light and exploration-driven rather than plot-heavy."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      3

      "Base defense, resource management, and tactical combat require planning and problem solving."

      Capsule for Anarchy: Wolf's law Anarchy: Wolf's law

      "Navigation, combat tactics, and resource management require planning and problem solving."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      2

      "Some suspense in combat and exploration, but overall gameplay is calm and relaxing rather than high tension."

      Capsule for Salt 2: Shores of Gold Salt 2: Shores of Gold

      "Some suspense in combat and exploration, but overall game is calm and low risk."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      4

      "Players report good value for time and money with many hours of engaging content and frequent updates."

      Capsule for Alchemy Factory Alchemy Factory

      "Players report good value for time and money with hours of engaging content and frequent updates."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      1

      "Combat against pirates and creatures is present but not the main focus."

      Capsule for Cubic Odyssey Cubic Odyssey

      "Combat with pirates and animals is present but not graphic or central; more about exploration."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      1

      "Survival elements exist but are light; focus is more on crafting and exploration than threat avoidance."

      Capsule for Dawn of Defiance Dawn of Defiance

      "Basic survival elements exist but are minimal; game focuses more on exploration than threat avoidance."

    Analysis

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

    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