Shape of the World similar games & best alternatives

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Shape of the World

PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch • 2018

Should you play it?

A serene first person exploration game in a surreal, organic world that reacts to your presence. Journey through a psychedelically colorful ecosystem of flourishing flora, rambling waterfalls, burgeoning mountains, glowing monoliths and graceful creatures. A 1-3 hour escape from work, anxiety and stress.

What works
  • Beautiful and unique psychedelic visuals
  • Immersive and dynamic soundtrack
  • Relaxing and meditative atmosphere
  • Freedom to explore at own pace
  • Creative environmental interaction (planting trees)
Things to keep in mind
  • Short gameplay duration
  • Minimal challenge or depth
  • Lack of narrative or explicit story
  • Some control and collision issues reported
  • Limited replayability beyond achievements

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Proteus

  • ABZU

  • Everything

  • Desk Garden

  • Townscaper

  • Gourdlets

  • Mini Cozy Room: Lo-Fi

  • DesktopMMD3:Miss Fish

  • Flower
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Desk Garden

  • DesktopMMD3:Miss Fish

  • Chroma Lab
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Escapism

    Northern Journey
  • Exploration

    Aporia: Beyond The Valley
  • Relaxation

    MANDAGON

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • 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 (hidden on purpose).

Shape of the World: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Strategy, Survival, Violence, Competence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration, Idle. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Story.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    4

    "Players freely explore the world, choose when and how to complete quests and challenges, and can explore at their own pace without pressure."

    Capsule for Smushi Come Home Smushi Come Home

    "Players freely explore the world at their own pace, choosing where to go and how to interact with the environment without pressure or fixed paths."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    -3

    "Gameplay is minimal and non-challenging, focusing on narrative and exploration rather than skill or technical mastery."

    Capsule for Control, I'm Not Coming Back Control, I'm Not Coming Back

    "Gameplay is simple and low challenge, focusing on exploration and interaction rather than skill or technical mastery."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -5

    "No competitive elements or social comparison; the experience is solitary and introspective."

    Capsule for Narcissu 1st & 2nd Narcissu 1st & 2nd

    "No competitive elements or social comparison; experience is solitary and personal."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    2

    "Players often replay for achievements and 100% completion, but the game is short and can be completed in one or two sessions."

    Capsule for Cirno! Lifts a Boulder Cirno! Lifts a Boulder

    "Some players replay for achievements and exploration, but overall the game is short and can be completed in one or two sessions."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -5

    "No multiplayer or cooperative gameplay; entirely single-player experience."

    Capsule for SMASHING THE BATTLE SMASHING THE BATTLE

    "No multiplayer or cooperative gameplay; entirely single-player experience."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    3

    "Players can create and modify the environment by planting trees, spawning animals, and changing weather/time settings."

    Capsule for Nature Treks VR Nature Treks VR

    "Players can plant seeds to grow trees and shape the environment, adding a creative element to exploration."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are with environment and creatures only."

    Capsule for Loddlenaut Loddlenaut

    "No elements of control or superiority over others; interactions are with environment and creatures only."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    5

    "Strong immersion in a surreal, atmospheric world offering escape from reality and stress relief."

    Capsule for Northern Journey Northern Journey

    "Strongly oriented towards relaxation, stress relief, and immersion in a surreal, meditative world."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and personal interest without obligation or external pressure."

    Capsule for Regiments Regiments

    "Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest and personal enjoyment without obligation or pressure."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    3

    "Encourages exploration and discovery of secrets, with some puzzle solving and experimentation with environment."

    Capsule for Fibrillation HD Fibrillation HD

    "Encourages exploration and trying different interactions with the environment and creatures."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    5

    "Core motivation is discovering new areas, secrets, and piecing together story through environmental cues."

    Capsule for Aporia: Beyond The Valley Aporia: Beyond The Valley

    "Core motivation is discovering new biomes, secrets, and environmental changes."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    2

    "Some self-expression through choosing plant forms, but limited character or environment customization."

    Capsule for Sprout Sprout

    "Some self-expression through planting and shaping the environment, though limited customization."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    4

    "The game features surreal, psychedelic, and imaginative worlds with bizarre characters and abstract narrative."

    Capsule for Everhood 2 Everhood 2

    "Engages players in an imaginative, surreal, and psychedelic world with abstract creatures and landscapes."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -5

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

    Capsule for Demon Hunter 2: New Chapter Demon Hunter 2: New Chapter

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

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    1

    "Some learning involved in mastering mechanics and strategies, but limited long-term personal development."

    Capsule for KEEP GAMBLING KEEP GAMBLING

    "Limited personal development; some learning about environment and mechanics but minimal skill growth."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    Capsule for Car Manufacture Car Manufacture

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    3

    "Can be played casually with relaxed pacing and short sessions; some players use it as background experience."

    Capsule for Flower Flower

    "Can be played casually at a relaxed pace; some players use it as a background or meditative experience."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -5

    "No social or emotional relationship building; interactions are limited to environmental elements."

    Capsule for Project Shoreline Project Shoreline

    "No social or emotional relationship building; interactions are with environment only."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management elements."

    Capsule for High On Life High On Life

    "No leadership or group management elements."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    2

    "Progression through collecting and using items to unlock new areas, though limited and linear."

    Capsule for LISA: The First LISA: The First

    "Some progression through unlocking new areas and collecting seeds, but overall limited advancement."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    5

    "Strong emphasis on relaxation, calm atmosphere, and meditative experience."

    Capsule for MANDAGON MANDAGON

    "Strong emphasis on relaxation, calm, and meditative flow throughout the experience."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    4

    "Vibrant visuals, satisfying sound effects, and immersive music contribute to strong sensory stimulation."

    Capsule for Beatblock Beatblock

    "Rich sensory stimulation through vibrant visuals and immersive, dynamic music."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -5

    "No social recognition or status systems."

    Capsule for Demolition Company Gold Edition Demolition Company Gold Edition

    "No social recognition or status systems."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    -4

    "Minimal to no explicit narrative; story is abstract and left to player interpretation."

    Capsule for NaissanceE NaissanceE

    "No explicit narrative or plot; story is abstract and left to player interpretation."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    -4

    "Minimal strategic or problem-solving gameplay; mostly straightforward tasks."

    Capsule for Harold Halibut Harold Halibut

    "Minimal strategic or problem-solving demands; gameplay is straightforward and exploratory."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    -4

    "No suspense or risk; the experience is controlled and relaxing."

    Capsule for FIND KITTENS 6: After us FIND KITTENS 6: After us

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

  • 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 good value for a short, unique artistic experience, though some find it short for full price."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    -5

    "No violence; gameplay focuses on helping and peaceful interactions."

    Capsule for Tukoni: Prologue Tukoni: Prologue

    "No violence; gameplay focuses on peaceful interaction and creation."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    -5

    "No survival or threat elements; environment is safe and stable."

    Capsule for Sunlight Sunlight

    "No survival or threat elements; environment is safe and stable."

Last update: 09/07/2026