SHIPS AT WAR similar games & best alternatives
SHIPS AT WAR
2021
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Quick resume
Sink player-made battleships, aircraft carriers and submarines in this physics-based game. Use pre-built ships and sink the enemy by deploying aircraft, torpedoes, depth charges or shells. Or built your own ships in the extensive ship-editor.
Global score
77/100
Genres
Action, Simulator, Strategy, Early Access
Similar games
Pros
- Creative ship building
- Fun naval combat
- Potential for growth
- Active early access development
- Community sharing creations
Cons
- Many bugs and crashes
- Clunky ship editor
- Lack of tutorials
- Long matches can be boring
- Game appears abandoned with few updates
Motivations
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Autonomy
Game with the same Autonomy vibe
4"Players have extensive freedom to customize and build their own ships with many parts and abilities, allowing personal playstyle and strategic choices."
Sector Six
"Players have freedom to build custom ships and choose their own strategies in combat, though some limitations and bugs restrict full autonomy."
-
Competence
Game with the same Competence vibe
2"Game involves skillful navigation, puzzle solving, and combat, but some bugs and inconsistent mechanics reduce the sense of mastery."
SCP: Ground Zero
"Building ships and combat require skill and experimentation, but buggy physics and inconsistent mechanics reduce the feeling of mastery."
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Competition
Game with the same Competition vibe
1"Some competitive elements like drift contests and leaderboards exist but AI is weak and multiplayer is missing."
JDM: Japanese Drift Master
"There is combat against AI and other ships, but no strong evidence of ranked or leaderboard competition."
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Continuation
Game with the same Continuation vibe
-2"Many reviews mention low replayability, repetitive gameplay, and abandonment by developers leading to limited long-term engagement."
PRINCIPIA: Master of Science
"Many reviews mention bugs, crashes, and lack of updates leading to boredom and abandonment, reducing long-term engagement."
-
Cooperation
Game with the same Cooperation vibe
-3"Gameplay focuses on individual fleet design and solo play; limited or no cooperative multiplayer elements mentioned."
Gratuitous Space Battles
"Gameplay focuses on individual ship building and combat; no clear cooperative multiplayer or teamwork features reported."
-
Creativity
Game with the same Creativity vibe
5"Strong emphasis on creating and customizing ships, stations, and production blueprints, allowing personal flair and unique designs."
Final Upgrade
"Strong emphasis on creating and customizing ships, with a detailed ship editor and community sharing creations."
-
Domination
Game with the same Domination vibe
-1"Interactions appear mostly balanced and friendly; no strong evidence of domination or toxic behavior."
Cube Racer
"Some combat involves overpowering opponents, but no reports of toxic behavior or social dominance."
-
Escapism
Game with the same Escapism vibe
3"Players use the game to relax and escape, enjoying historical naval battles and tactical challenges as a distraction."
Battle Fleet 2
"Players enjoy the naval combat and ship building as a fun distraction and stress relief."
-
Expectation
Game with the same Expectation vibe
-4"Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment, not due to obligation or external pressure."
Resident Evil 2
"Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment, not due to obligation or external pressure."
-
Experimenting
Game with the same Experimenting vibe
4"Players experiment with different ships, builds, skills, and strategies; game encourages trying new things."
Star Valor
"Players frequently try new ship designs and tactics, exploring game mechanics despite bugs."
-
Exploration
Game with the same Exploration vibe
-2"Game focuses on known arenas and strategic programming rather than discovering new areas or secrets."
GLADIABOTS - AI Combat Arena
"Game is focused on battles and ship design rather than exploring new environments or secrets."
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Expression
Game with the same Expression vibe
4"Ship customization and modding enable personal expression; players can create unique fleets and visual styles."
Stellar Warfare
"Customization of ships allows for personal expression, though limited by editor usability issues."
-
Fantasy
Game with the same Fantasy vibe
1"Light fictional narrative with stylized military setting, but grounded in plausible naval combat."
Battle Group 2
"Game features historical and fictional naval combat with some unrealistic physics, blending fantasy and realism."
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Fellowship
Game with the same Fellowship vibe
-3"Small, not very active community; social interaction limited mostly to sharing levels rather than strong group identity."
Inertia
"Limited social interaction; community exists but is described as unresponsive and small."
-
Growth
Game with the same Growth vibe
2"Players learn map layouts, puzzle solutions, and combat tactics, though bugs limit consistent progression."
SCP: Ground Zero
"Players learn ship building and combat mechanics, though bugs and lack of tutorials hinder smooth progression."
-
Health
Game with the same Health vibe
-5"No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay."
Broken Reality
"No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay."
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Idle
Game with the same Idle vibe
-3"Requires focused attention during matches; gameplay is active and engaging rather than background or idle."
Sirocco
"Gameplay requires active attention; matches can be long but not background or idle play."
-
Intimacy
Game with the same Intimacy vibe
-4"Minimal social or emotional connection; mostly solo play with limited multiplayer interaction."
The Settlers® : Rise of an Empire - History Edition
"Minimal social or emotional connections; mostly solo play and limited community engagement."
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LeadershipInsufficient data
No nearest game available
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Progression
Game with the same Progression vibe
3"Players accumulate upgrades and customize ships each round, though no persistent progression."
Deep Space Battle Simulator
"Players accumulate ships, upgrades, and parts; progression is present but limited by bugs."
-
Relaxation
Game with the same Relaxation vibe
1"Some players find the game relaxing and fun, but others experience frustration and tension from challenges and bugs."
Granny Simulator
"Some players find the game relaxing despite bugs, but others report frustration and tension."
-
Sensation
Game with the same Sensation vibe
2"Visual and auditory feedback from battles and ship designs provide moderate sensory stimulation."
Sword of the Stars: Complete Collection
"Visual and auditory feedback from ship combat provides sensory stimulation, though graphics are basic."
-
Status
Game with the same Status vibe
-3"No strong social recognition or status seeking reported."
Quake II RTX
"No strong social recognition or status systems reported."
-
Story
Game with the same Story vibe
-4"No narrative or plot; gameplay is context-free challenges and sandbox exploration."
SimpleRockets
"No narrative or campaign; gameplay is context-free battles and sandbox building."
-
Strategy
Game with the same Strategy vibe
3"Ship design, resource management, and tactical combat require planning and problem solving."
Starcom: Unknown Space
"Combat and ship design require planning and problem solving, though simplified by bugs and AI limitations."
-
Thrill
Game with the same Thrill vibe
2"Combat offers some tension and excitement, but repetitive fights and bugs lessen thrill for some players."
Swords and Sandals 2 Redux
"Combat provides some excitement and suspense, but unpredictability due to bugs reduces consistent thrill."
-
Value
Game with the same Value vibe
-3"Many players feel the game is overpriced for content and features offered."
I am an Air Traffic Controller 4
"Many players feel the game is overpriced for its current content and buggy state."
-
Violence
Game with the same Violence vibe
4"Core gameplay involves combat, shooting, and destruction of enemy ships."
Enemy Mind
"Core gameplay involves naval combat with destruction of ships and weapons."
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Survival
Game with the same Survival vibe
2"Players manage ship systems and avoid destruction; some resource and damage management."
Quintet
"Players manage ship damage and avoid sinking, involving resource and damage management."
Analysis
Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Expression, Fellowship, Cooperation, Competition. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Expression. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Story, Value.
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