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Source of Madness similar games & best alternatives

Source of Madness

PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 • 2022

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Quick resume

Source of Madness is a side-scrolling dark action roguelite set in a twisted Lovecraftian inspired world powered by procedural generation and AI machine learning. Take on the role of a new Acolyte as they embark on a nightmarish odyssey.

Global score

69/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG), Platform

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique lovecraftian art style and atmosphere
    • Procedurally generated monsters and environments
    • Engaging and challenging combat
    • Deep progression and build customization
    • Active developer support and updates

    Cons

    • Combat can feel floaty and imprecise
    • Some balancing and content length issues
    • Minimal narrative and story impact
    • Enemy ai and movement can be unpredictable or frustrating
    • Lack of save mid-run and some ui clunkiness

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      3

      "Players can choose characters, upgrades, and build strategies, but runs follow a set progression path."

      Capsule for BORE BLASTERS BORE BLASTERS

      "Players can choose different classes and customize builds with spells and items, but runs have procedural generation and some randomness in starting conditions."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      3

      "Combat requires skillful timing of attacks, counters, and dodges; players improve through practice and equipment upgrades."

      Capsule for Hand of Fate Hand of Fate

      "Combat requires skillful dodging and positioning; players improve over time and unlock upgrades, but some combat elements feel floaty and imprecise."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -3

      "Focus is on personal challenge and progression rather than competing against others; no mention of PvP or leaderboards."

      Capsule for Fortune's Run Fortune's Run

      "Focus is on individual progression and personal challenge rather than competing against others; no mention of PvP or leaderboards."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      3

      "Many players report addictive gameplay with long sessions and repeated runs, though some find it repetitive and lose interest after finishing."

      Capsule for Necroking Necroking

      "Players report addictive gameplay with desire to keep playing, though some mention waning interest after finishing acts; roguelite progression encourages repeated runs."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

      "Game is single-player focused with no cooperative or multiplayer elements mentioned."

      Capsule for Weird RPG Weird RPG

      "Game is single-player focused with no cooperative or multiplayer elements mentioned."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      4

      "Players create unique builds by combining spells, dice manipulation, and artifacts, fostering creative experimentation."

      Capsule for SpellRogue SpellRogue

      "High creativity in procedural generation of monsters and environments; players create unique builds with spells and items."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of dominating others; gameplay is solo and cooperative social dominance is absent."

      Capsule for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

      "No evidence of dominating others; gameplay is solo and cooperative social dominance is absent."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "The Lovecraftian horror theme and immersive atmosphere provide strong escapism from real life."

      Capsule for Sea Salt Sea Salt

      "Strong Lovecraftian horror theme and immersive atmosphere provide escapism into a dark, surreal world."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

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

      Capsule for Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure

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

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      4

      "Procedural generation and item variety encourage trying new builds and tactics."

      Capsule for Ancient Dungeon Ancient Dungeon

      "Players experiment with different builds, spells, and strategies; procedural generation encourages trying new approaches."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      3

      "Hub world and several games encourage discovering new areas, secrets, and narrative elements."

      Capsule for Dread X Collection 5 Dread X Collection 5

      "Players explore procedurally generated levels and discover secrets; some critique about limited story impact on hub world."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      2

      "Customization of gear and spells allows some degree of self-expression, though no avatar personalization."

      Capsule for Immortals of Aveum™ Immortals of Aveum™

      "Customization through character classes and spell/item builds allows some self-expression, though no avatar personalization."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      5

      "Strongly rooted in Lovecraftian cosmic horror fantasy with eldritch creatures and surreal environments."

      Capsule for The Shore The Shore

      "Strongly rooted in imaginative Lovecraftian cosmic horror fantasy with surreal monsters and environments."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

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

      Capsule for Tomb of Tyrants Tomb of Tyrants

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

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      4

      "Players learn enemy patterns, improve skills, and unlock upgrades through repeated play and progression."

      Capsule for Fida Puti Samurai Fida Puti Samurai

      "Players learn enemy patterns, improve skills, and unlock permanent upgrades through progression."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

      Capsule for THE ENIGMA MACHINE THE ENIGMA MACHINE

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires continuous player attention and active engagement during runs."

      Capsule for Zombieville USA 3D Zombieville USA 3D

      "Requires focused attention during runs; some runs can be long but players are engaged."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of forming close relationships or emotional sharing within the game."

      Capsule for FrostRunner FrostRunner

      "No evidence of forming close relationships or emotional sharing within the game."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -5

      "No leadership or group management elements present."

      Capsule for Stray Stray

      "No leadership or group management elements present."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Strong progression through unlocking classes, traits, skills, and achievements across runs."

      Capsule for Terminus: Zombie Survivors Terminus: Zombie Survivors

      "Persistent progression through unlocking skills, classes, and upgrades across runs."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      2

      "Some players find the game relaxing and immersive, though combat can be challenging and tense."

      Capsule for Zoria: Age of Shattering Zoria: Age of Shattering

      "Some players find the atmosphere immersive and enjoyable, though combat can be challenging and tense."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      4

      "Strong sensory stimulation through visuals, sound, and interactive art."

      Capsule for Museum of Other Realities Museum of Other Realities

      "Strong sensory stimulation from unique art style, sound design, and visual effects."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems mentioned."

      Capsule for Super Jigsaw Puzzle: Generations Super Jigsaw Puzzle: Generations

      "No social recognition or status systems mentioned."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      2

      "Minimal narrative with some lore and atmosphere; story is subtle and emergent rather than explicit."

      Capsule for Bad North: Jotunn Edition Bad North: Jotunn Edition

      "Minimal narrative with some lore and atmosphere; story is light and underdeveloped but present."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      3

      "Combat and build choices require tactical thinking and planning, though some imbalance exists."

      Capsule for Steelrising Steelrising

      "Combat and build choices require tactical thinking and planning; some randomness limits full strategic control."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      3

      "Challenging combat and unpredictable enemy behavior create suspense and excitement."

      Capsule for UFO: Aftermath UFO: Aftermath

      "Challenging combat and unpredictable enemies create suspense and excitement."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      3

      "Players feel the game offers good value especially on sale; some concern about content length but overall positive."

      Capsule for Windblown Windblown

      "Players feel the game offers good value especially at sale price; some critique about content length."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      4

      "Combat involves killing monsters and humans with swords and magic; gore and dismemberment present."

      Capsule for The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut

      "Combat involves destroying grotesque monsters with spells and dismemberment."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      3

      "Players must avoid damage and manage resources to survive increasingly difficult enemies."

      Capsule for Tiny Rogues Tiny Rogues

      "Players must avoid damage and manage resources to survive; enemies pose significant threat."

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Cooperation, Leadership, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Violence, Fantasy. 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