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The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile similar games & best alternatives

The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile

PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360, Mac, Linux • 2017

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Quick resume

The followup to 2009's Dead Samurai, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is a combo-fueled, fast-paced, stylistic 2D action platformer that features the series' staple gritty, graphic novel-inspired art style, built on a new engine that allows for an even more visually gruesome experience.

Global score

95/100

Genres

Action, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Fast and satisfying combat
    • Unique art style and atmosphere
    • Great soundtrack
    • Multiple characters and weapons
    • Local and online co-op

    Cons

    • Short story and game length
    • Some visual effects may cause eyestrain
    • Online co-op can be glitchy
    • Repetitive enemy patterns
    • No port of first game on pc

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      4

      "Players can freely choose weapon combinations and playstyles with two distinct characters, enabling personal control over actions and decisions."

      Capsule for Copy Kitty Copy Kitty

      "Players can choose between two characters with distinct weapons and playstyles, and can switch weapons mid-combo, allowing freedom in combat decisions."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      5

      "The game features challenging combat with a high skill ceiling, combo mastery, parrying, and requires learning enemy patterns and mechanics to succeed."

      Capsule for Mortal Sin Mortal Sin

      "The game features challenging combat with a high skill ceiling, requiring mastering combos, dodging, and weapon switching, with multiple difficulty levels including very hard modes."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      1

      "Includes online co-op and multiplayer modes, but no strong emphasis on ranked or leaderboard competition; social play is present but not highly competitive."

      Capsule for Gatekeeper: Infinity Gatekeeper: Infinity

      "Includes local and online co-op modes and challenges, but no strong emphasis on ranked or leaderboard competition."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      3

      "Players report long play sessions, replayability through collectibles, arcade mode, and co-op challenges encouraging habitual play."

      Capsule for Outland Outland

      "Players report long playtimes, replayability through multiple characters, challenges, and arcade modes encouraging habitual play."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      3

      "Supports local co-op play allowing players to work together."

      Capsule for Blue Estate The Game Blue Estate The Game

      "Supports local and online co-op play, allowing players to work together to complete the game."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      4

      "Players customize combos, weapons, and loadouts extensively, experimenting with many combinations."

      Capsule for Baldr Sky Baldr Sky

      "Players can customize loadouts with various weapons, magic, and beads; the game includes unique combos and special moves."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -3

      "Interactions are balanced and cooperative; no evidence of power imposition or trash talk."

      Capsule for Tesla vs Lovecraft Tesla vs Lovecraft

      "No evidence of trash talk or power imposition; interactions appear balanced and cooperative."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Dark, gritty atmosphere and violent combat provide immersive escape from real life stress and monotony."

      Capsule for Watchmen: The End is Nigh Watchmen: The End is Nigh

      "Dark, gritty atmosphere with intense combat and gore provides strong escapism and immersion away from real life."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players express intrinsic motivation and personal desire to play, often for nostalgia or enjoyment rather than obligation."

      Capsule for Call of Duty: World at War Call of Duty: World at War

      "Players express intrinsic motivation and enthusiasm for the game, often citing personal desire and nostalgia."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Players experiment with strategies, weapon usage, and enemy patterns to progress."

      Capsule for Bloody Walls Bloody Walls

      "Players experiment with different weapons, combos, and strategies to master combat and progress."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      2

      "Game includes some light Metroidvania elements and collectibles encouraging exploration, though mostly linear progression."

      Capsule for The Legend of Tianding The Legend of Tianding

      "Includes some metroidvania elements and hidden secrets, though mostly linear progression."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      2

      "Customization through amulets and skill upgrades allows some player expression, but no avatar personalization."

      Capsule for The Legend of Tianding The Legend of Tianding

      "Customization through beads and weapon upgrades allows some player expression, though no avatar personalization noted."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      4

      "Set in a dark fantasy world with vampires, undead, and supernatural elements, evoking imaginative fiction."

      Capsule for Vampire Survivors Vampire Survivors

      "Set in a dark, dystopian moon world with vampires, cyborgs, and magic, featuring a highly stylized fictional narrative."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      2

      "Community aspects exist through multiplayer and co-op, but many players focus on solo play."

      Capsule for Sniper Elite: Resistance Sniper Elite: Resistance

      "Community aspects exist through co-op play and shared experiences, though many players also enjoy solo play."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      4

      "Players develop combat skills, learn enemy patterns, and improve performance through repeated play and difficulty progression."

      Capsule for NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black

      "Players develop skills in fast-paced combat, learn enemy patterns, and improve mastery over weapons and combos."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -4

      "Requires long sedentary play sessions with intense focus; no physical activity involved."

      Capsule for Nuclear Throne Nuclear Throne

      "Requires long sessions of intense, sedentary play with high visual stimulation; no physical activity involved."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -4

      "Requires constant attention and focus due to fast-paced, challenging combat."

      Capsule for Bayonetta Bayonetta

      "Requires constant attention and focus due to fast-paced, challenging combat and quick reflexes."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      0

      "Co-op play allows social interaction and some bonding, but no deep emotional or intimate connections described."

      Capsule for Arizona Sunshine® Remake Arizona Sunshine® Remake

      "Limited data on forming close relationships; co-op play suggests some social interaction but no deep intimacy."

    • 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

      "No evidence of leadership roles; cooperative play appears balanced without hierarchical control."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Players accumulate weapons, armor, and upgrades to enhance combat effectiveness."

      Capsule for Warcube Warcube

      "Players accumulate upgrades, weapons, magic, and beads that enhance abilities and combat effectiveness."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      -3

      "Intense, stressful, and adrenaline-filled gameplay; not designed for relaxation."

      Capsule for Thumper Thumper

      "Fast, intense, and sometimes stressful gameplay with flashing effects and high difficulty reduces relaxation."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      5

      "Strong sensory stimulation from flashy combat effects, fast movement, and energetic soundtrack."

      Capsule for Advent NEON® Advent NEON®

      "Strong sensory stimulation from fast combat, gore, flashing visuals, and energetic soundtrack."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      0

      "No clear evidence of social recognition or status seeking in reviews or gameplay."

      Capsule for Accel World VS. Sword Art Online Deluxe Edition Accel World VS. Sword Art Online Deluxe Edition

      "No clear evidence of social recognition or status seeking in reviews or gameplay."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      2

      "Narrative is simple and presented via comic-style cutscenes; story adds context but is not deeply immersive."

      Capsule for The TakeOver The TakeOver

      "Story told through comic-style cutscenes and character perspectives; narrative is present but secondary to gameplay."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      4

      "Requires planning weapon loadouts, attack sequences, and tactical movement to overcome enemies and bosses."

      Capsule for DESYNC DESYNC

      "Requires strategic weapon switching, timing, and combo execution to overcome enemies and bosses."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      4

      "High tension and adrenaline from punishing difficulty, close combat, and boss fights."

      Capsule for Viscerafest Viscerafest

      "High tension and adrenaline from challenging combat, boss fights, and fast-paced action."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      5

      "Players report excellent value for price with many hours of gameplay and replayability."

      Capsule for FIND ALL 3: Travel FIND ALL 3: Travel

      "Players report excellent value for price with many hours of gameplay and replayability."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      5

      "Extremely violent and gory gameplay with blood, gore, and brutal demon slaughter."

      Capsule for Tormentor❌Punisher Tormentor❌Punisher

      "Extremely violent with abundant gore, brutal executions, and blood effects integral to gameplay and style."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      3

      "Players must avoid damage and manage health in challenging combat scenarios."

      Capsule for REAVER REAVER

      "Players must avoid damage and manage health in challenging combat scenarios to survive."

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Violence, Competition. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation.

    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