The Elder Scrolls® Online similar games & best alternatives
The Elder Scrolls® Online
2017
Related articles
Quick resume
Every legend starts somewhere and in The Elder Scrolls Online, it starts with you. Join millions of players in an online, fantasy RPG set in a vast living Elder Scrolls world.
Global score
81/100
Genres
Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, Role-playing (RPG)
Similar games
Pros
- Vast and beautiful open world
- Rich and engaging story and quests
- Flexible character customization and builds
- Active and friendly community
- Frequent updates and large content volume
Cons
- Grind and slow progression in some areas
- Monetization and expensive dlcs
- Lack of official localization in many languages
- Some bugs and technical issues
- Complexity and high learning curve for new players
Motivations
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Autonomy
Game with the same Autonomy vibe
4"Players have freedom to explore different areas, choose quests, and solve puzzles in multiple ways with unique mechanics per zone."
Slider
"Players have freedom to explore any zone, choose any class and build, and make own decisions in quests and gameplay."
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Competence
Game with the same Competence vibe
3"The game offers skill-based combat, crafting, and progression systems with meaningful feedback and challenges."
The Lord of the Rings Online™
"Game offers skill-based combat, crafting complexity, and progression systems that reward mastery and experimentation."
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Competition
Game with the same Competition vibe
2"Includes PvP and faction wars on some servers, but many players focus on solo or cooperative play without heavy competition."
Avorion
"PvP exists with large-scale faction battles and arenas, but many players focus on PvE and solo play without heavy competition."
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Continuation
Game with the same Continuation vibe
5"Extensive content and long playtime encourage habitual and prolonged engagement."
Assassin's Creed® Odyssey
"Extensive content, frequent updates, and large world encourage long-term habitual play and attachment."
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Cooperation
Game with the same Cooperation vibe
4"Strong social and guild systems; cooperative dungeons and events encourage teamwork and community interaction."
Mabinogi
"Group dungeons, trials, guilds, and PvP faction battles promote teamwork and social interaction."
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Creativity
Game with the same Creativity vibe
3"Players can customize characters, experiment with builds, and craft items; some housing and cooking systems."
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
"Players can customize characters, builds, housing decoration, and crafting styles extensively."
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Domination
Game with the same Domination vibe
-2"Community described as friendly and supportive; some reports of experienced players dominating but generally cooperative environment."
Supraball
"Community generally friendly and cooperative; some elitism in dungeons but balanced by guild support and social play."
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Escapism
Game with the same Escapism vibe
5"Immersive fantasy world with rich lore and exploration offers strong escape from real life."
Bastard Bonds
"Immersive world, rich lore, and engaging quests provide strong escape from real life."
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Expectation
Game with the same Expectation vibe
-3"Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and personal interest rather than obligation; some frustration with grind but mostly intrinsic motivation."
Tom Clancy’s The Division™
"Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and exploration rather than obligation; some frustration with grind and monetization."
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Experimenting
Game with the same Experimenting vibe
4"Players try different weapons, skills, and crafting combinations; exploration of mechanics encouraged."
Gatewalkers (Alpha)
"Players encouraged to try different builds, weapons, and crafting combinations; exploration of vast world."
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Exploration
Game with the same Exploration vibe
5"Large open world with procedurally generated dungeons and many locations to discover."
The Elder Scrolls: Arena
"Huge open world with many unique zones, caves, dungeons, and secrets to discover."
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Expression
Game with the same Expression vibe
4"Character customization, housing decoration, and cosmetic items allow for personal expression."
WAKFU
"Character customization, housing decoration, and cosmetic items allow self-expression."
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Fantasy
Game with the same Fantasy vibe
5"Set in a rich Dungeons & Dragons fantasy universe with magic, mythical creatures, and epic storytelling."
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
"Set in a rich fantasy universe with magic, mythical creatures, and epic storylines."
-
Fellowship
Game with the same Fellowship vibe
4"Guilds, voice chat, and social events foster a sense of community and belonging."
EverQuest II
"Guilds, social events, and cooperative content foster community and belonging."
-
Growth
Game with the same Growth vibe
4"Skill development, crafting mastery, and character progression provide learning and growth."
Mist Legacy
"Skill acquisition, character progression, and crafting development provide learning and improvement."
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Health
Game with the same Health vibe
-4"Typical sedentary MMO gameplay with long sessions; no physical activity or health-related features."
Dungeons & Dragons Online®
"Typical sedentary MMO gameplay encourages long sitting sessions with minimal physical activity."
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Idle
Game with the same Idle vibe
-3"Requires focused attention during quests and combat; not suited for passive or background play."
GOCCO OF WAR
"Requires focused attention for combat and questing; not designed for passive or background play."
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Intimacy
Game with the same Intimacy vibe
2"Some social interaction and friendships form, but mostly casual and surface-level connections."
The Ultimatest Battle
"Some social interaction and friendships form in guilds and groups, but mostly surface-level connections."
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Leadership
Game with the same Leadership vibe
2"Guild officers and party leaders guide groups, but many players participate collaboratively without strong hierarchy."
Dragon Nest
"Guild leaders and dungeon leaders guide groups, but many players participate collaboratively without strong leadership."
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Progression
Game with the same Progression vibe
5"Strong emphasis on leveling up, acquiring items, upgrading gear, and unlocking abilities."
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
"Strong emphasis on leveling, gear acquisition, crafting upgrades, and unlocking content."
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Relaxation
Game with the same Relaxation vibe
3"Some players find the grind and crafting relaxing and comforting, though combat can be challenging."
Ashen Empires
"Exploration and crafting provide relaxing flow, though combat and grind can create tension."
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Sensation
Game with the same Sensation vibe
3"Visuals, sound, and combat effects provide sensory stimulation and excitement."
SOULCALIBUR VI
"Visuals, sound, and combat effects provide sensory stimulation and excitement."
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Status
Game with the same Status vibe
2"Recognition through guild rank, PvP, and event achievements exists but is not dominant."
Bit Heroes Quest
"Guild ranks, titles, and PvP achievements offer social recognition but not dominant focus."
-
Story
Game with the same Story vibe
5"Rich narrative with voice acting, lore, quests, and character development integrated into gameplay."
Tainted Grail: Conquest
"Rich narrative with voiced quests, character interactions, and evolving plotlines."
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Strategy
Game with the same Strategy vibe
3"Combat and build customization require planning and tactical thinking."
CODE VEIN
"Combat and build customization require planning and tactical thinking."
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Thrill
Game with the same Thrill vibe
2"PvP and boss fights offer moments of suspense and excitement, but much gameplay is low risk."
Old School RuneScape
"PvP and boss fights provide moments of suspense, but much gameplay is steady and predictable."
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Value
Game with the same Value vibe
2"Free to play with lots of content, but grind and monetization may reduce perceived value for some."
Asphalt Legends
"Large amount of content for price; some frustration with monetization and grind but generally good value."
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Violence
Game with the same Violence vibe
3"Combat and defeating monsters are core gameplay elements with fantasy violence."
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen
"Combat against monsters and players is core gameplay, with fantasy violence and destruction."
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Survival
Game with the same Survival vibe
1"Some challenge in combat and resource management, but low risk overall."
Winds of Valen
"Some resource management and combat challenge, but overall low risk due to scaling and healing options."
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 Status, Competition, Story.
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