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Varenje similar games & best alternatives

Varenje

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux • 2018

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Quick resume

Varenje is a cute colorful adventure with a number of puzzles and mini-games made by artists for anyone that considers games to be an art.

Global score

87/100

Genres

Adventure, Casual, Indie, Free To Play, Point-and-click, Puzzle

Similar games

    Pros

    • Beautiful hand-drawn art style
    • Relaxing music and atmosphere
    • Intuitive and casual puzzle gameplay
    • Free first chapter to try
    • Unique and intriguing narrative twist

    Cons

    • Short overall game length
    • Some puzzles unclear or confusing
    • Technical bugs and glitches reported
    • Story cutscenes feel out of place or disturbing
    • Lack of tutorial or instructions

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      4

      "Players freely explore environments, combine items in many ways, and solve puzzles at their own pace, showing strong control over actions."

      Capsule for HIVESWAP: ACT 1 HIVESWAP: ACT 1

      "Players explore freely, solve puzzles at their own pace, and can skip difficult puzzles, indicating high player control."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      2

      "Puzzles require some skill and thinking but are generally easy and short, providing moderate challenge."

      Capsule for Polarity Polarity

      "Puzzles vary in difficulty with some requiring thought, but many are easy or skippable, providing moderate skill challenge."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -5

      "No competitive elements or player comparison; focus is on individual puzzle solving and exploration."

      Capsule for LEAVES - The Journey LEAVES - The Journey

      "No competitive elements or player comparison; focus is on individual puzzle solving and hidden object searching."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      1

      "Short game length (~2 hours) with some players expressing desire to replay or await DLC, but overall limited habitual play."

      Capsule for Dread Flats Dread Flats

      "Some players report short playtime but express desire to continue with DLC; overall moderate habitual engagement."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

      "Single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay mentioned."

      Capsule for HAAK HAAK

      "Single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay mentioned."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      3

      "Players engage in creative problem solving and exploration, though within predefined puzzle structures."

      Capsule for Myst III: Exile Myst III: Exile

      "Players engage in puzzle solving and exploration in a richly detailed, hand-drawn world, encouraging creative problem solving."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; gameplay is solitary and non-confrontational."

      Capsule for Blocks That Matter Blocks That Matter

      "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; gameplay is solitary and non-confrontational."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Players enjoy immersion in imaginative, surreal worlds and story as a form of escape and emotional engagement."

      Capsule for Psychonauts 2 Psychonauts 2

      "The surreal, colorful world and story provide an escape from reality, with players enjoying immersion in a whimsical setting."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and relaxation; no indication of obligation or external pressure."

      Capsule for Fishing Planet Fishing Planet

      "Players engage voluntarily for relaxation and enjoyment; no indication of obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      2

      "Some experimentation with powers and puzzle solving approaches, but mostly follows established hidden object gameplay."

      Capsule for Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of The Baskervilles Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of The Baskervilles

      "Players explore puzzles and hidden objects with some trial and error, but gameplay largely follows established hidden object mechanics."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      3

      "Players explore varied environments and collect hidden items, encouraging curiosity."

      Capsule for Scrap Garden Scrap Garden

      "Players discover new areas and hidden items in a colorful, detailed environment, encouraging curiosity-driven activities."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      -3

      "No character customization or avatar personalization; presentation is fixed and standardized."

      Capsule for Narita Boy Narita Boy

      "No character customization or avatar personalization; presentation is fixed and standardized."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      3

      "Game involves hallucinations and surreal horror elements, blending reality with imaginative fiction."

      Capsule for Who's at the door? Who's at the door?

      "The game features a surreal, whimsical world with fantastical elements and a meta-narrative involving hallucinations."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

      "No social or community features; gameplay is solitary and individual."

      Capsule for Sproggiwood Sproggiwood

      "No social or community features; gameplay is solitary and individual."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      2

      "Players develop puzzle-solving skills and learn game mechanics, though the learning curve is moderate and some puzzles are simple."

      Capsule for Mimpi Mimpi

      "Players develop observation and puzzle-solving skills, though learning curve is moderate and puzzles are mostly straightforward."

    • 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 focused attention to find objects and solve puzzles; not designed for passive or background play."

      Capsule for A Tower Full of Cats A Tower Full of Cats

      "Requires active attention to find objects and solve puzzles; not designed for passive or background play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -5

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

      Capsule for Sekiro™: Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition Sekiro™: Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition

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

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles; gameplay is individual and self-directed."

      Capsule for Backpack Battles Backpack Battles

      "No leadership or group management roles; gameplay is individual and self-directed."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      3

      "Players collect items and unlock new areas, showing accumulation and advancement."

      Capsule for Windlands Windlands

      "Players collect items and unlock new areas and achievements, showing a sense of advancement and accumulation."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      4

      "Game praised for relaxing atmosphere, soothing music, and stress relief."

      Capsule for 100 hidden cats 2 100 hidden cats 2

      "Game praised for relaxing atmosphere, soothing music, and casual pace, providing a stress-free experience."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      3

      "Bright colorful graphics and pleasant music provide enjoyable sensory stimulation."

      Capsule for The Cat! Porfirio's Adventure The Cat! Porfirio's Adventure

      "Vibrant colorful graphics and pleasant music provide sensory stimulation and visual enjoyment."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -4

      "Achievements exist but social recognition or popularity is minimal; focus is on personal accomplishment."

      Capsule for Welcome to the Game II Welcome to the Game II

      "Achievements exist but social recognition or popularity is minimal; focus is on personal accomplishment."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      2

      "The game features a narrative with cutscenes and plot, though some find it predictable and secondary to gameplay."

      Capsule for Police Stories Police Stories

      "The game includes a narrative with cutscenes, though some find it confusing or out of place; story adds depth beyond gameplay."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      1

      "Puzzles require some reasoning and observation but are generally straightforward without deep strategic planning."

      Capsule for Botanicula Botanicula

      "Puzzles require some reasoning but are mostly straightforward; limited strategic planning involved."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      -3

      "Gameplay is low risk and calm, lacking suspense or intense emotional tension."

      Capsule for Vacation Simulator Vacation Simulator

      "Gameplay is calm and low-risk; lacks suspense or intense emotional tension."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      2

      "Free to play with optional purchases; some complaints about monetization but generally good value."

      Capsule for Bombergrounds: Reborn Bombergrounds: Reborn

      "Free first chapter allows trial before purchase; overall considered good value especially on sale."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      -5

      "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus is on constructive puzzle solving and exploration."

      Capsule for Chants of Sennaar Chants of Sennaar

      "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus is on constructive puzzle solving and exploration."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      -5

      "No threats or survival mechanics; stable, low-risk environment."

      Capsule for 100 hidden eternals 100 hidden eternals

      "No threats or survival mechanics; stable, low-risk environment."

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Fellowship, Expression. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Thrill, Survival, 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.

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 30/04/2026