Gateways similar games & best alternatives

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Gateways

Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Xbox 360 • 2012

Should you play it?

From the creative mind behind The Adventures of Shuggy comes an exciting new retro-styled 2D platformer, a winner of Dream Build Play 2012 and a top 50 game of 2012 according to Game Informer. Grab the gateway guns and explore a huge lab filled with mysterious puzzles in this classic platforming adventure.

What works

  • Innovative and challenging puzzle mechanics
  • Metroidvania style exploration
  • Helpful in-game hint system
  • Good value for price
  • Workshop support and level editor

Things to keep in mind

  • Steep difficulty curve, especially late game
  • Minimal story and character development
  • Simple pixel art graphics
  • Some frustrating controls and platforming
  • Sparse save points and backtracking

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

More expressive

Games that feels like Gateways but with more self-expression and customization

More relaxing

Games that feels like Gateways but with a more relaxing feel

More story-driven

Games that feels like Gateways but with deeper narrative immersion

More survival-focused

Games that feels like Gateways but with a stronger survival pressure

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with Gateways. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with Gateways. These titles are not in What to play next.

Gateways: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Fantasy, Survival, Thrill. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Fantasy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Expression, Relaxation.

Last update: 23/08/2026