9 Monkeys of Shaolin similar games & best alternatives

9 Monkeys of Shaolin

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, Xbox Series X|S, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch • 2020

Should you play it?

The true rebirth of iconic beat 'em up genre in vein of old-school video games! As a simple Chinese fisherman Wei Cheng you have to avenge the death of your friends and family slaughtered in a pirate raid at your peaceful village.

What works
  • Fluid and satisfying combat mechanics
  • Cooperative local and online multiplayer
  • Variety of weapons and skill upgrades
  • Stylized visuals and immersive kung-fu theme
  • Good replayability with new game plus and modifiers
Things to keep in mind
  • Short game length
  • Some bugs and technical issues especially in co-op
  • Basic and unengaging story
  • Boss fights can be frustrating or unbalanced
  • Limited character customization and expression

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Viking Squad

  • River City Girls 2

  • Rampage Knights

  • River City Girls

  • Absolum

  • Lost Castle / 失落城堡

  • Hammerwatch

  • Double Dragon: Neon

  • Coridden

Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Viking Squad

  • I Am The Hero

  • Starlight Revolver

If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Competence

    BlazBlue Entropy Effect

  • Cooperation

    Bloody Trapland 2: Curiosity

  • Escapism

    Dragon Fist: VR Kung Fu

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • 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 for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • 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 (hidden on purpose).

9 Monkeys of Shaolin: A very typical example of its motivational profile. 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. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Story.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    3

    "Players have freedom to choose weapons, game modes, and play style with some customization and progression."

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    "Players can choose different weapons, charms, and upgrade skills, allowing some freedom in combat style and progression."

  • Competence

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    "Combat is skill-based with fluid combos and challenging bosses; players improve through practice and mastery."

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    "Combat is skill-based with fluid controls, combos, and difficulty scaling that rewards mastery and timing."

  • Competition

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    "Focus is on personal progression and co-op play rather than competitive ranked modes or leaderboards."

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    "Focus is on personal progression and co-op play rather than competitive ranked modes or leaderboards."

  • Continuation

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    "Players report replayability through multiple modes and achievements, though some find it repetitive after extended play."

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    "Players report replayability through new game plus, skill mastery, and co-op, though some find it short and occasionally repetitive."

  • Cooperation

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    "Strong emphasis on co-op play both local and online, with teamwork to complete levels and help each other progress."

    Capsule for Bloody Trapland 2: Curiosity Bloody Trapland 2: Curiosity

    "Strong emphasis on local and online co-op play with shared progression and teamwork."

  • Creativity

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    "Players can customize combat style through skill trees and weapon choices, though within predefined systems."

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    "Some customization through skill trees, weapon choices, and modifiers, but mostly structured combat within predefined levels."

  • Domination

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    "Interactions are cooperative and balanced; no evidence of dominance or power imposition over others."

    Capsule for Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army

    "Interactions are cooperative and balanced; no evidence of dominance or power imposition over others."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

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    "Players use the game as an immersive escape into kung fu fantasy worlds and martial arts movies, often as a stress-relief and workout."

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    "Players use the game as a fun, immersive kung-fu fantasy experience to escape real life stress."

  • Expectation

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    "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and intrinsic interest, not out of obligation or pressure."

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    "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and intrinsic interest, not out of obligation or pressure."

  • Experimenting

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    "Players experiment with various weapons, skills, and builds; the game encourages trying different combat styles."

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    "Players experiment with different weapons, skill builds, and modifiers to find preferred combat styles."

  • Exploration

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    "Some exploration of environments and secrets encouraged, but mostly linear level design."

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    "Some exploration of unique level designs and secrets, though mostly linear progression through stages."

  • Expression

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    "Character customization and cosmetic unlocks allow for some personal expression."

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    "Limited character customization and cosmetic unlocks allow some personal expression."

  • Fantasy

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    "Strong martial arts and kung fu movie theme with imaginative combat and story elements."

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    "Strong kung-fu movie theme with mystical elements and stylized combat immerses players in an imaginative setting."

  • Fellowship

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    "Community and social play encouraged via co-op modes and shared experiences."

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    "Community and social play encouraged through co-op modes and shared achievements."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

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    "Skill point system and upgrades provide learning and personal development in combat mastery."

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    "Skill acquisition and mastery through combat mechanics and upgrade systems provide learning opportunities."

  • Health

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

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

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

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    "Requires focused attention during combat and progression; not a background or idle game."

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    "Requires focused attention during combat and progression; not a background or idle game."

  • Intimacy

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    "Co-op play fosters social interaction and bonding, though not deeply emotional or intimate connections."

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    "Co-op play fosters social interaction and bonding, though not deeply emotional or intimate connections."

  • Leadership

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    -3

    "Players participate collaboratively without strong leadership or authoritative roles."

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    "Players participate collaboratively without strong leadership or authoritative roles."

  • Progression

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    "Clear progression through skill leveling, crafting upgrades, and unlocking new abilities."

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    "Clear progression through skill trees, equipment upgrades, and unlocking new abilities."

  • Relaxation

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    "Combat can be tense and challenging, but also rewarding and satisfying, providing some flow and catharsis."

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    "Combat can be adrenaline-filled and satisfying but also challenging and tense at higher difficulties."

  • Sensation

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    "Enjoyable visuals, music, and fluid combat provide sensory stimulation and fun."

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    "Enjoyable visual style, sound effects, and fluid combat provide sensory stimulation and excitement."

  • Status
    -3

    No nearest game available

  • Story

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    "Story is present but short and simple; mostly serves as a backdrop for gameplay."

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    "Story is present but basic and not deeply engaging; mainly serves as backdrop for gameplay."

  • Strategy

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    "Combat requires timing, positioning, and tactical use of moves; some strategic depth in fights."

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    "Combat requires timing, skill expression, and some tactical use of abilities and positioning."

  • Thrill

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    3

    "Combat and boss fights provide moments of tension and excitement, especially on higher difficulties."

    Capsule for Hi-Fi RUSH Hi-Fi RUSH

    "Combat difficulty and boss fights provide moments of tension and excitement."

  • Value

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    "Generally considered good value especially on sale, though some find it short for full price."

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    "Generally considered good value especially on sale, though some find it short for full price."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

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    "Core gameplay involves combat, combos, and defeating enemies with impactful violence."

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    "Core gameplay involves combat, defeating enemies, and martial arts violence."

  • Survival

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    "Players must avoid damage and manage resources to survive combat encounters and boss fights."

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    "Players must avoid damage and manage resources like health and buffs to survive combat encounters."

Last update: 27/05/2026