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9 Years of Shadows similar games & best alternatives

9 Years of Shadows

PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 • 2023

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Quick resume

Fight to bring beautiful colors back to a hand-crafted world of darkness and discover the story of Europa, a young warrior, and her ghostly childhood companion, Apino.

Global score

77/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Indie, Platform, Role-playing (RPG)

Similar games

    Pros

    • Beautiful pixel art and vibrant visuals
    • Engaging and varied boss fights
    • Unique elemental armor and traversal mechanics
    • Captivating soundtrack and sound design
    • Tight and responsive controls

    Cons

    • Lack of fast travel makes backtracking tedious
    • Some bosses rely on waiting mechanics and can be repetitive
    • Game is relatively short with limited replayability
    • No autosave and unskippable boss cutscenes frustrate players
    • Some bugs and crashes reported

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Expression, Fellowship, Cooperation, Competition. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Expression, Violence. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Continuation.

    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.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      3

      "Players can freely explore the castle and choose how to approach combat and traversal with different armors and abilities, though some areas lock armor choice."

    • Competence
      2

      "Combat and boss fights provide skill challenges, but overall difficulty is moderate and some bosses are easy; upgrades are minor numerical buffs."

    • Competition
      -4

      "Focus is on solo play and personal progression without competitive or ranked modes."

    • Continuation
      -3

      "Game is relatively short and linear; some players find it less replayable and easy to disengage after completion."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Entirely single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative elements."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Unique elemental armor system with traversal and combat effects; some player creativity in combat and exploration."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No social dominance or power over others; gameplay is individual and balanced."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players enjoy immersive fantasy world and story as a form of stress relief and distraction."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment rather than obligation."

    • Experimenting
      2

      "Players experiment with different armors and combat styles, though core gameplay is somewhat routine."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Exploration of castle areas with some secrets and collectibles, though linear and limited backtracking."

    • Expression
      2

      "Character customization limited to armor changes with visual and gameplay effects."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Strong fantasy setting with magical armors, curses, and imaginative bosses."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "No social or community features; solo experience."

    • Growth
      2

      "Players learn boss patterns and improve skill; upgrades provide minor progression."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay without physical activity or rehab elements."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement during combat and exploration."

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No social or emotional relationship building; solitary play."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles; individual gameplay."

    • Progression
      3

      "Collecting armors, upgrades, and items to increase power and abilities."

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Generally balanced challenge with moments of flow; some frustration with backtracking and boss fights."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Vibrant visuals and engaging music provide strong sensory stimulation."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems."

    • Story
      3

      "Narrative immersion with story, characters, and lore integrated into gameplay."

    • Strategy
      2

      "Boss fights and combat require pattern recognition and tactical use of abilities."

    • Thrill
      2

      "Some suspense and challenge in boss fights, but overall moderate tension."

    • Value
      3

      "Good perceived value for price with quality art, music, and gameplay despite some bugs."

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat involves attacking enemies and bosses with melee and ranged attacks."

    • Survival
      2

      "Players manage health and shield resources to avoid death in combat."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026