Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura similar games & best alternatives

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Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2016

Should you play it?

Imagine a place of wonder, where magick and technology coexist in an uneasy balance, and an adventurer might just as easily wield a flintlock pistol as a flaming sword. Welcome to the land of Arcanum.

What works

  • Extensive character customization and roleplay freedom
  • Deep and immersive fantasy-steampunk world
  • Multiple quest solutions and high replayability
  • Rich story and moral complexity
  • Active fan community with patches and mods

Things to keep in mind

  • Dated graphics and interface
  • Buggy and unstable without unofficial patches
  • Clunky and unbalanced combat system
  • Steep learning curve and lack of tutorials
  • Requires patience and sustained attention

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Divinity: Original Sin (Classic)

  • Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition

  • Thea 2: The Shattering

  • Bastard Bonds

  • Creator of Another World

  • 秦殇 (Prince of Qin)

Less social

Games that feels like Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura but with less teamwork and cooperation

  • Divine Divinity

  • Avernum: Escape From the Pit

  • Chained Echoes

  • The Temple of Elemental Evil

  • The Legend of Heroes: Ao no Kiseki KAI

  • Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds

Less intimate

Games that feels like Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura but with less focus on close relationships

  • Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG

  • 9th Dawn III

  • Siege of Avalon: Anthology

  • The Legend of The Sacred Stone EX

  • Din's Curse

  • Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption

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 Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. 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.
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  • 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 Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. These titles are not in What to play next.

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura: 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 Story, Expression, Exploration.

Last update: 21/08/2026