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Avernum 2: Crystal Souls similar games & best alternatives

Avernum 2: Crystal Souls

PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac • 2015

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Quick resume

Huge indie fantasy role-playing adventure in a massive, underground land. Packed with over 100 towns and dungeons and an epic story. Fight to complete up to three distinct game-winning quests. Master over 60 spells and abilities. Hunt for hundreds of magical artifacts. Over 50 hours of gameplay.

Global score

90/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep and engaging story
    • Large open world with extensive exploration
    • Challenging tactical turn-based combat
    • Character customization and party building
    • Long playtime and replayability

    Cons

    • Dated graphics and sound
    • Tedious backtracking and some slow combat
    • Interface quirks and minor usability issues
    • Limited character class variety
    • Lack of multiplayer or social features

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Leadership, Survival, Violence, Strategy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Sensation, Cooperation.

    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 customize characters, choose party composition, and explore a large open world with some freedom, though the story progression and quest restrictions impose some limits."

    • Competence
      4

      "The game offers challenging turn-based tactical combat with skill trees and character development requiring strategic thinking and mastery."

    • Competition
      -4

      "Focus is on single-player experience with no indication of competitive or multiplayer elements."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Players report long playtimes (50+ hours), deep engagement, and habitual play through multiple quests and exploration."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Gameplay is strictly single-player controlling a party; no multiplayer or cooperative play."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Character customization and party building allow creative approaches, though the game follows predefined quest structures."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control over other players; interactions are single-player and story-driven."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as an immersive escape into a vast fantasy world with rich storytelling and exploration."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and nostalgia, with no obligation or external pressure noted."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players experiment with different character builds, skills, and exploration paths within the game."

    • Exploration
      5

      "Strong emphasis on discovering new areas, secrets, and lore in a large open world with many quests."

    • Expression
      2

      "Character customization allows some self-expression, though graphical customization is limited."

    • Fantasy
      5

      "High fantasy setting with magic, mythical races, and an imaginative underground world."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "Single-player experience with minimal social or community interaction."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players develop characters through skill trees and level-ups, learning game mechanics and strategies."

    • Health
      -5

      "Typical sedentary computer RPG with no physical activity elements."

    • Idle
      -4

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

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No evidence of forming close social relationships; gameplay is solitary."

    • Leadership
      2

      "Players lead a party of four characters, managing their skills and tactics."

    • Progression
      5

      "Strong RPG progression through leveling, skill point allocation, and item acquisition."

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Some players find the game immersive and relaxing, though combat can be challenging and sometimes tedious."

    • Sensation
      -2

      "The game has minimal sensory stimulation; graphics and sound are simple and retro, focusing on text and imagination."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social status or recognition mechanics; focus is on individual play."

    • Story
      5

      "Rich narrative immersion with detailed lore, character interactions, and multiple questlines."

    • Strategy
      5

      "Turn-based combat and character development require planning, problem solving, and tactical thinking."

    • Thrill
      2

      "Some suspense and challenge in combat, especially on higher difficulties, but overall controlled gameplay."

    • Value
      4

      "Players report excellent value for time with extensive content and long playtime."

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat involves fighting enemies with weapons and magic, typical of fantasy RPGs."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players manage resources and character health to survive challenging battles and exploration."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026