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BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition similar games & best alternatives

BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition

PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch • 2015

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Quick resume

With BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition, experience the multi-award-winning action adventure like never before - redesigned for Steam.

Global score

86/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Indie, Arcade, Fighting

Similar games

    Pros

    • Beautiful atmospheric art and sound
    • Challenging and addictive gameplay
    • Local co-op and multiplayer modes
    • Large amount of levels and community content
    • Intuitive controls with varied power-ups

    Cons

    • Can become repetitive over time
    • Some technical bugs and crashes reported
    • Lack of online multiplayer
    • Minimal narrative or story depth
    • Price considered high without discount

    Analysis

    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 Competition, Status. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Leadership.

    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 control a flying creature with simple inputs but can choose different power-ups and strategies to overcome obstacles, allowing some freedom in approach."

    • Competence
      4

      "The game requires skillful timing, precision, and mastery of physics-based controls, with increasing difficulty and challenging puzzles."

    • Competition
      2

      "Includes local versus multiplayer and leaderboards, encouraging some player comparison, but many play casually or solo."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Many players report addictive gameplay with hundreds of levels and frequent retries, encouraging long play sessions."

    • Cooperation
      4

      "Supports local co-op for up to 4 players, with cooperative gameplay praised as a highlight."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players can use various power-ups that modify character size, speed, and abilities, and community-created levels add creative content."

    • Domination
      -3

      "Interactions emphasize cooperation and shared goals rather than dominance or power over others."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Atmospheric visuals and sound design provide immersive escapism from real life stresses."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily for fun and nostalgia, with no indication of obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Varied power-ups and level designs encourage players to try different strategies and experiment with mechanics."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Players explore diverse levels and environments, though mostly linear progression through designed stages."

    • Expression
      2

      "Customization is limited to power-up effects changing character appearance; no deep avatar personalization."

    • Fantasy
      3

      "The game features imaginative, surreal creatures and environments, creating a fantasy atmosphere."

    • Fellowship
      3

      "Local multiplayer and community level sharing foster a sense of belonging and shared experience."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players develop skills and strategies to overcome increasingly difficult levels and challenges."

    • Health
      -5

      "Primarily a sedentary game with no physical activity component."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention and precise timing; not suited for casual background play."

    • Intimacy
      2

      "Local co-op play encourages social interaction and bonding, though no deep emotional connections described."

    • Leadership
      -2

      "Gameplay emphasizes cooperative participation rather than leadership or authority roles."

    • Progression
      4

      "Players collect power-ups, unlock levels, and achieve goals, showing clear progression and rewards."

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Early gameplay is relaxing and atmospheric, though difficulty spikes can cause tension."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Visuals and sound design provide rich sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."

    • Status
      1

      "Some social recognition through achievements and leaderboards, but not a primary focus."

    • Story
      1

      "Minimal narrative conveyed through visuals and atmosphere; story is subtle and not central."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Players must plan use of power-ups and timing to solve puzzles and navigate levels."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Challenging levels and traps create suspense and excitement, though controlled within game design."

    • Value
      3

      "Considered good value especially on sale, with extensive content and replayability."

    • Violence
      2

      "Contains cartoonish destruction of player characters by traps, but no graphic or realistic violence."

    • Survival
      3

      "Core gameplay involves avoiding death and hazards to survive and progress through levels."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026