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Balrum similar games & best alternatives

Balrum

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Linux • 2016

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Quick resume

Balrum is an old-school, turn-based, open world RPG with deep tactical combat. Explore a huge living fantasy world with dozens of side quests next to an epic main quest. Grow your own crops, build your home, and craft your own custom items.

Global score

79/100

Genres

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

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep crafting and building systems
    • Large open world with exploration and secrets
    • Challenging and strategic turn-based combat
    • Immersive survival mechanics
    • Engaging old-school rpg atmosphere

    Cons

    • Slow movement and pacing
    • Steep learning curve with limited tutorials
    • Lack of monster respawn can make grinding difficult
    • Some ui and inventory management clunky
    • Pet system and some crafting skills underwhelming

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Cooperation, Leadership, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Expression, Exploration, Survival.

    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
      4

      "Players have freedom to explore, choose skills, build and craft their own way, and make decisions without handholding"

    • Competence
      3

      "Game is challenging with slow progression and requires skillful management of resources, combat, and crafting"

    • Competition
      -4

      "Focus is on personal progression and exploration without PvP or ranked modes"

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report long play sessions and high engagement with crafting, exploration, and questing"

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Single player game with no multiplayer or cooperative elements"

    • Creativity
      4

      "Extensive crafting, building, farming, and customization options allow creative expression"

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of power over others or dominance mechanics; gameplay is solo and self-directed"

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game for immersive fantasy escape and exploration of a rich world"

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily driven by interest and enjoyment rather than obligation"

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Players explore many mechanics, crafting recipes, and combat strategies"

    • Exploration
      5

      "Large open world with many secrets, puzzles, and areas to discover"

    • Expression
      4

      "Players can customize their home base, character builds, and crafted items"

    • Fantasy
      5

      "Strong fantasy setting with magic, mythical creatures, and lore"

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "No multiplayer or social community features"

    • Growth
      3

      "Character progression is slow but meaningful, with skill learning and personal development"

    • Health
      -3

      "Sedentary gameplay with some survival mechanics but no physical activity"

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires focused attention due to survival mechanics and combat"

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No evidence of close social relationships or emotional sharing"

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management elements"

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong emphasis on leveling up, acquiring items, and upgrading skills"

    • Relaxation
      3

      "Slow pace and immersive exploration provide a relaxing experience for many players"

    • Sensation
      2

      "Visuals and sound provide nostalgic and pleasant sensory stimulation, but not intense"

    • Status
      -5

      "No social status or recognition systems"

    • Story
      3

      "Engaging narrative with lore and quests, though some find it slow or simple"

    • Strategy
      4

      "Combat and resource management require planning and tactical thinking"

    • Thrill
      2

      "Some suspense from survival and combat challenges, but overall controlled experience"

    • Value
      4

      "Players find great content and gameplay depth for the price"

    • Violence
      1

      "Combat is present but not focused on destruction; also includes constructive activities"

    • Survival
      4

      "Survival mechanics like hunger, thirst, and resource management are core gameplay elements"

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026