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Battle Brothers similar games & best alternatives

Battle Brothers

PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 • 2017

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Quick resume

Battle Brothers is a turn based tactical RPG which has you leading a mercenary company in a gritty, low-power, medieval fantasy world. You decide where to go, whom to hire or to fight, what contracts to take and how to train and equip your men in a procedurally generated open world campaign.

Global score

88/100

Genres

Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Strategy, Adventure, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Indie, Tactical

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep and challenging tactical combat
    • High replayability with procedural generation
    • Rich character customization and development
    • Immersive low fantasy atmosphere
    • Strong developer support and quality dlcs

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve and punishing difficulty
    • Frustrating rng elements
    • Limited mission variety
    • Lack of multiplayer or social features
    • No official localization for some languages

    Analysis

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

    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 manage their mercenary company, choose contracts, recruit and develop characters, and decide tactics and equipment."

    • Competence
      5

      "High skill ceiling with complex tactical combat, character development, and resource management requiring mastery and strategic thinking."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal progression and survival rather than direct competition or leaderboards; no multiplayer."

    • Continuation
      5

      "Strong desire to keep playing due to deep mechanics, replayability, and attachment to characters despite difficulty and frustration."

    • Cooperation
      -4

      "Primarily a single-player experience focusing on individual management and tactical control of own mercenary company."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players customize and develop characters, choose equipment and tactics, and experiment with builds and strategies."

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions are balanced and respectful; no evidence of trash talk or power imposition over others."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as a challenging fantasy escape from real life, immersing in a harsh medieval world."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and intrinsic motivation, not obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Strong encouragement to try different tactics, character builds, and approaches to overcome challenges."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Procedurally generated maps and random events encourage discovery of new locations and secrets."

    • Expression
      3

      "Players can rename, customize appearance, and develop unique personalities for their mercenaries."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Set in a low fantasy medieval world with mythical creatures and dark themes, blending realism and fantasy."

    • Fellowship
      -3

      "Minimal social connection; primarily a solo experience with limited community interaction."

    • Growth
      5

      "Heavy focus on learning game mechanics, character progression, and improving tactical skills over time."

    • Health
      -4

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; players spend long hours managing and battling."

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires constant attention and focus during tactical battles and management; not suited for idle play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Limited social interaction; emotional attachment is to in-game characters rather than real social bonds."

    • Leadership
      4

      "Players lead and manage a mercenary company, making strategic and tactical decisions."

    • Progression
      5

      "Strong emphasis on leveling characters, acquiring and upgrading equipment, and advancing the company."

    • Relaxation
      -3

      "Gameplay is challenging and can be frustrating, causing tension rather than relaxation."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Visual and auditory feedback is satisfying and immersive, enhancing emotional engagement."

    • Status
      -3

      "Achievements and progress are personal; no social recognition or popularity mechanisms."

    • Story
      3

      "Procedural narrative and emergent stories from gameplay create a unique story experience."

    • Strategy
      5

      "Core gameplay revolves around deep tactical combat, resource management, and strategic planning."

    • Thrill
      4

      "High stakes and unpredictable RNG create suspense and emotional highs and lows."

    • Value
      4

      "High replayability and depth provide strong perceived value for time and money invested."

    • Violence
      4

      "Combat involves brutal melee and ranged violence with graphic depictions of injuries and death."

    • Survival
      5

      "Players must manage resources, avoid defeat, and keep their mercenaries alive in a hostile world."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026