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Crawl similar games & best alternatives

Crawl

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2017

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Quick resume

Crawl is the local multiplayer dungeon crawler where your friends control the monsters! Battle through dungeons and power up your hero - if a friend kills you they take your place and it’s their turn to crawl. It's a race to gain enough XP and loot to take on the hulking final boss!

Global score

95/100

Genres

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

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique and fun asymmetrical multiplayer gameplay
    • Great local multiplayer party experience
    • Balanced progression and upgrades
    • Engaging pixel art and soundtrack
    • High replay value

    Cons

    • Lack of online multiplayer
    • Limited content and bosses
    • Ai bots less enjoyable than human players
    • Some balance issues with bosses
    • Repetitive environments

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Fellowship, Domination, Status. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Intimacy, Domination. 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 can choose to be human or ghost, select monsters and upgrade paths, and decide strategies dynamically in a fast-paced environment."

    • Competence
      4

      "The game requires skillful combat, strategic upgrades, and coordination, with a high skill ceiling and rewarding mastery."

    • Competition
      5

      "Core gameplay revolves around competing against friends to be the human and defeat the boss, with last-hit mechanics and player rivalry."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report frequent replay sessions and habitual play, especially with friends, though some note limited content."

    • Cooperation
      2

      "Ghost players must loosely cooperate to defeat the human, but also compete among themselves for the kill."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players customize monsters, choose upgrade paths, and select weapons and spells, allowing creative tactical choices."

    • Domination
      3

      "Players often engage in backstabbing and power struggles to control the human, showing dominance over others."

    • Escapism
      3

      "The game offers immersive dungeon crawling and chaotic multiplayer fun, providing a strong escape from reality."

    • Expectation
      -4

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

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players try different monsters, weapons, and strategies, exploring various upgrade and combat options."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Randomly generated dungeon rooms encourage some discovery, though environments are somewhat limited."

    • Expression
      2

      "Players unlock and choose different monsters and weapons, allowing some degree of self-expression through gameplay style."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "The game features a dark fantasy setting with monsters, magic, and eldritch themes, emphasizing imaginative fiction."

    • Fellowship
      4

      "Strong emphasis on local multiplayer with friends, social interaction, and shared experiences."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players level up characters and monsters, unlock new content, and improve skills over time."

    • Health
      -4

      "Primarily sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires constant attention and fast-paced action; not suited for idle or background play."

    • Intimacy
      3

      "Players form social bonds and enjoy playful rivalry and banter during local multiplayer sessions."

    • Leadership
      1

      "Some informal leadership in coordinating monster attacks, but mostly balanced player roles without formal authority."

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong progression through leveling, unlocking weapons, monsters, and upgrades."

    • Relaxation
      -3

      "Fast-paced, tense gameplay with frequent pressure and chaotic moments."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Enjoyable pixel art, animations, and sound design provide satisfying sensory feedback."

    • Status
      2

      "Players gain recognition within their group through kills and progression, though no global leaderboards."

    • Story
      1

      "Minimal narrative with some lore and thematic elements, but gameplay is the main focus."

    • Strategy
      4

      "Requires tactical decision-making, positioning, and timing in combat and upgrades."

    • Thrill
      4

      "High tension and suspense from competing players, last-hit mechanics, and boss fights."

    • Value
      4

      "Players report high replay value and enjoyment relative to price."

    • Violence
      4

      "Combat and killing other players is central to gameplay, with emphasis on destruction and domination."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players must avoid death and manage resources to progress and defeat the boss."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026