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Cultist Simulator similar games & best alternatives

Cultist Simulator

PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Android, Linux • 2018

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Quick resume

Seize forbidden treasures. Summon alien gods. Feed on your disciples. Cultist Simulator is a game of apocalypse and yearning. Play as a seeker after unholy mysteries, in a 1920s-themed setting of hidden gods and secret histories.

Global score

80/100

Genres

Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Adventure, Card & Board Game

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep, immersive lore and storytelling
    • Unique, experimental gameplay mechanics
    • High replayability and long play sessions
    • Engaging challenge and discovery
    • Atmospheric music and art

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve with no tutorial
    • Can be frustrating and punishing
    • Tedious card management and ui issues
    • Random failures can feel unfair
    • Not accessible for casual or hand-holding players

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Relaxation, Survival, Violence, Fellowship. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Expression, Exploration, Story.

    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 high freedom to experiment, choose goals, and direct their own actions without tutorials or handholding."

    • Competence
      4

      "The game challenges players to master complex mechanics and overcome obscure, difficult puzzles with feedback through progression and failure."

    • Competition
      -4

      "Focus is on personal discovery and progression rather than comparing to others; no mention of multiplayer or leaderboards."

    • Continuation
      5

      "Many players report long sessions, habitual play, and high attachment despite difficulty and repeated failure."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Entirely single-player experience focused on individual play and personal goals without collaboration."

    • Creativity
      4

      "Players create their own cults, experiment with card combinations, and shape unique narratives through emergent gameplay."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control over other players; interactions are solitary and self-directed."

    • Escapism
      5

      "Strongly used as a form of escapism with immersive lore, atmosphere, and distraction from real life."

    • Expectation
      -5

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and curiosity; no obligation or external pressure noted."

    • Experimenting
      5

      "Core gameplay revolves around trial and error, discovery, and testing unknown mechanics."

    • Exploration
      5

      "Players explore mysterious lore, hidden mechanics, and new narrative paths through experimentation."

    • Expression
      3

      "Players customize their cult’s focus and narrative path, though visual customization is minimal."

    • Fantasy
      5

      "Strongly rooted in imaginative occult fiction, eldritch horror, and supernatural themes."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "No social or community gameplay elements; experience is solitary."

    • Growth
      5

      "Players learn complex systems, improve skills, and deepen understanding over many hours."

    • Health
      -5

      "No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay with long sessions."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires active attention to manage timers and card placements; not a background or idle game."

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No evidence of forming close relationships or emotional social interactions."

    • Leadership
      Insufficient data
    • Progression
      5

      "Strong emphasis on accumulating resources, items, and unlocking new narrative and gameplay elements."

    • Relaxation
      -3

      "Game is often described as stressful, frustrating, and intense rather than relaxing."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Atmospheric music and art provide sensory stimulation, though gameplay is mostly text and cards."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems; focus is on individual experience."

    • Story
      5

      "Narrative immersion is central, with rich lore and emergent storytelling through gameplay."

    • Strategy
      5

      "Requires careful planning, resource management, and problem solving to succeed."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Players experience suspense and tension managing timers and avoiding failure, though not extreme thrills."

    • Value
      4

      "Players perceive high value due to deep content, replayability, and long play sessions."

    • Violence
      2

      "Some elements of combat and sacrifice are present but are part of occult narrative rather than focus on destruction."

    • Survival
      4

      "Players must manage threats, resources, and avoid failure to continue playing."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026