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Curious Expedition similar games & best alternatives

Curious Expedition

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux • 2016

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Quick resume

Curious Expedition is a roguelike expedition simulation set in the late 19th century. Together with famous personalities you will venture on unprecedented expeditions to regions never explored before for fame, science and treasures.

Global score

91/100

Genres

Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Adventure, Real Time Strategy (RTS), Simulator, Card & Board Game

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique exploration roguelike gameplay
    • High replayability with procedural generation
    • Engaging emergent narrative and event system
    • Varied characters with distinct abilities
    • Active developer support and updates

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve and punishing difficulty
    • Some repetitive events and limited content variety
    • Combat system can be unintuitive
    • Lack of multiplayer and social features
    • Limited cosmetic customization

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. 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, 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
      4

      "Players have freedom to choose characters, companions, routes, and strategies with meaningful consequences"

    • Competence
      3

      "Requires skillful resource management, strategic planning, and dice-based combat mastery"

    • Competition
      3

      "Competes against AI explorers for fame and fastest discovery, with leaderboards and ranking"

    • Continuation
      4

      "High replayability with procedural generation and multiple characters encourages habitual play"

    • Cooperation
      2

      "Players manage a party with companions and animals cooperating to survive and explore"

    • Creativity
      2

      "Players experiment with different party compositions and strategies, though within set mechanics"

    • Domination
      -3

      "Interactions emphasize survival and exploration rather than exerting power over others"

    • Escapism
      4

      "Immersive narrative and exploration provide escape from real life stress and routine"

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily driven by curiosity and intrinsic interest in exploration"

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Encourages trying new characters, strategies, and adapting to procedural randomness"

    • Exploration
      5

      "Core gameplay revolves around discovering new map areas, secrets, and events"

    • Expression
      1

      "Some character and party customization, but limited cosmetic or avatar personalization"

    • Fantasy
      2

      "Mixes historical figures with fantastical elements like magic, dinosaurs, and cosmic horror"

    • Fellowship
      1

      "Party members form a small group with emergent stories, but minimal social multiplayer"

    • Growth
      3

      "Players learn mechanics, improve strategies, and level up characters over time"

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved"

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention and strategic decision making throughout expeditions"

    • Intimacy
      1

      "Some emotional attachment to party members through emergent narrative events"

    • Leadership
      3

      "Player leads and manages a party with strategic decisions impacting group survival"

    • Progression
      4

      "Progression through unlocking characters, gaining perks, and acquiring items"

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Offers moments of flow and immersion but also sustained tension from resource management"

    • Sensation
      1

      "Simple pixel art and atmospheric music provide moderate sensory stimulation"

    • Status
      2

      "Recognition through fame points and leaderboards within the game context"

    • Story
      4

      "Strong emergent narrative with event chains and character backstories enhancing immersion"

    • Strategy
      5

      "Heavy emphasis on planning, risk management, and tactical dice-based combat"

    • Thrill
      3

      "Tense situations from resource scarcity, random events, and permadeath create suspense"

    • Value
      4

      "High perceived value due to depth, replayability, and developer support"

    • Violence
      2

      "Combat and hunting are part of gameplay but balanced with exploration and diplomacy"

    • Survival
      4

      "Core challenge is managing sanity, resources, and threats to keep party alive"

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026