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DEAD OR SCHOOL similar games & best alternatives

DEAD OR SCHOOL

PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 • 2019

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Quick resume

Underground dwelling girl Hisako is aiming for the surface in a zombie infested Tokyo. Hack and slash RPG! Obtain weapons and gear from enemies, and customize your skill tree to create your own unique and powerful a character!

Global score

84/100

Genres

Action, Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up

Similar games

    Pros

    • Engaging combat with weapon variety
    • Interesting skill and upgrade systems
    • Long playtime and exploration
    • Charming anime art style
    • Immersive post-apocalyptic story

    Cons

    • Some bugs and glitches reported
    • Camera zoom and platforming issues
    • Translation quality inconsistent
    • Combat can be janky at times
    • Story is predictable and corny

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Cooperation, Leadership, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Violence. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation, Autonomy.

    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
      3

      "Players can customize weapons, skill trees, and playstyles, but progression and map access are somewhat linear."

    • Competence
      4

      "Combat requires skillful dodging and weapon management; bosses provide challenging tests of player ability."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on single-player progression and personal skill development without multiplayer or leaderboards."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report long playtime (~20-30 hours), grinding for upgrades, and replaying bosses, indicating sustained engagement."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Entirely single-player experience with no cooperative multiplayer or team-based mechanics."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players can customize weapons with mods and skill trees, experimenting with different builds and loadouts."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control over others; gameplay is solo and focused on personal challenge."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Post-apocalyptic setting and anime story provide immersive distraction and fantasy escape from reality."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment; no indication of obligation or external pressure to play."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Varied weapons, mods, and skill trees encourage players to try new combinations and strategies."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Metroidvania-style maps with collectibles, puzzles, and secrets encourage discovery and backtracking."

    • Expression
      2

      "Some character and weapon customization, but limited cosmetic personalization beyond loadouts."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Anime-inspired post-apocalyptic fiction with exaggerated characters and improbable scenarios."

    • Fellowship
      -4

      "Minimal social interaction; game is focused on solo play and individual objectives."

    • Growth
      4

      "Skill trees, weapon upgrades, and character progression provide learning and development opportunities."

    • Health
      -4

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related mechanics."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention during combat and platforming; not designed for casual or background play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "No close social relationships or emotional sharing; interactions limited to NPC dialogue."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles; gameplay is individual and self-directed."

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong emphasis on accumulating weapons, upgrades, and skill points to enhance power."

    • Relaxation
      1

      "Gameplay can be tense and challenging but also rewarding; some players find it relaxing after mastering controls."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Visual and auditory stimuli from anime art style, music, and combat effects provide sensory engagement."

    • Status
      -4

      "No social status or recognition systems; achievements are personal and not publicly ranked."

    • Story
      3

      "Narrative with characters and plot provides engagement beyond isolated gameplay actions."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Players plan skill builds, weapon loadouts, and combat tactics to overcome challenges."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Boss fights and combat encounters provide suspense and excitement through difficulty spikes."

    • Value
      3

      "Players report good value especially on sale, with long playtime and content for price."

    • Violence
      4

      "Combat involves fighting and destroying mutant enemies with various weapons."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players manage resources like ammo and weapon durability, and avoid death to progress."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026