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Downward: Enhanced Edition similar games & best alternatives

Downward: Enhanced Edition

PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 • 2017

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Quick resume

Downward is a first-person open-world parkour based platform adventure set in the medieval ruins of a post-apocalyptic planet Earth. Make your way through breath-taking landscapes, face ancient guardians and unravel the deep mystery that lies behind the disappearance of humanity.

Global score

71/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie, Platform

Similar games

    Pros

    • Beautiful and immersive open world
    • Engaging parkour mechanics
    • Active and responsive developers
    • Multiple endings and replayability
    • Good value for price

    Cons

    • Vague and minimal story
    • Some bugs and glitches
    • Combat is simplistic and shallow
    • Controls can be clunky at times
    • Performance issues on some hardware

    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 Exploration. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence, 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 freedom to explore open world maps with multiple paths and choose their own pace and approach to objectives."

    • Competence
      3

      "Parkour mechanics require skill and precision; challenges and puzzles increase difficulty and provide feedback on player performance."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal exploration and skill mastery rather than competing against others; leaderboards exist but are secondary."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report spending many hours exploring, replaying for multiple endings and challenges, indicating habitual engagement."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Game is primarily single-player with no cooperative multiplayer or teamwork elements."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Players can customize a home base and use abilities creatively to explore, but core gameplay follows designed paths."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are single-player focused."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game to relax, explore beautiful worlds, and escape real-life stress through immersive parkour gameplay."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of personal interest and enjoyment; no indication of obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Game encourages trying new parkour moves, exploring different planets/world states, and discovering hidden areas."

    • Exploration
      5

      "Strong emphasis on discovering new areas, secrets, collectibles, and alternate paths in open world environments."

    • Expression
      2

      "Some customization of home base and character progression, but limited avatar or environment personalization."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Set in a fantasy/sci-fi post-apocalyptic world with magical elements, mythical creatures, and imaginative settings."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "No social or community features; gameplay is solitary and focused on individual experience."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players learn and improve parkour skills, unlock abilities, and gain knowledge of game mechanics over time."

    • Health
      -5

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

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement with parkour and exploration challenges."

    • Intimacy
      -5

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

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles; single-player experience only."

    • Progression
      4

      "Players collect orbs and items to upgrade skills and abilities, unlocking new gameplay options and areas."

    • Relaxation
      3

      "Players find the game relaxing and enjoyable despite some challenging sections; good balance of flow."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Visuals and sound design provide stimulating sensory experience with beautiful environments and effects."

    • Status
      -4

      "Achievements and leaderboards exist but social recognition is minimal and not a primary motivator."

    • Story
      1

      "Story is present but vague and minimal; serves mostly as context for exploration rather than deep narrative."

    • Strategy
      2

      "Some puzzle solving and tactical use of abilities required, but overall gameplay is straightforward."

    • Thrill
      2

      "Some suspense and challenge in parkour and combat encounters, but overall experience is calm and exploratory."

    • Value
      4

      "Players feel the game offers good value for price with many hours of content and replayability."

    • Violence
      -3

      "Combat is minimal and simplistic; focus is on avoidance and exploration rather than destruction."

    • Survival
      1

      "Some resource management and avoiding enemy attacks, but low risk and forgiving mechanics."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026