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ELEX similar games & best alternatives

ELEX

PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, PlayStation 4 • 2017

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Quick resume

ELEX is a handcrafted action role-playing experience from the award-winning creators of the Gothic series, set in a brand new post-apocalyptic Science Fantasy universe that puts players into a huge seamless game world full of original characters, mutated creatures, deep moral choices and powerful action.

Global score

74/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG)

Similar games

    Pros

    • Rich open world and lore
    • Meaningful player choices and faction systems
    • Challenging and rewarding combat progression
    • Immersive companions with personal quests
    • Long playtime and high replayability

    Cons

    • Clunky and punishing early combat
    • Some bugs and technical issues
    • Steep learning curve
    • Limited character customization (no gender choice)
    • Ui and map could be improved

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation, Competition.

    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 factions, quests, and play styles; no hand-holding or forced linearity"

    • Competence
      3

      "High skill and strategy needed especially early on; combat is challenging and requires mastery"

    • Competition
      -4

      "Focus is on personal progression and exploration; no mention of PvP or leaderboards"

    • Continuation
      4

      "Many players report long playtimes and high engagement despite initial difficulty"

    • Cooperation
      2

      "Companions with their own quests and interactions support player but no multiplayer"

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players can customize character builds, weapons, and approach quests in multiple ways"

    • Domination
      -3

      "Interactions emphasize faction choices and consequences rather than dominance over others"

    • Escapism
      4

      "Immersive world and story provide strong escape from real life"

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest and exploration, not obligation"

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players encouraged to try different factions, skills, and combat tactics"

    • Exploration
      5

      "Large handcrafted open world with many secrets and varied biomes to discover"

    • Expression
      3

      "Character builds, faction choices, and companion relationships allow personal expression"

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic fiction with imaginative lore"

    • Fellowship
      1

      "Some social interaction with companions and factions, but primarily single-player"

    • Growth
      4

      "Strong emphasis on character development, skill acquisition, and learning game systems"

    • Health
      -4

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; long sessions reported"

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires sustained attention and focus; not casual or background play"

    • Intimacy
      2

      "Companions have personal quests and relationships, including romance options"

    • Leadership
      1

      "Player leads companions and influences factions but no multiplayer leadership"

    • Progression
      5

      "Strong progression through leveling, gear upgrades, faction ranks, and skills"

    • Relaxation
      -2

      "Early game is stressful and punishing; later game more satisfying but still challenging"

    • Sensation
      2

      "Visual and auditory elements contribute to immersion and emotional engagement"

    • Status
      -3

      "No social status or leaderboards; focus on individual story and progression"

    • Story
      5

      "Rich narrative with faction conflicts, character development, and meaningful choices"

    • Strategy
      4

      "Combat and quest approaches require planning, timing, and tactical thinking"

    • Thrill
      3

      "High difficulty and risk create tension and excitement, especially early on"

    • Value
      4

      "Long playtime and rich content provide good value for money"

    • Violence
      4

      "Combat involves fighting and destruction of enemies with various weapons"

    • Survival
      4

      "Early game emphasizes survival against powerful enemies and resource management"

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026