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Has-Been Heroes similar games & best alternatives

Has-Been Heroes

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

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Quick resume

Has-Been Heroes is a challenging, lane-based roguelike game of strategy and action, featuring a band of heroes on a quest to escort the King's twin princesses to school!

Global score

76/100

Genres

Action, Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Adventure, Arcade

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep and unique tactical combat
    • High replayability with many unlockables
    • Challenging but fair difficulty curve
    • Engaging fantasy theme and art style
    • Strategic map navigation and resource management

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve with poor tutorial
    • Lack of in-game explanations and tooltips
    • Limited enemy variety and character customization
    • Long run times can be frustrating
    • Some rng elements can feel punishing

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Leadership, Survival, Violence, Strategy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation, Expression, Fellowship.

    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 plan routes, choose spells, items, and hero lane positioning strategically."

    • Competence
      5

      "High skill ceiling with complex tactical combat requiring planning, timing, and resource management."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on individual progression and overcoming game challenges rather than competing against others."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Strong desire to keep playing due to unlockables, progression, and challenging gameplay."

    • Cooperation
      -4

      "Single player experience focusing on managing own party; no multiplayer cooperation."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players experiment with item and spell combinations and hero lane arrangements for optimal strategies."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control over other players; gameplay is solo and self-directed."

    • Escapism
      3

      "Provides immersive distraction through challenging tactical gameplay and fantasy setting."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment, not obligation."

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Encouraged to try new builds, spells, and strategies with each run due to random unlocks and procedural generation."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Map exploration with unknown nodes and randomized events encourages discovery."

    • Expression
      -2

      "Limited character customization; mostly fixed hero appearances and preset aesthetics."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Strong fantasy theme with undead enemies, magic spells, and heroic archetypes."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "Single player game with minimal social interaction or community involvement."

    • Growth
      5

      "Players learn complex mechanics, improve skills, and unlock new content over many hours."

    • Health
      -5

      "Typical sedentary gaming experience with no physical activity elements."

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires constant attention and active decision-making during combat and map navigation."

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No social or emotional relationship building; purely individual gameplay."

    • Leadership
      3

      "Players manage and direct a team of heroes strategically, though no leadership over other players."

    • Progression
      5

      "Strong progression through unlocking items, spells, heroes, and longer maps after each victory."

    • Relaxation
      -3

      "Gameplay is tense and challenging, requiring focus and careful planning."

    • Sensation
      2

      "Visuals and sound effects are engaging but not overwhelming; moderate sensory stimulation."

    • Status
      -4

      "Achievements and unlocks are personal; no social recognition or leaderboards."

    • Story
      1

      "Minimal narrative with lighthearted fantasy theme; story is secondary to gameplay."

    • Strategy
      5

      "Deep strategic combat and map navigation requiring planning, resource management, and problem solving."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Tense combat and risk of failure create suspense and excitement."

    • Value
      4

      "High replay value and content unlocks provide good return on investment."

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat involves attacking and defeating undead enemies; moderate fantasy violence."

    • Survival
      4

      "Players must avoid defeat by managing health, stamina, and resources carefully."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026