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HEADLINER similar games & best alternatives

HEADLINER

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Linux • 2017

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Quick resume

Short, thought-provoking adventure where you are a News Editor and decide what stories get published, set in a fictional city where most people are genetically modified. Multiple unique endings let you share your story and see what the Headliner before you did.

Global score

77/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie, Visual Novel

Similar games

    Pros

    • Thought-provoking narrative with meaningful choices
    • Multiple endings and replay value
    • Engaging moral and social dilemmas
    • Accessible gameplay and short sessions
    • Good price for content

    Cons

    • Very short gameplay length
    • Limited character customization and art style
    • Repetitive dialogue and scenarios
    • No multiplayer or social features
    • Somewhat simplistic mechanics

    Analysis

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

    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 which news articles to publish, influencing multiple outcomes and story branches."

    • Competence
      2

      "Engages players in decision-making and balancing competing goals, though gameplay is simple and short."

    • Competition
      -4

      "Single-player experience focused on personal choices without comparison or ranked modes."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Multiple endings and replay value encourage repeated playthroughs despite short session length."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Entirely single-player with no cooperative or multiplayer elements."

    • Creativity
      1

      "Players create narrative outcomes through choices but within a fixed set of storylines and articles."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No social dominance or power over other players; interactions are with NPCs and story only."

    • Escapism
      3

      "Players engage in a fictional dystopian scenario to explore social and political issues, providing mental escape."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest in media influence and moral dilemmas, not obligation."

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Encourages trying different news stances and choices to explore varied outcomes and endings."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Exploration is narrative-driven, discovering consequences of choices rather than physical world exploration."

    • Expression
      -3

      "Limited character customization; expression mainly through choice of news and story direction."

    • Fantasy
      -1

      "Set in a near-future plausible world with realistic social and political themes rather than high fantasy."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "No multiplayer or community features; solitary experience focused on personal narrative."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players learn about media influence and ethical dilemmas through gameplay and multiple playthroughs."

    • Health
      -5

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

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention during decision phases; short sessions but not idle or background play."

    • Intimacy
      2

      "Includes family interactions and emotional consequences, fostering some emotional connection."

    • Leadership
      3

      "Player leads the news outlet and influences public opinion, balancing competing interests."

    • Progression
      2

      "Progression through story outcomes and career promotion, but no item or upgrade accumulation."

    • Relaxation
      1

      "Moderate tension from moral dilemmas but overall calm and thoughtful pacing."

    • Sensation
      -2

      "Simple visuals and sound with limited sensory stimulation; focus is on narrative and choices."

    • Status
      -4

      "No social recognition or multiplayer status systems; achievements are personal."

    • Story
      5

      "Strong narrative focus with branching storylines and meaningful player-driven outcomes."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Requires planning and balancing competing goals to achieve desired outcomes."

    • Thrill
      1

      "Some suspense from consequences of choices but no high-risk or adrenaline gameplay."

    • Value
      4

      "Good perceived value for price given replayability and thought-provoking content."

    • Violence
      1

      "Violence is depicted as consequence of choices but not a gameplay focus or enjoyment factor."

    • Survival
      1

      "Player must avoid job loss and family harm, but no traditional survival mechanics."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026