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Heaven's Vault similar games & best alternatives

Heaven's Vault

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

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Quick resume

An archaeologist uncovers a lost history in an ancient space Nebula. Award-winning narrative adventure game with hieroglyphic language puzzles, from the creators of 80 DAYS.

Global score

84/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie, Puzzle, Point-and-click

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique and immersive story
    • Engaging language translation mechanic
    • Beautiful art and music
    • High replayability with branching paths
    • Relaxing exploration and atmosphere

    Cons

    • Slow and sometimes clunky movement and sailing
    • Limited character customization
    • Lack of manual save system
    • Some ui and control frustrations
    • Story ending can feel abrupt

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Idle, Thrill, Violence, Survival. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story, Intimacy, Exploration.

    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 moons in various orders, make dialogue choices affecting story and relationships, and shape their own investigation."

    • Competence
      3

      "The language translation mechanic offers a satisfying skill challenge that improves with practice, though other gameplay elements are simpler."

    • Competition
      -5

      "No competitive elements; focus is on personal exploration and puzzle solving without comparison to others."

    • Continuation
      4

      "High replayability with New Game+ and branching storylines encourages multiple playthroughs and sustained engagement."

    • Cooperation
      -4

      "Gameplay is primarily single-player with limited social interaction; cooperation is minimal or absent."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players create their own interpretations of the ancient language and story through translation and choices, though within a fixed world."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are balanced and respectful."

    • Escapism
      5

      "Strong immersion in a unique sci-fi world with relaxing exploration and mystery solving provides escape from real life."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest in story, language puzzles, and exploration rather than obligation."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players experiment with translations and dialogue choices to uncover new story paths and meanings."

    • Exploration
      5

      "Core gameplay revolves around discovering new moons, artifacts, and secrets in a non-linear world."

    • Expression
      -3

      "Limited character customization; expression mainly through choices and interpretations rather than visual personalization."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Set in a sci-fi nebula with ancient civilizations and mythology, offering imaginative fictional experience."

    • Fellowship
      -4

      "Primarily a solo experience with minimal social or community features."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players learn and develop language skills and understanding of the story world progressively."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with slow movement and no physical activity."

    • Idle
      3

      "Gameplay includes slow walking and sailing segments that allow for relaxed pacing and reflection."

    • Intimacy
      2

      "Some emotional connection through character interactions, but limited to surface-level relationships."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or management roles; player acts independently without directing others."

    • Progression
      4

      "Progression through accumulating knowledge, translations, and story revelations."

    • Relaxation
      4

      "Slow pace, soothing music, and calm exploration create a relaxing experience."

    • Sensation
      2

      "Visual and auditory design is pleasant but understated; not focused on intense sensory stimulation."

    • Status
      -5

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

    • Story
      5

      "Strong narrative focus with branching storylines and deep lore immersion."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Requires logical reasoning and problem solving in language translation and dialogue choices."

    • Thrill
      -3

      "Gameplay is low risk and calm; lacks suspense or high tension moments."

    • Value
      4

      "High replay value and rich content provide good return on time and money invested."

    • Violence
      -5

      "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus on constructive exploration and discovery."

    • Survival
      -5

      "No survival or threat mechanics; stable and safe gameplay environment."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026