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In Stars And Time similar games & best alternatives

In Stars And Time

PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 • 2023

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Quick resume

Live with the ever-present burden of being trapped in a time loop only you can know about in this turn-based RPG. Create a better future for you and your friends. Find hope where there is none left. Pray to the stars and free yourself from time.

Global score

97/100

Genres

Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep emotional story and characters
    • Innovative time loop mechanics
    • Engaging turn-based combat
    • Strong lgbtq+ representation
    • High replayability and exploration

    Cons

    • Repetitive gameplay due to time loops
    • Some players find backtracking tedious
    • Combat can feel shallow or easy
    • Dialogue-heavy may not suit all
    • Minor bugs reported

    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 Intimacy, Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence.

    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, experiment with time loops, and make choices affecting story progression and character interactions."

    • Competence
      3

      "Combat involves strategic turn-based rock-paper-scissors mechanics with some challenge, but also accessible and not overly difficult."

    • Competition
      -4

      "Focus is on personal story experience and exploration rather than competing against others."

    • Continuation
      5

      "Highly addictive with players reporting long sessions, emotional investment, and repeated playthroughs."

    • Cooperation
      3

      "Party-based gameplay with teamwork elements and collaborative combat mechanics."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Players experiment with time loops and explore different dialogue and story branches, though within a structured narrative."

    • Domination
      -5

      "Interactions emphasize equality, mutual respect, and emotional connection rather than control or superiority."

    • Escapism
      5

      "Strong emotional immersion and narrative depth provide escape from real-life through story and character engagement."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily driven by intrinsic interest and emotional connection to story and characters."

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Game encourages trying new approaches to puzzles, exploring dialogue variations, and testing time loop mechanics."

    • Exploration
      4

      "Players explore environments repeatedly with new discoveries and subtle changes in each loop."

    • Expression
      3

      "Character customization is limited but players express themselves through choices and interactions affecting story."

    • Fantasy
      3

      "Game features imaginative fiction elements including time loops and fantasy RPG setting."

    • Fellowship
      4

      "Strong sense of community and found family themes with deep character relationships."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players experience character development, story progression, and personal emotional growth."

    • Health
      -5

      "Game is sedentary with no physical activity elements."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention and engagement, though some QoL features allow skipping repeated dialogue."

    • Intimacy
      5

      "Emotional closeness and deep relationships between characters and player are central."

    • Leadership
      2

      "Player leads party decisions and combat strategy, though within a collaborative group."

    • Progression
      4

      "Players accumulate items, upgrades, and unlock story content through loops."

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Game balances emotional tension with moments of humor and charm, providing catharsis."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Appealing art, music, and expressive animations provide sensory enjoyment."

    • Status
      -4

      "Focus is on personal emotional experience rather than social recognition or competition."

    • Story
      5

      "Narrative immersion and character-driven plot are core to player experience."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Combat and puzzle solving require planning and problem solving, though not overly complex."

    • Thrill
      2

      "Emotional suspense and narrative tension create a sense of thrill."

    • Value
      5

      "Players report high value for time invested due to story depth and replayability."

    • Violence
      -3

      "Combat exists but is not focused on destruction; emphasis on story and relationships."

    • Survival
      1

      "Some resource and health management in combat, but overall low-risk environment."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026