Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth similar games & best alternatives

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth

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

Should you play it?

12th century, England: In a time of poverty and war, a small town begins the construction of a cathedral to claim wealth and safety for its people. In their struggle to survive, lives and destinies intertwine. Based on Ken Follett's world-bestseller ‘The Pillars of the Earth’.

What works
  • Deep and emotional story
  • Beautiful hand-drawn art
  • Excellent voice acting and music
  • Meaningful player choices with consequences
  • Immersive medieval historical atmosphere
Things to keep in mind
  • Minimal gameplay interaction
  • Linear narrative with limited branching
  • Slow pacing especially early on
  • Lack of puzzle challenge
  • No multiplayer or social features

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • No Case Should Remain Unsolved

  • Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling

  • One Night Stand

  • Summerland

  • Evan's Remains

  • Perfect Tides

  • Old Man's Journey

  • a new life.

  • Marie's Room
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Evan's Remains

  • Perfect Tides

  • Farewell North
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Story

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  • Escapism

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  • Autonomy

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Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • 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 (hidden on purpose).

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Competition, Thrill. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fantasy, Strategy, Competence.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

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    "Players make meaningful choices affecting story outcomes and character relationships, though within a linear narrative structure."

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    "Players make meaningful choices affecting story and character fates, though within a largely linear narrative."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

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    "Gameplay is simple point-and-click with occasional QTEs; focus is on story rather than skill challenge."

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    "Gameplay is simple point-and-click with minimal puzzles and easy QTEs, focusing on story rather than skill challenges."

  • Competition

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    "No competitive elements or player comparison; the experience is single-player and story-driven."

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  • Continuation

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  • Cooperation

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  • Creativity

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    "Some player choice in dialogue and puzzle approaches, but mostly follows a predefined story and structure."

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    "Some player choice in dialogue and decisions, but overall follows a predefined story and structure."

  • Domination

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    "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are narrative and personal."

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    "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are narrative and personal."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

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    "Immersive historical setting and story provide a strong escape from real life."

    Capsule for A Golden Wake A Golden Wake

    "Immersive historical setting and story provide strong escape from real life into medieval England."

  • Expectation

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    "Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest in story, humor, and history without obligation or pressure."

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    "Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest in story and history without obligation or pressure."

  • Experimenting

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    "Players can explore different dialogue choices and some story branches, though limited by short length."

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  • Exploration

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    "Some exploration of areas and hidden items, but mostly within familiar environments and story-driven locations."

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  • Expression

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    "Minimal customization or personalization; players use predefined character and environment visuals."

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  • Fantasy

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    "Strong focus on historical medieval realism and authentic settings rather than imaginative or fictional fantasy elements."

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  • Fellowship

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    "Solo experience focused on individual narrative without social or community features."

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  • Growth

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    "Players develop understanding of characters and story, with some learning through narrative and choices."

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    "Players develop understanding of story, characters, and historical context; some learning through choices."

  • Health

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    "Sedentary gameplay typical of visual novels and point-and-click adventures."

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    "Sedentary gameplay typical of visual novels and point-and-click adventures."

  • Idle

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    "Requires focused attention on dialogue and story, with minimal background or idle play."

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  • Intimacy

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    "Emotional connection to characters through voice acting and narrative, but limited social interaction."

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  • Leadership

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    "No leadership or group management mechanics; player controls only the main character."

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  • Progression

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    "Narrative progression through story chapters rather than item or power accumulation."

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  • Relaxation

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    "Generally calm pacing with moments of tension; suitable for relaxed play sessions."

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    "Generally calm pacing with moments of tension; suitable for relaxed, immersive play."

  • Sensation

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    "Appealing hand-drawn visuals and orchestral soundtrack provide rich sensory stimulation."

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  • Status

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    "No social recognition or status systems; focus is on personal story experience."

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  • Story

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    "Core motivation is narrative immersion with a complex, emotional, and lengthy story."

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    "Core motivation is deep narrative immersion in a complex, emotional historical drama."

  • Strategy

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    "Limited strategic or problem-solving gameplay; choices affect story but with constrained complexity."

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    "Limited strategic or problem-solving demands; gameplay focuses on story choices rather than planning."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

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    "Some emotional tension in story outcomes but overall low suspense and risk."

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    "Some narrative tension and suspense, but overall low risk and controlled emotional experience."

  • Value

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    "Good value for price especially during sales given story quality and length."

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    "Good perceived value for story length and quality, especially when purchased on sale."

  • Violence

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    "Violence is only narrative (murder case) with no combat or destructive gameplay."

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  • Survival

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    "No survival mechanics; story unfolds in stable narrative conditions."

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Last update: 01/06/2026