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

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth

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

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Quick resume

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’.

Global score

92/100

Genres

Adventure, Casual, Indie, Point-and-click, Visual Novel, Puzzle

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep and emotional story
    • Beautiful hand-drawn art
    • Excellent voice acting and music
    • Meaningful player choices with consequences
    • Immersive medieval historical atmosphere

    Cons

    • Minimal gameplay interaction
    • Linear narrative with limited branching
    • Slow pacing especially early on
    • Lack of puzzle challenge
    • No multiplayer or social features

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Strategy, Survival, Competence, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story, Intimacy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fantasy.

    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
      3

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

    • Competence
      -2

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

    • Competition
      -5

      "No competitive elements; experience is single-player and story-driven without player comparison."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players often engage for long sessions and multiple playthroughs to explore different choices and story branches."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Entirely single-player experience with no cooperative gameplay or multiplayer features."

    • Creativity
      1

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

    • Domination
      -5

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

    • Escapism
      4

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

    • Expectation
      -4

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

    • Experimenting
      2

      "Players explore different dialogue choices and outcomes, though within a limited branching structure."

    • Exploration
      1

      "Some exploration of small locations and objects, but mostly guided through known story environments."

    • Expression
      -3

      "Minimal customization or personalization; players experience predefined characters and visuals."

    • Fantasy
      -4

      "Strongly grounded in realistic medieval historical setting without fantasy or supernatural elements."

    • Fellowship
      -5

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

    • Growth
      3

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

    • Health
      -5

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

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention on dialogues and story; minimal background or idle play."

    • Intimacy
      2

      "Emotional connections with characters develop through narrative and voice acting."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management; player controls individual characters in story."

    • Progression
      1

      "Narrative progression through chapters and story arcs; limited item collection without power growth."

    • Relaxation
      3

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

    • Sensation
      3

      "Beautiful hand-drawn art and orchestral music provide rich sensory experience."

    • Status
      -5

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

    • Story
      5

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

    • Strategy
      -3

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

    • Thrill
      1

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

    • Value
      3

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

    • Violence
      -3

      "Violence is depicted narratively but gameplay involves no combat or destruction mechanics."

    • Survival
      -4

      "No survival mechanics; stable conditions focused on story progression."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026