La-Mulana 2 similar games & best alternatives

La-Mulana 2

Mac, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Xbox One • 2018

Should you play it?

The long-awaited sequel to La-Mulana, La-Mulana 2 follows Lumisa Kosugi as she explores the ancient ruins of La-Mulana. Desperate to find the cause of the recent slew of monsters appearing from the ruins, Lumisa discovers the "other" La-Mulana: the ruins known as Eg-Lana.

What works
  • Deep and rewarding puzzles
  • Nonlinear exploration
  • Challenging platforming and combat
  • Rich lore and atmosphere
  • Long playtime with replayability
Things to keep in mind
  • Steep difficulty curve
  • Some obtuse puzzles requiring note-taking
  • Occasional bugs and softlocks
  • Lack of quality-of-life features for note management
  • Some uneven boss design

What to play next

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

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • La-Mulana

  • Environmental Station Alpha

  • Aeterna Noctis

  • The Way

  • Zexion

  • Rain World

  • Odallus: The Dark Call

  • Astalon: Tears of the Earth

  • Cathedral
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Zexion

  • Cathedral

  • Pharaoh Rebirth+
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Competence

    Desperados III
  • Continuation

    DARK SOULS™ II
  • Exploration

    Ghost of a Tale

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).

La-Mulana 2: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Violence, Survival, Cooperation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation, Expression, Leadership.

Why this game works

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

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    4

    "Players have freedom to explore, solve puzzles in nonlinear ways, and choose how to approach challenges with minimal handholding."

    Capsule for Shipwrecked 64 Shipwrecked 64

    "Players have freedom to explore the ruins in nonlinear ways and solve puzzles with minimal handholding."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    5

    "High skill ceiling with challenging puzzles, timing, and coordination requiring mastery and rewarding player skill."

    Capsule for Desperados III Desperados III

    "High skill ceiling with challenging platforming, combat, and complex puzzles requiring note-taking and logical reasoning."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -4

    "Focus is on personal puzzle solving and exploration rather than competing against others."

    Capsule for Hello Neighbor 2 Hello Neighbor 2

    "Focus is on personal puzzle solving and exploration rather than competing against others."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    5

    "Players report long playtimes, repeated attempts, and habitual return to the game."

    Capsule for DARK SOULS™ II DARK SOULS™ II

    "Players report long playtimes, repeated returns after breaks, and strong attachment to the game."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -5

    "Single-player experience focused on individual puzzle solving and exploration."

    Capsule for Obduction Obduction

    "Single-player experience focused on individual puzzle solving and exploration."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    4

    "Players create notes, sketches, and experiment with puzzle mechanics; game encourages creative thinking."

    Capsule for Quern - Undying Thoughts Quern - Undying Thoughts

    "Players create their own notes, maps, and strategies to solve puzzles; game encourages creative problem solving."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; cooperative or social dominance not present."

    Capsule for BLACKTAIL BLACKTAIL

    "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; cooperative or social dominance not present."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "Players immerse themselves in a mysterious ancient world to escape reality through exploration and puzzle solving."

    Capsule for La-Mulana La-Mulana

    "Players immerse themselves in a mysterious ruin exploration and puzzle-solving experience, escaping real life."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and curiosity despite difficulty and frustration."

    Capsule for Fear & Hunger Fear & Hunger

    "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and curiosity, despite difficulty and frustration."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    4

    "Game encourages trying new puzzle mechanics and experimenting with solutions."

    Capsule for Dungeons of Dreadrock Dungeons of Dreadrock

    "Game encourages trying new puzzle solutions, exploring different areas, and testing mechanics."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    5

    "Strong emphasis on discovering new areas, secrets, and lore in a dense interconnected world."

    Capsule for Ghost of a Tale Ghost of a Tale

    "Strong emphasis on discovering new areas, secrets, and piecing together clues across a large interconnected world."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    -3

    "Limited character customization; focus is on gameplay and puzzle solving rather than avatar personalization."

    Capsule for Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee® Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee®

    "Limited character customization; focus is on gameplay and puzzle solving rather than avatar personalization."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    4

    "Game features mythological elements, supernatural themes, and adventurous fiction beyond realistic scenarios."

    Capsule for Tomb Raider: Underworld Tomb Raider: Underworld

    "Game features mythological themes, ancient ruins, and fantastical elements."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -4

    "Minimal social interaction; primarily a solitary experience."

    Capsule for Grim Legends 3: The Dark City Grim Legends 3: The Dark City

    "Minimal social interaction; primarily a solitary experience."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    5

    "Players develop new skills in puzzle solving, code breaking, and critical thinking through challenging gameplay."

    Capsule for Shipwrecked 64 Shipwrecked 64

    "Players develop skills in puzzle solving, note-taking, and platforming through challenging gameplay."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -4

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; some frustration reported but no rehab or exercise elements."

    Capsule for Megaton Rainfall Megaton Rainfall

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; some frustration reported but no rehab or exercise elements."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -4

    "Requires constant attention and focus due to time pressure and puzzle complexity."

    Capsule for CiniCross CiniCross

    "Requires constant attention and focus due to difficulty and puzzle complexity."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -5

    "No evidence of close social relationships or emotional sharing; solitary play."

    Capsule for Bleak Faith: Forsaken Bleak Faith: Forsaken

    "No evidence of close social relationships or emotional sharing; solitary play."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management roles; single-player experience."

    Capsule for Axiom Verge Axiom Verge

    "No leadership or group management roles; single-player experience."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    4

    "Players collect items, upgrade watch, and progress through story and puzzles."

    Capsule for Wanderer Wanderer

    "Players collect items, weapons, and upgrades to progress through puzzles and areas."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    -4

    "Game induces frustration and tension due to high difficulty and frequent deaths."

    Capsule for Bloody Trapland Bloody Trapland

    "Game induces frustration and tension due to difficulty and trial-and-error gameplay."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Enjoyable pixel art, music, and atmospheric effects provide sensory stimulation."

    Capsule for Castlevania Advance Collection Castlevania Advance Collection

    "Enjoyable pixel art, music, and atmospheric design provide sensory stimulation."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -4

    "Achievements and progress are personal; no social recognition or leaderboards."

    Capsule for Little Big Workshop Little Big Workshop

    "Achievements and progress are personal; no social recognition or leaderboards."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    4

    "Narrative immersion through environmental storytelling, NPCs, and lore."

    Capsule for Abiotic Factor Abiotic Factor

    "Narrative immersion through lore, NPCs, and interconnected mythologies."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    5

    "Strong emphasis on mental challenge, problem solving, and planning multiple approaches to puzzles."

    Capsule for Ctrl Alt Ego Ctrl Alt Ego

    "Heavy emphasis on mental challenge, logical reasoning, and planning to solve puzzles."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    3

    "Suspenseful moments, traps, and enemy encounters create tension and excitement."

    Capsule for Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation (1999) Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation (1999)

    "Suspense from traps, boss fights, and puzzle solving creates tension and excitement."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    4

    "Players report high value for time invested with extensive content and replayability."

    Capsule for Total War: SHOGUN 2 Total War: SHOGUN 2

    "Players report high value for time invested due to extensive content and replayability."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    2

    "Combat involves shooting and defeating enemies, but violence is not gratuitous or central."

    Capsule for Outcast - Second Contact Outcast - Second Contact

    "Combat and boss fights involve defeating enemies, but violence is not gratuitous or central."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    3

    "Players must manage health, resources, and avoid death traps to survive and progress."

    Capsule for The Warlock of Firetop Mountain The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

    "Players must avoid death traps and manage health to survive challenging environments."

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Last update: 01/06/2026