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LISA: The Painful similar games & best alternatives

LISA: The Painful

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Linux • 2014

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Quick resume

The miserable journey of a broken man...

Global score

95/100

Genres

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

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep and impactful story
    • Unique dark humor
    • Challenging tactical combat
    • Large cast of memorable characters
    • Immersive post-apocalyptic atmosphere

    Cons

    • Punishing difficulty and permadeath
    • Some players may find themes too dark or disturbing
    • Lack of map or guidance can cause confusion
    • Slow pacing early in the game
    • Some visual and technical glitches

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Leadership, Survival, Violence, Strategy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Cooperation, Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation.

    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 make tough decisions with lasting consequences and can choose party members and paths, reflecting high personal control and freedom."

    • Competence
      3

      "Combat is challenging and tactical with unique party members and skills, requiring skill and strategic thinking."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal story and survival rather than competing against others; no multiplayer or leaderboards."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Highly engaging story and gameplay encourage long play sessions and replayability to explore different choices and endings."

    • Cooperation
      1

      "Players manage a party of characters cooperating in combat, but gameplay is single-player and party members are AI-controlled."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players recruit and customize party composition and experiment with different combat strategies and character skills."

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions emphasize shared struggle and mutual respect rather than exerting control or superiority over others."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Dark, immersive narrative and atmosphere provide a strong escape from real life through emotional engagement."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest in the story and gameplay, not out of obligation or pressure."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players explore multiple paths, recruit different characters, and try various combat tactics and choices."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Game features semi-open segmented world with hidden areas, secrets, and non-linear exploration."

    • Expression
      2

      "Character customization is limited to party composition and equipment; no avatar personalization or cosmetic mods."

    • Fantasy
      3

      "Set in a surreal post-apocalyptic world with bizarre characters and events, blending dark fiction and absurdity."

    • Fellowship
      -4

      "Single-player experience focused on individual journey with limited social interaction or community involvement."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players develop skills, level up characters, and learn strategies to overcome difficult challenges."

    • Health
      -4

      "Sedentary gameplay with themes of drug addiction and emotional trauma; no physical activity involved."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires sustained attention and focus due to challenging combat and story-driven gameplay."

    • Intimacy
      -3

      "Emotional connections are formed with characters but limited to narrative; no close social or romantic interactions."

    • Leadership
      3

      "Player leads a party of up to four characters, making strategic decisions and managing team composition."

    • Progression
      4

      "Players accumulate items, upgrades, and recruit characters to strengthen their party and advance the story."

    • Relaxation
      -3

      "Game maintains tension and emotional strain with difficult choices and dark themes; not relaxing."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Unique pixel art, disturbing imagery, and an experimental soundtrack provide strong sensory stimulation."

    • Status
      -4

      "Focus is on personal narrative and survival rather than social recognition or popularity."

    • Story
      5

      "Deep narrative immersion with complex characters, moral dilemmas, and impactful story arcs."

    • Strategy
      4

      "Combat and party management require tactical thinking, planning, and adaptation to challenging encounters."

    • Thrill
      4

      "High stakes decisions, permadeath mechanics, and unpredictable outcomes create suspense and tension."

    • Value
      4

      "Offers a rich, memorable experience with many hours of gameplay and replay value for a modest price."

    • Violence
      4

      "Game features brutal combat, permanent character deaths, and graphic depictions of violence and gore."

    • Survival
      4

      "Players must manage resources, avoid threats, and make difficult choices to keep party members alive."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026