Moons of Madness similar games & best alternatives

Moons of Madness

PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One • 2019

Should you play it?

Moons of Madness is a first-person, story-driven cosmic horror game where the scientific exploration of Mars meets the supernatural dread of Lovecraft.

What works
  • Engaging lovecraftian story and atmosphere
  • Well-designed environments and visuals
  • Immersive audio and voice acting
  • Balanced pacing and narrative progression
  • Accessible puzzles and gameplay
Things to keep in mind
  • Linear and scripted gameplay limits autonomy
  • Short playtime with limited replayability
  • Some clunky controls and qte mechanics
  • Occasional pacing and tonal inconsistencies
  • Lack of combat and action depth

What to play next

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

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • The Shore

  • Conarium

  • Layers of Fear

  • Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders

  • Alone in the Dark Prologue

  • Lifeless Planet Premier Edition

  • Mind Snares: Alice's Journey

  • Graveyard Shift

  • Deliver Us The Moon
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Graveyard Shift

  • White Night

  • Necrophosis
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Story

    The Last Door: Season 2 - Collector's Edition
  • Escapism

    ROUTINE
  • Fantasy

    Amnesia: Rebirth

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).

Moons of Madness: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Strategy, Experimenting, Competence, Survival. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Survival, Thrill. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Autonomy.

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

    -3

    "Gameplay is very linear and scripted with limited freedom; players follow orders and paths with little room for improvisation."

    Capsule for Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

    "The game is largely linear with scripted pathing and limited player choice, restricting freedom of action."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    1

    "Puzzles are generally easy and straightforward, with some minor challenge; gameplay is simple point-and-click with limited skill demands."

    Capsule for The Descendant The Descendant

    "Puzzles are mostly straightforward and easy, with some minor challenge; gameplay is simple and not skill-intensive."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -5

    "No competitive elements or player comparison; focus is on solo narrative experience."

    Capsule for The Lightkeeper The Lightkeeper

    "No competitive elements or player comparison; focus is on solo narrative experience."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    1

    "Short playtime and some tedious sections may limit long sessions, but emotional impact and atmosphere encourage replay for story and achievements."

    Capsule for The First Tree The First Tree

    "Short playtime and limited replayability, but story and atmosphere motivate completion in one or few sessions."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -5

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

    Capsule for Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of The Baskervilles Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of The Baskervilles

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

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    0

    "Some environmental storytelling and exploration, but gameplay follows established horror walking sim and stealth routines."

    Capsule for Dread Flats Dread Flats

    "Some environmental and narrative creativity but gameplay follows established walking sim and puzzle conventions."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "No social dominance or power over others; experience is solitary and narrative-driven."

    Capsule for Still Wakes the Deep Still Wakes the Deep

    "No social dominance or power over others; experience is solitary and narrative-driven."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "Strong immersion in a sci-fi horror world provides escape from reality and intense atmosphere."

    Capsule for ROUTINE ROUTINE

    "Strong atmospheric and narrative immersion provides escape from reality into a sci-fi horror setting."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily out of interest in survival horror and Lovecraftian themes."

    Capsule for Alone in the Dark Alone in the Dark

    "Players engage voluntarily driven by interest in Lovecraftian horror and story rather than obligation."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    -2

    "Gameplay is mostly scripted and linear with limited experimentation or novel mechanics."

    Capsule for Medal of Honor™ Medal of Honor™

    "Gameplay is mostly linear and scripted with limited exploration or mechanic experimentation."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    -1

    "Some limited exploration of environments but mostly linear progression through known areas."

    Capsule for Copycat Copycat

    "Some environmental exploration but within confined, linear levels and limited discovery."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    -4

    "No character customization or player expression; presentation is fixed and standardized."

    Capsule for Toki Tori Toki Tori

    "No character customization or player expression; presentation is standardized and fixed."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    4

    "Strong Lovecraftian and cosmic horror themes with supernatural and sci-fi elements."

    Capsule for Amnesia: Rebirth Amnesia: Rebirth

    "Strong Lovecraftian cosmic horror and sci-fi fantasy themes dominate the narrative and setting."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -5

    "No social or community features; solitary single-player experience."

    Capsule for STEINS;GATE ELITE STEINS;GATE ELITE

    "No community or social interaction elements; solitary single-player experience."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    1

    "Some learning through puzzle solving and narrative understanding, but limited skill development."

    Capsule for Bucket Detective Bucket Detective

    "Some narrative and puzzle learning, but limited skill development or personal growth opportunities."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

    Capsule for DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement; not designed for background or idle play."

    Capsule for SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS

    "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement; not designed for background or idle play."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -4

    "Limited emotional connection mainly through narrative; no social or relationship building."

    Capsule for Belladonna Belladonna

    "Limited emotional connection mostly through narrative; no social or relationship building."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management roles; purely individual experience."

    Capsule for MiSide MiSide

    "No leadership or group management roles; purely individual experience."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    2

    "Narrative and puzzle progression provide a sense of advancement, though no item collection or upgrades."

    Capsule for Old Skies Old Skies

    "Narrative progression and puzzle completion provide a sense of advancement, but no item collection or upgrades."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    1

    "Atmospheric and immersive but also includes tense moments and jump scares."

    Capsule for Shadows Peak Shadows Peak

    "Atmospheric and immersive but includes tense moments and jump scares, balancing relaxation and suspense."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Strong sensory stimulation through detailed visuals, sound design, and horror elements creating emotional engagement."

    Capsule for Platform 8 Platform 8

    "Visuals, sound design, and horror elements provide sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -5

    "No social status or recognition mechanics; focus is on individual narrative experience."

    Capsule for Metro Exodus Metro Exodus

    "No social recognition or status mechanics; focus is on individual narrative experience."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    5

    "Strong narrative immersion with complex story, multiple endings, and deep Lovecraftian lore."

    Capsule for The Last Door: Season 2 - Collector's Edition The Last Door: Season 2 - Collector's Edition

    "Strong narrative immersion with complex Lovecraftian plot and character development."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    -3

    "Minimal strategic or problem-solving depth; puzzles are simple and gameplay is linear."

    Capsule for April 24th April 24th

    "Minimal strategic or problem-solving depth; puzzles are simple and gameplay is straightforward."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    2

    "Some psychological horror and suspenseful moments create tension and thrill, though no jump scares."

    Capsule for The Light Remake The Light Remake

    "Some suspense and jump scares create moments of thrill, though overall tension is moderate."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    0

    "Mixed user opinions on price vs. content; some find it worth full price, others recommend sale purchase."

    Capsule for Overboard! Overboard!

    "Mixed user opinions on price versus content; generally recommended on sale for good value."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    -4

    "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus on survival and avoidance rather than violence."

    Capsule for SONG OF HORROR COMPLETE EDITION SONG OF HORROR COMPLETE EDITION

    "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus on survival and evasion rather than violence."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    2

    "Basic survival elements like oxygen and fall damage present but not highly challenging."

    Capsule for ASTRONEER ASTRONEER

    "Elements of survival such as oxygen management and evading threats are present but not highly challenging."

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Last update: 01/06/2026