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NO THING similar games & best alternatives

NO THING

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2016

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Quick resume

The year is 1994 and it is the future. NO THING is a minimalistic surreal action game set in totalitarian regime of future. Tells the story of an office clerk who is sent with important message to the Queen of Ice.

Global score

86/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique vaporwave aesthetic
    • Challenging and addictive gameplay
    • Engaging dystopian narrative
    • Excellent electronic soundtrack
    • High replay value

    Cons

    • Extreme difficulty causing frustration
    • Visual effects can cause eye strain or motion sickness
    • Lack of checkpoints increases repetition
    • Minimal gameplay variety
    • Some input responsiveness issues

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Relaxation, Survival, Violence, Fellowship. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence, Expression, Creativity.

    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 control left/right turns freely but within a constrained runner mechanic"

    • Competence
      4

      "High difficulty and skill required to master timing and reflexes; repeated failures common"

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal mastery and progression rather than competing with others"

    • Continuation
      4

      "Players repeatedly retry levels and return to the game despite frustration"

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Single player experience with no cooperative elements"

    • Creativity
      1

      "Some interpretation of story and player route choices, but gameplay is limited to preset paths"

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control over others; purely individual challenge"

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as a surreal, psychedelic escape from reality"

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily driven by interest in unique experience and challenge"

    • Experimenting
      2

      "Some experimentation with timing and routes to overcome difficult levels"

    • Exploration
      1

      "Limited exploration of level layouts and alternate paths within levels"

    • Expression
      -3

      "Minimal customization or personalization; aesthetic is fixed and stylized"

    • Fantasy
      3

      "Surreal dystopian narrative and vaporwave aesthetic create imaginative fiction"

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "No social or community features; solitary gameplay"

    • Growth
      3

      "Players develop reflexes, timing, and understanding of level design through repeated play"

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity"

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires focused attention and continuous input; not suitable for passive play"

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No close social interactions or relationships formed through gameplay"

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles present"

    • Progression
      3

      "Progression through levels and percentage completion; some score and speed modifiers"

    • Relaxation
      -3

      "High tension and frustration reported; challenging and fast-paced gameplay"

    • Sensation
      4

      "Strong sensory stimulation from vivid colors, glitch effects, and electronic soundtrack"

    • Status
      -4

      "No social recognition or status systems; focus on personal achievement"

    • Story
      4

      "Narrative delivered via robotic voice with dystopian themes; integral to experience"

    • Strategy
      2

      "Requires timing and route memorization; some planning to optimize runs"

    • Thrill
      4

      "Tension and adrenaline from fast pace, risk of falling, and difficult turns"

    • Value
      4

      "Players feel good return on investment due to unique experience and replay value"

    • Violence
      -5

      "No combat or destructive elements; gameplay is constructive navigation"

    • Survival
      3

      "Avoiding falling and failure is core challenge; managing speed and turns to survive"

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026