Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire similar games & best alternatives
Should you play it?
Patch 5.0 - Turn-based mode and The Ultimate challenge out now! Pursue a rogue god over land and sea in the sequel to the multi-award-winning RPG Pillars of Eternity. Captain your ship on a dangerous voyage of discovery across the vast unexplored archipelago region of the Deadfire.
What works
- Deep and engaging story with moral ambiguity
- Extensive character customization and multiclassing
- Large open world with rich exploration
- Meaningful faction and companion interactions
- Turn-based and real-time with pause combat options
Things to keep in mind
- Main story considered short or rushed by some
- Ship-to-ship combat is underdeveloped and repetitive
- Performance issues and long load times reported
- Some quest bugs and order dependencies
- Loot balance and pacing can be frustrating
What to play next
Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.
Top picks
Games that feel the closest overall
Hidden Gems
Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity
If you liked…
Recommendations by what you enjoyed most
Similarity map
Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire: Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Cooperation.
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"Players can explore a large open world freely, choose stealth or combat approaches, and decide mission order, though some quests are guided."
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora™
"Players have freedom to explore a large open world, choose faction alliances, and customize characters and party AI, though some quest orders can limit choices."
-
Competence
Game with the same Competence vibe
4"Combat is challenging and tactical, requiring skillful positioning and strategy, especially on higher difficulties."
The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos
"Combat is mentally and strategically demanding, with skill customization and challenging encounters, especially on higher difficulties."
-
Competition
Game with the same Competition vibe
-3"Focus is on personal progression and story exploration rather than direct competition or leaderboards."
Sultan's Game
"Focus is on personal story progression and exploration rather than direct competition or leaderboards."
-
Continuation
Game with the same Continuation vibe
4"Long game length with many side quests and DLCs encourage extended play and habitual engagement."
Assassin's Creed® Origins
"Long playtime with extensive side quests and DLC encourages habitual and extended play sessions."
-
Cooperation
Game with the same Cooperation vibe
-2"Primarily single-player with AI teammates; limited multiplayer or cooperative modes currently."
Rising Front
"Primarily single-player with party members controlled by player or AI; limited multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."
-
Creativity
Game with the same Creativity vibe
4"Extensive character customization, class switching, and party building allow creative playstyles and strategies."
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
"Extensive character customization, multiclassing, and party AI setup allow creative playstyles and strategies."
-
Domination
Game with the same Domination vibe
-4"Interactions emphasize balanced faction reputation and choices rather than exerting control over others."
Gothic® 3
"Interactions emphasize balanced faction politics and moral ambiguity rather than exerting superiority or control over others."
-
Escapism
Game with the same Escapism vibe
5"Immersive fantasy world with rich lore and exploration offers strong escape from real life."
Bastard Bonds
"Highly immersive fantasy world with rich lore and exploration offers strong escape from real life."
-
Expectation
Game with the same Expectation vibe
-4"Players engage voluntarily out of personal interest and intrinsic motivation for story and roleplaying."
The Necromancer's Tale
"Players engage out of intrinsic interest and personal desire for story and roleplaying rather than obligation."
-
Experimenting
Game with the same Experimenting vibe
4"Players encouraged to try different combos, skills, and character builds."
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
"Players encouraged to try different character builds, faction choices, and combat tactics."
-
Exploration
Game with the same Exploration vibe
5"Large open island with varied environments and many secrets encourages extensive discovery."
Legend of Grimrock 2
"Open world archipelago with many islands, hidden quests, and secrets strongly encourages discovery."
-
Expression
Game with the same Expression vibe
4"Character and vehicle customization, plus modding, allow for personal expression and unique playstyles."
Grand Theft Auto V Legacy
"Character creation and customization, including multiclassing and equipment upgrades, support player expression."
-
Fantasy
Game with the same Fantasy vibe
5"Strong fantasy setting with magic, mythical creatures, quests, and RPG storytelling elements."
Elemental: Reforged
"Strong fantasy setting with gods, magic, and mythical elements central to story and gameplay."
-
Fellowship
Game with the same Fellowship vibe
1"Some sense of community through shared fandom and companion relationships, but primarily a single-player experience."
The NOexistenceN of Morphean Paradox : The Forest of Silver Shallots
"Some sense of community through faction interactions and companion relationships, but mostly single-player."
-
Growth
Game with the same Growth vibe
4"Character leveling, skill acquisition, and strategic combat provide meaningful personal development"
ELEX II
"Character leveling, skill acquisition, and strategic combat promote learning and personal development."
-
Health
Game with the same Health vibe
-4"Typical sedentary gameplay with long sessions and no physical activity elements."
Disciples: Liberation
"Typical sedentary gameplay with long sessions and no physical activity elements."
-
Idle
Game with the same Idle vibe
-3"Requires focused attention and strategic planning; not designed for casual or background play."
ATOM RPG: Post-apocalyptic indie game
"Requires focused attention and strategic planning; not designed for casual or background play."
-
Intimacy
Game with the same Intimacy vibe
2"Romance options and companion interactions provide some emotional connection."
GreedFall
"Companion relationships and some romance options provide moderate emotional connection."
-
Leadership
Game with the same Leadership vibe
3"Player leads the party and makes key decisions, guiding group actions and story outcomes."
Persona 5 Royal
"Player leads party and makes key decisions affecting factions and story outcomes."
-
Progression
Game with the same Progression vibe
5"Strong emphasis on leveling up, acquiring items, upgrading gear, and unlocking abilities."
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
"Strong emphasis on leveling up, acquiring items, upgrading gear, and unlocking abilities."
-
Relaxation
Game with the same Relaxation vibe
2"Generally balanced challenge with moments of flow, though some difficulty spikes cause tension."
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
"Generally balanced challenge with moments of flow, though some find pacing slow or grindy."
-
Sensation
Game with the same Sensation vibe
3"Enjoyable visuals, voice acting, and music provide sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."
Ethereal Enigma
"Enjoyable visuals, voice acting, and music provide sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."
-
Status
Game with the same Status vibe
-3"Focus is on individual story and progression rather than social recognition or popularity."
Expeditions: Rome
"Focus is on individual story and roleplay rather than social recognition or popularity."
-
Story
Game with the same Story vibe
5"Narrative immersion is a core strength with deep lore, meaningful choices, and engaging characters."
Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game
"Narrative immersion is a core strength with rich lore, character development, and meaningful choices."
-
Strategy
Game with the same Strategy vibe
5"Combat and faction decisions require planning, tactical thinking, and problem solving"
ELEX II
"Combat and faction decisions require logical planning, problem solving, and tactical thinking."
-
Thrill
Game with the same Thrill vibe
2"Some suspense and tension in combat and story moments, but generally controlled experience."
The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition
"Some suspense and tension in combat and story, but overall controlled and thoughtful experience."
-
Value
Game with the same Value vibe
4"High perceived value due to extensive content, replayability, and educational benefits."
EXAPUNKS
"High perceived value due to extensive content, replayability, and quality of writing and design."
-
Violence
Game with the same Violence vibe
3"Combat involves fighting and defeating enemies with physical and magical attacks."
Fairy Bloom Freesia
"Combat involves tactical battles with enemies, including ship boarding and magical attacks."
-
Survival
Game with the same Survival vibe
2"Resource management and avoiding death in combat are present but not extreme."
Red Dead Online
"Resource management and avoiding failure in combat are important but not extreme survival elements."
Last update: 01/06/2026