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Rakuen similar games & best alternatives

Rakuen

PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Mac, Linux • 2017

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Quick resume

A hospitalized Boy comes to terms with his own story by traveling with his Mom to a beautiful fantasy world; ultimately helping his fellow patients find closure by walking a mile in their shoes.

Global score

96/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie, Role-playing (RPG)

Similar games

    Pros

    • Emotional and touching story
    • Beautiful soundtrack
    • Charming pixel art
    • Accessible puzzles
    • Meaningful character development

    Cons

    • Slow movement speed
    • Limited gameplay complexity
    • Lack of display and control options
    • Some pacing issues
    • Missable achievements requiring replay

    Analysis

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

    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 explore two worlds, solve puzzles, and choose actions freely within a narrative framework."

    • Competence
      1

      "Puzzles are generally easy and accessible, with minimal challenge but some problem-solving involved."

    • Competition
      -5

      "No competitive elements; focus is on personal story experience and emotional engagement."

    • Continuation
      2

      "Players often replay or revisit the game for emotional impact and achievement completion."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Single-player experience focused on individual exploration and story progression."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Players engage in puzzle solving and exploration but within predefined story and world design."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No elements of control or superiority over others; cooperative and empathetic tone."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Strong emotional and narrative immersion provides escape from real-life through fantasy and story."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily driven by intrinsic interest in story and emotional experience."

    • Experimenting
      1

      "Some exploration and puzzle experimentation, but mostly linear narrative progression."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Exploring two worlds and uncovering story elements and collectibles is a key part of gameplay."

    • Expression
      -3

      "Limited customization; players experience a fixed story and character presentation."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Strong fantasy elements with parallel magical world and imaginative creatures."

    • Fellowship
      1

      "Emotional connection to characters and community room collectibles, but no multiplayer social features."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players learn story details, solve puzzles, and develop emotional understanding."

    • Health
      -5

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

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention on story and puzzles; not suited for background or idle play."

    • Intimacy
      3

      "Strong emotional bonds formed with characters and story, evoking empathy and connection."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or management roles; player follows a linear narrative."

    • Progression
      2

      "Progression through story arcs, puzzle completion, and collecting items for community room."

    • Relaxation
      3

      "Generally relaxing with gentle pacing, though some emotional tension is present."

    • Sensation
      2

      "Enjoyable music and art provide sensory pleasure, but stimulation is moderate and calm."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social status or recognition systems; experience is personal and introspective."

    • Story
      5

      "Central motivation is deep narrative immersion with emotional and thematic storytelling."

    • Strategy
      -2

      "Minimal strategic challenge; puzzles require some thought but are straightforward."

    • Thrill
      -2

      "Some tense or eerie moments, but overall controlled and gentle emotional tone."

    • Value
      4

      "Highly praised for emotional payoff and quality relative to game length and price."

    • Violence
      -5

      "No violence or combat; focus on constructive and emotional interactions."

    • Survival
      -5

      "No survival or threat avoidance mechanics; stable and safe game environment."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026