Return of the Obra Dinn similar games & best alternatives

Return of the Obra Dinn - Trailer
Return of the Obra Dinn - return-of-the-obra-dinn_1.avif
Return of the Obra Dinn - return-of-the-obra-dinn_2.avif
Return of the Obra Dinn - return-of-the-obra-dinn_3.avif
Return of the Obra Dinn - return-of-the-obra-dinn_4.avif
Return of the Obra Dinn - return-of-the-obra-dinn_5.avif
Return of the Obra Dinn - return-of-the-obra-dinn_6.avif

Return of the Obra Dinn

PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch • 2018

Should you play it?

Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.

What works

  • Unique and immersive detective gameplay
  • Highly rewarding logical deduction
  • Distinctive 1-bit art style
  • Engaging narrative and atmosphere
  • Excellent soundtrack and sound design

Things to keep in mind

  • Some ui and navigation tedium
  • Lack of replay value after completion
  • Occasional difficulty spikes and obscure clues
  • No multiplayer or social features
  • Slow pacing and forced waiting in scenes

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Don't Escape Trilogy

  • Creepy Tale 2

  • Metal Dead

  • Fran Bow

  • The Drifter

  • Ministry of Broadcast

Less survival-focused

Games that feels like Return of the Obra Dinn but with less survival pressure

  • The Case of the Golden Idol

  • Rusty Lake: Roots

  • The Rise of the Golden Idol

  • Confidential Killings - A Detective Game

  • The Almost Gone

  • Follow the meaning

Less violent

Games that feels like Return of the Obra Dinn but with less combat and destruction

  • Lightmatter

  • Time Flies

  • SCHiM

  • Unforeseen Incidents

  • Journey of a Roach

  • Timelie

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with Return of the Obra Dinn. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • 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 to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with Return of the Obra Dinn. These titles are not in What to play next.

Return of the Obra Dinn: Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Survival, Fellowship, Intimacy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Expression, Leadership.

Last update: 21/08/2026