SIMULACRA similar games & best alternatives

SIMULACRA

Mac, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Android, iOS • 2017

Should you play it?

An interactive horror experience of exploring a missing woman’s phone.

What works
  • Immersive and unique phone interface
  • Engaging mystery story with multiple endings
  • Well-designed puzzles
  • Effective audio and atmosphere
  • Good replayability
Things to keep in mind
  • Poor voice acting
  • Some jump scares considered cheap
  • Limited customization and expression
  • Lack of save points/checkpoints
  • Some narrative and puzzle pacing issues

What to play next

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

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • SIMULACRA 2

  • SIMULACRA: Pipe Dreams

  • Ann

  • The Mortuary Assistant

  • The Crooked Man

  • Ten Bells

  • The Solus Project

  • Knock-knock

  • Idols of Ash
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Ten Bells

  • Ukrainian ball in search of gas

  • The Heilwald Loophole
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Story

    Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes
  • Escapism

    Alpha Polaris : A Horror Adventure Game
  • Exploration

    SIMULACRA 2

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).

SIMULACRA: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Expression, Fellowship, Cooperation, Status. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence, Relaxation.

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 have freedom to explore the phone and make choices affecting multiple endings, though constrained by the game's narrative and tasks."

    Capsule for Replica Replica

    "Players have freedom to explore the phone, make dialogue choices affecting endings, and solve puzzles with some personal decision-making."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    2

    "Puzzles range from easy to medium difficulty with some challenging ones, providing a moderate sense of skill and accomplishment."

    Capsule for The Last Campfire The Last Campfire

    "Puzzles range from simple to moderately challenging, providing a sense of accomplishment without excessive difficulty."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -4

    "Focus is on personal investigation and story progression without competitive elements or leaderboards."

    Capsule for Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer

    "Focus is on personal investigation and story progression without any competitive or leaderboard elements."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    3

    "Multiple endings and replay value encourage players to continue playing beyond initial completion."

    Capsule for Into The Gloom Into The Gloom

    "Multiple endings and replayability encourage players to continue playing beyond the first completion."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -3

    "Gameplay is primarily single-player with interactions focused on NPC characters rather than multiplayer cooperation."

    Capsule for Cosmonious High Cosmonious High

    "Gameplay is primarily a solo experience with limited interaction framed as conversations with NPCs rather than cooperative play."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    2

    "Players engage in creative problem solving through interrogation and exploration, but within a fixed narrative and structure."

    Capsule for Detective Case and Clown Bot in: Murder in the Hotel Lisbon Detective Case and Clown Bot in: Murder in the Hotel Lisbon

    "Players engage in creative problem solving through puzzles and dialogue choices, but within a structured narrative and phone interface."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "Interactions emphasize balanced dialogue and investigation without exerting control or superiority over others."

    Capsule for Song of Farca Song of Farca

    "Interactions emphasize investigation and dialogue without exerting control or superiority over others."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "Immersive horror atmosphere and story provide a strong escape from reality."

    Capsule for Alpha Polaris : A Horror Adventure Game Alpha Polaris : A Horror Adventure Game

    "The immersive horror story and phone simulation provide a strong escape from reality and engrossing experience."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily driven by curiosity and interest in story rather than obligation or external pressure."

    Capsule for SUNLESS SEA SUNLESS SEA

    "Players engage voluntarily driven by curiosity and interest in the story rather than obligation or external pressure."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    3

    "Multiple dialogue choices and branching paths encourage players to try different approaches and outcomes."

    Capsule for The Crown of Leaves The Crown of Leaves

    "Multiple dialogue paths and endings encourage players to try different choices and explore alternate outcomes."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    4

    "Players explore a virtual phone environment, uncovering hidden clues, social media posts, and secrets."

    Capsule for SIMULACRA 2 SIMULACRA 2

    "Players explore a detailed virtual phone environment, uncovering secrets, messages, and clues."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    -2

    "Limited customization; players mainly interact with preset characters and environments."

    Capsule for A Park Full of Cats A Park Full of Cats

    "Limited customization; players mainly interact with preset content rather than personalizing characters or environments."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    2

    "Psychological horror with some paranormal elements, blending realistic and imaginative fiction."

    Capsule for [Chilla's Art] Night Delivery | 例外配達 [Chilla's Art] Night Delivery | 例外配達

    "The story includes sci-fi and supernatural elements, blending realistic phone use with imaginative horror fiction."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -4

    "Experience is solitary with minimal social connection beyond NPC interactions."

    Capsule for Shenmue III Shenmue III

    "Experience is solitary with minimal social connection beyond scripted NPC interactions."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    2

    "Players develop skills in puzzle solving and combat, though learning curve is moderate."

    Capsule for Obscure II (Obscure: The Aftermath) Obscure II (Obscure: The Aftermath)

    "Players develop investigative and puzzle-solving skills through gameplay, though learning curve is moderate."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "Sedentary gameplay typical of narrative puzzle games with no physical activity."

    Capsule for OneShot: World Machine Edition OneShot: World Machine Edition

    "Sedentary gameplay typical of narrative puzzle games with no physical activity involved."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles and follow story; not suited for casual or background play."

    Capsule for Syberia Syberia

    "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles and follow story; not suited for casual or background play."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -3

    "Character interactions exist but are limited to scripted dialogue without deep emotional connection or socializing."

    Capsule for I am Setsuna I am Setsuna

    "Interactions are limited to surface-level scripted conversations without deep emotional connection."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management elements; player acts independently."

    Capsule for Hi-Fi RUSH Hi-Fi RUSH

    "No leadership or group management elements; player acts independently."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    3

    "Players unlock achievements, endings, and story content, reflecting progression through the game."

    Capsule for MiSide MiSide

    "Players unlock new information, endings, and achievements, showing clear progression through the story."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    -2

    "Gameplay is tense and suspenseful with jump scares, creating emotional strain rather than relaxation."

    Capsule for Project Unknown Project Unknown

    "Tense atmosphere with suspense and jump scares reduces relaxation; game maintains emotional strain."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Effective use of sound design, visuals, and jump scares provide sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."

    Capsule for Fears to Fathom - Woodbury Getaway Fears to Fathom - Woodbury Getaway

    "Effective use of audio design and jump scares provide sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -5

    "No social recognition or status systems; focus is on personal experience."

    Capsule for Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

    "No social recognition or status systems; focus is on personal experience."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    5

    "Strong narrative focus with multiple endings, character development, and immersive storytelling."

    Capsule for Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes

    "Strong narrative focus with multiple endings, character interactions, and immersive storytelling."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    2

    "Players use logic and reasoning to solve puzzles and piece together clues, though the gameplay is straightforward and linear."

    Capsule for Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Duck Detective: The Secret Salami

    "Players use logical reasoning and puzzle solving, but overall gameplay is straightforward and guided."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    4

    "Jump scares and suspenseful moments provide thrill and tension."

    Capsule for 港詭實錄ParanormalHK 港詭實錄ParanormalHK

    "Jump scares and suspenseful moments create tension and thrill throughout the experience."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    3

    "Generally considered good value for price, especially on sale, with replayability through challenges."

    Capsule for Ben and Ed Ben and Ed

    "Generally regarded as good value for price, especially with replayability and unique experience."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    -4

    "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus is on investigation and puzzle solving."

    Capsule for Nancy Drew®: Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED Nancy Drew®: Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED

    "No emphasis on combat or destruction; gameplay centers on investigation and puzzle solving."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    1

    "Basic survival mechanics present but not challenging; low risk and forgiving environment."

    Capsule for Arctico Arctico

    "Some tension related to saving a missing person, but no direct survival mechanics or resource management."

Come talk about it on Discord!

Last update: 01/06/2026