SWOLLEN TO BURSTING UNTIL I AM DISAPPEARING ON PURPOSE similar games & best alternatives

SWOLLEN TO BURSTING UNTIL I AM DISAPPEARING ON PURPOSE

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2023

Should you play it?

SWOLLEN TO BURSTING is a weirdo RPG in which something is very wrong. A flying saucer has crash landed in town, but it's Thursday so you have to go to work at the post office.

What works
  • Unique and immersive atmosphere
  • Emotional and personal storytelling
  • Beautiful and evocative music
  • Free to play with rich content
  • Engaging exploration and puzzles
Things to keep in mind
  • Some puzzles are obtuse and frustrating
  • Progression can be unclear without guides
  • Technical bugs and occasional freezes
  • Slow navigation and lack of quality-of-life features
  • Some players find ending vague or unsatisfying

What to play next

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

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Tails Noir: Prologue

  • Knowledge, or know Lady

  • Cemetery Mary

  • Inari

  • The Witch of Fern Island

  • Blood Code

  • Space Pilgrim Episode III: Delta Pavonis

  • The Crown of Leaves

  • My Big Sister
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Cemetery Mary

  • My Big Sister

  • Research Story
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Escapism

    Sea of Solitude
  • Exploration

    Obduction
  • Value

    The Timeless Child - Prologue

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).

SWOLLEN TO BURSTING UNTIL I AM DISAPPEARING ON PURPOSE: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Competition, Thrill. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Intimacy, Expression, Exploration.

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

    4

    "Players freely explore a surreal world and solve puzzles at their own pace with no forced linearity or scripted routines."

    Capsule for LEAVES - The Journey LEAVES - The Journey

    "Players explore a surreal world with freedom to discover secrets and solve puzzles at their own pace, though some progression is gated by obscure clues."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    2

    "The game involves solving puzzles with some trial and error and occasional obtuse logic, requiring skill and problem solving."

    Capsule for I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

    "The game involves puzzle solving and exploration requiring some skill and logical thinking, but some puzzles are obtuse and require trial and error or guides."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -5

    "No evidence of competitive elements; focus is on personal exploration and experience."

    Capsule for THRESHOLD THRESHOLD

    "No evidence of competitive elements; focus is on personal exploration and experience."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    3

    "Players report engaging deeply with the game, exploring all dialogue and interactions, and spending multiple hours in single sessions."

    Capsule for Paradigm Paradigm

    "Players report engaging deeply for multiple hours and revisiting the game for its atmosphere and story."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -5

    "Single-player experience with no cooperative or multiplayer features."

    Capsule for Accounting+ Accounting+

    "Single-player experience with no cooperative or multiplayer features."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    3

    "Players can experiment with different puzzle solutions and interact creatively with objects, supporting creative problem solving."

    Capsule for I Expect You To Die I Expect You To Die

    "Players can experiment with various effects and explore different puzzle solutions, though within a designed structure."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are individual and personal."

    Capsule for Windlands Windlands

    "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are personal and introspective."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    5

    "Strongly focused on emotional and mental health themes, providing a form of escape and reflection on real-life struggles."

    Capsule for Sea of Solitude Sea of Solitude

    "Strong thematic focus on personal struggles, mental health, and emotional exploration providing an escape from real life."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and emotional connection, not obligation."

    Capsule for Ori and the Blind Forest Ori and the Blind Forest

    "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and emotional connection, not obligation."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    3

    "Encourages exploration and trying different approaches to puzzles, though within established mechanics."

    Capsule for Gordian Rooms 1: A curious heritage Gordian Rooms 1: A curious heritage

    "Encourages exploration of mechanics and world, though some puzzles require repeated attempts or external help."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    5

    "Core gameplay involves discovering new areas, secrets, and piecing together story elements."

    Capsule for Obduction Obduction

    "Core gameplay revolves around discovering new areas, secrets, and piecing together story elements."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    3

    "Players can customize character appearance and portraits."

    Capsule for StarCrawlers StarCrawlers

    "Players customize their character with various effects that alter appearance and interaction."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    4

    "Surreal, dreamlike world with abstract narrative and imaginative settings."

    Capsule for Anodyne Anodyne

    "Surreal, dreamlike world with imaginative fiction and abstract storytelling."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -5

    "Primarily a solitary experience with minimal social interaction."

    Capsule for SILENT HILL 2 SILENT HILL 2

    "Primarily a solitary experience with minimal social interaction."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    3

    "Players develop understanding of story and characters; some learning through puzzle solving."

    Capsule for Shardlight Shardlight

    "Players learn puzzle solutions, explore narrative themes, and develop understanding through play."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "No physical activity or health-related gameplay elements."

    Capsule for 80 Days 80 Days

    "No physical activity or health-related gameplay elements."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles and progress; not a casual or background game."

    Capsule for Jack Orlando: Director's Cut Jack Orlando: Director's Cut

    "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles and progress; not a casual or background game."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    2

    "Emotional connection to characters and story, but limited to narrative rather than social relationships."

    Capsule for Stray Stray

    "Emotional connection to the story and character experiences, though limited social relationships."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management elements present."

    Capsule for Trover Saves the Universe Trover Saves the Universe

    "No leadership or group management elements present."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    3

    "Progression through collecting parts and unlocking story elements."

    Capsule for Cradle Cradle

    "Progression through collecting effects and unlocking story elements, though some sequence breaking possible."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    2

    "Atmosphere is immersive and calm, though puzzle difficulty can cause frustration at times."

    Capsule for Myst: Masterpiece Edition Myst: Masterpiece Edition

    "Atmosphere is immersive and sometimes calming, but puzzle difficulty and obtuse clues can cause frustration."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Unique visual style and music provide strong sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."

    Capsule for Apotheon Apotheon

    "Unique visual style and evocative music provide sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -5

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

    Capsule for God of War God of War

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

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    4

    "Strong narrative immersion through visual storytelling, character development, and emotional themes."

    Capsule for Dropsy Dropsy

    "Narrative immersion through abstract storytelling, character development, and emotional themes."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    2

    "Puzzles require logical thinking and problem solving, though some are straightforward or trial and error."

    Capsule for Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome Collector's Edition Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome Collector's Edition

    "Requires problem solving and logical thinking for puzzles, though some solutions are obscure or trial and error."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    1

    "Some suspense and tension in puzzle solving, but overall controlled and calm gameplay."

    Capsule for Unsolved Case Unsolved Case

    "Some tension from puzzle challenges and exploration, but overall a subdued emotional tone."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    5

    "Highly praised as a free game with good quality and enjoyable content, perceived as great value."

    Capsule for The Timeless Child - Prologue The Timeless Child - Prologue

    "Highly praised for being a free game with rich content, emotional depth, and replay value."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    -4

    "Minimal violence; combat is limited and non-lethal, focusing on stealth and avoidance rather than destruction."

    Capsule for American Theft 80s American Theft 80s

    "Minimal combat focused on level comparison; no emphasis on destruction or aggression."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    -3

    "No survival mechanics; stable conditions with no threats or resource management."

    Capsule for Indecision. Indecision.

    "No significant survival mechanics; some challenge from encounters but no resource management."

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Last update: 01/06/2026