Tales of the Orient: The Rising Sun similar games & best alternatives

Tales of the Orient: The Rising Sun

PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Linux, Mac • 2015

Should you play it?

Dive into an epic story of honor and courage and help a Geisha and a Samurai save the day.

What works
  • Multiple gameplay modes
  • Board rotation mechanic
  • Relaxing music and visuals
  • Good replayability with 100+ levels
  • Accessible difficulty with challenge and relaxed modes
Things to keep in mind
  • Minimal story depth
  • Some repetitive gameplay
  • Achievement grind for 200 levels
  • Limited village building impact
  • No multiplayer or social features

What to play next

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

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Mars Power Industries Deluxe

  • Machinika: Museum

  • CrossCells

  • Lowglow

  • NightSky

  • Paper Trail

  • Spring Falls

  • Moncage

  • Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Mars Power Industries Deluxe

  • Lowglow

  • Alice's Patchwork
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

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).

Tales of the Orient: The Rising Sun: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Fantasy, Story, Thrill. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Fantasy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Expression, Exploration.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

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    4

    "Players can choose from multiple characters with distinct playstyles and freely select difficulty modes, allowing personal control over gameplay experience."

    Capsule for 東方幕華祭 TouHou Makuka Sai ~ Fantastic Danmaku Festival 東方幕華祭 TouHou Makuka Sai ~ Fantastic Danmaku Festival

    "Players can choose from three different match-3 modes (swap, chain, pop) and two difficulty modes (challenge with limited moves and relaxed with unlimited moves), plus freely rotate the board and use power-ups, allowing significant control over gameplay."

  • Competence

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    "The game offers skill challenges through combat, character progression, and item collection, with difficulty increasing in higher modes."

    Capsule for Titan Quest Anniversary Edition Titan Quest Anniversary Edition

    "Increasing difficulty over 100 levels with obstacles and limited moves in challenge mode provides skill-based challenges, though overall gameplay remains accessible and casual."

  • Competition

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    "Focus is on individual puzzle solving and personal progress without competitive or ranked elements."

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  • Continuation

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    "Players report long play sessions, replaying for collectibles and achievements, and enjoying multiple modes, indicating sustained engagement."

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  • Cooperation

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

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  • Creativity

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    "Players can build and arrange village structures but within preset building options and limited customization."

    Capsule for Black Forest Black Forest

    "Players can choose different play styles and rotate the board, offering some creative problem-solving, but building the village is a fixed progression without customization."

  • Domination

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    "No elements of dominance or power over others; gameplay is individual and non-confrontational."

    Capsule for Luxor Evolved Luxor Evolved

    "No elements of dominance or power over others; gameplay is individual and non-confrontational."

  • Escapism

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    "The relaxing, immersive gameplay and charming story provide a pleasant escape from real-life stress."

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  • Expectation

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    "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and relaxation, with no pressure or obligation reported."

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  • Experimenting

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    "Multiple game modes and strategic options encourage players to try different tactics and playstyles."

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    "Multiple gameplay modes and board rotation encourage players to try different strategies and approaches."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

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    "The game consists of fixed levels with no open exploration or discovery of new areas."

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    "Game consists of fixed levels with no open exploration or discovery of new areas."

  • Expression

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    "Minimal character or environment customization; players use standard mushroom units and buildings."

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    "Limited to no character or environment customization; village building is predetermined and purely functional."

  • Fantasy

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    "Set in a stylized feudal Japan with a romantic rescue story, blending some fantasy elements with historical style."

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    "Set in a stylized, fictionalized version of Edo-period Japan with samurai and geisha, though story is minimal and more thematic than immersive fantasy."

  • Fellowship

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    "No social or community features; entirely single-player."

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  • Growth

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    "Players develop puzzle-solving skills and learn new strategies as difficulty increases."

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  • Health

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    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

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  • Idle

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    "Requires focused attention and strategic thinking; not designed for idle or background play."

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  • Intimacy

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  • Leadership

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    "No leadership or group management features."

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  • Progression

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    "Players accumulate gold, unlock skills, and upgrade their workshop and weapon designs."

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    "Players accumulate gold to build and upgrade a village, unlocking power-ups and extra moves, providing a clear sense of progression."

  • Relaxation

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    "Calming atmosphere, music, and gentle pacing promote relaxation and flow."

    Capsule for Milkmaid of the Milky Way Milkmaid of the Milky Way

    "Relaxed mode with unlimited moves, soothing music, and gentle pacing promote relaxation and flow."

  • Sensation

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    "Colorful graphics and sound effects provide sensory enjoyment, though not highly intense."

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  • Status

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    "No social recognition or status systems."

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  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

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    "Simple narrative framing the puzzle levels; minimal story but some lore and humor present."

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  • Strategy

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    "Players must plan moves, manage power-ups, and optimize combos to meet level goals."

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    "Players must plan moves, manage limited moves in challenge mode, and use power-ups strategically."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

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    "Game is low risk and low suspense; more relaxing than thrilling."

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    "Game is low-risk and calming rather than suspenseful or thrilling."

  • Value

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    "Generally considered good value for price, especially on sale; offers hours of gameplay and achievements."

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    "Offers many hours of gameplay and achievements for a low price, especially on sale, providing good value."

  • Violence

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  • Survival

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    "No survival or threat avoidance elements; stable, low-risk gameplay environment."

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Last update: 01/06/2026