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the 9th day:第九日 similar games & best alternatives

the 9th day:第九日

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2017

Related articles

Quick resume

The story of The 9th Day, that started with the autumn fire incident, begins here…

Global score

92/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Emotional and touching story
    • Multiple story routes with character depth
    • High-quality music and atmosphere
    • Unique narrative premise
    • Affordable price for content length

    Cons

    • Limited gameplay interaction
    • Some voice acting issues
    • Short and repetitive routes
    • Lack of customization and exploration
    • Minor technical bugs and ui limitations

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Autonomy, Strategy, Experimenting, Competence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Intimacy, Idle, Growth.

    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

      "Gameplay is mostly linear visual novel with limited player choices affecting story branches; players follow preset narrative paths."

    • Competence
      -4

      "Game involves reading and making simple choices; lacks skill-based challenges or complex mechanics."

    • Competition
      -5

      "No competitive elements or player comparison; focus is on personal story experience."

    • Continuation
      2

      "Players often complete multiple story routes and hidden lines, spending around 20 hours; some find replaying all routes tedious."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Single-player visual novel experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Story and character routes offer some narrative creativity and multiple perspectives, but gameplay structure is fixed."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No social dominance or power dynamics; interactions are narrative-focused and equal."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players engage with emotional, fictional story to escape reality and experience imaginative scenarios."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest in story and characters, not due to obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting
      -3

      "Limited experimentation possible; players mainly follow established story routes with minor choice variations."

    • Exploration
      -2

      "Exploration limited to narrative branches; no open-world or spatial discovery."

    • Expression
      -3

      "Minimal character customization; expression mainly through story choices and route selection."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Game features supernatural elements like spirits, death, and afterlife, creating an imaginative fictional experience."

    • Fellowship
      -4

      "Primarily a solitary experience; minimal social interaction or community involvement in gameplay."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players experience emotional growth and understanding through story progression and character development."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay typical of visual novels; no physical activity involved."

    • Idle
      3

      "Game sessions can be moderate length; some players engage in multiple routes over time, but gameplay is not highly demanding."

    • Intimacy
      3

      "Emotional connections with characters and story foster a sense of closeness and attachment."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management elements present."

    • Progression
      2

      "Progression is narrative-based through unlocking story routes and achievements rather than items or upgrades."

    • Relaxation
      3

      "Game provides a calm, emotional experience with soothing music, suitable for relaxed play."

    • Sensation
      2

      "Visual and auditory elements like music and art provide moderate sensory enjoyment."

    • Status
      -5

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

    • Story
      5

      "Strong narrative focus with multiple storylines, character development, and emotional themes."

    • Strategy
      -4

      "Minimal strategic or problem-solving gameplay; choices are straightforward and limited."

    • Thrill
      1

      "Some emotional tension and suspense in story, but gameplay is generally calm and predictable."

    • Value
      3

      "Players find good value in story length (~20 hours) and emotional content for the price."

    • Violence
      -5

      "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus is on narrative and emotional interaction."

    • Survival
      -5

      "No survival or resource management elements; story-driven with stable conditions."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026