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The Citadel similar games & best alternatives

The Citadel

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2020

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Quick resume

The Citadel is a brutal first person shooter, and a love letter to classic games such as Marathon, Doom and Wolfenstein 3d. Descend into the depths of a dark citadel, and fight through 6 Episodes and 30 levels of action packed with 6 challenging bosses. Go forth, Martyr.

Global score

93/100

Genres

Action, Casual, Indie, Shooter

Similar games

    Pros

    • Satisfying and tactical gunplay
    • Unique anime and sci-fi aesthetic
    • Challenging and rewarding gameplay
    • Varied weapons with upgrades and alternate fire
    • Interesting lore and atmosphere

    Cons

    • Technical instability and crashes
    • Visually repetitive environments
    • Punishing death and checkpoint system
    • Somewhat sparse story
    • Platforming sections can be frustrating

    Analysis

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

    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
      4

      "Players have freedom to choose weapons, tactics, and movement styles including tactical leaning, manual reloads, and platforming."

    • Competence
      4

      "The game is challenging with tactical combat, requiring skillful aiming, resource management, and strategic positioning."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on individual progression and personal skill rather than competing against others; no mention of multiplayer or leaderboards."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report multiple playthroughs and replay value due to weapon upgrades and secrets, indicating habitual engagement."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Single-player experience with no cooperative or multiplayer elements mentioned."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players can customize weapons with upgrades and alternate fire modes; some exploration and secret hunting."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; gameplay is solo and balanced."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as a unique, immersive experience to escape reality with dark sci-fi and anime aesthetics."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment; no indication of obligation or pressure."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Game encourages trying different weapons, tactics, and movement mechanics; some novelty in gameplay."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Players explore levels for secrets and upgrades, though environments are visually repetitive."

    • Expression
      2

      "Some character customization in terms of outfit options; weapon upgrades allow personal playstyle expression."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Strong sci-fi, religious, and cosmic horror themes with anime-style characters and surreal narrative."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "No social or community features; strictly single-player experience."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players learn tactical combat, weapon management, and movement skills; progression through upgrades."

    • Health
      -5

      "No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay with no rehab or exercise elements."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention due to tactical combat and platforming; not casual or background play."

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No close social relationships or emotional sharing; solo gameplay."

    • Leadership
      -5

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

    • Progression
      4

      "Players accumulate weapons, upgrades, and abilities; unlock new features and secrets."

    • Relaxation
      -2

      "Gameplay is tense and challenging with punishing death mechanics; some moments of flow but overall high tension."

    • Sensation
      4

      "Strong sensory stimulation from detailed gore, sound design, and impactful gunplay."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social recognition or ranking systems; focus is on individual experience."

    • Story
      2

      "Sparse but intriguing lore and narrative fragments; story is not a major focus but present."

    • Strategy
      4

      "Requires tactical thinking, resource management, and planning; encourages careful approach and positioning."

    • Thrill
      3

      "High stakes combat with risk of death and punishing mechanics create suspense and excitement."

    • Value
      3

      "Players find the game worth the price for its unique gameplay and replayability, though some mention crashes."

    • Violence
      5

      "Extremely graphic and detailed gore with brutal dismemberment and visceral combat."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players must manage health, ammo, and resources carefully to survive challenging encounters."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026