The Darkest Tales similar games & best alternatives

The Darkest Tales - Trailer
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The Darkest Tales

PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch • 2022

Should you play it?

When a nightmare creeps into reality, the only ones that can help are those whose magical powers we’ve believed in since childhood. A brave teddy bear heads to the far side of “happily ever after” to rescue his owner, Alicia.

What works

  • Unique dark fairy tale story and setting
  • Beautiful and atmospheric art style
  • Engaging combat and skill progression
  • Varied level design with exploration
  • Immersive voice acting and soundtrack

Things to keep in mind

  • Clunky and inconsistent controls
  • Lack of map makes navigation frustrating
  • Some difficulty spikes and frustrating platforming
  • Bugs and occasional softlocks reported
  • Limited replay value beyond 100% completion

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • The Darkest Tales — Into the Nightmare

  • MIO: Memories in Orbit

  • Age of Barbarian Extended Cut

  • There Is No Light: Enhanced Edition

  • Solateria

  • Deepening Fire

More relaxing

Games that feels like The Darkest Tales but with a more relaxing feel

  • The Rogue Prince of Persia

  • Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition

  • Turbo Kid

  • Afterimage

  • Glimmer in Mirror

  • Pronty

Less expressive

Games that feels like The Darkest Tales but with less self-expression and customization

  • DOOMBLADE

  • MO:Astray

  • Teslagrad 2

  • Ori and the Blind Forest

  • REPLACED

  • 3000th Duel

Less exploratory

Games that feels like The Darkest Tales but with less exploration of areas and secrets

  • Fairy Bloom Freesia

  • Elypse

  • Bladed fury

  • Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU

  • They Always Run

  • Greedventory

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with The Darkest Tales. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • 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 to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with The Darkest Tales. These titles are not in What to play next.

The Darkest Tales: Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Survival, Fellowship, Intimacy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation, Leadership.

Last update: 21/08/2026