The Gunk similar games & best alternatives

The Gunk - Trailer
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The Gunk

Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One • 2022

Should you play it?

The Gunk is an action-adventure game in which you play as Rani, part of our duo of gritty space haulers. As they’re struggling to bring in funds, they chance upon an untouched planet brimming with life. They came in search of valuable resources, and it looks like they’ve hit the jackpot…

What works

  • Beautiful and immersive environments
  • Relaxing and accessible gameplay
  • Engaging story with likable characters
  • Intuitive controls and smooth platforming
  • Excellent voice acting and soundtrack

Things to keep in mind

  • Short game length
  • Linear level design with limited exploration
  • Simple and repetitive puzzles
  • Minimal combat and challenge
  • Some minor bugs and performance issues

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • LOST EMBER

  • Nearwood - Collector's Edition

  • After Us

  • Metamorphosis

  • Spirit of the North

  • Teslagrad 2

More survival-focused

Games that feels like The Gunk but with a stronger survival pressure

  • The Chant

  • Dark Light: Survivor

  • A Plague Tale: Innocence

  • Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition

  • ENTITY: THE BLACK DAY

  • Blades of Fire

More expressive

Games that feels like The Gunk but with more self-expression and customization

  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

  • Pumpkin Jack

  • Horizon Forbidden West™ Complete Edition

  • Hell is Us

  • Lost in Random™

  • Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed

More violent

Games that feels like The Gunk but with more combat and destruction

  • Akimbot

  • DAVY x JONES

  • Skydance's BEHEMOTH

  • Batman™: Arkham Knight

  • Rogue Trooper Redux

  • Stray Blade

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 Gunk. 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 Gunk. These titles are not in What to play next.

The Gunk: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Competition, Thrill. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Intimacy, Expression, Value.

Last update: 21/08/2026