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The Last of Us™ Part I similar games & best alternatives

The Last of Us™ Part I

PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5 • 2023

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Quick resume

Discover the award-winning game that inspired the critically acclaimed television show. Guide Joel and Ellie through a post-apocalyptic America, and encounter unforgettable allies and enemies in The Last of Us™.

Global score

84/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Shooter

Similar games

    Pros

    • Masterful storytelling and emotional depth
    • Immersive and detailed environments
    • Engaging stealth and combat mechanics
    • High-quality graphics and audio
    • Meaningful character development

    Cons

    • Technical issues and poor pc optimization at launch
    • Long shader compilation times
    • Linear gameplay with limited exploration
    • Some repetitive combat scenarios
    • High hardware requirements

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Expression, Fellowship, Cooperation, Competition. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Intimacy, Violence, Survival.

    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
      2

      "Players have some control over combat style (stealth vs action), exploration, and difficulty customization, but the game is largely linear and story-driven."

    • Competence
      3

      "Gameplay involves skillful stealth, resource management, and combat mechanics that provide challenge and feedback, especially on higher difficulties."

    • Competition
      -5

      "Single-player story experience with no competitive or ranked modes."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report long play sessions, replaying the game multiple times, and engaging with collectibles and achievements."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Entirely single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."

    • Creativity
      1

      "Limited creativity in gameplay; some weapon upgrades and crafting, but mostly predefined story and level design."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control over others; single-player narrative focus."

    • Escapism
      5

      "Strong immersion in a post-apocalyptic fictional world providing emotional escape and distraction from real life."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and emotional investment in story and characters."

    • Experimenting
      1

      "Some experimentation with combat tactics and stealth approaches, but mostly linear gameplay."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Players explore detailed environments and collect hidden items, though the world is mostly linear."

    • Expression
      -3

      "Minimal character customization; mostly standardized presentation and narrative-driven character portrayal."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Set in a fictional post-apocalyptic world with infected creatures and dramatic storytelling."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "Single-player experience with minimal social interaction or community involvement."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players develop skills in stealth, combat, and resource management; character progression through upgrades."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay typical of single-player PC games; no physical activity involved."

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement; not suited for background or idle play."

    • Intimacy
      3

      "Emotional connection to characters and story creates a sense of intimacy despite lack of social interaction."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership roles; single-player narrative experience."

    • Progression
      3

      "Players collect items, upgrade weapons, and improve skills as they progress through the story."

    • Relaxation
      1

      "Some players find emotional catharsis and flow, but gameplay can also be tense and challenging."

    • Sensation
      4

      "High-quality graphics, audio, and immersive environments provide strong sensory stimulation."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social status or recognition mechanisms; single-player focus."

    • Story
      5

      "Highly praised narrative immersion with emotional storytelling and character development."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Requires tactical thinking in combat, stealth, and resource management."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Tense combat and stealth sequences provide suspense and excitement."

    • Value
      2

      "Players appreciate the emotional and narrative value despite some technical issues and relatively short length."

    • Violence
      4

      "Combat involves shooting, melee, and stealth kills with graphic violence against infected and humans."

    • Survival
      4

      "Strong survival elements including resource scarcity, avoiding threats, and strategic combat."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026