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The Old City: Leviathan similar games & best alternatives

The Old City: Leviathan

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2014

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Quick resume

The Old City: Leviathan is an experiment in first person exploration that focuses entirely on story. All that exists is you and the world. Set in a decaying city from a civilization long past, The Old City: Leviathan puts the player in the shoes of a sewer dwelling isolationist.

Global score

72/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Beautiful and immersive environments
    • Deep philosophical and existential narrative
    • Excellent voice acting and soundtrack
    • Non-linear exploration with multiple paths
    • Thought-provoking and unique experience

    Cons

    • Minimal gameplay mechanics beyond walking
    • Heavy reading requirement with dense text
    • Slow movement speed and some tedious backtracking
    • Short overall length
    • Story can be confusing or obscure for some players

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Fellowship, Expression. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Strategy, Competence.

    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 freely explore a non-linear environment with choice of paths and discovery order, no forced gameplay mechanics"

    • Competence
      -3

      "Gameplay is limited to walking and exploration with no puzzles or combat, minimal skill challenge"

    • Competition
      -5

      "No competitive elements or comparison to others, focus is on personal exploration and interpretation"

    • Continuation
      2

      "Some players report immersive experience leading to extended play sessions, others note short length and possible frustration"

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Single player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative elements"

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players engage in exploration and piecing together story from environmental clues, but no creation or modification"

    • Domination
      -5

      "No social dominance or power dynamics, solitary experience"

    • Escapism
      4

      "Strong immersion in a surreal, post-apocalyptic world offering mental escape and philosophical reflection"

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily driven by curiosity and interest in story and atmosphere"

    • Experimenting
      2

      "Exploration of multiple paths and discovery of hidden notes encourages some experimentation"

    • Exploration
      5

      "Core gameplay is about discovering new areas, secrets, and piecing together story from environment"

    • Expression
      -4

      "No character customization or player expression, fixed narrative and environment"

    • Fantasy
      3

      "Game blends post-apocalyptic realism with surreal, mythological and dreamlike elements"

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "Solo experience with minimal social interaction or community feeling"

    • Growth
      3

      "Players develop understanding of complex philosophical narrative and world through exploration and reading"

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity"

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention to read and explore, not suitable for casual or background play"

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No social or emotional relationships formed, solitary mental experience"

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management elements"

    • Progression
      2

      "Progression through story and discovery of notes, but no item or skill accumulation"

    • Relaxation
      3

      "Atmospheric and immersive experience provides contemplative relaxation despite some unsettling themes"

    • Sensation
      3

      "Visuals, sound design and music create strong sensory and emotional impact"

    • Status
      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems"

    • Story
      5

      "Strong narrative focus with philosophical, mythological and existential themes deeply embedded"

    • Strategy
      -4

      "No strategic or problem-solving gameplay, focus on exploration and interpretation"

    • Thrill
      1

      "Some moments of tension and unease from atmosphere and narrative, but no traditional thrills or scares"

    • Value
      3

      "Good value for price given unique experience and immersive atmosphere, though short length noted"

    • Violence
      -4

      "No combat or destruction, focus on exploration and narrative"

    • Survival
      -5

      "No survival mechanics or threats, stable environment"

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026