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The one who pulls out the sword will be crowned king similar games & best alternatives

The one who pulls out the sword will be crowned king

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Linux • 2022

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Quick resume

Are you The Rightful King™ or just a filthy peasant? The sword is waiting for you to lift it, but it gets longer and heavier each time some else succeeds...

Global score

91/100

Genres

Adventure, Casual, Indie, Free To Play, Role-playing (RPG)

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique and challenging gameplay
    • Engaging competitive online mode
    • Humorous and dark narrative
    • Free to play
    • Dynamic music enhancing experience

    Cons

    • Physically demanding causing hand and arm pain
    • High frustration and rage potential
    • Short king reigns due to quick dethroning
    • No cooperative or creative elements
    • Some players suspect crypto mining (debunked)

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Creativity, Exploration, Expression, Story. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Domination, Leadership, 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 full control over mouse movements and timing to pull the sword, requiring personal skill and decision making."

    • Competence
      5

      "The game is a demanding test of skill and endurance, requiring precise and sustained mouse control with increasing difficulty."

    • Competition
      5

      "Strong competitive element with online mode where players race to pull the sword first and dethrone others."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Players engage in long sessions with repeated attempts and persistence to become king despite frustration."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Gameplay is entirely individual with no cooperative or team-based elements."

    • Creativity
      -4

      "Gameplay follows a fixed mechanic of pulling the sword; no creation or customization involved."

    • Domination
      4

      "Players exert dominance by dethroning others and taking control as king, though interactions are limited."

    • Escapism
      3

      "Players use the game as a challenging distraction and stress relief, escaping real life through focused effort."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of curiosity and personal desire, not obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players try different mouse sensitivities and strategies to optimize pulling the sword."

    • Exploration
      -3

      "The game environment is static with no exploration; focus is on a single task."

    • Expression
      -5

      "No character or environment customization; presentation is standardized."

    • Fantasy
      3

      "The game features a fictional medieval fantasy theme with kings, swords, and ceremonies."

    • Fellowship
      -4

      "Minimal social interaction; players mostly compete individually without forming communities."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players develop skill and endurance over time to improve performance."

    • Health
      -4

      "Extended play causes physical strain and discomfort, with reports of hand cramps and pain."

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires constant focused attention and sustained effort; not suitable for casual or background play."

    • Intimacy
      -5

      "No close relationships or emotional social interactions described."

    • Leadership
      3

      "Players temporarily lead as king, symbolically commanding the kingdom before being dethroned."

    • Progression
      4

      "Progression is marked by pulling the sword further and achieving king status; difficulty increases with more players."

    • Relaxation
      -3

      "Gameplay is tense and frustrating, causing stress rather than relaxation."

    • Sensation
      2

      "Enjoyment comes from the tension and emotional rollercoaster rather than sensory stimulation."

    • Status
      5

      "High value placed on social recognition as king and leaderboard positions."

    • Story
      3

      "The game includes a humorous and dark narrative with cutscenes and lore elements."

    • Strategy
      2

      "Some strategic choices in mouse sensitivity and grip technique, but mostly a test of endurance."

    • Thrill
      4

      "Strong thrill from suspense, risk of failure, and relief upon success."

    • Value
      5

      "Free to play with high perceived value from unique experience and social status."

    • Violence
      3

      "Includes thematic violence such as executions and beheadings as part of the story."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players must avoid failure by maintaining grip and control to survive the challenge."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026