Trials of Fire similar games & best alternatives
Trials of Fire
2021
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Quick resume
A Tactical, Deck-Building Roguelite. Choose 3 Heroes and adventure into a post-Cataclysmic wasteland. Engage enemies in a unique meld of card-play and tactical, positional combat. Level up and scavenge what you can to customise your decks and build a party to take on any challenge!
Global score
86/100
Genres
Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Card & Board Game
Similar games
Pros
- Deep and challenging tactical combat
- Unique deckbuilding tied to equipment
- High replayability with multiple campaigns and unlocks
- Well-balanced difficulty progression
- Immersive fantasy setting and lore
Cons
- Limited content variety and map exploration
- Some ui clunkiness and presentation roughness
- Lack of multiplayer or social features
- Steep learning curve for new players
- Graphics and audio are functional but not flashy
Analysis
A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Leadership, Survival, Violence, Strategy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Fantasy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Domination, Intimacy.
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
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Autonomy4
"Players freely choose party composition, equipment, and path on the overworld map, with many strategic decisions and customization options."
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Competence4
"The game offers challenging tactical combat requiring skillful positioning, resource management, and deckbuilding mastery."
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Competition-3
"Focus is primarily on solo play and personal progression; leaderboards and daily challenges exist but are not central."
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Continuation4
"High replay value with multiple campaigns, unlockables, and difficulty levels encouraging habitual play."
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Cooperation-4
"Gameplay is single-player focused with no multiplayer or cooperative modes."
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Creativity4
"Players create unique decks via equipment and class cards, and customize party builds and strategies."
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Domination-5
"Interactions are balanced and respectful; no evidence of dominance or power imposition over others."
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Escapism4
"Provides immersive fantasy tactical RPG experience that offers escape from real life through engaging gameplay."
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Expectation-4
"Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment rather than obligation or pressure."
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Experimenting4
"Encourages trying new party combinations, equipment, and deck strategies to adapt to challenges."
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Exploration3
"Overworld map exploration with points of interest and side quests encourages discovery within a limited area."
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Expression3
"Players can customize party composition and equipment; also can upload custom portraits for characters."
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Fantasy5
"Set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world with mythical creatures and RPG elements."
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Fellowship-4
"Primarily a solo experience with minimal social or community interaction."
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Growth4
"Strong emphasis on learning tactical combat, deckbuilding, and character progression."
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Health-4
"Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."
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Idle-3
"Requires focused attention during tactical combat and decision making; not a casual idle game."
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Intimacy-5
"No evidence of close social relationships or emotional sharing; solo play focus."
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Leadership3
"Players lead a party of three characters, making strategic decisions and managing resources."
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Progression4
"Strong progression through unlocking cards, equipment, characters, and difficulty levels."
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Relaxation1
"Offers moments of flow but overall challenging and tense tactical gameplay."
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Sensation2
"Visual and audio effects are functional and effective but not highly stimulating or flashy."
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Status-3
"Limited social recognition; achievements and leaderboards exist but are not prominent motivators."
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Story2
"Contains lore and narrative elements that add flavor but story is not deeply immersive or central."
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Strategy5
"Requires careful planning, tactical positioning, resource management, and deckbuilding strategy."
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Thrill3
"Tense tactical battles and risk-reward exploration create suspense and excitement."
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Value4
"Players report good value for price with many hours of engaging gameplay and replayability."
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Violence3
"Combat involves attacks and damage in a fantasy tactical setting; violence is stylized and strategic."
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Survival4
"Players must manage resources, stamina, and positioning to survive challenging encounters."
Last update: 29/04/2026