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Vagrus - The Riven Realms similar games & best alternatives

Vagrus - The Riven Realms

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2021

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Quick resume

Embark on a perilous journey across a realm forsaken by the gods and devastated by an arcane cataclysm. Accompanied by a hardy crew, you must trade, fight, and explore your way to success as the leader of a traveling company in Vagrus, an award-winning turn-based post-apocalyptic fantasy RPG.

Global score

85/100

Genres

Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep immersive lore and worldbuilding
    • Challenging and rewarding gameplay
    • Meaningful player choices and narrative
    • Complex caravan and resource management
    • Long playtime and high replayability

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve and punishing difficulty
    • Clunky ui and some technical rough edges
    • Combat can be repetitive and unbalanced
    • Heavy reading requirement may deter some players
    • Limited social or multiplayer features

    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 Cooperation, Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation.

    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 freedom to choose trade routes, companions, and play styles; game does not hold hand but some quests are mandatory for progression"

    • Competence
      4

      "Game is challenging with complex mechanics requiring skillful management and strategic planning; punishing but fair difficulty"

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal progression and survival rather than direct competition or leaderboards"

    • Continuation
      4

      "Many players report long playtimes and deep engagement with the world and mechanics, leading to habitual play"

    • Cooperation
      1

      "Some cooperation with companions and factions, but mostly single player focused with limited multiplayer or team play"

    • Creativity
      2

      "Players can customize caravan composition and companions, but within predefined systems and limited world modification"

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions emphasize mutual respect and narrative choices rather than exerting control or superiority over others"

    • Escapism
      4

      "Game offers deep immersion in a harsh fantasy world, providing escape through story and exploration"

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily driven by intrinsic interest and love of the setting and mechanics"

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players encouraged to try different strategies, routes, and companion builds; some trial and error involved"

    • Exploration
      4

      "Strong emphasis on discovering new locations, lore, and quests in a large open world"

    • Expression
      1

      "Some character and caravan customization but limited cosmetic or self-expression options"

    • Fantasy
      5

      "Set in a dark post-apocalyptic fantasy world with rich lore and imaginative setting"

    • Fellowship
      -3

      "Primarily a single player experience with limited social or community interaction"

    • Growth
      4

      "Players develop skills, companions, and caravan over time with meaningful progression"

    • Health
      -4

      "Requires long sedentary play sessions with intense focus; no physical activity elements"

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires constant attention and planning; not suited for casual or background play"

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Limited emotional or close social connections; interactions mostly narrative and transactional"

    • Leadership
      3

      "Players lead and manage caravan and companions, making strategic decisions and guiding progress"

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong focus on accumulating resources, upgrading caravan, and unlocking story content"

    • Relaxation
      -2

      "Game is tense and challenging with sustained pressure; not primarily designed for relaxation"

    • Sensation
      2

      "Enjoyable art and music provide sensory engagement, but overall experience is subdued and atmospheric"

    • Status
      -3

      "Achievements and progress are personal; little social recognition or visibility"

    • Story
      5

      "Narrative immersion is a core element with rich lore, character stories, and meaningful choices"

    • Strategy
      5

      "High mental challenge requiring planning, resource management, and tactical combat decisions"

    • Thrill
      3

      "Tension from risk of failure and survival challenges creates suspense and excitement"

    • Value
      4

      "Players report high value from deep content and long playtime relative to cost"

    • Violence
      2

      "Combat is present and sometimes brutal but balanced with trade and story elements"

    • Survival
      5

      "Core gameplay revolves around managing resources and avoiding failure in a harsh environment"

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026