Vagrus - The Riven Realms similar games & best alternatives

Vagrus - The Riven Realms

Mac, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Linux, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S • 2021

Should you play it?

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.

What works
  • Deep immersive lore and worldbuilding
  • Challenging and rewarding gameplay
  • Meaningful player choices and narrative
  • Complex caravan and resource management
  • Long playtime and high replayability
Things to keep in mind
  • 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

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Lords of Xulima

  • Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic

  • Darkest Dungeon®

  • Wasteland 2: Director's Cut

  • Epic Battle Fantasy 4

  • Stellar Tactics

  • LISA: The Painful

  • Darkest Dungeon® II

  • Banner of the Maid

Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Geneforge 1 - Mutagen

  • Queen's Wish: The Conqueror

  • Sandwalkers

If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Fantasy

    Sandwalkers

  • Story

    Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

  • Strategy

    Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • 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 (hidden on purpose).

Vagrus - The Riven Realms: Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Violence, Survival, Cooperation. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Cooperation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    4

    "Players have freedom to choose factions, quests, and play styles; no hand-holding or forced linearity"

    Capsule for ELEX ELEX

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

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    4

    "The game is challenging and punishing, requiring skillful timing, strategic planning, and mastery of mechanics to succeed."

    Capsule for Lost Ruins Lost Ruins

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

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -3

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

    Capsule for Darkest Dungeon® Darkest Dungeon®

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

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    4

    "Many players report long playtimes and habitual engagement; progression and exploration encourage ongoing play."

    Capsule for theHunter: Call of the Wild™ theHunter: Call of the Wild™

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

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    1

    "Mostly single player with some multiplayer planned; social interactions and relationships are key but limited cooperation."

    Capsule for My Time at Sandrock My Time at Sandrock

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

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    2

    "Players customize caravan members, animals, and trading strategies, but within predefined systems."

    Capsule for Caravan Caravan

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

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -4

    "Interactions emphasize mutual respect and narrative relationships rather than exerting control over others."

    Capsule for Heroes Rise: The Prodigy Heroes Rise: The Prodigy

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

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "The game offers deep immersion into a fantasy-mystery world, providing strong escape from reality."

    Capsule for Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs

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

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily driven by intrinsic interest and love for the game."

    Capsule for Dwarf Fortress Dwarf Fortress

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

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    3

    "Players try different combat tactics, skill builds, and exploration routes; some trial and error required."

    Capsule for Dead Age 2: The Zombie Survival RPG Dead Age 2: The Zombie Survival RPG

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

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    4

    "Large open world with many locations, quests, and secrets to discover."

    Capsule for Mount & Blade Mount & Blade

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

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    1

    "Some character and caravan customization possible, but limited visual or avatar personalization."

    Capsule for Caravan Caravan

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

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    5

    "Set in a unique post-apocalyptic fantasy world with imaginative lore, species, and narrative."

    Capsule for Sandwalkers Sandwalkers

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

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -3

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

    Capsule for Invisible, Inc. Invisible, Inc.

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

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    4

    "Players develop skills, knowledge, and character progression over time."

    Capsule for Orake Classic Orake Classic

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

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -4

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

    Capsule for Gothic II: Gold Edition Gothic II: Gold Edition

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

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

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

    Capsule for ICARUS ICARUS

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

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -4

    "Limited emotional or social connection beyond narrative; interactions are mostly brief and surface-level."

    Capsule for Observer: System Redux Observer: System Redux

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

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    3

    "Player leads caravan, managing members and resources strategically."

    Capsule for Caravan Caravan

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

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    4

    "Clear progression through earning tokens, upgrading caravan, unlocking recipes and areas."

    Capsule for Cozy Caravan Cozy Caravan

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

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    -2

    "Game is tense and challenging with sustained pressure, not designed for relaxation."

    Capsule for AI War: Fleet Command AI War: Fleet Command

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

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    2

    "Enjoyable art, music, and atmosphere provide sensory engagement, though some find it unsettling."

    Capsule for BOKURA: planet BOKURA: planet

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

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -3

    "Achievements and progress are personal; limited social recognition or visibility."

    Capsule for Bakso Simulator Bakso Simulator

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

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    5

    "Narrative immersion is a core strength with rich lore, character development, and meaningful choices."

    Capsule for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

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

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    5

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

    Capsule for Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster

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

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    3

    "Tension and risk from survival threats and potential catastrophic failures create suspense and excitement."

    Capsule for Stationeers Stationeers

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

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    4

    "Players report high value for time and money due to extensive content and deep gameplay."

    Capsule for Bombe Bombe

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

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    2

    "Combat involves tactical violence but is not gratuitous; balanced with trading and survival."

    Capsule for Caravaneer 2 Caravaneer 2

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

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    5

    "Core gameplay revolves around avoiding failure, managing resources, and surviving relentless threats."

    Capsule for Black Forest Black Forest

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

Last update: 01/06/2026