Ys IX: Monstrum Nox similar games & best alternatives
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
2021
Related articles
Quick resume
While imprisoned in Balduq, Adol is cursed and becomes a Monstrum. With his newfound powers, he must stop the Grimwald Nox from consuming the city.
Global score
94/100
Genres
Action, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Similar games
Pros
- Fast-paced and satisfying combat
- Engaging story and characters
- Innovative traversal mechanics with monstrum gifts
- Large, explorable prison city and dungeons
- Excellent soundtrack
Cons
- Some players find setting and graphics bland or dated
- Story pacing slow in early chapters
- Some repetitive side quests and grind
- Flash guard timing can be difficult
- Limited post-game content
Analysis
A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Violence, Relaxation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Leadership.
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 have freedom to explore the city and dungeons using various Monstrum gifts that enable climbing, gliding, and teleporting, allowing personal control over traversal and combat choices."
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Competence3
"Combat is fast-paced and skill-based with flash guard and flash move mechanics, boss fights require learning patterns, and difficulty options allow for challenge."
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Competition-3
"Focus is on personal progression and exploration; multiplayer co-op exists but no emphasis on ranked or leaderboard competition."
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Continuation4
"Players report long playtimes, engagement with story and characters, and desire to complete side quests and collectibles, indicating habitual and extended play."
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Cooperation2
"Party-based gameplay with switching between characters and local co-op mode supports some cooperative play, but main experience is single-player focused."
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Creativity3
"Players creatively use Monstrum gifts for exploration and combat, and engage in character customization and upgrading, though within structured game systems."
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Domination-4
"Interactions emphasize equal party members and shared goals; no evidence of power assertion or dominance over others."
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Escapism4
"Players use the game as a stress relief and immersive fantasy experience, escaping real life through engaging story, exploration, and combat."
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Expectation-4
"Players engage out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment; no indications of obligation or external pressure to play."
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Experimenting3
"Players try new traversal mechanics and combat abilities, exploring verticality and new gameplay elements introduced by Monstrum gifts."
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Exploration4
"Strong emphasis on discovering new areas, secrets, collectibles, and exploring the large prison city and dungeons with vertical movement."
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Expression3
"Character customization, costumes, and upgrading gear allow for player expression, though within predefined options."
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Fantasy4
"Game features supernatural powers, mythical creatures, and a fictional narrative world blending French history and occultism."
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Fellowship2
"Players feel part of a community through party interactions and co-op mode, though main gameplay is largely solo."
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Growth3
"Players develop skills, unlock abilities, and progress through story and side quests, showing learning and personal development."
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Health-4
"Game involves sedentary play with no physical activity or health-related features."
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Idle-3
"Requires focused attention during combat and exploration; not designed for background or casual idle play."
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Intimacy1
"Some emotional connection to characters and story, but limited evidence of forming close social relationships."
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Leadership-2
"Players control their own party and make decisions, but no strong emphasis on leading others or managing groups."
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Progression4
"Strong focus on accumulating items, upgrades, skills, and completing quests to advance the story and character power."
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Relaxation3
"Game balances challenge and flow with enjoyable combat and exploration, providing catharsis and tension release."
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Sensation3
"Engaging visual and auditory stimuli with fast combat animations and a highly praised soundtrack."
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Status-3
"Achievements and progression are mostly personal; limited social recognition or visibility emphasized."
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Story3
"Narrative immersion with character development, overarching plot, and mystery that engages players."
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Strategy2
"Combat and exploration require some planning and tactical thinking, though gameplay is mostly action-oriented."
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Thrill3
"Boss fights and combat provide suspense and excitement, with risk and reward in timing flash moves and dodges."
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Value4
"Players report high satisfaction and perceive good return on time invested due to engaging gameplay and story."
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Violence4
"Combat involves defeating monsters and bosses with flashy attacks and destruction."
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Survival2
"Players manage health and resources to avoid failure in combat and progress through threats."
Last update: 29/04/2026