Games Like The Eternal Cylinder

Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.

Why similar: Open World 25.2%, Exploration 23.6%, Story Rich 19.2%, Atmospheric 12.7%, Puzzle 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: Like The Eternal Cylinder, this game emphasizes discovery and survival within a mysterious, ever-changing alien solar system.

A strange signal... an alien craft... an interplanetary, gravity-defying journey through space and time.

Why similar: Exploration 33.2%, Atmospheric 30%, Story Rich 25.1%, Adventure 11.7%

Why You'll Like It: This game captures the feeling of traversing surreal, alien landscapes through unique movement mechanics and atmospheric visuals.

Embark on an unique and unforgettable journey and guide Sable through her Gliding; a rite of passage that will take her across vast deserts and mesmerizing landscapes, capped by the remains of spaceships and ancient wonders.

Why similar: Open World 22%, Puzzle Platformer 19.5%, Story Rich 12.8%, Exploration 12.2%, Atmospheric 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a vast, stylized open world focused on exploration and discovery, mirroring the sense of wonder found in alien environments.

A single-player journey of discovery through an ancient world of wonders, created by solo developer Jonas Manke.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 19.9%, Third Person 11.2%, Exploration 10.3%, Story Rich 9.7%, Platformer 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: A beautiful, atmospheric journey that focuses on exploration, puzzle-solving, and interacting with strange creatures.

A land of discovery stretches out before you. Explore the beautiful, rugged world of RiME. Armed with your wits and a will to overcome—and the guidance of a helpful fox—you must explore the enigmatic island, reach the tower's peak, and unlock its closely guarded secrets.

Why similar: Exploration 19%, Atmospheric 14.8%, Open World 13.6%, Puzzle 13.4%, Colorful 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: This title shares a strong emphasis on atmospheric storytelling, puzzle-platforming, and exploring a mysterious, beautiful world.

Rediscover gravity and explore an Escher-esque world of impossible architecture. Witness infinity in first-person and master its rules to solve physics-defying puzzles. Cultivate a garden to open new paths forward, where an eternal expanse awaits.

Why similar: Surreal 34.6%, Puzzle Platformer 22.6%, Exploration 12%, Puzzle 10.1%, Atmospheric 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: Its surreal, mind-bending architecture and focus on spatial puzzles provide a similar sense of otherworldly exploration.

Explore the corners of a surrealistic post-human world to give life on Earth a second chance in this touching story about sacrifice and hope.

Why similar: Surreal 22.2%, Platformer 17.7%, Exploration 15.6%, Third Person 12.8%, Puzzle 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal platformer that tasks you with exploring a ruined world, focusing on environmental storytelling and traversal.

Run, climb and glide your way through a dark Nordic forest and explore its living, breathing ecosystem filled with secrets and mystical creatures. Become Fe and discover a world that you will never want to leave.

Why similar: Puzzle 25.7%, Atmospheric 23.4%, Action 20.8%, Adventure 9.7%, Exploration 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: Players explore a dark, interconnected forest, interacting with creatures and learning their languages to progress, much like the mutation system in The Eternal Cylinder.

Catch mysterious living snacks and feed them to your friends in this unusual island adventure!

Why similar: Narration 18.7%, Story Rich 16%, Exploration 13.2%, Cute 12.7%, Colorful 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: Combines creature collection with a surreal, narrative-driven mystery set on a strange island.

PLANET ALPHA, a beautiful alien world filled with mystery and danger. Pursued by relentless enemies, you must harness the power of night and day as you struggle to survive.

Why similar: Aliens 18%, Puzzle Platformer 14.5%, Open World 12.1%, Survival 12.1%, Platformer 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: Features a stunning, vibrant alien world filled with platforming challenges and stealth-based survival elements.

A Tropical Open-World adventure. Climb, glide, swim, and sail your boat around a beautiful archipelago in this physics-driven sandbox. Take control of any animal or object you can find, and Jam on your fully playable Ukulele.

Why similar: Open World 22%, Puzzle Platformer 16.3%, Third Person 11.5%, Exploration 10.7%, Colorful 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: Offers a vast, physics-based open world where you can inhabit creatures to explore, echoing the mutation-based gameplay of the seed.

Experience the freedom of unbounded climbing as you take control of BUD, a procedurally animated robot on a quest to save his planet. Create your own path through an alien world as you control and ride a giant plant on a vertical journey to the stars.

Why similar: Open World 40.3%, Exploration 17.7%, Cute 11.3%, Third Person 9.2%, Adventure 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on vertical exploration and unique traversal mechanics in a colorful, alien-inspired environment.

Catch hundreds of tinykin and use their unique powers to bring Milo back to his home planet and back to normal size!

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 16.3%, Family Friendly 13.4%, Third Person 10.2%, Action-Adventure 9.2%, Cute 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: Features a small-scale perspective and creature-based mechanics that make exploring a household feel like a grand, alien adventure.

Let your empathy guide you as you play an exciting action-adventure, creature-saver game. Understand and tame the creatures of Ava and let them lead you through a variety of ecosystems – all in the hopes of saving the planet from a life-consuming infection.

Why similar: Exploration 18.7%, Action-Adventure 18.7%, Story Rich 13.8%, Cute 11.9%, Colorful 11.9%

Why You'll Like It: A creature-focused adventure that emphasizes exploration and understanding the ecology of a strange planet.

Explore the remains of a fallen world from fascinating perspectives! Slip into the role of different animals to uncover the fate of an ancient world. Dive into deep waters, fly at lofty heights, dig underground as a mole or even climb steep cliffs with a mountain goat, there are lots of ways of getting around.

Why similar: Family Friendly 17.7%, Third Person 15.7%, Story Rich 15.4%, Exploration 15.1%, Atmospheric 12.8%

Why You'll Like It: Allows you to inhabit various animals to explore a beautiful, ruined world, focusing on narrative and atmosphere.

From the creators of ABZÛ, The Pathless is the mythic adventure of an archer and an eagle in a vast forest. Become the Hunter, a master of archery who travels to a mystical island to dispel a curse of darkness that grips the world.

Why similar: Open World 19.5%, Family Friendly 16%, Story Rich 13.1%, Exploration 12.7%, Atmospheric 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: Features fluid movement and exploration across a vast, mystical landscape filled with ancient secrets.

Transform the world of Hob! A new action-adventure from Runic Games, the award-winning studio behind Torchlight I and II. It's your chance. Make it home.

Why similar: Open World 20.3%, Puzzle Platformer 19%, Platformer 12.1%, Exploration 11.8%, Puzzle 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: A wordless adventure that focuses on environmental puzzles and transforming the world around you to unlock new areas.

Slime Rancher is the tale of Beatrix LeBeau, a plucky, young rancher who sets out for a life a thousand light years away from Earth on the ‘Far, Far Range’ where she tries her hand at making a living wrangling slimes.

Why similar: Open World 28.9%, Cute 20.6%, Exploration 18%, Colorful 11.9%, Family Friendly 10%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on interacting with and managing alien creatures in a vibrant, explorable environment.

A story-driven, action adventure combining exploration with fast-paced combat. Untangle the past as Kena, a young Spirit Guide in search of the sacred Mountain Shrine. Help free the spirits trapped in a forgotten village with the help of the Rot, her adorable (yet powerful) spirit companions.

Why similar: Action-Adventure 21.2%, Exploration 18.3%, Third Person 18%, Atmospheric 12.5%, Story Rich 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: Combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and creature-based mechanics within a beautifully realized, atmospheric world.

A story rich narrative puzzle game in which an artist comes to terms with their grief. Explore an infinitely recursive world of strange fractal beauty and solve mind-bending puzzles. Confront the ineffable and chat with your cat in a search for meaning and hope.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 24.4%, Surreal 22.8%, Exploration 11.8%, Story Rich 8.6%, Action-Adventure 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal puzzle-platformer that explores themes of change and perspective within a shifting, abstract world.

Togges is a charming and colourful 3D Puzzle-Platformer. Go on adventures, stack adorable living blocks and solve puzzles around the Cosmos to save the Galaxy from the threats of the Void.

Why similar: Open World 19.8%, Family Friendly 13.4%, Exploration 10.2%, Cute 9.1%, Colorful 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: A colorful, open-world puzzle-platformer that encourages creative traversal and exploration of strange environments.

A 3D-2D adventure where you travel a 3D world and explore 2D dungeons inside of its characters' bodies and minds! In an unforgettable, surreal story, travel the world, meet whimsical denizens, and save the world from the dangerous Nano Dust.

Why similar: Surreal 30.8%, Story Rich 13.1%, Exploration 12%, Third Person 11.1%, Atmospheric 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, dreamlike adventure that shifts between 2D and 3D perspectives to explore a bizarre world.

From the creators of What Remains of Edith Finch. Enter the surreal world of The Unfinished Swan and explore a mysterious, hidden kingdom by splatting paint to reveal the world around you.

Why similar: Surreal 31.3%, Puzzle Platformer 26.6%, Exploration 15%, Puzzle 10%, Story Rich 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: Uses a unique mechanic to reveal a surreal, minimalist world, focusing on discovery and atmosphere.

Transform into a bird and fly to explore and experience a vibrant world of floating islands in the sky. Venture down into lost ancient ruins where each step leads you closer to the end of the world.

Why similar: Open World 28%, Exploration 19.2%, Atmospheric 11.4%, Third Person 9.7%, Narration 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: Centers on the freedom of flight and exploration across a fragmented, surreal world of floating islands.

Perception is reality. In this mind-bending first-person puzzler, you escape a surreal dream world through solving impossible puzzles using the ambiguity of depth and perspective.

Why similar: Surreal 26.5%, Narration 26.2%, Puzzle Platformer 13.4%, Puzzle 8.8%, Story Rich 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, perspective-based puzzle game that challenges your perception of reality in a way similar to the bizarre world of the seed.

An adorable and relaxing open world puzzle adventure for monsters who love to learn about humans!

Why similar: Open World 21.7%, Surreal 20.8%, Family Friendly 15.9%, Exploration 11%, Cute 9%

Why You'll Like It: An open-world puzzle game that encourages exploration and experimentation in a charming, family-friendly setting.

Explore the vast and beautiful world of Valley using the power of the L.E.A.F. suit: a fierce exoskeleton that grants exceptional speed and agility along with the phenomenal ability to manipulate the life and death of all living things.

Why similar: Open World 31.2%, Exploration 21.1%, Atmospheric 13%, Adventure 10.8%, Story Rich 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: Uses a unique movement suit to traverse a mysterious, hidden valley, emphasizing speed and environmental interaction.

A musical platforming adventure with an emotional story. Play as a silly bard and use music to interact with everything on a journey around the world. Along the way you'll explore, solve puzzles, and meet a huge cast of characters!

Why similar: Story Rich 23.1%, Family Friendly 16.4%, Cute 16.1%, Colorful 15.6%, Platformer 12.2%

Why You'll Like It: A whimsical, narrative-driven adventure that uses music and interaction to navigate its colorful world.

NaissanceE is an obscure and magical first person exploration game, a philosophical trip and an artistic experience. The adventure takes place in a primitive mysterious structure and the game mainly consists to explore and feel the deep and strong ambiance of this atemporal world.

Why similar: Surreal 31.4%, Exploration 21.9%, Atmospheric 14.2%, Puzzle Platformer 13.2%, Platformer 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: An abstract, surreal exploration game that focuses on scale and architecture in a mysterious, dark environment.

Scarf is an atmospheric and emotional journey about what it means to be a hero. An adventure game mixing puzzles and 3D platforms. Explore beautifully crafted worlds and discover your true destiny with the help of a dragon-shaped scarf.

Why similar: Open World 15.2%, Family Friendly 11.5%, Third Person 9.8%, Exploration 8.8%, Story Rich 8.8%

Proteus is a game about exploration and immersion in a dream-like island world where the soundtrack to your play is created by your surroundings. Played in first-person, the primary means of interaction is simply your presence in the world and how you observe it.

Why similar: Exploration 49.1%, Surreal 15.1%, Open World 13.1%, Atmospheric 10.7%, Adventure 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: An experimental exploration game where the environment reacts to your presence, creating a deeply atmospheric experience.

Go on an adventure in a world packed with secrets helped by your friend, a poulp with many abilities. Explore, solve puzzles, wander across dungeons, blast through races and much more in this cute game inspired by the best 3D platformers

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 17.9%, Family Friendly 13.8%, Platformer 10.4%, Exploration 10.3%, Cute 9.5%

A cinematic gaming experience. Play as an animal in the spiritual realm. Explore a magical world. Collect Essence and find Artifacts. Journey across seven majestic landscapes and witness the emotional story of a family as they tackle the challenges ahead of them.

Why similar: Open World 18.3%, Surreal 16.9%, Narration 13.7%, Exploration 10%, Cute 8.3%

In this story-based adventure, play as a tiny sugar glider in your very own nature documentary. Glide among the trees, fight dangerous predators, and explore beautiful environments as you embark on a high-flying journey to save your family.

Why similar: Narration 20.5%, Open World 13.8%, Family Friendly 9.9%, Third Person 9%, Exploration 8.1%

Dive into a magical woven world on the back of your own carpet dragon! Explore the textile landscape, solve puzzles, challenge quirky creatures and unravel the great mysteries of a long forgotten past in Weaving Tides!

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 17.9%, Narration 16%, Family Friendly 11.6%, Story Rich 8.9%, Exploration 8.5%

An atmospheric narrative-platformer about a service robot stranded on a mysterious planet, Planet of the Eyes features a stunning visual mix of puzzle and platforming challenges, an original musical score, and fully voiced audio logs left by another survivor. Explore the mystery of an unknown world.

Why similar: Narration 23.9%, Puzzle Platformer 19.9%, Platformer 14.1%, Puzzle 10%, Atmospheric 7.3%

Explore a woollen world where stuffed animals once lived in peace. Search for hidden secrets and customize your character with different animal shapes to solve puzzles. An epic adventure with two very unlikely heroes and a story narrated in rhyme.

Why similar: Narration 30%, Story Rich 16.6%, Family Friendly 15.6%, Atmospheric 9.3%, Adventure 8.1%

Embark on a surrealistic afterlife journey to discover the secrets of the broken and mysterious Plane of Memory in this cinematic adventure with a hint of stealth. Dive into a wonderful voxel world with an intense atmosphere and save the day!

Why similar: Narration 25.7%, Family Friendly 12.8%, Exploration 10.1%, Story Rich 9.9%, Platformer 9.7%

Use and upgrade magic items, collect hidden treasures, and uncover the secrets between two worlds in this cute isometric puzzler! When a certain vacationing Elephant stumbles upon a way into the land of the dead, will she unwittingly let something far more sinister slip through?

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 20.5%, Open World 16.3%, Platformer 9.7%, Action-Adventure 9.2%, Exploration 8.2%

Explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth, and unravel its many secrets. Collect items to manipulate your environment in surprising and meaningful ways. Encounter beautiful and unsettling creatures, as you attempt to survive what lurks in the dark. There is more than what you see.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 25.5%, Surreal 19.2%, Exploration 14.5%, Platformer 10.5%, Puzzle 8.7%

Explore, leap and shoot to save your family from the insect invasion! Leap with the agility of a tamarin as you journey into the Northern wilderness, in a world full of exploration, 3D-platforming and bug-splattering action!

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 18.5%, Action-Adventure 10.5%, Platformer 10.4%, Exploration 10.2%, Open World 10%

Explore a unique and connected world. Understand its fragile balance, uncover its deepest questions, and find more than just the answers.

Why similar: Open World 20.4%, Surreal 20%, Exploration 12.8%, Colorful 12.3%, Puzzle 11.6%

From a world in ruins to a world in bloom. This serene management game lets you explore an alien planet where things have gone amiss. Harness the power of plants to restore the environment and build a flourishing community with your crewmates.

Why similar: Aliens 22.7%, Family Friendly 18.8%, Story Rich 13.6%, Exploration 13.3%, Cute 9.6%

Step into a radiant dimension where souls reboot as data. Recover your reincarnation machine from alien terrorists and explore glowing temples of memory, logic, and light. A surreal odyssey through death, rebirth, and the beauty of being lost.

Why similar: Narration 25.8%, Surreal 24.3%, Exploration 12%, Action-Adventure 10.5%, Story Rich 9.8%

The Gunk is an action-adventure game in which you play as Rani, part of our duo of gritty space haulers. As they’re struggling to bring in funds, they chance upon an untouched planet brimming with life. They came in search of valuable resources, and it looks like they’ve hit the jackpot…

Why similar: Family Friendly 20.2%, Third Person 16.1%, Action-Adventure 15.2%, Exploration 13.4%, Atmospheric 12.4%

A new sci-fi adventure from Cyan, the creators of Myst. Abducted far across the universe, you find yourself on a broken alien landscape with odd pieces of Earth. Explore, uncover, solve, and find a way to make it home.

Why similar: Surreal 28.8%, Exploration 18.5%, Puzzle 13.8%, Open World 12.4%, Adventure 10.4%

Explore a strange planet, collect the creatures you find, and then shape-shift into them to expand your world. Build your own path, chat with the locals, and discover the planets sprawling secrets in this quirky metroidvania platformer.

Why similar: Open World 22.4%, Platformer 16.8%, Exploration 15.1%, Cute 11.5%, Colorful 8.9%

An action adventure about a ghost’s journey through the afterlife. Possess enemies and the environment and fend off hostile spirits in pursuit of starry fragments from a past life.

Why similar: Surreal 19.7%, Puzzle Platformer 17.9%, Third Person 9.4%, Exploration 9.2%, Story Rich 8.2%

The Beggar’s Ride is a unique and innovative Platform Puzzle Adventure Game where the player can manipulate the environment to solve puzzles in a deep and intriguing story of discovery.

Why similar: Narration 26.1%, Platformer 14.2%, Puzzle Platformer 12.3%, Cute 10.2%, Story Rich 9.8%

The Sojourn is a first-person puzzle game set in an immersive colour-drenched world of light and darkness. Think your way through dozens of puzzles as you traverse parallel worlds, awaken mysterious artifacts and overcome challenging obstacles on an unforgettable journey.

Why similar: Surreal 23.8%, Puzzle Platformer 17.3%, Family Friendly 12.5%, Atmospheric 9.5%, Colorful 8.2%

An open-world action adventure game set in a simulated world in which humans never reached the top of the food chain.

Why similar: Open World 25.4%, Third Person 14.7%, Action-Adventure 12.3%, Story Rich 11.5%, Colorful 8%

Explore a surreal world with a drunken alpaca! Solve puzzles, fish out the most unusual items from rivers, fight watermelon thugs, and uncover all the secrets of this world!

Why similar: Surreal 29.8%, Action-Adventure 11.9%, Exploration 11.6%, Cute 11.1%, Story Rich 10.4%

Meet Lumote, the squishiest bioluminescent creature, in this beautiful 3D puzzle platformer. Take control of the world’s inhabitants on a quest into the Great Depths to seize control from the Mastermote.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 24.2%, Family Friendly 12.1%, Third Person 11.5%, Platformer 10.5%, Cute 9.4%

Hyper Team Recon is an adorable 3D platformer about three aliens and their adventure across Earth! Join Ember, Penny and Lite, three shapeshifting slimes, as they morph into friends and foes alike to copy their forms and gain new abilities! Explore, discover new life forms, and fill your scrapbook!

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 26.8%, Platformer 12.8%, Action-Adventure 12.5%, Aliens 11.7%, Cute 10.9%

Boat, climb, interact and explore in the beautiful ruins of a sunken world.

Why similar: Open World 25.9%, Family Friendly 19.2%, Exploration 16.6%, Atmospheric 10.9%, Colorful 10.2%

Go on a voyage of discovery following the traces of a mysterious culture. Discover diverse landscapes, investigate abandoned artifacts, and wake strange machines from their slumber.

Why similar: Open World 23.5%, Exploration 16.6%, Story Rich 13.6%, Puzzle 13%, Atmospheric 12.2%

Be a stone Golem and try to save Nature with the help of an adorable Fox! Reconnect ancient sources of energy in environmental puzzles. Discover secrets from a lost civilization and save animals on an emotional quest in a cozy, colorful world.

Why similar: Family Friendly 17.5%, Third Person 15.9%, Exploration 13.9%, Story Rich 13.7%, Cute 12.5%

An exploration and adventure game about wildlife sprung from the depths of the internet. An unknown power seems to upset its balance. Join forces with exotic creatures to unravel the mysteries of this universe.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 30%, Surreal 19.9%, Exploration 18.3%, Colorful 12.3%, Atmospheric 10.4%

You are a nomadic slugcat, both predator and prey in a broken ecosystem. Grab your spear and brave the industrial wastes, hunting enough food to survive, but be wary— other, bigger creatures have the same plan... and slugcats look delicious.

Why similar: Survival 26.6%, Open World 18.8%, Exploration 13.9%, Atmospheric 13.2%, Platformer 12.4%

A befuddling mishap has made you COMPLETELY STRETCHY! Stretch, swing and stick around the delightfully odd and vibrant Grombi Isles in this eccentric and light-hearted 3D platformer.

Why similar: Surreal 24.4%, Open World 19.9%, Exploration 10.9%, Story Rich 10.1%, Platformer 10.1%