Games Like UFO 50

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration takes players on an interactive journey through 50 years of video games via interviews with designers, developers and industry leaders, documentary footage, product design documents, high-res original artwork, and a curated list of more than 90 playable games.

Why similar: Retro 24.8%, 1980s 20.8%, Local Multiplayer 14.3%, Pixel Graphics 14.1%, Arcade 12.5%

Why You'll Like It: Like UFO 50, this is a masterfully curated anthology that celebrates the history and variety of retro gaming.

Retro Game Crunch is a series of 7 games, full of the charm and challenge of the 8-bit generation. Each world feels like an authentic NES classic. A massive genre-spanning collection.

Why similar: Retro 31%, Pixel Graphics 19.3%, Indie 10%, Local Multiplayer 9.4%, Action 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: This collection of seven distinct indie games captures the same spirit of variety and experimental design found in UFO 50.

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: Pixel Graphics 32.8%, Retro 21.4%, 2D 9%, Platformer 8.8%, Indie 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: It features a dense, mysterious world with modern design sensibilities wrapped in a beautiful, retro-inspired pixel art style.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the complete Shovel Knight collection, containing all 5 games in the epic saga! Dig, blast, slash, and bash your way through a fantastical, 8-bit inspired world of pixel-perfect platforming, memorable characters, and world-class action-adventure gameplay.

Why similar: Retro 26.2%, Pixel Graphics 20.8%, Great Soundtrack 12.9%, Difficult 9.2%, Platformer 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: It represents the gold standard for modern games that perfectly replicate and refine the 8-bit aesthetic and gameplay feel.

Pizza Tower is a fast paced 2D platformer, with an emphasis on movement, exploration and score attack. Featuring highly stylized pixel art inspired by the cartoons from the '90s, and a highly energetic soundtrack.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 19.1%, Pixel Graphics 17.8%, Retro 12.9%, Difficult 12.5%, 2D Platformer 10%

Why You'll Like It: This title captures the high-energy, fast-paced action and distinct personality of classic 90s platformers with modern polish.

Part 1 of arcade epic 198X. A coming-of-age story told through multiple games and genres. Experience the thrill of shooting, driving, jumping, fighting and role-playing in 5 full-blown arcade stages – combined with cinematic pixel-art storytelling.

Why similar: Retro 28.7%, 1980s 20.1%, Pixel Graphics 17.4%, Indie 13.1%, Arcade 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: This game functions as an anthology of arcade experiences, perfectly mirroring the nostalgic, multi-genre approach of the seed game.

Downwell is a curious game about a young person venturing down a well in search of untold treasures with only his Gunboots to protect him.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 19.8%, Difficult 17.3%, Retro 13.1%, Arcade 13.1%, Indie 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a tight, addictive arcade loop that feels like a lost classic, emphasizing precision and simple, effective mechanics.

Spelunky 2 builds upon the unique, randomized challenges that made the original a roguelike classic, offering a huge adventure designed to satisfy players old and new. Meet the next generation of explorers as they find themselves on the Moon, searching for treasure and missing family.

Why similar: Difficult 37.7%, 2D Platformer 14.4%, Platformer 12.7%, Indie 11.1%, Action 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: Its high difficulty and deep, emergent gameplay systems make it a perfect match for players who enjoy the challenging nature of UFO 50's titles.

Place your faith and embrace the Void.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 17.7%, Pixel Graphics 17.5%, Difficult 15.2%, Retro 13.7%, Indie 10%

Why You'll Like It: This game offers a deep, complex puzzle experience that rewards curiosity and mastery, much like the hidden depths of UFO 50.

Explore and uncover the mystery of a surreal alien world by blasting aliens and glitching your environment in this intense retro side-scrolling action/adventure.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 24.9%, Retro 20.3%, Great Soundtrack 13.8%, Indie 9.4%, Platformer 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: It is a love letter to classic metroidvanias, featuring the same retro-pixel aesthetic and exploration-heavy gameplay.

Explore an abandoned space station in this retro-themed explorative action platformer.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 30%, Retro 15.4%, Difficult 13.7%, Indie 8.5%, Great Soundtrack 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: This game provides a challenging, retro-styled metroidvania experience that focuses on exploration and tight combat.

Fly into a charming handcrafted world and go on an adventure that mixes up open exploration with crispy twin-stick shooter action. Fight your way from the shiny overworld to the deepest caves, improve your ship and overcome the dungeons' bosses to rescue your friends!

Why similar: Retro 36.3%, RPG 22.3%, 2D 13.7%, Adventure 11.7%, Action 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: This title brilliantly blends twin-stick shooting with metroidvania exploration, echoing the genre-mashing creativity of the seed game.

Run, jump, shoot, fly and explore your way through a massive action-adventure reminiscent of classic 8- and 16-bit games.

Why similar: Retro 25.4%, Difficult 23.1%, Pixel Graphics 19%, 2D 7%, Action 7%

Why You'll Like It: As a foundational indie title, it captures the charm and challenge of 8-bit era action-adventure games.

Star of Providence is a top down action shooter with procedurally generated elements. Explore a large, abandoned facility in search of incredible power, fighting dangerous foes and gaining new weapons and upgrades as you progress.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 24%, Difficult 23.4%, Retro 22.2%, Indie 9.3%, Action 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers an intense, bullet-hell roguelite experience that feels right at home alongside the more difficult action games in the UFO 50 collection.

Inscryption is an inky black card-based odyssey that blends the deckbuilding roguelike, escape-room style puzzles, and psychological horror into a blood-laced smoothie. Darker still are the secrets inscrybed upon the cards...

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 27.7%, Strategy 26.4%, Roguelike 17.6%, Puzzle 12.5%, 2D 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: Its meta-narrative and constant shifting of genres make it a spiritual cousin to the experimental nature of UFO 50.

Follow Vi, Kabbu, and Leif as they uncover the secrets of the Land of Bugaria! Explore and combine your team's abilities to solve puzzles, defeat powerful enemies and find ancient treasures!

Why similar: RPG 68.8%, Indie 31.2%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the charm and mechanics of classic turn-based RPGs, providing a nostalgic yet fresh experience.

The Lich has thrown the world into a timeless loop and plunged its inhabitants into never ending chaos. Wield an expanding deck of mystical cards to place enemies, buildings, and terrain along each unique expedition loop for the brave hero.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 38.4%, RPG 16%, Indie 13.7%, Roguelike 12.4%, 2D 11.5%

Why You'll Like It: It uses a retro aesthetic to house a unique, highly addictive strategy loop that feels both classic and entirely new.

As a demon army besieges his village, a young ninja ventures through a cursed world, to deliver a scroll paramount to his clan’s survival. What begins as a classic action platformer soon unravels into an expansive time-traveling adventure full of thrills, surprises, and humor.

Why similar: Retro 28.1%, Pixel Graphics 19.9%, Great Soundtrack 11.8%, Difficult 9.6%, 2D 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: It starts as a classic 8-bit platformer and evolves into something much larger, mirroring the progression and variety found in UFO 50.

Baba Is You is a puzzle game where the rules you have to follow are present as blocks you can interact with. By manipulating them, you can change how the game works, repurpose things you find in the levels and cause surprising interactions!

Why similar: Difficult 35.2%, Pixel Graphics 21.9%, Indie 12.8%, Puzzle 11.2%, Great Soundtrack 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game pushes puzzle design to its limits, offering the same kind of 'aha!' moments found in the best puzzle games within UFO 50.

Katana ZERO is a stylish neo-noir, action-platformer featuring breakneck action and instant-death combat. Slash, dash, and manipulate time to unravel your past in a beautifully brutal acrobatic display.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 27.3%, Great Soundtrack 14.5%, Difficult 13.6%, Retro 12.7%, Action 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: This game features fast-paced, one-hit-kill action that demands precision and mastery, similar to many of the arcade titles in the collection.

Explore a land filled with lost legends, ancient powers, and ferocious monsters in TUNIC, an isometric action game about a small fox on a big adventure.

Why similar: Difficult 47.9%, RPG 18.8%, Puzzle 13.3%, Indie 10.2%, Action 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: It uses a retro-inspired manual and world design to evoke a sense of discovery and mystery reminiscent of classic adventure games.

Help Madeline survive her inner demons on her journey to the top of Celeste Mountain, in this super-tight platformer from the creators of TowerFall. Brave hundreds of hand-crafted challenges, uncover devious secrets, and piece together the mystery of the mountain.

Why similar: Difficult 24.6%, Pixel Graphics 22%, Great Soundtrack 15.3%, Indie 8%, Retro 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: It offers some of the most refined and challenging platforming mechanics in modern gaming, wrapped in a beautiful pixel-art package.

Experience the quiet terror of this 1-bit love letter to Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Navigate a hellish roguelite reality with turn-based combat and unforgiving choices. Experiment with your deck of event cards to discover new forms of cosmic horror in every playthrough. The inevitable awaits...

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 33.4%, Difficult 29.9%, RPG 14.1%, 2D 9.4%, Roguelike 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: Its 1-bit aesthetic and unique genre-blending horror mechanics provide a distinct, retro-focused experience.

Crypt of the NecroDancer is an award winning hardcore roguelike rhythm game. Move to the music and deliver beatdowns to the beat! Groove to the epic Danny Baranowsky soundtrack, or select songs from your own MP3 collection!

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 23.6%, Difficult 20.3%, Great Soundtrack 19.2%, Roguelike 10.3%, Indie 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: This game combines rhythm and roguelike mechanics in a way that feels inventive, challenging, and distinctly retro.

The title says it all. Take one part falling block puzzle game, combine one part old-school platformer, add a couple thousand pixels, blend and serve. Why match colored blocks when you can just shoot the hell out of them? Your goal is to survive as long as you can. From celebrated indie developer Andrew Morrish and Adult Swim Games.

Why similar: Indie 19.8%, Action 17.1%, Difficult 14.6%, Pixel Graphics 10.1%, Great Soundtrack 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game directly combines two of the most prominent genres found in the UFO 50 collection into a single, cohesive arcade experience.

Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.

Why similar: Retro 25%, Difficult 21.1%, Great Soundtrack 20.6%, Indie 15.1%, Puzzle 12.6%

Why You'll Like It: Its striking, limited-color visual style and brilliant deduction-based gameplay feel like a modern evolution of classic logic games.

The infamous, tough-as-nails platformer comes to Steam with a playable Head Crab character (Steam-exclusive)!

Why similar: Difficult 27.5%, Pixel Graphics 20.6%, Retro 9.2%, Platformer 9.1%, Great Soundtrack 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: It is a quintessential difficult platformer that focuses on tight controls and instant restarts, much like the arcade-style games in the seed collection.

Forge your own path in Hollow Knight! An epic action adventure through a vast ruined kingdom of insects and heroes. Explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs, all in a classic, hand-drawn 2D style.

Why similar: Difficult 34.4%, Great Soundtrack 21.5%, Indie 11.5%, 2D 11%, Platformer 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a vast, atmospheric world to explore, setting the standard for modern 2D action-adventure games.

Congratulations. The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled. For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint. An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 27.8%, Retro 19.8%, Indie 18.3%, Difficult 9.4%, Great Soundtrack 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: It demonstrates how minimalist design and a unique premise can create a deeply engaging and memorable experience.

You've inherited your grandfather's old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home?

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 46.9%, RPG 21.7%, Great Soundtrack 11%, Indie 10.5%, 2D 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: It perfectly captures the cozy, retro-pixel aesthetic while offering deep, rewarding gameplay systems.

Take control of Mina, a renowned Hollower hurtled into a desperate mission to rescue a cursed island. Whip foes, burrow through the ground, and explore a pixel-perfect world in Mina the Hollower, a brand new game from the developers who brought you Shovel Knight!

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 37.1%, 2D Platformer 13.9%, Difficult 12.6%, 2D 11.6%, Platformer 10.7%

Created by zsKnight of ZSNES is this really neat retro game collection containing a fun shuffler story mode and a challenging arcade mode. Features 52 different 8bit style games which includes local competitive multiplayer and various different game modes to play and enjoy.

Why similar: Retro 29.7%, Pixel Graphics 16.8%, Arcade 14.9%, Local Multiplayer 9.2%, 2D Platformer 7.5%

A plinko-style roguelike where you work at a number factory. Launch your spherical friend, Nubby, down a pegboard to make bigger and bigger numbers! But beware, if you fail to meet your number quota, the sun will explode.

Why similar: Arcade 26.7%, Retro 24.2%, Strategy 20.2%, Roguelike 13.5%, Indie 7.5%

Unidentified Falling Objects is a unique mashup of platforming and puzzle destroying gameplay. Players are dropped into the puzzle where they must dodge the falling obstacles and destroy blocks to make big combos.

Why similar: Arcade 19.3%, Pixel Graphics 18.8%, 2D Platformer 11.7%, Retro 11.3%, 2D 8.9%

a hostile interpretation of the immersive sim, where nothing is planned, and everything works

Why similar: Local Multiplayer 24.1%, Pixel Graphics 22.1%, 2D Platformer 12.5%, Platformer 9.2%, 2D 8.6%

Welcome to Mt. Holly, where every dawn unveils a new mystery. Navigate through shifting corridors and ever-changing chambers in this genre-defying strategy puzzle adventure. But will your unpredictable path lead you to the rumored Room 46?

Why similar: Puzzle 24.7%, Indie 23.4%, Strategy 21%, Adventure 15.5%, Roguelike 15.4%

CorgiSpace is a collection of 8-bit games that have short legs on purpose. This anthology includes more than a dozen action, adventure, arcade, and puzzle games, and each can be thoroughly explored in under an hour.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 27.7%, Arcade 20.1%, Strategy 15.7%, Action 11.3%, 2D 10.3%

Inhabit a deeply-simulated science fantasy world and chisel through layers of thousand-year-old civilizations. Build a character from over a hundred mutations and cybernetics. The award-winning sandbox roguelike & RPG full of robots, deep lore, and sentient plants.

Why similar: Difficult 36.4%, Pixel Graphics 33.7%, RPG 18.4%, Roguelike 11.5%

Inspired by the retro glory days of 8-bit games, Rex Rocket is a traditional 2D platformer brought into the 21st century. Paying tribute to classic NES games like Mario, Mega Man, and Metroid, old-school platformer fans will find Rex Rocket a breath of fresh air.

Why similar: Retro 23.9%, Pixel Graphics 16.5%, Difficult 15%, Action 10.8%, Indie 9.5%

BALLIONAIRE is a fast-paced, kinetic roguelike where strategy meets physics to create outrageous wealth! Find and exploit game-breaking synergies as you theorycraft your way to victory. Welcome to the autobonker genre!

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 40.1%, Strategy 22.3%, 2D 16.9%, Roguelike 14.1%, Casual 6.6%

Are you ready for the first Yoyovania?! In this 2D top-down adventure you'll explore a sprawling urban landscape, reinterpreting your surroundings through your mastery of yoyo tricks. Navigate the city's many districts, fight rival crime bosses, and regain the influence of the Pipistrello family!

Why similar: Retro 34.4%, Pixel Graphics 25.6%, 2D Platformer 8.7%, 2D 8.1%, Action 7.5%

Jet Gunner is a 2D platform action indie game that's full of Nestalgia. Full of action, gunfights, bosses and explosions so if you're into the whole 8-Bit vibe you should love this. From the sound, to the graphics to the flicker, this should pay tribute to those classic hard as nails, run 'n' gun games.

Why similar: Retro 26.8%, Pixel Graphics 22%, Action 20.5%, Indie 11.3%, Platformer 7.9%

Join Pixel as he quests through gaming history, teleporting across the most iconic video game systems of generations past. He’ll have to jump, dodge and play smart if he wants to survive all the traps, puzzles and enemies waiting to take him down at every turn.

Why similar: Retro 34.4%, Pixel Graphics 22.9%, Great Soundtrack 11.3%, Indie 10.8%, Platformer 9.3%

A 8-bit retro action platformer that goes beyond just pixels and chiptunes

Why similar: Retro 31.3%, Pixel Graphics 22.9%, Action 16.4%, Indie 15.5%, Platformer 7.4%

Greetings Enforcer, and thank you for enlisting in the Hypnospace Patrol Department! As the world falls into its slumber, Hypnospace becomes a bustling global village. These virtual streets aren't going to police themselves!

Why similar: Retro 57.4%, Great Soundtrack 21.9%, Indie 10.2%, Puzzle 5.6%, Adventure 4.9%

Delve with Shovel Knight into the depths of the Pocket Dungeon in an action-packed puzzle adventure mashup like none other!

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 20.9%, Strategy 13%, Action 12.4%, Local Multiplayer 12.1%, Adventure 10.3%

Spelunky is a unique platformer with randomized levels that offer a challenging new experience each time you play. Journey deep underground and explore fantastic places filled with all manner of monsters, traps, and treasure.

Why similar: Difficult 29.5%, Platformer 14.6%, Indie 12.7%, Roguelike 11.5%, Arcade 9.3%

Abduction Bit is a NES-like arcade based on elements of some timeless classics from 80's (Bubble Bobble, Ice Climber, Mario Bros).

Why similar: Retro 18.4%, Pixel Graphics 16.1%, 1980s 14%, Indie 12.1%, Arcade 12%

Look Outside is a survival horror RPG set in a single apartment building. A mysterious event turns anyone who looks out the window into grotesque monsters, leaving the world in absolute chaos. Scavenge the building to seek food, supplies, and weapons while encountering strange characters.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 39.9%, RPG 30.8%, Great Soundtrack 8.4%, 2D 7.7%, Adventure 7.1%

A surreal strategy game for clowns and criminals.

Why similar: Strategy 74.4%, Puzzle 25.6%

This is the story of a fighter who wanted to become...

Why similar: Retro 19.6%, Pixel Graphics 19.2%, Great Soundtrack 17.7%, Arcade 12.2%, Indie 10.5%

VVVVVV is a platform game all about exploring one simple mechanical idea - what if you reversed gravity instead of jumping?

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 25.7%, Retro 17.6%, Difficult 16.7%, Great Soundtrack 10.9%, Indie 7.1%

Sol Cesto is a tactical and frantic roguelite where mastering your luck is key. Choose a hero, upgrade them using cursed teeth and magical items, and descend to the bottom of an ever-changing dungeon. In this dark world, every action has consequences…

Why similar: Strategy 28.8%, Roguelike 21.9%, Indie 18.1%, 2D 16.1%, Puzzle 15.1%

Gravity Circuit is a flashy action packed 2D platformer in the spirit of console classics. Follow Kai, a lone operative war hero who harnesses the mysterious powers of the Gravity Circuit, on an adventure in a futuristic world inhabited by sentient robots.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 24.4%, Retro 21.9%, Action 9.9%, Indie 9.1%, Great Soundtrack 8.3%

A collection of short and silly games from the early days of the internet. There's turn-based RPGs, shoot-em-ups, platformers, and more - updated with new quality-of-life features. Plus there's a whopping 150 achievements to collect, and a free soundtrack DLC!

Why similar: Retro 42.2%, RPG 11.8%, 2D Platformer 10.7%, Action 10.4%, Indie 6.9%

You Have to Win the Game is a free exploration platformer with a retro 1980s PC aesthetic.

Why similar: Retro 36.4%, Difficult 16.1%, Pixel Graphics 14.7%, Indie 8.1%, Platformer 7.9%

The second title in the Katamari Damacy series has returned in a remastered, powered-up version! This new REROLL comes with improved graphics and gameplay enhancements. In Royal Reverie, roll up katamari as the King of All Cosmos in his boyhood!

Why similar: Local Multiplayer 33.7%, Great Soundtrack 31.8%, Action 31.3%, Puzzle 3.3%

Once upon a time a katamari rolled through both past and present. In this story across time, the adage endures: Let The Good Times Roll! Now onward through new worlds to roll up thy heart's desires and to restore the stars!

Why similar: Action 50.2%, Adventure 26.3%, Great Soundtrack 16%, Casual 7.6%

Vlambeer's SUPER CRATE BOX is coming to bring back the glory of the golden arcade age, when all that really mattered was getting on that high score list. Grab your baseball cap and loosen your pants, it's time to fight endless hordes of enemies and collect every weapon crate you can.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 24.3%, Retro 13.6%, Difficult 12.5%, Arcade 11.8%, Indie 10.2%