Few games are able to strike a balance between being charming and challenging the way that Tunic does. The adorable platformer mixes its vibrant and endearing art style with tough gameplay and open-ended exploration, combining elements from titles like Dark Souls, Diablo, and The Legend of Zelda. The result is a rewarding game that you'll want to spend hours digging into.
Despite Tunic's unique blend of elements, there are a handful of games that may scratch the same itch. Whether these games manage to evoke the same sense of accomplishment, wonder, or discovery, here are a few titles to play if you enjoyed your time with Tunic.
Updated July 19, 2022 by Kendall Cunningham: With Tunic launching on PlayStation platforms, more players will be jumping into the atmospheric adventure game than ever. Whether you're preparing to finally get your hands on the game, or you've rolled credits and need a new adventure to sink your teeth into, we've added even more games that will scratch that same itch.
15 Hob
Hob is a stunning top down adventure game that rivals titles like Tunic and Journey with its visual style. The game tells you very little, telling its story through environmental puzzles rather than spoken or written dialogue. As you solve these puzzles throughout the game, more of its world will expose itself, painting a picture of its history and your destination.
With so much emphasis on visual storytelling, it's no wonder that Hob is such a stunning game. Completing tasks will shift the world around you, sometimes pulling entirely new areas into view for you to make your way through with the aid of your mechanized fist.
14 The Swords Of Ditto
Like Tunic and many other games on this list, The Swords of Ditto doesn't hide its Zelda influence. Its visual style and combat are solid homages to Nintendo's famed series, but the true charm of the game comes when you fall in combat.
Much like the popular Rogue Legacy series, each death in The Swords of Ditto results in your character being replaced by a new, randomly generated hero. The world around you will change as well, becoming more corrupt as time passes. It's a novel approach to a tried and true formula.
13 Anodyne
Another game that wears its Zelda influence on its sleeve, Anodyne takes its inspiration from the original Link's Awakening. You'll guide its main character, Young, on a journey through an unnerving, surreal dream world, fending off enemies armed with only a broom.
The game doesn't just borrow its visual style from the old school Zelda adventure; Anodyne's world is split across many small screens, in a style reminiscent of older Game Boy titles. It may be a bit weird, but Anodyne's diverse world of weird characters carries a unique charm that, like Tunic, puts an interesting spin on the Zelda formula.
12 Eastward
Eastward is a charming action adventure that stars John, the silent but dependable miner, and Sam, an enthusiastic young girl with mysterious abilities. The two are a lovable pair, journeying across their toxic outside world after being banned from the safe haven they once called home.
The game evokes titles like Mother 3 with its pixel art graphical style, but exploring treacherous areas as you head East involves smashing enemies with John's trusty frying pan and solving puzzles using Sam's psychic bubbles. Surviving your journey and navigating cleverly designed obstacles will keep Tunic fans entertained throughout this adventure.
11 Kamiko
Another isometric adventure game, Kamiko may look familiar at first glance. The game's simple but stylized pixels may give it a similar charm as other titles like Tunic, but its fast-paced gameplay helps set it apart.
You'll pick one of three characters in Kamiko, each of whom has their own unique weapon and special ability. Slashing your way through each of the game's four worlds is quick and flashy, with your heroine mowing down waves of enemies as you march toward the area's boss.
10 Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter is an action-heavy RPG with an otherworldly aesthetic that certainly matches Tunic's mysterious setting. The game's neon-drenched world may be more cool than cute, but it shares the theme of a silent protagonist wandering the land, encountering mysterious beings and foreign text that's illegible to us as players.
Hyper Light Drifter also share's Tunic's affinity for challenging combat, with your hero dodge rolling and slashing through enemies at blistering speeds. The game is a bit quicker than Tunic, and with a more involved combat system, but the same satisfactory sense of victory can still be found with each fight.
9 Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is a 2D side scrolling Metroidvania-style game featuring what may be the cutest insects ever depicted in a video game. The game stars The Knight, a tiny, white warrior trekking through the dark and mysterious land of Hallownest, a ruined city (of bugs) that's been corrupted and abandoned.
Hollow Knight's unguided exploration and tough combat will satisfy fans looking for more of Tunic's gameplay style. Though the game is a platformer, and its aesthetic is a bit darker, the two titles scratch a similar itch. Hopefully, you'll manage to finish it before Hollow Knight: Silksong's eventual release.
8 Death's Door
The most obvious recommendation for fans of Tunic to play is the recent indie hit Death's Door. This platformer is similar in many ways, from the diorama-esque art style to the open-ended and vague exploration to the tough but rewarding combat.
The two games aren't exactly identical, however. Death's Door has both slightly darker and slightly funnier tones, the latter of which is highlighted in its characters' dialogue. And while Tunic's exploration is vague, its remarkable in-game instruction manual helps guide you through its world, while Death's Door utilizes hints littered throughout the world to help you discern where to go. Also, Death's Door stars a tiny little crow with a sword, while Tunic stars a tiny little fox with a sword. It's like night and day, really.
7 Bastion
Developer Supergiant Games may be best known these days for their work on the phenomenal roguelike Hades, but prior to that smash hit, they released a few other high quality titles as well. One of these titles was Bastion, the isometric action platformer starring a young adventurer simply referred to as "The Kid." You'll venture through his floating, fractured world, attempting to reach a place of refuge in the aftermath of an apocalyptic event, as the game's narrator provides context and details about the surrounding land.
Bastion's top-down perspective and action-packed gameplay will satiate fans of games like Tunic for hours. The game's dodge roll-heavy combat is packed with discoveries that will mix up gameplay and increase the challenge of each level. This gem of a game is worth experiencing for any fan of action RPGs.
6 Blossom Tales
Blossom Tales is a game that, like Tunic, is heavily inspired by the classic games in The Legend of Zelda series. Both titles put their own spin on this time tested formula, and Blossom Tales does so by presenting the entire game in the form of a bedtime story. You'll be treated to narration throughout your adventure, and the game will occasionally even present you with dialogue options, allowing you to alter the story as you play through it.
This intriguing twist on the Zelda formula is accompanied by a refined gameplay system that will instantly be familiar to fans of the aforementioned series. You'll take Blossom through dangerous dungeons, solve environmental puzzles, and interact with characters that give the world an undeniable charm. All of this is presented in a gorgeous and colorful 2D art style.
5 Darksiders Genesis
Darksiders Genesis is a spinoff of the Darksiders series. In this prequel, you'll step into the roles of Strife, the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, and his brother War, the protagonist of the first game. The game allows you to switch characters at any time, and the dynamic between the two brothers is a highlight of the experience, with a witty back and forth that remains entertaining all the way through.
While the game may have a very different tone and sense of style, its gameplay is surprisingly similar to that of Tunic in many ways. You'll explore its dark and desolate world, uncovering secrets and taking down demons with the game's engaging combat system. The understated Diablo influence present in Tunic is on full display in Darksiders Genesis.
4 Moonlighter
Moonlighter is a game that manages to balance serenity with intensity in a way that's very similar to Tunic. One half of the gameplay loop consists of diving deep into a dungeon, fighting through rooms full of increasingly difficult enemies as you collect resources and discover hidden areas. The game's adorable art style masks a fair amount of challenge, much like Tunic's whimsical look and feel.
What sets Moonlighter apart from other action RPGs is what happens when you exit the dungeon. You'll return to your home, which doubles as a storefront. Here, you'll place the items you've found on your journey on display and open your shop, allowing other characters to come in and purchase goods at the prices you've set. The blend of action-packed dungeon crawling and calm store management makes for a uniquely addictive experience.
3 Ori And The Will Of The Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a breathtakingly beautiful Metroidvania-style platformer that will invoke the same sense of wonder and awe that Tunic's vivid environments and otherworldly characters do. Its lovely and detailed world is littered with discoveries, platforming challenges and enemies, and it's a surprisingly tough experience.
In this sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest, you play as the titular Ori as they venture through the new realm of Niwen. The original game's visuals have been updated, giving the game an even more gorgeous look. If you're a fan of beautiful games that mask a challenging time, Ori and the Will of the Wisps will surely leave you satisfied.
2 Dust: An Elysian Tail
Dust: An Elysian Tail is another Metroidvania with an adorable visual style masking its action. You'll play as Dust, an amnesiac wanderer who stumbles upon a sentient sword and must use it to aid a struggling land and it's people. The action adventure game is exhilarating to play, with combat and visuals that will hook you early on and remain tight until the game's finale.
The game's world is also ripe for exploration, channeling the themes and systems of classic Metroidvania game design. You'll explore spectacular new worlds while also revisiting past areas, exploring them in new and interesting ways as you make your way through the world of Falana.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Remake)
A list of games that are similar to Tunic would be incomplete without at least one entry from the Zelda series, and Link's Awakening may the most fitting of them all. The game's connected world design, mysterious overall plot, entertaining puzzles and classic combat have all clearly inspired the look and feel of Tunic in many ways.
The game's remake for the Nintendo Switch brings its visuals in line with Tunic and other more modern titles. The adorable and sleek diorama-like art style make it one of the most visually distinct titles in the series, and increases its charm even more. This is a game that every fan of Tunic should give a shot.