What is the best game similar to Pine Hearts?

The closest game to Pine Hearts is A Castle Full of Cats, scoring 87/100 on our similarity scale. They share 9 gameplay attributes, including adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.

What are the top games like Pine Hearts?

The three closest games to Pine Hearts are: 1. A Castle Full of Cats (87/100, 9 shared attributes) 2. ANIMAL WELL (81/100, 8 shared attributes) 3. FEZ (80/100, 8 shared attributes). All share Pine Hearts's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 40 candidates across 11 dimensions.

Is ANIMAL WELL similar to Pine Hearts?

Yes, very much so — ANIMAL WELL scores 81/100 similarity to Pine Hearts. They share 8 attributes, including adventure storytelling and Metroidvania exploration. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.

What Adventure games are similar to Pine Hearts?

The best Adventure games similar to Pine Hearts are A Castle Full of Cats, ANIMAL WELL, FEZ and Toki Tori 2+. All share the Adventure genre alongside other key Pine Hearts attributes like adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design.

How is similarity to Pine Hearts calculated?

We compare Pine Hearts against every game in our catalog using 11 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Pine Hearts experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.

40 Games like Pine Hearts that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentUpdated May 19, 2026How this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

Few titles capture what makes Pine Hearts unique: adventure storytelling, cozy, relaxing feel and single-player focus. After measuring 11 attributes across over 6,700 games, these are the 40 most faithful alternatives. A Castle Full of Cats, ANIMAL WELL and FEZ top the ranking, with A Castle Full of Cats at number one (87/100).

iRank97/ 100

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GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

Top games similar to Pine Hearts

40 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Pine Hearts. Each one has been evaluated across 11 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1A Castle Full of CatsClosest overall match

iRank95

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloCasualNarrativeCozyRelaxingExploration

Steam👍 99%· 4.4KRAWG👍 90%· 20

Year 2022Dev DevcatsPlaytime ~2hOn PC · Linux

✓ Fits the Metroidvanias cluster, with adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Stands apart with horror tension and horror setting, while skipping visual 3d

A Castle Full of Cats is a catvania hidden object game where you need to find all the cursed cats in the castle. Save each and every cat and unleash the power of love!

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Progression100

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloNarrativeRelaxingCozyExploration

Steam👍 96%· 24KRAWG👍 83%· 77OC89· 57

Year 2024Dev Shared MemoryPlaytime ~7hOn PC · PS · Nintendo

✓ Fits the Metroidvanias cluster, with adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, horror tension and open world exploration, while skipping vibe casual

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

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone84Visuals0

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Steam

#3FEZ

iRank88

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloCasualNarrativeRelaxingExploration

Steam👍 93%· 16KRAWG👍 80%· 1.2KMC91IGDB86· 12OC88· 50

Year 2012Dev POLYTRON · Microsoft StudiosPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of Metroidvanias: adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Its own twist: precision platforming, open world exploration and fantasy world, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

FEZ is a 2D and 3D game at the same time. Even though it is a platformer game in which you solve puzzles in the dimension your looking at, you can manipulate with the world itself by rotating it all around.

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals.

It predates Pine Hearts by 12 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone74Visuals0

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloCasualCozyRelaxingExploration

Steam👍 85%· 1.1KRAWG👍 36%· 61IGDB79· 5OC80· 19

Year 2013Dev Two Tribes · Two Tribes PublishingPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Apple Macintosh

✓ Both are Metroidvanias — sharing adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, open world exploration and visual 2d, while skipping strong narrative focus

###Re-re-re-re-release Despite its cute appearance Toki Tori 2+ is a challenging puzzle adventure experience. It offers the player a unique take on popular Metroidvania gameplay - you progress by exploring, observing and experimenting with a game’s world.

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals.

It predates Pine Hearts by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone92Visuals0

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Steam PS Nintendo

#5Ori and the Blind Forest

iRank92

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloNarrativeCozyExplorationMelee

Steam👍 94%· 60KIGDB88· 14OC90· 97

Year 2015Dev Moon Studios · Microsoft StudiosOn PC · Xbox · Switch

✓ Fits the Metroidvanias cluster, with adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, dark, oppressive atmosphere and punishing difficulty, while skipping vibe casual

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals.

It predates Pine Hearts by 9 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression58Tone50Visuals0

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloNarrativeCozyExplorationMelee

Steam👍 86%· 4.9KIGDB85· 8OC84· 57

Year 2018Dev Joakim Sandberg · Bifrost EntertainmentOn PS4 · Linux · PC

✓ Same family of Metroidvanias: adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, melee combat and setting scifi, while skipping vibe casual

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone55Visuals0

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Steam GOG PS

#7Owlboy

iRank84

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloNarrativeCozyExplorationMelee

Steam👍 84%· 6.1KRAWG👍 74%· 307MC88IGDB89· 13OC88· 98

Year 2016Dev D-Pad StudioPlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the Metroidvanias cluster, with adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Its own twist: precision platforming, melee combat and fantasy world, while skipping vibe casual

Owlboy is a pixel-art platformer game about an owl-humanoid boy called Otus. When his homeland was attacked by pirates, Otus starts an adventure to protect his home and reveal the secrets of his race. He makes new friends on the way. Each of them has special powers, useful during fights.

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals.

It predates Pine Hearts by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone60Visuals0

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloNarrativeCozyExplorationMelee

Steam👍 84%· 2.5KIGDB79· 6OC79· 45

Year 2013Dev Rain Games · CIRCLE EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3 · PS4 · Linux

✓ Same family of Metroidvanias: adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, punishing difficulty and melee combat, while skipping vibe casual

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals and tone.

It predates Pine Hearts by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone46Visuals0

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Steam GOG PS

#9Ato

iRank97

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloNarrativeExplorationMeleeHardcore

Steam👍 97%· 466

Year 2019Dev WolfWoot · Tiny Warrior GamesPlaytime ~2hOn PC

✓ Both are Metroidvanias — sharing adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, fighting mechanics and punishing difficulty, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

Ato is an Atmospheric Sword Dueling Game set in the Era of Feudal Japan. It tells a visually driven story about a father who has given up his past ways in order to live a life of peace with his wife and child. However this peace is soon disturbed as his child is taken from him...

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals and tone.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone25Visuals0

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Steam itch.io

#10Yoku's Island Express

iRank89

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloCozyExplorationOpen WorldFantasy

Steam👍 96%· 5.2KRAWG👍 87%· 215IGDB85· 10OC83· 71

Year 2018Dev Team17 DigitalPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are Metroidvanias — sharing adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Its own twist: precision platforming, open world exploration and fantasy world, while skipping vibe casual

Yoku has arrived on Mokumana and he’s ready for the easy life, soaking up the sun and delivering parcels on a tropical paradise! However, an ancient Island deity is trapped in a restless sleep - and it’s all down to Yoku to traverse the island using a unique blend of pinball mechanics, platforming and open world exploration, in an amazing adventure to help those in need!

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals and tone.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone38Visuals0

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloCasualExplorationMeleeSci-Fi

Steam👍 95%· 8.9KRAWG👍 86%· 433MC88IGDB89· 11OC88· 84

Year 2017Dev Image & FormPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the Metroidvanias cluster, with adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, melee combat and setting scifi, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

In SteamWorld Dig 2, you step into the boots of Dorothy, a steambot once robbed of her dear friend – now driven by the hunger for answers. Buckle up, grab your gear, and get ready to dig into the highly anticipated sequel to the original SteamWorld Dig!

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals and tone.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone28Visuals0

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Steam GOG Xbox

#12Reventure

iRank89

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloNarrativeExplorationDarkOpen World

Steam👍 95%· 9.8KRAWG👍 82%· 64MC84

Year 2019Dev PixelattoPlaytime ~3hOn PC · iOS · Nintendo

✓ Fits the Metroidvanias cluster, with adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Its own twist: precision platforming, dark, oppressive atmosphere and open world exploration, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

An adventure with 100 different endings You are a wannabe hero who is supposed to do hero-ish things but sometimes blows that off and does crazy stuff instead. Features: One hundred different endings Choose your path, every decision leads to a new ending. Will you find the real one?

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals and tone.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone26Visuals0

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloCasualExplorationMeleeSci-Fi

Steam👍 94%· 11KIGDB81· 8OC82· 45

Year 2013Dev Image & FormOn PS4 · Linux · PC

✓ Fits the Metroidvanias cluster, with adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, melee combat and setting scifi, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals and tone.

It predates Pine Hearts by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone28Visuals0

Details →

Steam GOG Epic

#14SHEEPO

iRank90

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloCasualCozyNarrativeExploration

Steam👍 97%· 578OC75· 13

Year 2020Dev Kyle Thompson · TBAPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the Metroidvanias cluster, with adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and vibe casual

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, open world exploration and melee combat, while skipping puzzle design

Sheepo is a quirky metroidvania platformer featuring a shape-shifting sheep-thing, who must traverse an uncharted planet in order to collect samples of each living species for an intergalactic species database.

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone81Visuals0

Details →

Steam GOG Epic

#15The Swapper

iRank84

GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania

SoloNarrativeExplorationSci-FiSpace

Steam👍 94%· 7.5KRAWG👍 63%· 528MC87IGDB88· 10OC85· 33

Year 2013Dev Curve DigitalPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of Metroidvanias: adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, horror tension and setting scifi, while skipping cozy, relaxing feel

The Swapper is a classical platform game with several elements of Metroidvania focused on solving puzzles. The game follows a female astronaut stranded on the abandoned space research station in a science-fictional universe.

Where it drifts furthest from Pine Hearts: visuals and tone.

It predates Pine Hearts by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Tone27Visuals0

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Steam GOG Xbox

Complete list of Pine Hearts alternatives

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Pine Hearts, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.

STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™

Adventure · Metroidvania

The Fall

Adventure · Metroidvania

Little Kitty, Big City

Adventure · Metroidvania

Rogue Legacy

Adventure · Metroidvania

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Adventure · Metroidvania

Berry

Adventure · Metroidvania

Waking Mars

Adventure · Metroidvania

Shadow Complex

Adventure · Metroidvania

Gateways

Adventure · Metroidvania

1000 Amps

Adventure · Metroidvania

The Gunk

Adventure · Metroidvania

Saira

Adventure · Metroidvania

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

Adventure · Metroidvania

Gato Roboto

Adventure · Metroidvania

Metroid: Zero Mission

Adventure · Metroidvania

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

Adventure · Metroidvania

Metroid: Samus Returns

Adventure · Metroidvania

Aquaria

Adventure · Metroidvania

Metroid Fusion

Adventure · Metroidvania

Raider Kid and the Ruby Chest

Adventure · Metroidvania

Metroid

Adventure · Metroidvania

Bad Bots

Adventure · Metroidvania

Wario Land 3

Adventure · Metroidvania

AM2R: Return of Samus

Adventure · Metroidvania

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance

Adventure · Metroidvania

Explore games similar to Pine Hearts by category

Rankings in the same genre

Best Metroidvania Games Best Adventure Games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Pine Hearts?: The closest game to Pine Hearts is A Castle Full of Cats, scoring 87/100 on our similarity scale. They share 9 gameplay attributes, including adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Pine Hearts?: The three closest games to Pine Hearts are: 1. A Castle Full of Cats (87/100, 9 shared attributes) 2. ANIMAL WELL (81/100, 8 shared attributes) 3. FEZ (80/100, 8 shared attributes). All share Pine Hearts's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 40 candidates across 11 dimensions.
Is ANIMAL WELL similar to Pine Hearts?: Yes, very much so — ANIMAL WELL scores 81/100 similarity to Pine Hearts. They share 8 attributes, including adventure storytelling and Metroidvania exploration. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Adventure games are similar to Pine Hearts?: The best Adventure games similar to Pine Hearts are A Castle Full of Cats, ANIMAL WELL, FEZ and Toki Tori 2+. All share the Adventure genre alongside other key Pine Hearts attributes like adventure storytelling, Metroidvania exploration and puzzle design.
How is similarity to Pine Hearts calculated?: We compare Pine Hearts against every game in our catalog using 11 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Pine Hearts experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.