Looking for similar games

[mpcgannon]

Hi! As the title says BUT what I'd like to focus on is
- interconnected world
- secret paths galore
- collectable items
- some type of power progression

What I'm NOT looking for
- the "soulslike" tag which just means it's "difficult"

I've played the ♥♥♥♥ out of the Dark Souls & ER, Hallow Knight, Arkham series... pretty much anything tagged metroidvanis and soulslike. I have Darksiders and Control in my backlog. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

[Perseus]

La-Mulana definitely fits;
Noita has many secrets (including i think two still unsolved), but not that many secret paths (and it's also a roguelite);
UNSIGHTED might correspond, but i don't remember enough to be sure.

They're all difficult games, though. Especially La-Mulana (unless you're extremely determined, you probably won't finish the game without asking someone for hints/without using a guide).
I don't know if you meant that you wanted to avoid "souls-like"/"difficult".
However, UNSIGHTED is the only one in the list that is difficult for what i would say is the same main reason the games you listed are difficult.

I also know a puzzle game that definitely fits the first two categories, but whether it fits the next two is arguable, and probably not in the way you meant. It's also difficult : Pâquerette Down the Bunborrows.

[Sammun Mak]

It really sounds like you're looking for metroidvanias. There's other aspects of Tunic that are really unique and similar to other games, but the features you listed are essentially just the definition of metroidvania.

Metroidvania is a huge tag on steam, but from the ones I've played that are especially "secret-y":

1. Environmental Station Alpha, especially the post-game
2. Castle in the Darkness (This game is kinda... flawed but it does secrets extremely well)
3. I can echo UNSIGHTED, big time.
4. Axiom Verge (this is a very metroid metroidvania)

[Owstoni]

Give Death's Door a look. It's very similar in a number of ways.

[Owstoni]

Just occurred to me, that Tunic also gives me Hyper Light Drifter and Fez vibes, though they feel very different in gameplay. I think Fez even has some language shenanigans, iirc.

[Saturn]

Definitely play hyper light drifter, it checks every one of your boxes. The sound track is amazing, and its pretty much 100% visual story telling with rewarding combat to back it up.

[PeriPeri]

Not an action game, but Outer Wilds is fantastic ^_^

[Gloom Box]

FEZ!

[splinter3d]

How difficult Tunic is? It is connected to the topic because the examples of similar games can give a hint.

[mpcgannon]

Publicado originalmente por Owstoni:

Give Death's Door a look. It's very similar in a number of ways.

Got it. This is gold.

[mpcgannon]

Publicado originalmente por Saturn:

Definitely play hyper light drifter, it checks every one of your boxes. The sound track is amazing, and its pretty much 100% visual story telling with rewarding combat to back it up.

I desperately want to enjoy this game but I SUCK at the shooting element it feels like I can't get by without it.

[mpcgannon]

Publicado originalmente por splinter3d:

How difficult Tunic is? It is connected to the topic because the examples of similar games can give a hint.

I didn't find Tunic to be difficult until the last area and that was annoying. I like Dark Souls and Elden Ring. But there seems to be a trend nowadays to make things punishing "because Dark Souls did it" and that's not what I'm interested in.
To me, Dark Souls is character customization, interconnected areas that are fun to explore, and lore. The gaming industry, however, seems to associate soulslike with difficulty. Boring.

[splinter3d]

Publicado originalmente por mpcgannon:

Publicado originalmente por splinter3d:

How difficult Tunic is? It is connected to the topic because the examples of similar games can give a hint.

I didn't find Tunic to be difficult until the last area and that was annoying. I like Dark Souls and Elden Ring. But there seems to be a trend nowadays to make things punishing "because Dark Souls did it" and that's not what I'm interested in.
To me, Dark Souls is character customization, interconnected areas that are fun to explore, and lore. The gaming industry, however, seems to associate soulslike with difficulty. Boring.

Thanks I will think about it.

[Kεtana]

FEZ and Hyper light drifter

[splinter3d]

Publicado originalmente por Katana:

FEZ and Hyper light drifter

FEZ is an overrated puzzle platformer, cute though, but has nothing to do with Tunic. HLD is maybe similar in genre but painful for eyes.

[Cute Tea Goat]

Publicado originalmente por Perseus:

La-Mulana definitely fits

Agreed with this. La Mulana is the game Tunic most reminded me of. It has the same kind of deductive puzzle solving where you actually have to figure things out from sometimes vague hints, as well as good exploration and combat.