From Polygon · Rebecca Corgan · · 1m 40s
9 Most Perfect Single-Player Zelda Clones Nobody Plays, Ranked
9 Zelda-like games that don’t make the cut.
In brief
9 Zelda-like games that don’t make the cut. Nine games that follow Zelda’s puzzle loop but are rarely played. Originally reported by Polygon.
Zelda, but: A girl searches a world of islands for her missing father
Ocean’s Heart (2021) features Zelda-like progression where you gain weapons by exploring, unlocking environmental areas and ancient dungeons.
“Tilia’s biggest problem was dealing with dirty dishes. Along with her father and sister, Tilia runs the family tavern in Limestone, a village on a small island, until disaster strikes.”
Zelda, but: It’s from the Octopath Traveler team, and the dungeons span four eras
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales (2026) lets players explore four time periods through a single map with dungeon challenges.
“Elliot’s got a sword, bombs, bow, and a boomerang to lean on as he travels through an overworld and delves through dungeons.”
Zelda, but: In a Game Boy palette of your choosing
Master Key (2024) uses a retro Game Boy Color style with minimal text and visual hints for progression.
“This game hands you a rusty key big enough to swing like a sword and nearly no text instructions to work with.”
Zelda, but: You also date the townsfolk
Prodigal (2020) combines dungeon exploration with dating sim mechanics for townsfolk interactions.
“Between dungeons, Oran can earn the trust of various townsfolk by giving them gifts and helping with their problems.”
Zelda, but: Your weapon is a yoyo, and your enemies are crime bosses
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo (2.025) uses a yoyo as a weapon against crime bosses in city districts.
“Pippit, a young bat, only wants to focus on yoyo tournaments. He’s on his way to ask his aunt, Madame Pipistrello, for money, when rival crime bosses split her soul among four giant batteries.”
Zelda, but: It’s a 3D collect-a-thon with ‘90s flair
Warden: Melody of the Undergrowth (2016) features three wardens with unique abilities for dungeon exploration.
“Each of your wardens brings a different ability to dungeons built, conveniently, around their talents, much as a Zelda dungeon might be built around one recently-collected tool.”
Zelda, but: You design your own spells
Mages of Mystralia (2017) lets players create custom spells from a base set of magic.
“Magic is illegal in Mystralia. A mad mage-king once destroyed whole towns in his paranoia, so current-day townsfolk have taken precautions to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Zelda, but: You’re a dead ferryman who can possess every enemy
Kharon’s Crypt, Even Death May Die (2022) lets players possess enemies to solve puzzles.
“Kharon can take over any enemy he meets, flying around as a bat, fighting from inside a skeleton, or hiding with a mimic’s abilities.”
Zelda, but: You die every 60 seconds
Minit (2018) features a 60-second loop where players die after each attempt.
“One minute, then you die. That’s the curse on the sword you pick up on a beach in Minit.”
What matters most
Nine games that follow Zelda’s puzzle loop but are rarely played.
