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Games like Illusion Carnival

KiZ · 2024 · Windows, macOS

Steam: 97 % positive of 7,549 reviews, as of Oct 28

A lost soul wanders through a whimsical, eerie pop-up book like amusement park. Dive into fun-filled stages, encounter unique characters, fend off spirit erosion, and uncover the park's hidden secrets. The enchanting yet dark Illusion Carnival begins now.

24 games that play like Illusion Carnival and 24 that look like it. Closest by gameplay: OMORI, Indigo Park: Chapter 1 and Tales of the Black Forest.

Player tags

  • Psychological Horror
  • 2.5D
  • Cute
  • Stylized
  • Puzzle
  • RPG
  • Exploration
  • Story Rich
Map region: Psychological Horror
Open on Steam ↗

Steam reviews

What players say

Players overwhelmingly love the striking art, characters and music of this free chapter, though its short length, thin gameplay and confusing story draw criticism.

Many players praise the visual design above everything else: the painterly environments, the cute yet unsettling characters and the cutscenes that show glitchy dialogue. Music and atmosphere are also often singled out, and several reviewers call it a standout for a free game. The gameplay gets a more mixed reception. Some enjoy the bullet hell sections and the puzzles, while others find the dodging repetitive, the puzzles easy or dull, and the chapter too short. Some players say the story is hard to follow because of heavy exposition and rapid pacing. Several reviewers also mention performance problems and harsh visual effects such as flashing and glitches. Recent reviews are more enthusiastic and mostly ask for the next chapter, which is still awaited, while some of the older helpful reviews are more critical of the gameplay and writing.

Praised

  • Striking art style

    Players call the painterly environments, colours and character designs gorgeous and memorable, often the main reason they keep playing.

    Many players
  • Characters and story hooks

    Reviewers enjoy the quirky, lovable cast and the mysterious, open-ended story that leaves them eager for more chapters.

    Many players
  • Music and atmosphere

    Players single out the music, especially in boss fights, and the eerie mood built through sound and glitch effects.

    Some players

Criticised

  • Thin gameplay

    Players find the dodging and bullet hell repetitive, the puzzles easy or dull, and the chapter mostly walking and reading.

    Many players
  • Confusing story and pacing

    Reviewers find the story hard to follow, with fast pacing, heavy exposition and dialogue that feels out of context.

    Some players
  • Performance and visual strain

    Players report poor optimisation and bugs, while others find the flashing, glitching and motion visually harsh or uncomfortable.

    Some players
Who it suits
Suits players who value art, music and quirky characters over deep gameplay, and who are happy to wait for later chapters.
Who should skip it
Players seeking polished, challenging gameplay or a clearly paced, easy-to-follow story should skip it, as well as those sensitive to flashing or glitch effects.

Summarised by AI from 80 Steam reviews (English, helpful and recent), as of Oct 28, 2026.

Best matches

Plays and looks like Illusion Carnival

These games are close to it by gameplay and by look, so they appear in both lists below.

By gameplay

Plays like Illusion Carnival

Matched from Steam descriptions and player tags. The tags under each game are the ones both games share.

More matches

  1. Ib98 % positive of 4,964Shared: Psychological Horror · Puzzle · RPG
  2. A Work of Art95 % positive of 347Shared: Psychological Horror · RPG · Exploration
  3. Zelle94 % positive of 474Shared: Psychological Horror · RPG · Anime
  4. Dark Arcana: The Carnival87 % positive of 402Shared: Puzzle · Story Rich · Fantasy
  5. Paper Lily - Chapter 199 % positive of 9,025Shared: Psychological Horror · Puzzle · RPG
  6. Disillusion ST95 % positive of 544Shared: Story Rich · Visual Novel · Anime
  7. Ghost in the pool76 % positive of 298Shared: Psychological Horror · Stylized · Story Rich
  8. Alicemare87 % positive of 1,148Shared: Psychological Horror · Puzzle · RPG
  9. YUMENIKKI -DREAM DIARY-69 % positive of 1,356Shared: Psychological Horror · 2.5D · Puzzle
  10. Hypnagogia² 無限の夢 Boundless Dreams95 % positive of 726Shared: Psychological Horror · Stylized · Exploration
  11. Lost in Play97 % positive of 8,497Shared: Puzzle · Story Rich · Hand-drawn
  12. Impostor Factory95 % positive of 12,049Shared: Psychological Horror · RPG · Story Rich

By look

Looks like Illusion Carnival

Matched from screenshots. Each card shows the screenshot closest to the look of this game.

More matches

  1. Tangle Tower93 % positive of 6,664
  2. Touhou Hero of Ice Fairy: Prologue96 % positive of 3,421
  3. Bloody Hell97 % positive of 7,115
  4. Nientum - Op.ZERO97 % positive of 426
  5. Okami HD91 % positive of 8,284
  6. TEVI88 % positive of 3,612
  7. YOHANE THE PARHELION -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE-91 % positive of 1,019
  8. Yomawari: Midnight Shadows92 % positive of 868
  9. Virgo Versus The Zodiac92 % positive of 791
  10. Hauntii90 % positive of 374
  11. Maiden and Spell96 % positive of 852
  12. Pronty90 % positive of 1,098

At a glance

What games like Illusion Carnival have in common

  • The tags they share most often with Illusion Carnival: Psychological Horror (19 of 24), RPG (14) and Puzzle (12).
  • They came out between 2014 and 2024, none of them after Illusion Carnival (2024).
  • Best rated by Steam players: Paper Lily - Chapter 1 (99 % positive of 9,025).

How these matches work

Matches come from embeddings of Steam descriptions, player tags and screenshots, computed offline. “Plays like” compares what the games are about and how players tag them; “Looks like” compares their screenshots. The share of positive reviews is based on Steam user reviews.

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