Start with the Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy if you want the closest overall match: it includes Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Together, the three games deliver the modern Tomb Raider formula—third-person exploration, climbing, combat, environmental puzzles, global locations, and a story-led campaign.
If you have already finished that trilogy, choose your next game by the part of Tomb Raider you value most. Uncharted is the nearest cinematic treasure-hunting substitute; Star Wars Jedi: Survivor offers the strongest open-zone traversal and ability-based exploration; Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the best historical puzzle adventure; and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown puts acrobatic platforming first. Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag broaden the formula into larger worlds, stronger combat systems, or freer historical travel.
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The closest overall match: Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy
The obvious answer is also the most useful one: play the Definitive Survivor Trilogy if what you want is more modern Tomb Raider. The bundle contains three games—Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider—and follows Lara Croft through progressively larger environments, more elaborate traversal, and increasingly prominent tomb puzzles.
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The trilogy is not a collection of unrelated spin-offs. It is a continuous reboot-era arc, so it preserves the same third-person camera, climbing language, bow-and-firearm combat, optional challenge tombs, collectible-driven exploration, and cinematic pacing from one game to the next. The emphasis shifts between entries, but the underlying loop remains familiar: reach a new location, learn a movement or equipment ability, investigate ruins and wilderness, solve environmental problems, and return to previously inaccessible areas.
#1 Best Overall
- Live the critically acclaimed, cinematic action adventure, re built specifically for next gen consoles
- Survive high octane combat, customize Lara's weapons and gear, and overcome grueling environments to uncover the island's deadly secret
- See Lara Croft like never before, with every bead of sweat, strand of hair, and article of clothing delivered in obsessive detail
- Endure a stunningly re imagined island, fraught with new, unforgiving storms, and alive with motion
- Own the complete Tomb Raider experience with all of the DLC, including the Tomb of the Lost Adventurer, six outfits for Lara, a digital mini art book, and the digital comic " The Beginning
Why it is the best first recommendation
- It matches every core pillar. You get platforming, environmental puzzles, combat, exploration, and a prominent character story rather than only one of those elements.
- It gives you a full campaign arc. The three-game package is a substantial alternative to buying several unrelated adventures.
- It preserves Tomb Raider’s sense of place. The games move through varied global environments instead of remaining in one fantasy realm or one historical period.
- It lets you tune the experience. Optional tombs and collectibles can make exploration denser, while the main path remains easier to follow if you prefer a cinematic pace.
Play the games in release order—Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider, then Shadow of the Tomb Raider—because the character development, equipment progression, and story assume that sequence.
How the alternatives compare
The table below separates the features that are often bundled together under “Tomb Raider-like.” A game can resemble Tomb Raider in one dimension while feeling very different in another. For example, a wide open world may provide more freedom but fewer authored tomb chambers, while a linear adventure may deliver stronger set pieces but less backtracking.
| Game | Exploration freedom | Puzzle density | Platforming and traversal | Combat emphasis | Story and set-piece focus | Setting | Platform availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy | Hub-based with directed levels and optional areas | Moderate, with optional challenge tombs | High; climbing, jumping, swimming and equipment abilities | Moderate to high | High, with cinematic progression | Historical and contemporary wilderness locations | Not stated |
| Uncharted | Mostly linear with exploratory side paths | Moderate | Moderate; contextual climbing and traversal | Moderate | Very high; set pieces drive the pace | Historical treasure-hunting locations | Not stated |
| Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | Open zones with revisitable planets | Moderate, including optional areas | High; abilities unlock new routes | High; lightsaber and Force combat | High, but exploration is more systemic | Science fiction and Star Wars worlds | Not stated |
| Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Hub-based areas with optional investigations | High; puzzles appear in main and side adventures | Moderate; whip-assisted traversal and climbing | Moderate, with improvised weapons and the whip | High, with globe-spanning set pieces | Historical adventure | Not stated |
| Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Interconnected exploration map | Moderate to high | Very high; precision 2.5D platforming | Moderate | Moderate | Fantasy-inspired ancient world | Not stated |
| Horizon Zero Dawn | Large open world | Low to moderate outside dedicated activities | Moderate; climbing is more limited than Tomb Raider | High; ranged, stealth and machine encounters | High, with extensive lore | Distant post-apocalyptic science fiction | Not stated |
| God of War (2018) | Semi-open regions connected by a central journey | Moderate | Moderate | Very high | Very high; character-driven storytelling | Mythological fantasy | Not stated |
| Ghost of Tsushima | Fully open historical world | Low to moderate | Moderate; traversal supports exploration | Very high; melee combat is central | High, with cinematic missions | Historical Japan | Not stated |
| Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag | Open world with land, sea and islands | Low to moderate | Moderate; climbing and freerunning | High, including ship combat | High, with a historical-adventure structure | Historical Caribbean | Not stated |
“Not stated” means the available comparison does not establish a complete platform list. Check the store page for your specific console or PC before buying, because editions and regional availability can differ.
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Uncharted is the closest alternative when your favorite Tomb Raider moments are cinematic escapes, ancient ruins, witty character interactions, and a tightly directed adventure. Both series combine traversal, gunfights, exploration, and puzzle-filled ruins, but they distribute those ingredients differently.
What feels familiar
- Climbing routes are embedded directly into the environment, so a cliff, ruined wall, or collapsing structure becomes part of the playable path.
- Puzzles usually sit inside a larger expedition rather than interrupting the adventure as isolated logic challenges.
- Treasure-hunting locations provide visual variety and a clear sense of geographic progression.
- Large action sequences create the same “keep moving while the world falls apart” momentum found in Tomb Raider’s major set pieces.
What feels different
Uncharted is generally more linear. You may find optional collectibles and small detours, but you are usually following a carefully authored route rather than opening a hub, gaining a tool, and returning later. Combat encounters and scripted spectacle also occupy more of the runtime, while Tomb Raider gives more space to solitary traversal, resource management, and optional tombs.
Choose Uncharted when you want a polished, film-like treasure hunt. Do not choose it expecting the same degree of free backtracking or platforming precision as the Survivor Trilogy.
Best for exploration and traversal abilities: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the strongest substitute for players who enjoy unlocking an ability, noticing previously unreachable routes, and revisiting an area with a new movement option. It released on April 28, 2023, and its planets are organized as open zones rather than one uninterrupted open world.
Rank #2
- The Critically Acclaimed Action Adventure - In Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara uncovers an ancient mystery that places her in the cross-hairs of a ruthless organization known as Trinity. As she races to find the secret before Trinity, the trail leads to a myth about the Lost City of Kitezh.
- NEW "Blood Ties" Single Player Story - In the wake of her father
- NEW "Blood Ties" Nightmare - Lara
- NEW 20 Year Celebration Content - Five classic Lara Croft skins as well as a reimagined outfit that pays tribute to Lara
- NEW Endurance Mode Co-Op: You and a friend must scrounge, scavenge and craft to survive the harsh elements by day, as well as lethal threats from enemies, both man and beast, by night. This is the ultimate test to see how long you and a friend can survive the sprawling, unforgiving landscapes. Fire takes fuel, cold kills the unprepared, food restores health, and everything must be caught, collected, or crafted. You start with nothing and must find everything. Work together and challenge others to your longest survival run and battle to the top of the leaderboards.Includes all DLC - Includes all downloadable content that will extend your single-player campaign and will allow you to compete with friends. Three major releases will challenge you to survive the extreme conditions of Endurance Mode, explore a new tomb that houses an ancient terror in Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch, and combat waves of infected predators in Cold Darkness Awakened. In addition, new outfits, weapons, and Expedition Cards will keep you customizing, expanding, and challenging your friends to new adventures.
Why its exploration loop works
Cal Kestis gains traversal and Force abilities that change how spaces can be read. A ledge that looked decorative may become a route after a new power is learned; a blocked passage can lead to an optional chamber rather than a dead end. This ability-gated structure resembles Tomb Raider’s habit of placing a visible obstacle first and providing the solution later.
The difference is that Jedi: Survivor makes combat a larger part of the loop. Lightsaber stances, Force powers, enemy types, and difficult encounters give the game a more systemic action identity. The worlds are science-fiction environments rather than archaeological sites, so the visual language is alien planets, Imperial facilities, and hidden settlements instead of historical ruins.
Choose it if
- You want revisitable zones instead of mostly linear chapters.
- You enjoy finding optional routes after unlocking movement abilities.
- You want exploration paired with demanding melee combat.
- You are happy to trade archaeology for Star Wars world-building.
Best for historical puzzles: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the clearest choice for players who want historical adventure, ruins, investigation, and explicit puzzle solving. It was released on December 9, 2024, and sends Indy through Italy, Egypt, the Himalayas, and Shanghai.
How it differs from Tomb Raider
The game places more emphasis on investigation and the fantasy of being an archaeologist. You are not simply moving from one combat arena to the next: main missions and side adventures both include puzzles, clues, and locations worth examining. Indy’s whip works as a traversal tool and as part of combat, creating a distinct alternative to Lara’s bow, climbing axe, and rope systems.
Its hub-based structure gives you room to look around, follow leads, and solve optional problems. That makes it a better fit than Uncharted if puzzle density is your priority. It is still an action adventure, however, so stealth, improvised weapons, and confrontations remain important parts of the experience.
Choose it if
- You prefer real historical settings to science fiction or mythological worlds.
- You want puzzles in both the main route and optional adventures.
- You like a first-person perspective and an investigator’s toolkit rather than Lara’s third-person movement.
- You want a globe-spanning expedition with a strong archaeological identity.
Best for pure platforming: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown prioritizes movement more than any other game on this list. Its interconnected world is built around jumps, wall movement, timing, air control, and abilities that expand the map. If the part of Tomb Raider you remember most is reaching a difficult ledge or crossing a dangerous traversal sequence, this is the specialist recommendation.
The important format difference
The game uses a 2.5D presentation rather than Tomb Raider’s fully 3D third-person spaces. You explore a side-on world with depth, but the camera and level geometry are designed around precision platforming. That makes movement more exact and demanding, while reducing the feeling of physically circling a ruin or surveying a landscape from Lara’s perspective.
Puzzles are usually tied to movement, timing, and environmental manipulation. Combat is substantial, but traversal is the reason to play. Select it when platforming is your first priority, not when you specifically want realistic archaeology or cinematic gunfights.
Best for a large world and ranged combat: Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn expands Tomb Raider’s exploration idea into a large open world filled with machines, settlements, side quests, and environmental lore. Its release date was February 28, 2017. The setting is a distant post-apocalyptic future, so its ruins are remnants of a lost technological civilization rather than the historical tombs that define Lara’s adventures.
Where it overlaps
- Exploration rewards attention to the landscape and hidden locations.
- Stealth and ranged attacks let you study an encounter before committing to it.
- A strong central mystery encourages you to investigate the world’s history.
- Optional activities make the map feel broader than a sequence of story missions.
Its climbing and puzzle work are less central than Tomb Raider’s. You spend more time tracking machines, choosing ammunition, targeting weak points, and managing a wide open-world route. Choose Horizon Zero Dawn if you want scale, lore, and tactical ranged combat; choose another recommendation if you want frequent tomb chambers and precision platforming.
Best for mythological storytelling: God of War (2018)
God of War (2018) is a strong choice when the appeal of Tomb Raider is character-driven adventure in a richly imagined world. It uses semi-open regions connected by a focused journey, with optional paths, environmental puzzles, hidden areas, and a substantial combat system.
The game is more combat- and narrative-led than Tomb Raider. The Leviathan Axe, shield, runic abilities, and enemy encounters define much of the moment-to-moment play, while traversal usually supports the journey instead of becoming the main mechanical challenge. Puzzles are present and often integrated into mythological environments, but they are not as consistently foregrounded as exploration and combat.
Choose it for emotional storytelling, mythological world-building, and rewarding side areas. It is a weaker match if your priority is realistic ruins, climbing chains, or a large number of optional tomb-style rooms.
Best for a fully open historical world: Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima turns the historical-adventure side of Tomb Raider into a fully open world. You explore the island’s landscapes, follow main and side stories, uncover activities, and fight primarily with melee weapons. The world structure is much freer than Tomb Raider’s set-level design.
Rank #4
- Live the critically acclaimed, cinematic action-adventure, re-built specifically for next gen consoles
- Survive high-octane combat, customize Lara's weapons and gear, and overcome grueling environments to uncover the island's deadly secret
- See Lara Croft like never before, with every bead of sweat, strand of hair, and article of clothing delivered in obsessive detail
- Endure a stunningly re-imagined island, fraught with new, unforgiving storms, and alive with motion
- Own the complete Tomb Raider experience with all of the DLC, including the Tomb of the Lost Adventurer, six outfits for Lara, a digital mini art book, and the digital comic "The Beginning
The game’s landscapes, hidden locations, and guided exploration can satisfy the desire to travel through a visually coherent historical setting. Its strongest mechanical focus is sword combat, stance selection, stealth, and open-world activity design rather than environmental puzzles. Traversal helps you reach objectives, but it is not built around long chains of precision jumps.
Pick Ghost of Tsushima when freedom, atmosphere, and melee combat matter more than tomb puzzles. It is a broad historical adventure, not a direct replacement for Lara’s climbing-and-puzzle rhythm.
Recommended Free Tools
Best for freer exploration and seafaring: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the most expansive and mechanically different recommendation. It combines historical exploration, treasure hunting, freerunning, island travel, and ship combat in an open Caribbean world.
Why Tomb Raider fans may enjoy it
- Ruins, islands, and hidden locations create a strong sense of discovery.
- Climbing and freerunning make cities and outposts readable as vertical spaces.
- Treasure maps and optional objectives reward players who leave the main route.
- Historical adventure remains central even though the scale is much larger.
The trade-off is focus. Ship upgrades, naval battles, open-world travel, and stealth missions take up significant time, while dedicated environmental puzzles are less prominent. Choose it when “exploration” means freedom to roam, sail, and collect rather than solving a succession of authored tomb mechanisms.
Choose your next game by the Tomb Raider feature you miss
If you want the closest overall formula
Play the Definitive Survivor Trilogy. It is the only recommendation that reproduces the complete combination of Lara’s movement, combat, puzzles, locations, and story arc.
If you want cinematic ruins and set pieces
Choose Uncharted. Expect a mostly linear campaign, frequent action sequences, and traversal designed for spectacle.
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Choose Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Its open zones and revisitable planets make new abilities meaningful, while lightsaber combat supplies a stronger action focus.
Best Value
- Reveal the Mysteries of the Past: The classic story has been expanded with deeper connections that bridge Lara Croft’s defining adventure to her future.
- Discover Extraordinary and Dangerous Worlds Lost to Time: Explore treacherous landscapes filled with ancient artifacts and hidden secrets, from the jungles of Peru to the crumbling ruins of Greece, the deserts of Egypt, and a mysterious island shrouded in myth.
- Skillfully Traverse Deadly Environments: Use Lara’s strength, agility, and grappling hook to climb, leap, and swing across perilous terrain.
- Solve Ingenious Ancient Contraptions: Manipulate water flow, redirect light beams, activate pressure plates, and decipher symbols to unseal secrets locked away for centuries. Every solution combines knowledge you’ve uncovered and clever thinking.
- Face Lethal Predators: Armed with Lara’s iconic dual pistols and other unlockable weapons, master acrobatic abilities to unleash devastating attacks against savage wildlife, mercenaries, and mythological creatures.
If you want the most explicit historical puzzle solving
Choose Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Its Italy, Egypt, Himalayas, and Shanghai settings, whip-based toolkit, and puzzles in main and side adventures make it the best archaeology-centered alternative.
If you want the most demanding platforming
Choose Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Its 2.5D structure changes the camera and spatial feel, but its movement challenges are more concentrated than those of the other games here.
If you want a larger open world
Choose Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, or Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag depending on whether you prefer science-fiction ranged combat, historical melee combat, or seafaring exploration.
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- Start with Uncharted if you want the smoothest transition from a cinematic Tomb Raider campaign.
- Move to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle if puzzles and historical locations matter more than gunfights.
- Play Star Wars Jedi: Survivor when you are ready for larger zones, ability-based backtracking, and tougher combat.
- Try Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for a focused platforming challenge.
- Choose Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, or Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag when you want to trade authored tomb sequences for open-world freedom.
Common expectation traps
“Open world” does not mean “more Tomb Raider”
Open-world games provide more freedom to travel, but they often have fewer tightly authored puzzle rooms. If you want carefully staged traversal and a high concentration of ruins, a hub-based or linear game may be a better match than the largest map.
Platforming can mean different things
Tomb Raider’s movement usually asks you to read a 3D environment and follow a readable route. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown instead demands precision in a 2.5D space. Both are platforming, but the skills are not identical.
Puzzle density is not the same as puzzle difficulty
A game may contain many environmental puzzles that are easy to understand, while another may offer fewer but more demanding challenges. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the strongest recommendation for frequent puzzle solving; the other games use puzzles more selectively.
Story-led games may limit your freedom
Uncharted and God of War use directed storytelling to control pacing and character development. That structure can make a campaign feel purposeful, but it also means less wandering than in Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, or Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
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For the broadest and safest recommendation, choose Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy. For a different series, Uncharted is the nearest cinematic substitute, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the best exploration-and-abilities alternative, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the strongest historical puzzle adventure, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the platforming specialist. The remaining choices are best when you specifically want a larger open world, heavier combat, mythological storytelling, or seafaring freedom rather than a direct Tomb Raider replacement.
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