Single-player games like The Merlies
Below are 10 single-player Steam games similar to The Merlies, ranked by player overlap. Every pick carries Steam's Single-player category, so multiplayer-only titles or always-online games don't sneak in. imho.run pulls the category data from Steam directly — Single-player here matches what the store labels.
Want the full alternatives list (paid + free + Steam Deck + cheaper picks)? See the parent games like The Merlies page.
Ranked picks
- 1
Deer & Boy
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Merlies.
In this poetic cinematic platformer, a runaway boy meets a fawn. As their bond grows, so do their abilities and the emotional weight of their journey, where silence speaks louder than words.
- 2
Primal Planet
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Merlies.
Unveil a heartfelt story of family, dinosaurs, and UFOs! Craft, upgrade, and survive in a realm of primeval predators, savage tribes and... ancient aliens. Rise from a humble cave dweller to the planet’s last hope — alone or in local co-op. Welcome to the dinovania!
- 3
Spiritfarer®: Farewell Edition
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Merlies.
Spiritfarer® is a cozy management game about dying. As ferrymaster to the deceased, build a boat to explore the world, care for your spirit friends, and release them into the afterlife. The Spiritfarer Farewell Edition includes the heartwarming base game and three major content updates.
- 4
The Wild at Heart
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Merlies.
Wield an ever-growing herd of quirky creatures to rebuild broken paths, battle perilous beasts, and solve peculiar puzzles in a rich, interconnected world. Join two young runaways as they unravel the mysteries of a lost realm in this nostalgic storybook fantasy!
- 5
Winter Burrow
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Merlies.
Winter Burrow is a cozy woodland survival game about a mouse returning home to restore their childhood burrow. Explore, gather resources, craft, knit warm sweaters, bake pies and meet the locals.
- 6
Terra Nil
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie with The Merlies.
Terra Nil is an intricate environmental strategy game about transforming a barren wasteland into a thriving, balanced ecosystem. Bring life back to a lifeless world by purifying soil, cleaning oceans, planting trees, and reintroducing wildlife, then leave without a trace.
- 7
Core Keeper
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Merlies.
Explore a vast cavern of creatures, relics and resources in a mining sandbox adventure for 1-8 players. Mine, build, fight, craft and farm to unravel the mystery of the ancient Core.
- 8
Öoo
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Merlies.
A Bomb Caterpillar's Big Adventure! "Öoo" is a charming yet mysterious exploration puzzle platformer where you discover creative ways to use bombs!
- 9
Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Merlies.
Adapted from the bestselling children’s book series Pierre The Maze Detective, play as Pierre in this adventure/puzzle game and recover the stolen Maze Stone. Journey through breathtakingly hand-drawn illustrations, meet eccentric characters, and solve puzzles to save Opera City!
- 10
Californium
Single-player alternative to The Merlies — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Merlies.
Taking the form of a first-person experience of a bad trip, Californium pays homage to sci-fi legend Philip K. Dick by transporting you into the life of a writer searching for his own identity. Explore, solve the riddles and conduct your investigation. Will you find what’s behind the simulacra ?