Games like Upstream
Below are 8 hand-picked alternatives to Upstream for fans of indie, casual, ranked by imho.run's hybrid recommender. Each pick is scored on three signals: collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries (which players who logged hours in Upstream also play), content overlap on genres, categories, and storefront tags, and review-mined "vibe" embeddings that catch tonal similarity even when the genre label differs. No login required — these picks work anchor-only.
About Upstream: A physics-based upstream paddling challenge where every move matters. Navigate treacherous waters, dodge deadly obstacles, and fight against the current—but one wrong touch shatters your fragile glass boat, sending you back downstream. A brutally hilarious test of patience and skill.
Players who liked Upstream also play
Ranked by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries plus content overlap on genres, tags, and developers.
- 1
Unaccessible
Top pick for Upstream fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Casual with Upstream.
Unaccessible is a third-person wheelchair platformer about struggling to get a health insurance claim approved on a mysterious island without accessibility ramps. Tackle stairs, climb obstacles and hop your way through the pain of the claims approval process.
- 2
Squeebing Up the Tower of Friendship
Second-strongest match for Upstream fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Casual with Upstream.
Can you make it to the top of the Tower of Friendship? Run, jump, climb, fall, and then do it all again. Play by yourself or with your friends. Be nice and lay down to make jumps easier for others, or push each other off when the falls are the highest. But whatever you do, never stop squeebing.
- 3
Unblock
Third-strongest match for Upstream fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Casual with Upstream.
Unblock is a little pseudo-isometric platformer about resilience and the power of never giving up. Jump your way through colorful, handcrafted worlds that are as cute as they are challenging, and help Devon as he escapes the cubic realm to reclaim his ordinary life.
- 4
Drunk: Relapsed
Ranked #4 for Upstream fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries.
Drunk: Relapsed is a challenging and comedic 3D adventure. You will need to stumble and hop through the treacherous streets and alleys to reach the safety of your house. On your journey you'll be able to collect drinks to unlock new outfits.
- 5
Omega
Ranked #5 for Upstream fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Casual with Upstream.
A difficult precision platformer set in a surreal world. Overcome challenging environments with extreme jumps and overwhelming obstacles as you face a constant challenge on your way to the summit. Are you ready for the challenge?
- 6
POLE VAULT
Ranked #6 for Upstream fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Casual with Upstream.
You are a stretchy little newt who loves to pole vault.
- 7
Trap Trek: Ultimate Other Me
Ranked #7 for Upstream fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Casual with Upstream.
A super-challenging action game where you use the Avatar System to spot traps and aim for the goal in each stage.
- 8
Late for Class: Variety King
Ranked #8 for Upstream fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie with Upstream.
Use 9 movement mechanics to climb your way to school. 'Late for Class' is a tribute to punishing games that are difficult, frustrating, yet somehow satisfying. Expect lots of falling and getting back up!
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Frequently asked about Upstream
- How much does Upstream cost?
- Upstream is listed on Steam at 1.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
- What games are most similar to Upstream?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Upstream are Unaccessible, Squeebing Up the Tower of Friendship, Unblock.
- Who developed Upstream?
- Upstream was developed by Icarus.
imho.run ranks Steam game alternatives using a mix of collaborative filtering (ALS / iALS / EASE / LightGCN), content scoring over genres, categories, Steam tags, developers, and publishers, plus AI-extracted vibes mined from review text. The page above is generated in seed mode anchored on Upstream.
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