Games like Sludge Department
Below are 19 hand-picked alternatives to Sludge Department for fans of indie, adventure, 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 Sludge Department 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. Sections below cover closest matches, reviewer cross-mentions, free-to-play picks, and Steam Deck–friendly options. No login required — these picks work anchor-only.
About Sludge Department: A murky point-and-click puzzle game where a straightforward repair job gets stranger the deeper you go. Solve 2D and 3D puzzles, meet weird characters, and figure out what is happening below the sludge.
Players who liked Sludge Department also play
Ranked by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries plus content overlap on genres, tags, and developers.
- 1
Antim Yatra
Top pick for Sludge Department fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
A journalist driven by family legacy set to explore the Belgharh station. While the whole world ages, the station remains trapped in 1940s, following a tragic derailment. Explore a perfectly preserved snapshot of the past, face the heavy atmosphere of a terminal stuck in time, and uncover the truth.
- 2
RATSHAKER™
Second-strongest match for Sludge Department fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
RATSHAKER™ is the fun and quirky solution to all your rat problems! Hold on to the RAT, shake your arm, and watch life’s problems disappear! How far can you go?
- 3
The Warrior
Third-strongest match for Sludge Department fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
A unique platforming experience where the protagonist, story, and mechanics are constantly changing. Take control of legendary warriors, giant worms, greedy kings, and lazy demons, each with their own purpose.
- 4
5 nights at Timokha 4: School
Ranked #4 for Sludge Department fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
Continuation of the legendary saga about the naughty Timokha and his delicious pie!
- 5
The Baby In Yellow
Ranked #5 for Sludge Department fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
You've got a new babysitting job, and things are taking a turn for the weird. Feed him, read him a bedtime story, and try not to fall into his dreams. How long can you stay in control?
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KRAMPEN
Ranked #6 for Sludge Department fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
Immerse yourself in the winter forest and help a lost soul to find a piece of itself. What is awaiting you there.. or who?
- 7
Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut
Ranked #7 for Sludge Department fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
You're here to slay the princess. Don't believe her lies.
- 8
Strange Antiquities
Ranked #8 for Sludge Department fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
Become the custodian of a store dealing in occult antiquities. Explore the quaint and gloomy town of Undermere, where strange goings-on and dark mysteries abound. Find and identify arcane artefacts, use your collection to aid the townsfolk with their unusual problems — and remember to pet your cat!
Free alternatives
Free-to-play games that recommended players of this title also tend to enjoy.
- 1
Doki Doki Literature Club!
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Casual with Sludge Department.
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
- 2
Life is Strange - Episode 1
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Adventure with Sludge Department.
Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.
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Ultimate Custom Night
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Sludge Department.
Welcome to the ultimate FNAF mashup, featuring 50 selectable characters and custom difficulties!
- 5
Bongo Cat
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Sludge Department.
Bongo cat needs your help. Bongo cat needz more hatz!!! Every time you press a key, Bongo cat will punch your taskbar. Type, click, play, work to collect more points. Which hats will you find?
- 6
ENA: Dream BBQ
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.
- 7
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Casual with Sludge Department.
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
- 8
Indigo Park: Chapter 1
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
Explore the abandoned childhood wonder of Indigo Park! Guided by Rambley the Raccoon, help restore power to the destroyed amusement park while you run from the reason it shut down.
Narrow it down
Head-to-head comparisons
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
- 1
RATSHAKER™
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
RATSHAKER™ is the fun and quirky solution to all your rat problems! Hold on to the RAT, shake your arm, and watch life’s problems disappear! How far can you go?
- 2
Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
You're here to slay the princess. Don't believe her lies.
- 3
Strange Antiquities
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Indie and Adventure with Sludge Department.
Become the custodian of a store dealing in occult antiquities. Explore the quaint and gloomy town of Undermere, where strange goings-on and dark mysteries abound. Find and identify arcane artefacts, use your collection to aid the townsfolk with their unusual problems — and remember to pet your cat!
Frequently asked about Sludge Department
- What games are most similar to Sludge Department?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Sludge Department are Antim Yatra, RATSHAKER™, The Warrior.
- Who developed Sludge Department?
- Sludge Department was developed by Simon Juhl and published by Lunch Money Games.
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 Sludge Department.
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