65%Strong matchThe Quest
87%48287% positive reviews, Very Positive across 482 reviews·Dungeon Crawler · Grid-Based Movement
—







Islands of the Caliph is an old-school inspired action RPG based on Middle Eastern folklore and Islamic spiritual tradition. A KEYBOARD ONLY 1980s style Dungeon Crawler with an open world.
Features KEYBOARD ONLY input and other classic limitations to invoke that 1980s vibe. Please play the free demo to see if this is something you are interested in playing. Designed by solo developer Schmidt Workshops. Islands of the Caliph imagines an ancient, seafaring civilization based on Middle Eastern folklore and Islamic spiritual traditions. It is an action RPG inspired by classics like Might & Magic, Questron, Alternate Reality and more. It incorporates some of the gameplay elements of those older games, like grid based movement, and combines them with real-time combat to create a more immediate hybrid gameplay.

Numerous mythical and dangerous beasts lurk in waiting as you explore and discover new lands. From giant spiders and scorpions, to more supernatural beings like ghouls and jinn, Islands of the Caliph will introduce players to some of the creatures of folklore of Arab, Persian and African cultures among others.

Weapons include some familiar items along with those particular to the Middle East like scimitars, shamshirs and jambiyah among others.

As you explore, your map with be updated automatically. Use it to keep track of your location and to discover new routes of exploration. A small mini map appears in the corner of the screen while exploring, but you can open it to view the whole area when needed. There is also a world map that will help orient the player and assist in finding quest locations. The player must explore this open world and discover the game's primary quest(s) for themselves. The game seeks to capture some of the open-endedness of some classic, RPGs allowing the player take a number of different possible paths to the end. Choices the player makes will set them on a course of action suited to their style of play. Some of these may allow players to reach new heights of spiritual awakening, while others may bring disaster down upon themselves or on all the Islands of the Caliph, it is your choice!
Steam data © 2026 Valve Corporation. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
All matches
Finding similar games…
The QuestShares Retro · Grid-Based Movement · First-Person , adds Dungeon Crawler87% · 482 positive reviews65%Strong match—
Under The IslandShares Action RPG · Fantasy · Pixel Graphics , adds Exploration93% · 487 positive reviews67%Strong match—
Exiled KingdomsShares Action RPG · Fantasy · Pixel Graphics , adds Open World85% · 528 positive reviews66%Strong match—
VaporumShares Action RPG · Grid-Based Movement · First-Person , adds Dungeon Crawler85% · 955 positive reviews65%Strong match—
Of Ash and SteelShares Action RPG · Choices Matter · Fantasy , adds Medieval66% · 7k positive reviews63%Good match—
SWORDHAVENShares Action RPG · Choices Matter · CRPG , adds Isometric83% · 254 positive reviews65%Strong match—All matches
The best games like Islands of the Caliph are The Quest, Under The Island, Exiled Kingdoms, Vaporum, and Of Ash and Steel.
Match on: filter matches for Islands of the Caliph by tag
Filters all matches
65%+Strong matches
50%+Good matches