- #1 What Remains of Edith Finch
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 52,461 reviews2017
Dev: Giant SparrowPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 6.3 hrs≥1hr: 88%
What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of strange tales about a family in Washington state. As Edith, you’ll explore the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she's the last one in her family left alive.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 57.6%, Exploration 12.2%, First-Person 10.7%, Indie 8.6%, Emotional 6.3%
Why You'll Like It: It is the gold standard for environmental storytelling, using unique, short vignettes to explore the lives and deaths of a family.
- #2 Gone Home
96% matchMostly Positive77% of 18,436 reviews2013
Dev: Fullbright
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 4.4 hrs≥1hr: 81%
June 7th, 1995. 1:15 AM. You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something's not right. Where is everyone? And what's happened here? Unravel the mystery for yourself in Gone Home, a story exploration game from The Fullbright Company.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 72.8%, Exploration 8.3%, Indie 8.1%, First-Person 5.6%, Emotional 2.4%
Why You'll Like It: Like 9.03m, this game relies on examining everyday objects to piece together a deeply personal and emotional narrative.
- #3 Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
95% matchMixed68% of 2,154 reviews2016
Dev: The Chinese RoomPub: PlayStation Publishing LLC
Windows
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 71%
Featuring a beautiful, detailed open-world and a haunting soundtrack, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is non-linear storytelling at its best.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 74.5%, Indie 11.5%, Exploration 7.1%, First-Person 5.9%, Singleplayer 0.9%
Why You'll Like It: This game excels at creating a sense of loss and reflection through the exploration of a deserted, beautiful environment.
- #4 Before I Forget
94% matchVery Positive89% of 212 reviews2020
Dev: 3-Fold Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 2.9 hrs≥1hr: 70%
A woman alone in a house. A mystery and a love story. Explore the present to uncover the past, in a short story of love and loss and a life well-lived. A narrative exploration game that examines a world where memories are constantly fading and jumbled.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 34.9%, Beautiful 20.9% ★, Emotional 15.7%, Indie 10.6%, Exploration 10%
Why You'll Like It: A short, emotional exploration of memory and identity that shares the intimate, character-focused nature of the seed game.
- #5 Marie's Room
94% matchVery Positive93% of 6,688 reviews2018
Dev: Kenny Guillaume
Windows
Median: 54 minMean: 14.7 hrs≥1hr: 42%
Marie's Room is a short story exploration game about an unconventional friendship between two classmates. You play as Kelsey, remembering Marie's room as it was twenty years ago. But something’s off. What happened to Marie?
Why similar: Walking Simulator 58%, Indie 16.3%, Exploration 13.4%, First-Person 9.9%, Singleplayer 2.3%
Why You'll Like It: A short, free-to-play experience that uses environmental storytelling to reveal a poignant story about memory and loss.
- #6 The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
93% matchVery Positive88% of 8,976 reviews2014
Dev: The Astronauts
Windows
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 4.0 hrs≥1hr: 88%
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a first-person story-driven mystery. Purchase this game to get both the original and the Unreal Engine 4 remaster called The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Redux.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 61.7%, Exploration 13.7%, First-Person 11.6%, Indie 6.8%, Beautiful 4.3% ★
Why You'll Like It: It combines stunning, realistic environments with a melancholic mystery that rewards careful observation.
- #7 The Beginner's Guide
91% matchVery Positive88% of 23,485 reviews2015
Dev: Everything Unlimited Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.6 hrsMean: 2.2 hrs≥1hr: 85%
The Beginner's Guide is a narrative video game from Davey Wreden, the creator of The Stanley Parable. It lasts about an hour and a half and has no traditional mechanics, no goals or objectives. Instead, it tells the story of a person struggling to deal with something they do not understand.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 51.1%, Experimental 15.5%, Indie 12.4%, Emotional 10.3%, First-Person 8.6%
Why You'll Like It: An experimental, short-form game that focuses on the relationship between the player and the creator's intent.
- #8 Fragments of Him
92% matchVery Positive84% of 148 reviews2016
Dev: Sassybot
Windows
Median: 2.9 hrsMean: 3.7 hrs≥1hr: 92%
An emotional and immersive game about a man named Will and the people close to him. Experience his life through a story about love, memories and hope.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 44.2%, Emotional 16.1%, Interactive Fiction 15.6%, Indie 13.2%, First-Person 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: A deeply emotional and short narrative experience that focuses on the impact of a life lost, mirroring the humanizing intent of 9.03m.
- #9 Firewatch
91% matchVery Positive91% of 99,247 reviews2016
Dev: Campo SantoPub: Panic
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 13.5 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Firewatch is a single-player first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 63.2%, Exploration 13.2%, First-Person 12.1%, Indie 9.1%, Singleplayer 2.5%
Why You'll Like It: While more narrative-heavy, it captures the same feeling of isolation and reflective exploration in a beautiful, natural setting.
- #10 Proteus
89% matchMostly Positive76% of 2,798 reviews2013
Dev: Ed Key and David KanagaPub: Twisted Tree
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 18 minMean: 2.1 hrs≥1hr: 18%
Proteus is a game about exploration and immersion in a dream-like island world where the soundtrack to your play is created by your surroundings. Played in first-person, the primary means of interaction is simply your presence in the world and how you observe it.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 41%, Experimental 16.4%, Exploration 14%, Beautiful 11.5% ★, Indie 11.2%
Why You'll Like It: A relaxing, experimental exploration game where the environment reacts to your presence through sound and color.
- #11 Home is Where One Starts...
89% matchMostly Positive77% of 721 reviews2015
Dev: David Wehle
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.8 hrsMean: 3.6 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Home is Where One Starts... is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, hope, and the miracle of memory. You play as a little girl from a broken home somewhere in the American South.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 58.3%, Indie 21.3%, First-Person 12.1%, Exploration 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: A short, first-person exploration game that focuses on nostalgia and the quiet beauty of a childhood home.
- #12 Unpacking
86% matchVery Positive93% of 40,663 reviews2021
Dev: Witch BeamPub: Balor Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking.
Why similar: Indie 82.9%, Singleplayer 17.1%
Why You'll Like It: It tells a life story entirely through the objects you organize, emphasizing the emotional weight of physical items.
- #13 Off-Peak
87% matchVery Positive89% of 1,838 reviews2016
Dev: Cosmo DPub: Cosmo D Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 54 minMean: 44.2 hrs≥1hr: 43%
You're stranded at a cathedral-like train station in the near future, searching for a ticket out of town. Explore the secret passageways, interact with strangers, dig for records, and get hypnotized by the soundtrack – a batch of original music courtesy of the band, Archie Pelago.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 62%, Indie 20.3%, First-Person 10.1%, Exploration 6.4%, Singleplayer 1.1%
Why You'll Like It: A surreal, atmospheric, and short exploration game that prioritizes mood and environmental detail over traditional mechanics.
- #14 Thirty Flights of Loving
88% matchMixed64% of 1,903 reviews2012
Dev: Blendo Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 30 minMean: 54 min≥1hr: 19%
This surprising first-person story tells the tale of a heist gone wrong. Encounter high-flying schemers, lovelorn criminals, and more stray kittens than you can shake a stick at.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 34.1%, Experimental 27.6%, Interactive Fiction 12.4%, Exploration 9.3%, First-Person 9%
Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in short-form, experimental storytelling that conveys a complex narrative without a single word of dialogue.
- #15 The Old City: Leviathan
86% matchMostly Positive72% of 745 reviews2014
Dev: PostMod Softworks
Windows
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 3.5 hrs≥1hr: 61%
The Old City: Leviathan is an experiment in first person exploration that focuses entirely on story. All that exists is you and the world. Set in a decaying city from a civilization long past, The Old City: Leviathan puts the player in the shoes of a sewer dwelling isolationist.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 62.5%, Exploration 15.6%, Indie 12.1%, First-Person 9.8%
Why You'll Like It: A philosophical and atmospheric walking simulator that rewards players for exploring every corner of its decaying world.
- #16 NaissanceE
85% matchVery Positive84% of 4,402 reviews2014
Dev: Limasse Five
Windows
Median: 42 minMean: 3.8 hrs≥1hr: 44%
NaissanceE is an obscure and magical first person exploration game, a philosophical trip and an artistic experience. The adventure takes place in a primitive mysterious structure and the game mainly consists to explore and feel the deep and strong ambiance of this atemporal world.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 44.5%, Exploration 19.9%, Indie 15.2%, First-Person 11%, Beautiful 8.6% ★
Why You'll Like It: An abstract, atmospheric exploration game that emphasizes scale and the feeling of being small in a vast, mysterious space.
- #17 Tacoma
84% matchVery Positive86% of 4,801 reviews2017
Dev: Fullbright
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 4.5 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Tacoma is a sci-fi narrative adventure from the creators of Gone Home. Set aboard a high-tech space station in the year 2088, explore every detail of how the station’s crew lived and worked, finding the clues that add up to a gripping story of trust, fear, and resolve in the face of disaster.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 63%, Indie 13.2%, Exploration 11.9%, First-Person 10.2%, Singleplayer 1.7%
Why You'll Like It: It uses augmented reality recordings to let you piece together the lives of people who have left a space, similar to piecing together a tragedy.
- #18 The Unfinished Swan
84% matchVery Positive83% of 2,018 reviews2020
Dev: Giant SparrowPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 76%
From the creators of What Remains of Edith Finch. Enter the surreal world of The Unfinished Swan and explore a mysterious, hidden kingdom by splatting paint to reveal the world around you.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 35.7%, Exploration 20.1%, Indie 18.9%, Beautiful 13.7% ★, First-Person 9.9%
Why You'll Like It: An experimental, beautiful game that uses a unique mechanic to reveal a world, much like the discovery process in 9.03m.
- #19 TIMEframe
83% matchMixed66% of 710 reviews2015
Dev: Random Seed Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 49.9 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Time is relative. Sometimes 10 seconds can feel like an eternity... In TIMEframe you will discover a world in slow motion. Explore the remnants of a mysterious civilization on the brink of destruction.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 58.7%, Indie 19%, Exploration 12.1%, First-Person 10.2%
Why You'll Like It: A short, experimental game that allows you to observe the slow decay of a world, echoing the themes of time and loss.
- #20 Sunlight
82% matchMostly Positive75% of 464 reviews2021
Dev: Krillbite Studio
Windows
Median: 36 minMean: 2.4 hrs≥1hr: 20%
Traverse a harmonious hand painted forest in this first person hike. ☀️The trees guide you with gentle whispers, as you explore a philosophical story.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 44.5%, Experimental 36%, Emotional 17.3%, Indie 1.6%, Singleplayer 0.6%
Why You'll Like It: A short, abstract, and experimental experience that uses voiceover and environment to create a meditative mood.
- #21 Answer Knot
81% matchVery Positive89% of 745 reviews2019
Dev: Naraven
Windows
A short narrative and exploration game about Zach, June, and a strange phenomenon. You're Zach and, stuck in your home, you will do everything to keep hearing June's voice messages. What is happening out there?
Why similar: Walking Simulator 35.2%, Indie 24.6%, Interactive Fiction 14.5%, Emotional 13.2%, First-Person 12.4%
Why You'll Like It: A short, first-person interactive fiction game that focuses on narration and the discovery of a personal story.
- #22 Scanner Sombre
80% matchVery Positive90% of 4,552 reviews2017
Dev: Introversion Software
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.2 hrsMean: 2.6 hrs≥1hr: 54%
Scanner Sombre is a 3d horror cave exploration game where darkness is your greatest foe. Illuminate the unseen with your LIDAR scanner, revealing the eerie beauty and peril of the abyss. From the creators of Prison Architect, this immersive adventure uses light and shadow for a haunting experience.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 57.7%, Exploration 17.6%, Indie 13.6%, First-Person 9.4%, Singleplayer 1.7%
Why You'll Like It: It offers a unique, experimental way to explore a dark environment, focusing on the act of discovery itself.
- #23 A Short Hike
78% matchOverwhelmingly Positive99% of 22,603 reviews2019
Dev: adamgryu
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.7 hrsMean: 5.9 hrs≥1hr: 79%
Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.4%, Exploration 25.1%, Beautiful 24.9% ★, Indie 21.2%, Singleplayer 2.4%
Why You'll Like It: While more uplifting, it captures the same focus on short, meaningful exploration and environmental beauty.
- #24 Dream
82% matchMixed56% of 996 reviews2015
Dev: HyperSloth
Windows
Median: 2.2 hrsMean: 4.1 hrs≥1hr: 76%
Dream is an exploration game that takes place within the subconscious mind of Howard Phillips, a young man whose waking hours are tedious and dull, but whose dreams are lucid and powerful.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 44.9%, Indie 18%, Exploration 14.9%, Beautiful 13.2% ★, First-Person 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: A surreal, atmospheric exploration game that focuses on the internal world of the protagonist.
- #25 Pluviophile
79% matchVery Positive89% of 323 reviews2020
Dev: Tonguç Bodur
Windows
Pluviophile is a very short experience about the mood of rain in the woods.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 48.3%, Beautiful 17.1% ★, Indie 16.6%, Exploration 11.3%, First-Person 5.1%
Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric experience that focuses on the sensory details of a rainy environment.
- #26 Reaching for Petals
81% matchMostly Positive75% of 204 reviews2017
Dev: Blue Entropy Studios
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Reaching for Petals is a poetic adventure about love, loss, and ambition. You will travel to the peak of the ever-reaching mountain to uncover the true nature of your mysterious and seemingly unguided journey.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 66.9%, Indie 33.1%
Why You'll Like It: A short, narrative-driven walking simulator that focuses on the beauty of nature and the passage of time.
- #27 Condo
76% matchVery Positive97% of 230 reviews2025
Dev: FlubbedMachina
Windows · Mac
Unable to sleep, you navigate a quiet condo complex. There's no rush - just you, the building, its inhabitants, and the stories they hold.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 42.6%, Emotional 15.2%, Interactive Fiction 12.3%, Exploration 11.7%, First-Person 9.4%
- #28 Memento Mori
77% matchVery Positive81% of 74 reviews2024
Dev: Shea KellyPub: WolfWare Studios
Windows
A game for the ones we lost on the way. Memento Mori is a surreal walking simulator that combines a minimalistic art style and a show don't tell story, focused on dealing with loss.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 63%, Emotional 16.1%, Indie 12.6%, First-Person 7.3%, Singleplayer 1%
- #29 A SECOND BEFORE US
79% matchMixed57% of 106 reviews2017
Dev: DimleTeam
Windows
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 4.6 hrs≥1hr: 98%
They have no names, only serial numbers. They have no freedom, no memories from the past. You are one of them. Explore the last center of civilization on a shattered Earth to understand what is really going on.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 54.6%, Indie 27%, Exploration 18.3%
Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric exploration game that captures a specific moment in time through its environment.
- #30 Cloud Climber
74% matchVery Positive92% of 4,142 reviews2021
Dev: Two Star Games
Windows
Median: 12 minMean: 2.9 hrs≥1hr: 11%
A surreal first person walking sim about the end of humanity. Explore magnificent sky-bound ruins, and learn why they were built.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 76%, First-Person 11.9%, Exploration 9.2%, Singleplayer 2.8%
- #31 Blind Touch
74% matchNo user reviews87% of 78 reviews2026
Dev: Flygogo Games
Windows
A "Blind" simulator that lets you experience a new perspective and immersive sensory journey. Step into a world of darkness using your guide cane.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 39.6%, Experimental 22%, Emotional 18.7%, Exploration 9.9%, Indie 8.3%
- #32 Corpse of Discovery
77% matchMixed64% of 187 reviews2015
Dev: Phosphor Games
Windows
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 7.0 hrs≥1hr: 54%
A first-person Walking Simulator exploring the deeper meaning of family, life goals, and personal choices (with a bit of humor and old-school sci-fi homage mixed in) – set on beautiful and lonely alien worlds.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 57%, Indie 29.2%, Exploration 13.8%
- #33 The Longest Walk
73% matchVery Positive95% of 413 reviews2022
Dev: Alexander TarvetPub: Somewhat Unsettling
Windows
The Longest Walk is a deeply personal biographical walking-simulator game about my father's experience of living with depression.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 54.6%, Exploration 13.2%, Indie 10.4%, First-Person 10.3%, Emotional 10.3%
- #34 ULTRAWORLD EXODUS
76% matchMostly Positive75% of 83 reviews2014
Dev: Neon Serpent LLC
Windows
Median: 2.1 hrsMean: 15.8 hrs≥1hr: 67%
Visit a first-person, abstract landscape of bleeding technicolor wonder, armed with a camera, curiosity, and freedom. Explore at your own pace or experience the story that has confounded players and critics alike. Get lost in another reality.
Why similar: Indie 69.8%, Exploration 30.2%
- #35 4PM
78% matchMostly Negative31% of 237 reviews2014
Dev: Bojan BrboraPub: 4PM GAME
Windows · Mac
Median: 30 minMean: 4.9 hrs≥1hr: 14%
4PM is a short, narrative driven game, made by one person as an attempt to tell a real, thriller story in the form of an interactive experience. It has high production values and a cinematic style. It is, with your support, a first in a series of smaller, narrative driven experiences, that spare no expense on audio-visual style.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 66.2%, Indie 21.8%, First-Person 10.9%, Singleplayer 1.2%
- #36 1/8192
72% matchVery Positive83% of 163 reviews2024
Dev: YonGame
Windows
Embark on a journey of Zen koans in a Buddhist mandala space Reach Nirvana with a 1 in 8192 chance in a mystical world adorned with tombstones and Buddha statues.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 52.7%, Indie 23.6%, Exploration 11.1%, First-Person 11.1%, Singleplayer 1.6%
- #37 Chionophile
73% matchVery Positive86% of 212 reviews2020
Dev: Tonguç Bodur
Windows
Chionophile is a very short experience about the mood of winter in the woods.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 39.3%, Experimental 36%, Exploration 11.7%, First-Person 7.2%, Indie 5.2%
- #38 Seasonala Cemetery
71% matchVery Positive95% of 102 reviews2025
Dev: Gabby DaRienzo
Windows · Mac
A meditative experience that invites players to explore the serene beauty of a living, breathing cemetery as it changes with the seasons.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 53.4%, Exploration 16%, Emotional 13.7%, First-Person 11.7%, Indie 4%
- #39 The Plan
71% matchVery Positive92% of 23,620 reviews2014
Dev: Krillbite Studio
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 12 minMean: 2.4 hrs≥1hr: 5%
A fly ascends to the skies, pondering the pointlessness of its brief existence.
Why similar: Indie 34.2%, Beautiful 23.5% ★, Experimental 16.3%, Emotional 10.4%, Exploration 7.9%
- #40 Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
73% matchMostly Positive75% of 7,520 reviews2017
Dev: The Chinese RoomPub: Secret Mode
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.0 hrsMean: 6.8 hrs≥1hr: 51%
Dear Esther immerses you in a stunningly realised world, a remote and desolate island somewhere in the outer Hebrides. As you step forwards, a voice begins to read fragments of a letter: 'Dear Esther...' - and so begins a journey through one of the most original first-person games of recent years.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 50.1%, Interactive Fiction 18.2%, Exploration 14.1%, First-Person 9.7%, Indie 6.5%
- #41 Eidolon
75% matchMixed61% of 438 reviews2014
Dev: Kevin MaxonPub: Ice Water Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 24 minMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 32%
Narrative exploration game located in a massive, post-human Western Washington. Navigate an open world that has been reclaimed by nature. Use journals, letters, zines, and other documents to learn the interconnected stories of the people who lived here once.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 61.9%, Exploration 20.1%, Indie 14.5%, First-Person 3.5%
- #42 Runo
71% matchVery Positive92% of 583 reviews2021
Dev: runogamePub: Srsface Studios
Windows
A walking simulator about dear memories, overcoming obstacles, and finding your path. Experience a story inspired by finno-karelian folklore.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 63.3%, Exploration 16.1%, First-Person 12.5%, Indie 7.1%, Singleplayer 1%
- #43 Reflections
75% matchMixed48% of 79 reviews2015
Dev: Broken Window Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 54 minMean: 1.6 hrs≥1hr: 43%
Reflections is a real-world adventure game where every action you take has meaningful consequences that radically shape the experience. Each action you take is punctuated by flushing the black and white environment with color, illustrating your progress and providing clues to what your future might hold.
Why similar: Experimental 31.3%, Walking Simulator 30.3%, Indie 17.3%, First-Person 10.6%, Exploration 10.5%
- #44 Fingerbones
72% matchMostly Positive79% of 3,599 reviews2015
Dev: David Szymanski
Windows
Median: 24 minMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 10%
Explore a mysterious abandoned bunker and find notes that paint a disturbing picture.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 52.7%, Indie 16.9%, First-Person 14.4%, Exploration 13.1%, Singleplayer 2.9%
- #45 BABBDI
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 8,594 reviews2022
Dev: Sirius LemaitrePub: Lemaitre Bros
Windows · Mac · Linux
Find your way out of BABBDI. A short, first person exploration experience.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 49.5%, Exploration 19.3%, Experimental 13.4%, First-Person 11.2%, Indie 4.6%
- #46 Transcender
70% matchVery Positive85% of 87 reviews2020
Dev: Aldo Jeffrey
Windows
Transcender is a brief interactive experience that takes place in a surreal sci-fi setting. Figuring out how to play and what to do is the main attraction of the experience. It will hopefully leave you thinking "Hmm, that was interesting"
Why similar: Walking Simulator 43%, Experimental 31.6%, Exploration 13.4%, Indie 10.8%, Singleplayer 1.2%
- #47 Recollection
68% matchVery Positive97% of 133 reviews2023
Dev: Erkberg Games
Windows
A calm and atmospheric "walking'n'watching simulator" about the beauty of nature. Use your gaze and attention in diverse gameplay experiences: Connect the stars, watch the grass grow, fly with the birds and remember many more of the wonders surrounding us each day.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 44.3%, Emotional 33.3%, Experimental 18.7%, Singleplayer 3.7%
- #48 From Head to Toe
70% matchMostly Positive79% of 108 reviews2019
Dev: Party for Introverts
Windows · Mac
"From Head to Toe" is a short interactive story about winter, existential guilt and your ex-classmates.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.3%, Experimental 23.5%, Indie 22.3%, Emotional 15.4%, Interactive Fiction 11.5%
- #49 It Comes In Waves
66% matchVery Positive93% of 389 reviews2023
Dev: Antonio FreyrePub: Merlino Games
Windows
A short, minimalist, experimental open-world adventure about guilt and grief. Explore, shoot, scavenge and bring a specimen to The Sanctuary. Beware PERMADEATH.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 70.7%, Exploration 19.5%, Experimental 8.8%, Singleplayer 1%
- #50 103
69% matchMostly Positive75% of 203 reviews2018
Dev: Dystopia Interactive
Windows · Mac · Linux
Help Lily use her imagination to unlock her memories and relive the events of a night that changed her life. Discover what happened and what is 103.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 47.9%, Emotional 21.3%, Exploration 14.4%, Indie 11.2%, First-Person 5.2%
- #51 7th Chance
69% matchMostly Positive78% of 65 reviews2021
Dev: Drewid GamesPub: Stasis Booth Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
7th Chance is a short (20-30 minute) story-based exploration adventure game. Waking up from a night of heavy drinking ... something isn't right.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 40.6%, Interactive Fiction 17%, Exploration 13.6%, Emotional 12.5%, First-Person 8.4%
- #52 SEASON: A letter to the future
65% matchVery Positive93% of 2,080 reviews2023
Dev: Scavengers Studio
Windows
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 4.4 hrs≥1hr: 80%
Leave home for the first time to collect memories before a mysterious cataclysm washes everything away. Ride, record, meet people, and unravel the strange world around you in this third-person meditative exploration game.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.9%, Emotional 26.3%, Interactive Fiction 22.1%, Exploration 16.6%, Singleplayer 2.2%
- #53 Homesick
68% matchMostly Positive78% of 1,452 reviews2015
Dev: Lucky Pause
Windows
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 3.2 hrs≥1hr: 80%
Explore an abandoned building, encountering puzzles and clues to discover what happened, as you try to escape in both your nightmares and the waking world. Be immersed in the hauntingly beautiful 3D atmosphere in this puzzle exploration mystery game.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 51.1%, Exploration 18.3%, Indie 14.3%, First-Person 14.2%, Singleplayer 2%
- #54 That Dragon, Cancer
67% matchVery Positive90% of 1,552 reviews2016
Dev: Numinous Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.7 hrsMean: 2.1 hrs≥1hr: 71%
An immersive, narrative videogame that retells Joel Green’s 4-year fight against cancer through about two hours of poetic, imaginative gameplay that explores themes of faith, hope and love.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 47%, Emotional 27.6%, Indie 18.5%, First-Person 4.7%, Singleplayer 2.2%
- #55 93, Kuindzhi
62% matchVery Positive94% of 5,288 reviews2026
Dev: Nikita Igorevich StudioPub: Smysl Media
Windows
Median: 1.3 hrsMean: 1.6 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Kuindzhi, 93 is an atmospheric first-person narrative vignette about an 18-year-old boy from Donbas. The story takes us to March 2022, when the world changed forever — into a space where the past, fears, and doubts find their voice.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 52.3%, Emotional 24.8%, First-Person 13.1%, Exploration 9.9%
- #56 Drizzlepath
70% matchMixed53% of 623 reviews2015
Dev: Tonguç Bodur
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 4.8 hrs≥1hr: 84%
In Drizzlepath you are set on a journey to the top of the Mountain of Fire. It aims to be an atmospheric, relaxed and enigmatic experience. Downloadable soundtrack included.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 46.1%, Beautiful 15.5% ★, Indie 13.2%, Exploration 12.4%, First-Person 10.6%
- #57 Gravity Bone
66% matchVery Positive94% of 526 reviews2018
Dev: Blendo Games
Windows
To make it in Nuevos Aires, one needs nerves of silk and the filthiest of hands.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.5%, Indie 21.4%, Experimental 20.3%, Interactive Fiction 12.3%, Exploration 9.7%
- #58 Drizzlepath: Glass
69% matchMixed62% of 191 reviews2017
Dev: Tonguç Bodur
Windows
Median: 2.2 hrsMean: 2.9 hrs≥1hr: 80%
Your husband is dead and you want to visit his grave. There is an abondoned house in a village, and in that house you will find a red rose. You don't want to go to your husband's grave empty handed.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 42.3%, Beautiful 22.2% ★, Indie 12.5%, Exploration 11.1%, First-Person 10%