Games Like A Perfect Day

Shanghai Summer is an adventure game set in the millennium. Our protagonist, Baichuan, goes through a series of "anomalies" over the length of twelve days. In his pursuit of the truth, he found that his hopes and regrets from the past finally seem to converge. Will he be able to "fix" it for good?

Why similar: Time Travel 25.1% ★, Narration 14.4%, Investigation 13.7%, Multiple Endings 11%, Interactive Fiction 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game shares a similar nostalgic, slice-of-life atmosphere set in China that focuses on the emotional weight of memories and personal growth.

A deep, interactive adventure about love and loss, beautifully depicted and offering an intense cinematic experience. What would you do to save the one you love?

Why similar: Time Travel 21% ★, Drama 15.3%, Choices Matter 14.6%, Atmospheric 14.1%, Story Rich 12%

Why You'll Like It: Like the seed game, this title uses a time-loop mechanic to explore the emotional consequences of choices and the desire to change the past.

Eternal Threads is a single-player, first-person story-driven puzzle game of time manipulation, choice and consequence.

Why similar: Time Travel 23.5% ★, Investigation 13.9%, Interactive Fiction 11%, Emotional 10%, Choices Matter 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: Players manipulate time to alter the outcomes of past events, mirroring the puzzle-solving and choice-based nature of the seed game.

The Forgotten City is a narrative-driven time loop adventure in ancient Rome. Discover the ruins of an ancient underground city, travel 2000 years into the past, and unravel the mystery of who destroyed it by cleverly exploiting the power to wind back time. The fate of the city is in your hands.

Why similar: Time Travel 35.6% ★, Investigation 17.9%, Choices Matter 11.3%, Multiple Endings 9.9%, Story Rich 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative-driven mystery utilizes a time-loop system where players must investigate and interact with characters to reach a perfect resolution.

The Rewinder is an adventure puzzle game based on Chinese mythology. You play as Yun, the last known Rewinder, who can communicate with spirits and explore other people's memories to alter the past.

Why similar: Drama 33.2%, Puzzle 17.5%, Atmospheric 16.6%, Story Rich 13.3%, Adventure 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: Set in a world inspired by Chinese folklore, this game features puzzle-solving and narrative exploration that feels tonally similar to A Perfect Day.

"Murders on Yangtze River" is an Ace Attorney-like detective game that takes you on a journey through early 20th century China as you solve a series of intriguing cases. Use your logical reasoning and deduction skills to uncover clues, interrogate suspects, and solve the mysteries.

Why similar: Investigation 25.2%, Drama 20.1%, Puzzle 16.1%, Story Rich 14.5%, Exploration 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: This detective adventure captures a specific historical Chinese setting while focusing on deep narrative investigation and puzzle-solving.

A narrative-driven puzzle adventure game with the butterfly effect at its core. Board the Babel, a mysterious cruise ship that takes you on a whimsical journey to the afterlife. Use a special pen to help fellow travelers fulfill their wishes by rewriting the past, changing how the future unfolds.

Why similar: Time Travel 22.4% ★, Narration 17.9%, Investigation 15.8%, Emotional 10.6%, Drama 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: This game features complex time-manipulation puzzles and a whimsical yet emotional narrative that rewards careful observation.

"Internet Addicted Youth 2005" is a narrative-driven role-playing game. If you also yearn to revisit that era and relive the bittersweet experiences of an internet-addicted teenager, then perhaps, here, you'll find the answers you seek...

Why similar: Drama 27%, Story Rich 21.9%, Puzzle 12.5%, Narration 10.6%, Exploration 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: This title offers a highly specific, nostalgic look at youth culture in early 2000s China, matching the seed game's cultural focus.

Make up for lost time with Once Again, If you could travel through time, who’s the first person you’d meet? An interactive story about a boy who spends his summers wandering between past and present... After meeting her, summer will never be the same again...Who is she, and what journey awaits you?

Why similar: Time Travel 27.3% ★, Emotional 17.3%, Drama 14.3%, Hand-drawn 9.8%, Story Rich 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: A heartfelt, colorful adventure that focuses on the beauty of small moments and the passage of time through a nostalgic lens.

The Heroes Around Me tells a story of a family of 3: the hard-working and quiet father – Nan, his daughter Lili, and their pet dog Sesame. Players will experience the harshness and warmth in the simpler time of the 1990s, where lots of stories are untold.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 16%, Emotional 15.9%, Drama 15.7%, 1990's 15.7%, Retro 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-rich experience that explores the lives of ordinary people in a nostalgic setting, emphasizing emotional storytelling over action.

What if the physical objects of everyday life, the possessions we hold close, were actual windows to the past? Peer into distant memories and unseen futures in Hindsight.

Why similar: Narration 27.1%, Emotional 17.5%, Drama 12.6%, Interactive Fiction 11.1%, Story Rich 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the power of objects to trigger memories, mirroring the reflective and investigative nature of the seed game.

The world has been swallowed into the grey void of time and space. The only key to the winding puzzle - a time-controling pocket-watch - lies in the hands of a clockmaker Father. The watch creates a mysterious barrier between the Father and his estranged Daughter.

Why similar: Time Travel 19.2% ★, Emotional 17.1%, Multiple Endings 14%, Hand-drawn 13%, Puzzle 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-platformer that uses time-manipulation mechanics to solve environmental problems and influence the lives of NPCs.

Underdog Detective is a video-based playable, interactive story Set in the reign of Empress Wu Zetian of ancient China, you will play as a slum dweller in the imperial capital of Luoyang and embark on a thrilling yet comedic adventure! Traps and conspiracies, comradery and your unknown origin...

Why similar: Drama 21.2%, Choices Matter 18.9%, Multiple Endings 18.5%, Interactive Fiction 14.1%, Story Rich 11.6%

Why You'll Like It: An FMV-based investigation game that captures a historical Chinese atmosphere with a strong emphasis on player choices.

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: Narration 22.8%, Story Rich 21.8%, Atmospheric 17.5%, Exploration 9.2%, Drama 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game masterfully explores family history and memory through a series of short, narrative-heavy vignettes.

Embark on an emotional first-person narrative adventure where you control the story—and affect its outcomes—with your real-life blinks. With this innovative technique you will fully immerse yourself in a world of memories, both joyous and heartbreaking, as your whole life flashes before your eyes.

Why similar: Emotional 36.9%, Interactive Fiction 17.8%, Story Rich 15.2%, Drama 11.1%, Hand-drawn 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: A unique narrative experience that uses eye-tracking to simulate the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherished memories.

Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.

Why similar: Exploration 23.8%, Story Rich 20.8%, Atmospheric 19.8%, Puzzle 16.9%, Adventure 10%

Why You'll Like It: While more open-ended, this game centers on a time-loop mechanic that requires players to piece together a mystery through exploration and discovery.

Dive into the boundless galaxy and embark on an emotional adventure! Help little robot Emeth to fulfill a century-old promise by finding Earth in order to save Mankind—so step into the spaceship, operate a deep space telescope, and find out what’s out there in the unknown.

Why similar: Narration 28%, Interactive Fiction 14.4%, Emotional 13.5%, Atmospheric 10.4%, Story Rich 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply emotional narrative adventure that focuses on discovery and the weight of legacy.

Time Loader is a story-driven puzzle-platformer with tiny robots, alternate realities, nostalgic music, and primitive tech from the 90s!

Why similar: Investigation 24.4%, Emotional 19.2%, Choices Matter 15.1%, Multiple Endings 14.7%, Story Rich 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-platformer that explores the consequences of changing the past, focusing on the emotional impact of time travel.

A story-driven experience about two doctors traversing backwards through a dying man's memories to artificially fulfill his last wish.

Why similar: Emotional 33.3%, Story Rich 28.9%, Interactive Fiction 18.5%, Indie 6.6%, Adventure 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: This emotional story-rich game focuses on exploring the memories of a dying man to fulfill his final wish, echoing the themes of regret and reflection.

Beacon Pines is a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book. Sneak out late, make new friends, uncover hidden truths, and collect words that will change the course of fate!

Why similar: Emotional 20.9%, Narration 20.6%, Interactive Fiction 18.2%, Story Rich 9.8%, Hand-drawn 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative adventure features a storybook aesthetic and a branching choice system that explores the mysteries of a small town.

Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift. You are Alex, and you’ve just brought your new stepbrother Jonas to an overnight island party gone horribly wrong.

Why similar: Choices Matter 30%, Story Rich 22.2%, Atmospheric 18.2%, Multiple Endings 15.5%, Adventure 7%

Why You'll Like It: A supernatural narrative game that captures the awkwardness and nostalgia of youth while incorporating time-bending elements.

NIGHT IN THE WOODS is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world.

Why similar: Choices Matter 22.2%, Hand-drawn 20.2%, Story Rich 17.2%, Atmospheric 16%, Exploration 12%

Why You'll Like It: This game excels at capturing the feeling of returning to one's hometown and the bittersweet nature of growing up.

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.

Why similar: Time Travel 40.2% ★, Choices Matter 19.8%, Story Rich 14.7%, Multiple Endings 9.8%, Atmospheric 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: A classic choice-driven narrative game that uses time-rewind mechanics to explore the consequences of actions in a school setting.

An interactive thriller about a man trapped in a time loop. Featuring James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.

Why similar: Time Travel 43.9% ★, Drama 12.7%, Puzzle 11.1%, Story Rich 9.9%, Atmospheric 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: A claustrophobic time-loop thriller that forces players to use information gathered in previous loops to change the outcome of a single event.

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: Atmospheric 26.6%, Story Rich 23.5%, Exploration 14.5%, Drama 13.8%, Adventure 12.9%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, narrative-driven game that focuses on isolation and the power of conversation to build a deep emotional connection.

Two doctors traverse backwards through a dying man's memories to fulfill his last wish. This is To the Moon's standalone sequel, but can also be played first.

Why similar: Emotional 23.1%, Interactive Fiction 19.2%, Drama 17.4%, Story Rich 10.8%, Atmospheric 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: A poignant exploration of a life well-lived, focusing on the memories and choices that define a person's existence.

《学生时代》是一款可自由构筑的校园人生模拟器。你将在高度还原的中国校园中，从入学一路走到高考，与多个性格鲜明的同学一起成长，互相陪伴。你的养成和选择，不但会决定你的人生，也会影响到朋友们的未来。

Why similar: Emotional 27.5%, 1990's 21.7%, Drama 20.3%, Multiple Endings 19%, Story Rich 11.5%

Coffee Talk is a coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator about listening to fantasy-inspired modern peoples’ problems, and helping them by serving up a warm drink or two.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 21.3%, Emotional 18.6%, Choices Matter 15.3%, Multiple Endings 14.9%, Atmospheric 13.2%

Why You'll Like It: A relaxing, narrative-focused game that emphasizes listening to the stories of others in a cozy, atmospheric setting.

Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is a groundbreaking role playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.

Why similar: Choices Matter 38%, Story Rich 25.4%, Atmospheric 16.1%, Exploration 8.5%, Adventure 5%

Why You'll Like It: While more complex, this game offers the ultimate choice-driven narrative experience where every decision shapes the protagonist's internal and external world.

A teenage guitar prodigy sets out on a psychedelic journey to inspire his stage persona and confront the legacy of a dead folk legend. Starring voice performances by Michael Johnston, Caroline Kinley, Lena Headey, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Strong, and Carl Weathers.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.8%, Story Rich 20.9%, Atmospheric 18.5%, Adventure 12.2%, Exploration 11%

Why You'll Like It: A visually stunning journey of self-discovery that captures the emotional highs and lows of finding one's identity.

KENTUCKY ROUTE ZERO is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway running through the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it.

Why similar: Atmospheric 40.9%, Adventure 21.7%, Story Rich 21.1%, Indie 9.7%, Exploration 5%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal and atmospheric journey that prioritizes narrative depth and character exploration over traditional gameplay.

Wander through dreamscapes woven from memories of the millennium. Use your camera to freeze tender fragments of days gone by, collecting lost shards of childhood. In an atmosphere where Chinese Dreamcore and Liminal Space intertwine, savor a warmth that feels both familiar and strange.

Why similar: Emotional 31.7%, 1990's 30.6%, Atmospheric 15.9%, Exploration 12.8%, Adventure 8.9%

Rue Valley is a narrative adventure about a man trapped in a time loop, surrounded by a colorful cast with complex emotional stories, each hiding unexpected secrets. Dealing with mental challenges, the main character must delve into the anomaly to uncover its enigmatic origins.

Why similar: Time Travel 22.3% ★, Narration 17.5%, Emotional 11.4%, Interactive Fiction 10.7%, Drama 9.1%

You will take on the role of the Second Prince of Xuan, heir of the Southern Regime. With foreign invaders entrenched in the north and a complacent court content to linger in the south, you face a defining choice:The choice… is yours!

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 22.1%, Choices Matter 17.1%, Multiple Endings 15.6%, Drama 13.3%, Puzzle 11.7%

Dullpain is a side-scrolling, interaction, and storytelling game. Playing as Jingwen, a young boss of a long-established repair shop, you need to repair not only everyday items, also memories. You can enjoy dull-pain and breathtaking stories in different time and space and redefine the end of story.

Why similar: Time Travel 22.2% ★, Emotional 14%, Interactive Fiction 13.1%, Drama 10.3%, Multiple Endings 10.1%

Players follow Lu Yuan through important stages of his life and experience his growth trajectory from youth to maturity. It will take you to relive those decisions that you have never tried to make in reality, and feel the different life brought about by each choice.

Why similar: Choices Matter 24%, Drama 22.3%, Interactive Fiction 20.5%, 1990's 13.8%, Story Rich 13.2%

This is a puzzle game that combines text and images. Players use visual illusions to piece together fragments of memories from Alzheimer's patients, in order to reconstruct the truth of the story and witness the passage of time for three generations.

Why similar: Emotional 17.2%, Drama 16.3%, Interactive Fiction 15.6%, Hand-drawn 13.4%, Atmospheric 9.6%

Spend one last afternoon exploring your childhood neighborhood before the world ends at 6:38 PM.

Why similar: Nostalgia 53.1% ★, 1990's 14.4%, Retro 9.6%, Exploration 8.4%, Story Rich 7.3%

A playful narrative adventure about the warmth of fleeting childhood memories: about a little boy named Sanya, rescuing a stray puppy, making true friends, and engaging in many exciting adventures in a small town set in the achingly strange and nostalgic period of the 90s.

Why similar: Nostalgia 29.7% ★, Narration 18.1%, 1990's 11.6%, Emotional 9.4%, Hand-drawn 7.3%

In Chronoquartz, every move matters! You have 10 turns per loop: explore, solve puzzles, and use your past knowledge to progress. Strategy, critical thinking, and time management will be your allies in this unique temporal adventure. Will you succeed in saving time?

Why similar: Time Travel 38.4% ★, Puzzle 12.4%, Retro 11.7%, Investigation 10.8%, Exploration 10.1%

A narrative puzzle game with themes of love, fate and time. Follow the life stories of the two main characters and influence their destinies through interactions and choices. The game combines hand-drawn style and an immersive interactive experience to explore a profound journey of love and choice.

Why similar: Emotional 25.3%, Hand-drawn 23.1%, Puzzle 13.9%, Multiple Endings 13.5%, Story Rich 11.1%

If the world was ending, how would you spend your final days? Explore a narrative management game set shortly before the end of the world, about enjoying the time you have left. Play music, take calls, and help the town face the challenges of saying goodbye to those closest to them.

Why similar: Narration 24.4%, Time Management 19.1%, Emotional 11.8%, Investigation 11.3%, Interactive Fiction 10.3%

Quirky, top-down puzzle adventure game. You’re trapped in a 12-minute time loop. Try to save yourself and a small town from destruction from a meteorite. Solve intuitive puzzles, interact with the people of the town, and discover the secrets of the town. Discover the 15 different endings!

Why similar: Time Travel 42% ★, Time Management 18.8%, Investigation 8.8%, Puzzle 7.6%, Adventure 5.4%

Play as Tristan and solve puzzles to recover human consciousnesses in the year 2071. Investigate environments, uncover secrets, and make choices that affect the ending. Explore a neon-noir world with a low poly aesthetic inspired by the 90s.

Why similar: Nostalgia 28.8% ★, Investigation 11.7%, Interactive Fiction 11.1%, Retro 7.9%, Multiple Endings 7.7%

Immerse yourself in a unique narrative experience and explore the thousand summer colors of Dordogne as you revisit your childhood to uncover lost family secrets in this touching formative journey.

Why similar: Emotional 30.5%, Hand-drawn 17.3%, Atmospheric 14%, Story Rich 12.8%, Exploration 11.7%

A narrative adventure about the momentum and whiplash of young adulthood. Explore the big city through 18-year-old Mara's eyes. Collect items, nurture ideas, and experience complex relationships while attempting to find your place in the world.

Why similar: Emotional 28.7%, Interactive Fiction 24.4%, Retro 15.3%, Story Rich 13.8%, Exploration 11.1%

Live the perfect day, break the cycle, and discover the truth about yourself in this short, quirky sci-fi mystery about freedom, choice, and loneliness.

Why similar: Emotional 27.6%, Choices Matter 22.8%, Narration 18.1%, Atmospheric 12.1%, Multiple Endings 10.8%

Blue Wednesday is a relaxing and lovely adventure game focused on story, music, and characters. Explore the city, meet various characters, and have conversations. Listen to their stories, play mini-games, collect music albums, and play music.

Why similar: Choices Matter 22.8%, Interactive Fiction 18.1%, Hand-drawn 16.6%, Atmospheric 12.4%, Story Rich 11.4%

Paper Bride is a Chinese horror mystery puzzle game. You will play as the groom to search for the truth and have bizarre encounters, gradually learning about the dark mystic custom in the bride's home village and a story from the past...

Why similar: Narration 22.9%, Drama 21.7%, Interactive Fiction 12.9%, Puzzle 12.4%, Atmospheric 11.4%

What do you do when you lose someone you love? A Taste of the Past is an emotional sidescroller about reconnecting with your Chinese culture while navigating a train to the afterlife. Featuring a wholesome story, cooking minigames, and hope.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.6%, Drama 20.7%, Hand-drawn 19%, Atmospheric 12.4%, Exploration 11.4%

Insects Awaken is a puzzle visual novel set in the 1940s. It follows the story of Chen Shan, a young man entangled in espionage while defending his family and homeland. He embarks on a journey between the isolated cities of Chongqing and Shanghai, braving the chaos of war with his passion and youth.

Why similar: Choices Matter 20.1%, Interactive Fiction 18.4%, Drama 18.2%, Multiple Endings 17.4%, Story Rich 12.2%

A time travel adventure spanning two hundred years! Dive into the past with time agent Fia Quinn as she embarks on seven trips through time. History is up for grabs, from the speakeasies of Prohibition to the vicious gangs of the Gilded Age to the World Trade Center on September 10, 2001.

Why similar: Time Travel 23.5% ★, Interactive Fiction 17.2%, Investigation 16.2%, Emotional 14.9%, Narration 7.9%

A Pizza Delivery is a narrative exploration game with puzzle elements focused on connecting with people. Share pizza with charming characters to uncover their stories—and your own. Drive and explore a strange, meditative world filled with secrets.

Why similar: Narration 24.1%, Emotional 21.6%, Drama 16.3%, Puzzle 9.8%, Atmospheric 9.7%

This is a plot exploration game set in the 1990s. In the game, you will go back to the age of 15, make up for those regrets and mistakes, rewrite our story and destiny, and explore different life and destination!

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.4%, Story Rich 17.2%, 1990's 17.1%, Drama 15%, Multiple Endings 9.7%

Hitchhike your way to freedom in this crazy procedurally generated road trip. No one's road is the same!

Why similar: Narration 19.2%, 1990's 15.7%, Choices Matter 11.7%, Emotional 10.8%, Multiple Endings 10%

You continue your journey in worlds of Abandoned.

Why similar: Time Travel 33.2% ★, Narration 18.5%, Drama 10.9%, Puzzle 6.6%, Hand-drawn 6.4%

Pieced Together is a cozy scrapbooking game that takes you on a heartfelt journey about friendship and getting older. Sort items, solve gentle puzzles, and decorate the scrapbook as you uncover the story piece by piece.

Why similar: Drama 15.1%, Investigation 14%, Hand-drawn 13.1%, 1990's 12.8%, Puzzle 12.3%

1872, with a steampunk twist. Phileas Fogg has wagered he can circumnavigate the world in just 80 days. Travel by airship, submarine, mechanical camel, steam-train and more. Race other players and a clock that never stops in TIME Magazine's Game of 2014.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 23.1%, Choices Matter 21.3%, Multiple Endings 15.3%, Story Rich 13.3%, Adventure 9.2%

This is the story of your life. Experience the entire journey from toddler to adulthood. Go to schools, learn new things, meet new friends, and have wild adventures! Every choice you make will influence your future career, and decide who your romantic partner will be. Who will you become?

Why similar: Emotional 21.7%, Choices Matter 18%, 1990's 16.2%, Multiple Endings 14.6%, Hand-drawn 11.4%