Games Like A Taste of the Past

Venba is a short narrative cooking game, where you play as an Indian mom who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Cook various dishes and restore lost recipes, hold branching conversations, and explore South Indian food in this story about family, love, and loss.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 22.7%, Emotional 18.5%, Visual Novel 16.8%, Hand-drawn 14.6%, Stylized 13.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game masterfully blends cooking mechanics with a deeply emotional narrative about cultural heritage and family connection.

When the Past was Around is an adventure point-and-click puzzle game about love, moving on, letting go, and the joy and pain of everything in between.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.4%, Point & Click 19.3%, Hand-drawn 15.6%, Cute 11.2%, Stylized 10%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, emotional point-and-click adventure that explores the pain of loss and the beauty of moving forward.

Old Man’s Journey, a soul-searching puzzle adventure, tells a story of life, loss, and hope. Interacting with the world around you, you'll shape the landscape to create the old man's path forward. Experience heartache and hope as you embark on a heartfelt journey through a sunkissed world.

Why similar: Hand-drawn 14.9%, Point & Click 14.7%, Interactive Fiction 14.6%, Walking Simulator 12.5%, Stylized 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: A side-scrolling puzzle game that tells a touching story of life, regret, and reconciliation through the memories of an elderly man.

Spiritfarer® is a cozy management game about dying. As ferrymaster to the deceased, build a boat to explore the world, care for your spirit friends, and release them into the afterlife. The Spiritfarer Farewell Edition includes the heartwarming base game and three major content updates.

Why similar: Emotional 34%, Hand-drawn 24.3%, Exploration 13.4%, Cartoony 10.6%, Atmospheric 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: A beautiful management game about the afterlife that focuses on helping spirits find peace through cooking and companionship.

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: Walking Simulator 29.6%, Atmospheric 24.2%, Adventure 18.6%, Emotional 14.4%, Third Person 13.2%

Why You'll Like It: An emotionally resonant narrative game that explores the lengths one will go to change the past and cope with grief.

In Midnight Ramen, you play as the owner of a late-night ramen stand and his apprentice. You interact with your customers, listen to their troubles, and help them out whenever you can. But as the bowls of ramen are cooked and served, troubles are beginning to brew in your own life as well...

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 21.6%, Visual Novel 19.1%, Emotional 17.8%, Immersive Sim 16.8%, Cartoony 12.9%

Why You'll Like It: A dialogue-heavy visual novel that uses the act of cooking and serving ramen to facilitate intimate, emotional conversations.

Florence Yeoh feels a little... stuck. Her life is an endless routine of work, sleep, and spending too much time on social media. Then one day, she meets a cello player named Krish who changes everything about how she sees the world and herself.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 22.8%, Visual Novel 16.3%, Point & Click 14.7%, Cute 11.6%, Stylized 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: A short, interactive story that captures the highs and lows of life and love through simple, expressive gameplay mechanics.

Forgotten Fields is a game about yearning and nostalgia. Play as Sid - a struggling writer who travels back to his childhood home one last time before it's sold off. Visit old friends, relive memories and play through sections of Sid's book in this warm game about the passage of time.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.1%, Walking Simulator 21.5%, Emotional 12.3%, Visual Novel 11.9%, Stylized 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-focused adventure that captures the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia and the struggle to find creative inspiration.

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: Point & Click 20.6%, Emotional 16.3%, Interactive Fiction 14.1%, Visual Novel 11.8%, Exploration 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: An exploration game that uses objects from the past to piece together a life story and process the weight of memory.

A Walk with Yiayia is a heartfelt solo-developed, bite-sized adventure game about taking your Greek grandmother on a walk after she's lost her confidence from a scary fall. Connect through engaging conversations, explore a relaxing environment, and complete microquests in this thoughtful adventure.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 21.5%, Interactive Fiction 17.5%, Visual Novel 14.7%, Cartoony 9.5%, Exploration 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A gentle walking simulator that focuses on the emotional bond between family members during a difficult time.

这是一个关于遗憾与成长的故事。男生的思绪不断回到17岁的夏天，在一次次回忆与抉择中徘徊，是去尝试弥补遗憾？还是在释然间体会成长的意义?回忆中的她会在那等我吗？

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 16.7%, Emotional 16.5%, Visual Novel 15.1%, Hand-drawn 14.5%, Stylized 10%

Why You'll Like It: A hand-drawn visual novel that captures the fleeting, emotional nature of youth and summer memories.

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

Why similar: Emotional 43.7%, Interactive Fiction 33.3%, Adventure 9.8%, 2D 4.7%, Cute 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: A classic narrative-driven experience that explores the life and memories of a dying man to fulfill his final wish.

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: Life Sim 15.7%, Interactive Fiction 15.3%, Hand-drawn 13.6%, Point & Click 13%, Emotional 12.2%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric adventure that uses hand-drawn visuals to convey an emotional journey through a unique world.

A thoughtful and deeply personal title with stripped-down mechanics. The lack of dialogue or text allows you to create your own narrative through your time with four characters. Each short story will allow players to be swept away by the haunting lyrics of over twenty original, nostalgic songs.

Why similar: Life Sim 16.6%, Interactive Fiction 15.5%, Walking Simulator 15.4%, Side Scroller 13.1%, Point & Click 13%

Why You'll Like It: A meditative, cozy experience that tells wordless stories of everyday life and human connection.

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 29.4%, Visual Novel 27.2%, Emotional 18.7%, Anime 13.8%, Atmospheric 10.9%

Why You'll Like It: A cozy simulation game where you listen to the stories of diverse characters while serving them warm drinks, mirroring the intimacy of A Taste of the Past.

A fantasy tea-brewing adventure. Listen to your customers' worries and brew them the tea that they didn't know they needed.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.2%, Visual Novel 17.7%, Emotional 12%, Cartoony 11.7%, Anime 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: A short, cozy narrative experience centered on serving tea and listening to the stories of those who visit your shop.

Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality.

Why similar: Hand-drawn 28.3%, Atmospheric 24.7%, Walking Simulator 12.1%, Adventure 9.3%, Colorful 9%

Why You'll Like It: A visually stunning side-scroller that serves as a powerful metaphor for the stages of grief and emotional recovery.

Don't Let Me Fade is an interactive adventure about memory, identity, and loss. Piece together fragments of a life - even if a simple teddy bear is the last symbol of connection to oneself in a world without time.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.5%, Point & Click 19.9%, Visual Novel 15.5%, Text-Based 10.9%, Emotional 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: An interactive fiction adventure that deals with themes of memory and presence in a stylized 2D world.

A heartfelt story of ambition, struggle, and friendship told from the perspective of a young boy in fictional 90s rural India. Explore ancient palace ruins, set up your garden, cook Indian food, run errands for quirky characters, and learn about your history by making art.

Why similar: Life Sim 43.5%, Emotional 16.5%, Exploration 14.4%, Hand-drawn 12.9%, Adventure 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: A life-sim adventure that incorporates cooking and exploration within a rich, culturally inspired setting.

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: Life Sim 33.7%, Point & Click 23.5%, Cute 21.2%, Atmospheric 8.6%, Colorful 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: A meditative game that tells a life story through the simple act of unpacking belongings, evoking a strong sense of personal history.

Find the adorable cats amidst the tragic love story of Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Yang!

Why similar: Point & Click 35.3%, Side Scroller 30.3%, Exploration 14.5%, Colorful 8.6%, 2D 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: A side-scrolling exploration game that blends historical cultural themes with a relaxing, puzzle-oriented experience.

A short, emotional visual novel following a grieving man who relives memories of days long gone. An exploration of loss presented honestly and kinetically.

Why similar: Visual Novel 22.7%, Emotional 22.3%, Interactive Fiction 22%, Hand-drawn 18.2%, Text-Based 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: A drama-heavy visual novel that explores mystery and emotion through a deeply personal, story-rich lens.

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 27.5%, Interactive Fiction 18.3%, Walking Simulator 16.5%, Hand-drawn 9.5%, Cartoony 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: A unique narrative game that uses your real-life blinks to move through the memories of a life, emphasizing the fragility of time.

'Pieces of the Past' is a cute, sentimental adventure where you restore family keepsakes to uncover touching stories. Blend puzzle-solving with the joy of preserving memories in this delightful journey!

Why similar: Point & Click 29.5%, Emotional 22%, Cute 17.4%, Stylized 16%, Colorful 15%

Why You'll Like It: A relaxing puzzle game that focuses on the quiet, reflective process of organizing and remembering.

Guide brush strokes and solve a variety of puzzles to help an aspiring artist complete her masterpiece amid her brusque neighbor’s gaze and his pesky cat. As her painting starts to take shape, uncover an emotional tale of chance and artistry revealed behind unrelated yet familiar moments.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 22.4%, Point & Click 19.2%, Hand-drawn 16.2%, Anime 13.4%, Atmospheric 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: A beautiful, art-focused narrative game that reveals a touching story through painting and exploration.

Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.

Why similar: Exploration 31.5%, Cute 27.8%, Walking Simulator 24.4%, Adventure 16.3%

Why You'll Like It: A peaceful exploration game that focuses on the joy of discovery and the emotional rewards of a personal journey.

Repair old-school objects in this cozy puzzle game. Join antique-restorer Maria, as she arrives in the sun-soaked town of Bellariva and set out on a journey of helping the townsfolk reconnect.

Why similar: Visual Novel 28%, Cute 21.7%, Colorful 17.7%, Point & Click 17.5%, Atmospheric 15.2%

Why You'll Like It: A restoration game that uses the repair of physical objects to mend the emotional relationships between characters.

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 48%, Atmospheric 16%, Exploration 13.9%, Visual Novel 8.4%, Adventure 7%

Why You'll Like It: A masterful narrative exploration of family history and the acceptance of loss through a series of poignant vignettes.

Led by her new friend, Mr. Voice, Misfortune ventures into the woods, where mysteries are unraveled and a little bad luck unfolds.

Why similar: Point & Click 43.3%, Interactive Fiction 18.8%, Cute 14.8%, Adventure 10.4%, Atmospheric 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, emotional side-scrolling narrative that explores the world through the eyes of a child facing difficult circumstances.

When humans get too lonely, they turn into monsters… Set sail across a beautiful and evolving world of darkness and light, and discover what it means to be human.

Why similar: Emotional 47%, Adventure 21.8%, Atmospheric 17.8%, Stylized 13.4%

Why You'll Like It: A side-scrolling adventure that uses a surreal world to represent the internal struggle with loneliness and mental health.

本游戏主旨绿色健康阳光积极向上充满正能量，无不良导向。

Why similar: Walking Simulator 17.9%, Interactive Fiction 17.7%, Point & Click 15.3%, Visual Novel 12.4%, Emotional 8.7%

Alone in the forest glade he shared with his wife, a woodworker struggles to accept her passing. Help him hold on to cherished memories of their life together as he struggles to care for himself and his now empty home. Pine is a single-serving game focused on telling a beautiful, emotional tale.

Why similar: Emotional 17.5%, Interactive Fiction 17.5%, Hand-drawn 15.7%, Point & Click 14.9%, Visual Novel 12.6%

Until Oblivion is an atmospheric narrative game that follows 17 year old nobody Emma Wilson as she tries to rekindle a dying relationship in a dying world. Join her in an increasingly nightmarish Halloween party and find out if anything (or anyone) is worth anything at all.

Why similar: Text-Based 14.6%, Interactive Fiction 14.5%, Walking Simulator 13.7%, Side Scroller 11.3%, Visual Novel 10.1%

Revisit and repeat the final moments of China's turn of the century in this narrative puzzle adventure. Play a 6th-grade student and greet classmates, explore secrets, play mini-4WD, or just wander around town. Make your choices to create a perfect day for everyone!

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 23.6%, Emotional 18.2%, Hand-drawn 15.6%, Atmospheric 10.2%, Stylized 9.7%

"Let’s make dumplings" carries that same unsettling vibe as Spring Festival Gala skits with intentionally happy endings?— it's about how family norms discipline the individual. It uses dumplings to explore love and pressure in families. In this scripted, collective narrative... what will you choose?

Why similar: Immersive Sim 18.4%, Visual Novel 16%, Point & Click 15.4%, Emotional 14.6%, Interactive Fiction 11.5%

Embark on a heartwarming journey as a home cleaning specialist.

Why similar: Emotional 22.8%, Interactive Fiction 21.7%, Visual Novel 15.2%, Atmospheric 8.4%, Exploration 8%

Narrative through Interact Button. In The Rural Village of Nagoro is a short, side-scrolling game with minimalist gameplay 'Interact button’ to tell a fate that falls on Nagoro village. Explore and press ‘F' button’ to greet all cheerful neighborhoods.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.6%, Immersive Sim 21.9%, Hand-drawn 14.7%, Anime 12.6%, Exploration 9.7%

Relax in the world of Kemono Teatime, where animal ears are a normal part of everyday life. Here in Melodius, you can whip up whatever blends of tea you desire in your favorite cafe as you play through an adorable story. Come now and live out your bestest and cutest life—down to the last drop.

Why similar: Emotional 27.9%, Immersive Sim 24.6%, Visual Novel 23.5%, Cute 15.1%, Adventure 8.9%

Single-player puzzle adventure with a beautiful, distinctive art style and a genuinely emotional story. As a lonely dog wandering the afterlife searching for his dead master, 'Don't Disturb' explores traditional Asian views on death and the underworld.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 16.7%, Side Scroller 16.3%, Point & Click 14.3%, Emotional 10.6%, Hand-drawn 8.1%

Anxiety Puppy is a 2D interactive narrative game that focuses on anxiety. In the game, anxiety is personified as a little puppy. Players will explore its story and try to coexist with it. Go find its traces and give it a hug.

Why similar: Text-Based 19.1%, Interactive Fiction 17.5%, Visual Novel 13.5%, Emotional 12.4%, Cute 8.7%

A slice-of-life adventure game set in fictional 90s rural India. Explore ancient palace ruins, set up your garden, cook Indian food, run errands for quirky characters, and learn about your history by making art.

Why similar: Life Sim 28.1%, Hand-drawn 17.2%, Emotional 16.2%, Immersive Sim 14.3%, Exploration 9.7%

Find friendship, love, and pastries in the most unexpected places in this cute visual novel about baking a home.

Why similar: Visual Novel 27.9%, Interactive Fiction 17.3%, Cute 16.6%, Anime 13.5%, 2D 8%

a short but incredibly touching experience.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 18.6%, Point & Click 16.8%, Side Scroller 16.4%, Visual Novel 14.1%, Exploration 7%

The meditative journey game about a tram driver. He is a sincere but humble dreamer who loves his job. And he also knows how to show love and sensitivity, like reading other people's desires. But what to do about it?

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.9%, Immersive Sim 26.1%, Hand-drawn 22.8%, Adventure 9.6%, Atmospheric 8.7%

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: Visual Novel 24.3%, Emotional 21.4%, Hand-drawn 17.4%, Colorful 13.7%, Interactive Fiction 12.2%

memories is a sapphic visual novel dress-up game where clothes are linked to painful memories of a failed relationship.

Why similar: Visual Novel 35.3%, Emotional 32.4%, Cute 14.9%, Atmospheric 9.8%, Adventure 7.7%

A visual novel about figuring out life with the help of an AI. //TODO: today is a pastel colored slice-of-life story that let's you freely choose your pronouns and romantic preferences!

Why similar: Visual Novel 44.7%, Cute 19.1%, Adventure 13.2%, Colorful 12.8%, Anime 10.1%

From the creator of Coffee Talk and What Comes After, comes a slice-of-life adventure set in modern Jakarta about love, loss and finding your own way forward. Step into the shoes of Rama, a young musician struggling to move on with life after the death of his girlfriend, Cinta.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 20.5%, Hand-drawn 18.7%, Visual Novel 16.1%, Emotional 15.9%, Anime 10.4%

The End of You is a short, emotional narrative game about love lost, the ghosts of the past, and the painful crawl towards closure.

Why similar: Life Sim 29.5%, Emotional 22.3%, Walking Simulator 22.2%, Immersive Sim 16.9%, Atmospheric 9.1%

Memory note is a slice-of-life visual novel with meaningful player choices, several endings to explore, and a story that will touch your heart.

Why similar: Visual Novel 42.9%, Adventure 25.3%, Cute 17.4%, Atmospheric 14.4%

A chronic illness simulator. You think you have a chronic illness, but you don't know what. All you know is you are always in some state of pain. You've been to too many doctors to count... but you still have to live your life.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 26.1%, Life Sim 24.2%, Visual Novel 17.5%, Emotional 8.6%, Cartoony 7.8%

This is the prologue chapter of "When the Past was Around", an upcoming adventure point-and-click puzzle game about love, moving on, letting go, and the joy and pain of everything in between.

Why similar: Point & Click 28.3%, Hand-drawn 23.8%, Emotional 21%, Cute 11.8%, Adventure 7.8%

Welcome to Awkward Valley! Plan your day, tackle strange activities, and unlock bizarre new options as you go. Gym? Therapy? Vending machine snacks? It’s up to you! Featuring Awkward Yeti’s weird and wonderful characters in a totally normal town.

Why similar: Life Sim 23.2%, Point & Click 18.7%, Immersive Sim 18.2%, Side Scroller 14.2%, Emotional 9.8%

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: Interactive Fiction 17.7%, Visual Novel 17.2%, Emotional 14.8%, Point & Click 10.2%, Hand-drawn 9.4%

An experience filled with stories and music See the world through the eyes of jazz pianist, Morris. takes you through a dream-like adventure through jazz and love, and failure.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 17.3%, Side Scroller 14.9%, Interactive Fiction 14.5%, Hand-drawn 12.5%, Emotional 10.4%

What Comes After is a side-scrolling adventure and a short heartwarming story about learning how to love yourself. Help Vivi in her journey on the train to the afterlife and back.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 53.3%, Cartoony 20.2%, Emotional 15.3%, Adventure 6.6%, Atmospheric 4.5%

I have some memories of saying goodbye that I don't want to forget, so I turned them into 11 minigames and backed them up in this collection.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 29.1%, Emotional 16.3%, Cute 14%, Colorful 10.5%, Atmospheric 10.3%

A slice-of-death visual novel about making friends, cracking cat puns, and waiting for eternity to pass.

Why similar: Point & Click 29.4%, Visual Novel 28.1%, Hand-drawn 22%, Cute 14.8%, Adventure 3.3%

A short story point-and-click visual novel about the afterlife.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 27.2%, Visual Novel 21.6%, Hand-drawn 13.4%, Adventure 10.6%, Stylized 8.3%

A pidgeon-doctor in a small town. A broken healthcare system. A heartfelt narrative game. Fall of Porcupine tells an emotional story about a young doctor who struggles to find his place. Accompany Finley in a lovingly illustrated world and uncover the darkest secrets of Porcupine.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 22.3%, Emotional 16%, Hand-drawn 13.3%, Cute 9.6%, Cartoony 9.1%