Games Like Buried: An Interactive Story

Award-winning, innovative puzzle-adventure. By communicating through your PC, you must help a kidnapped man escape captivity - in real-time. While you sleep, he is alone. When you return to your PC he has hope. Your encouragement and advice will be the difference between his salvation or despair.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 25.5%, Text-Based 21.6%, Adventure 14.8%, Indie 13.4%, Horror 12.7%

Why You'll Like It: This real-time thriller forces you to manage a conversation with a trapped survivor, where every choice directly impacts their fate.

A mystery adventure set at the collapse site of a live survival audition show. Trapped contestants communicate with each other—and the outside world through social media—as they wait for rescue. But as unexpected events unfold, trust begins to crack, and survival becomes far more complicated.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 47.5%, Visual Novel 35.1%, Adventure 17.4%

Why You'll Like It: A gripping mystery thriller that uses social media and branching dialogue to uncover the truth behind a tragic collapse.

When seven people fall prey to a vicious curse, they will discover that horror rests not from the shadows lurking about, but within themselves. To what ends will one go in order to survive?

Why similar: Visual Novel 42.9%, Horror 32.4%, Adventure 13.4%, Indie 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: A branching horror visual novel that heavily emphasizes player choices and consequences in a terrifying supernatural setting.

Mothmen 1966 is a 'Pixel Pulp' - a visual novel fusing exceptional writing and stunning illustration, inspired by mid-20th century pulp fiction and 80s home computer graphics - set amongst the strange occurrences of the Leonid meteor shower of 1966.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 38.9%, Visual Novel 22.8%, Horror 16.2%, Adventure 13%, Indie 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, choice-driven narrative game that captures the eerie, retro-horror aesthetic of 1960s cryptid encounters.

Text based quest, mix of Sci-Fi and horror in the veins of Alien and Dead Space.

Why similar: Text-Based 34.1%, Adventure 21.5%, Choose Your Own Adventure 18.7%, Indie 16.8%, Horror 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: A text-based sci-fi horror adventure where your decisions determine the survival of a lunar exploration team.

An interactive horror experience of exploring a missing woman’s phone.

Why similar: Visual Novel 44.3%, Horror 37.6%, Adventure 18.1%

Why You'll Like It: This found-phone horror game uses an interactive interface to tell a dark, branching story that feels incredibly personal and immediate.

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a folk horror narrative-driven adventure. Explore the isolated moors of rural Victorian England as you uncover the mysteries of Hob's Barrow. The answers lie in the soil...

Why similar: Horror 44.9%, Adventure 40%, Indie 15.2%

Why You'll Like It: A folk-horror adventure that relies on slow-burn narrative and atmospheric storytelling to build dread.

Stories Untold is a compilation tape of four experimental adventures, including a remaster of the original hit episode “The House Abandon”.

Why similar: Text-Based 53.2%, Horror 18.6%, Adventure 15.9%, Indie 12.3%

Why You'll Like It: An experimental narrative game that uses text-based interfaces and retro technology to build a deeply unsettling psychological horror experience.

A reverse-detective adventure, where you control your character's face

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 48.3%, Visual Novel 28.2%, Horror 23.5%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, choice-heavy psychological horror game that features a unique facial expression system to influence dialogue outcomes.

The Wake is a record of past wounds opened at a three-day funeral. The journal is encoded with a simple substitution cipher that the player must break in order to reveal the writer’s psyche and discover the contradictions that define him.

Why similar: Text-Based 54.3%, Visual Novel 16.7%, Adventure 15.8%, Indie 13.3%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply atmospheric, text-heavy narrative game that focuses on emotional storytelling and personal history.

The Cat Lady follows Susan Ashworth, a lonely 40-year old on the verge of suicide. She has no family, no friends and no hope for a better future. One day she discovers that five strangers will come along and change everything...

Why similar: Horror 43.6%, Adventure 32.9%, Indie 23.5%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, narrative-driven psychological horror game that explores heavy themes through a unique, hand-drawn art style.

Experience the quiet terror of this 1-bit love letter to Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Navigate a hellish roguelite reality with turn-based combat and unforgiving choices. Experiment with your deck of event cards to discover new forms of cosmic horror in every playthrough. The inevitable awaits...

Why similar: Horror 73.4%, Adventure 26.6%

Why You'll Like It: A cosmic horror game that uses choice-based mechanics and a retro aesthetic to create a sense of impending doom.

"Choose your own adventure" style nightmares

Why similar: Text-Based 33.9%, Choose Your Own Adventure 30.6%, Horror 14.1%, Adventure 12.1%, Indie 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: A collection of short, text-based interactive fiction pieces that focus on delivering quick, impactful horror experiences.

Critically acclaimed, minimalist text-based rpg. Come light the fire.

Why similar: Adventure 44%, Text-Based 41%, Indie 15%

Why You'll Like It: A minimalist, text-based survival game that masterfully builds an atmospheric and mysterious world through simple prose.

Zombies rise again at the dawn of Apocalypse! In this companion to the smash-hit Zombie Exodus, can you survive the early days of society's collapse?

Why similar: Text-Based 47.1%, Choose Your Own Adventure 24.5%, Adventure 15.7%, Indie 12.7%

Why You'll Like It: A complex, text-based survival RPG that offers immense freedom in character development and moral decision-making.

There is nothing Joe wouldn't do for his wife. But as they try to save their marriage with a romantic getaway, things go from bad to worse, and from worse... to insanity...

Why similar: Adventure 38.7%, Horror 32%, Indie 29.3%

Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror adventure that prioritizes a disturbing, narrative-rich experience over traditional gameplay challenges.

Somewhere deep within the woods of Cornwall, a timeless force is stirring. Unseen beneath the ancient burial mound, known locally as Barrow Hill, a forgotten myth awakens. Use archaeology to discover that the barrow is more than just a collection of forgotten standing stones.

Why similar: Adventure 45.1%, Indie 29.6%, Horror 25.3%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric point-and-click horror game that relies on exploration and uncovering lore to build suspense.

A psychological horror short story. Explore the untouched wilderness of rural Wales as you uncover the forgotten remains of a mysterious facility and find the truth behind the missing villagers of Hearth.

Why similar: Horror 61.2%, Adventure 38.8%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-focused psychological horror game that uses audio-based mechanics to tell a compelling, eerie story.

Immersed into dark and unexplored ancient woods in a search of the almost forgotten "Legend of the Ancients". But not everything goes as planned as the place keeps a never revealed horrifying secret. Hidden is a first person horror point n' click adventure game, with focus on story, puzzles and exploration.

Why similar: Adventure 43.1%, Horror 28.6%, Indie 28.3%

Why You'll Like It: A classic point-and-click adventure that blends mystery and psychological horror in a remote, atmospheric setting.

Rule the world or die trying!Being a Princess is not an easy job. Being a Queen is even harder. Especially when you're only fourteen years old, and the reason you've inherited the throne is that your royal mother has just met an untimely end.Now power is up for grabs.

Why similar: Visual Novel 57.8%, Choose Your Own Adventure 25.8%, Indie 16.4%

Why You'll Like It: An intense, choice-driven visual novel where every decision can lead to a sudden and tragic end for the protagonist.

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: Horror 36.1%, Adventure 34.4%, Indie 29.5%

Why You'll Like It: A supernatural mystery game that uses a natural dialogue system to drive the plot and build character relationships.

Re-live a dark and haunting tale in this fixed camera puzzle-horror game RE-miniscent of the first generation of survival horror games.

Why similar: Adventure 41.8%, Indie 34%, Horror 24.2%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person horror adventure that uses photography and environmental storytelling to create a sense of unease.

UNFORGOTTEN – a story-driven, non-linear visual novel, where you can immerse in the ethnic ambience of Northern myths and horrors. Can you solve the riddles of the past - without ever losing yourself in the present? Your fate is in your hands!

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 28.3%, Visual Novel 24.3%, Horror 18.1%, Adventure 16.1%, Indie 13.1%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric visual novel that focuses on emotional depth and narrative discovery within a haunting setting.

Adventure horror with many puzzles and an interesting story.

Why similar: Adventure 46.5%, Indie 33.5%, Horror 20%

Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric horror adventure that uses puzzle elements to drive its narrative forward.

You've moved to a new house where the previous owner was murdered. They never found his head. But, it has found you.

Why similar: Text-Based 41.8%, Visual Novel 22.2%, Horror 15.9%, Adventure 14.1%, Indie 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: An experimental psychological horror visual novel that challenges the player with its surreal and unsettling narrative.

Delve into the diverse world of horror movies in this 2D action puzzler. Nothing can prepare you for the R-rated challenges you will face!

Why similar: Horror 100%

Why You'll Like It: A series of horror scenarios that reward player experimentation and clever interaction within a dark, slasher-inspired world.

Experience a Narrative Adventure where your choices and character growth truly matter. As a member of a 1793 secret society, live a tale of intrigue and manipulation on the hunt for your missing mother.

Why similar: Adventure 50.2%, Choose Your Own Adventure 35.2%, Horror 14.6%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative adventure where your choices and social manipulation skills are the primary tools for uncovering a dark conspiracy.

This is a deep web exploration simulator. Discover hundreds of websites and files around the Web to get to the Silent House and save your friend. Find out creepy stories from the Web and meet its inhabitants. It's showtime!

Why similar: Text-Based 31.7%, Adventure 28.3%, Horror 20.7%, Indie 19.2%

Why You'll Like It: A simulation-heavy narrative game that uses a computer interface to immerse players in a dark, mysterious investigation.

Visit the real town of Cachiche, Peru, to spend your nights searching for spirits and taking photos. Discover a generative narrative as you show your photos to local people who describe what they see in them.

Why similar: Indie 63.6%, Horror 36.4%

Why You'll Like It: An indie horror narrative that focuses on building a unique, unsettling atmosphere through its writing and presentation.

You wake up buried alive. You are running out of oxygen and you can't remember how you got here. There must be a way out, can you figure it out in time?

Why similar: Horror 62.1%, Adventure 25.3%, Indie 12.7%

Your magic can change the world, but at what cost? Battle dragons, skyships, and evil Inquisitors, as you protect your homeland, conquer it, or destroy it forever!

Why similar: Text-Based 43.2%, Choose Your Own Adventure 27%, Adventure 15%, Indie 14.8%

Why You'll Like It: A text-based adventure that offers deep, branching narrative paths and significant consequences for your choices.

DEEP UNDER is a grim visual novel about how an ordinary camping trip with friends can turn into a real nightmare.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 30.3%, Visual Novel 27.3%, Horror 19.3%, Adventure 16.1%, Indie 7.1%

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: Visual Novel 53.5%, Horror 28.3%, Adventure 18.2%

Log.in is a mystery-horror game where you explore a PC screen, digging through images, videos and files. Hidden somewhere in the system is the location of a girl being held captive. Your actions on the desktop will dramatically change the story and her fate.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 26.7%, Adventure 24.9%, Horror 22.7%, Visual Novel 19%, Indie 6.7%

Like Clay is a story driven adventure game with horror elements. Find out what happened to a friend of yours by reading messages and listening to audio files. Search for hidden doors and items, solve light puzzles and survive deadly foes and lethal traps.

Why similar: Indie 40%, Adventure 32.3%, Horror 27.7%

1983, Alaska... During the Salmon Run, a deadly figure known as The Grizzly Man terrorizes a group of tourists led by Bob, an amnesiac former Man in Black. Survive the journey or become the catch of the day in this breathtaking pixel-art interactive fiction with heart-pounding pace!

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 27.5%, Text-Based 27%, Visual Novel 19.3%, Adventure 16.5%, Horror 9.8%

This is Interesting is a psychological horror mystery based game with roguelite elements. You are being watched, and you aren't really sure why. Delve through the depths of memory to uncover the mystery behind the gray purgatory you find yourself in.

Why similar: Horror 44.5%, Adventure 36%, Indie 19.5%

A psychological interactive novel about a floppy disk with a mysterious program. Help Elliot cope with his mental issues and uncover the secret of the floppy disk.

Why similar: Text-Based 59.7%, Visual Novel 24.5%, Indie 15.8%

Are you ready to embark on a spine-chilling adventure? Step into the shoes of the protagonist and experience the terror of being "Buried Alive" in a crypt. Your mission is clear: Escape the confines of your coffin, find the key to unlock the door, and unveil the dark secrets that lie within.

Why similar: Horror 57.8%, Adventure 42.2%

When your uncle Kent mysteriously disappears, you'll embark on a journey find out what really happened. What will you sacrifice when trapped in a haunted manor? Will you destroy this evil or claim its power? And can love bloom in a haunted house?

Why similar: Text-Based 42.1%, Choose Your Own Adventure 28.4%, Adventure 16%, Indie 13.5%

You're hired to dig up graves at a local church, looting valuables while demonic activity escalates. You must find and return all the burnt bones to stop the demonic activity. Each night you will dig for valuables to find bones, fend off growing corruption, and survive to solve the mystery.

Why similar: Horror 84.6%, Adventure 15.4%

You can't remember anything, and all you can see is HER. Delve into your story and uncover the truth behind what happened to you and your parents.

Why similar: Visual Novel 26.6%, Text-Based 22.1%, Adventure 17.1%, Choose Your Own Adventure 17.1%, Horror 12.5%

Missing Hiker is a short indie horror game, where your brother Ethan went missing while hiking and you need to find him.

Why similar: Horror 63.3%, Adventure 36.7%

Breakout 13 is a thrilling narrative game with interactive cinematic experience. Based on true stories. Embark on a revealing journey as you attempt to break free from a negligent correctional institute and carve out your own path to justice. Each decision you make shapes the story.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 70.2%, Horror 29.8%

"Tavern in the Woods" is a first person, single-player interactive fiction story that blends mystery, storytelling, and supernatural horror. Players explore and investigate an isolated environment as the narrative slowly unfolds, gradually uncovering the truth behind the eerie emptiness.

Why similar: Visual Novel 57.5%, Adventure 42.5%

You are a young college student working the night shift as a security guard at a remote cemetery deep in the Arkansas woods. What starts as routine surveillance quickly turns into something far more unsettling.

Why similar: Horror 50.5%, Adventure 35.2%, Indie 14.3%

Rebuilt and enhanced for PC – Until Dawn invites you to relive the nightmare, and immerse yourself in a gripping slasher horror where every decision can make the difference between life and death.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 47.8%, Horror 31.3%, Adventure 20.9%

Get ready to explore a movie studio that vanished into thin air, only to find yourself trapped in a twisted, alternate dimension where creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting to ensure you never see the light of day again...

Why similar: Horror 41.3%, Adventure 32.6%, Indie 26.1%

Tiny Bunny is a non-linear horror visual novel. Those, who have heard the voice of the forest, are beyond help.

Why similar: Visual Novel 47.7%, Horror 32.7%, Adventure 11.9%, Indie 7.6%

Roadwarden is an illustrated text-based RPG that uses isometric pixel art and combines mechanics borrowed from RPGs, Visual Novels, adventure games and interactive fiction.

Why similar: Text-Based 51.5%, Choose Your Own Adventure 19.8%, Adventure 11.9%, Indie 8.9%, Visual Novel 7.9%

Following a sudden explosion at the Stonehenge Museum fundraiser, you find yourself trapped in a hidden underground complex. Your only means of escape is by sending photographs of your surroundings to another survivor confined elsewhere. But before long, a disturbing truth begins to dawn…

Why similar: Adventure 55.2%, Indie 44.8%

Vernon's Legacy is an horror adventure with an enigmatic story that takes place nearly a century ago. You are playing as Robert, the new owner of Dunkenhof manor.

Why similar: Adventure 41.4%, Indie 33.6%, Horror 25%

Point-and-click mystery adventure on the virtual SNS! Find secrets hidden by family, friends, companies, and idols.

Why similar: Text-Based 39.4%, Visual Novel 24.1%, Horror 17.1%, Adventure 13.8%, Indie 5.5%

You’re stuck inside an abandoned video game, haunted by its own digital decay. In oneway.exe, uncover the mystery of UNTITLED.exe, its three developers, and the evolving Internet eras that once shaped their love. How does your story end? How did it ever begin?

Why similar: Horror 50.2%, Indie 25.3%, Adventure 24.5%

Trapped in a terrifying death-loop, surgeon Cole Mason is kidnapped and brought to an underwater facility, forced to operate on a patient to extract an evolving parasitic horror. Dead Reset is a blood-soaked interactive horror, where each death brings you closer to the truth.

Why similar: Visual Novel 37.6%, Horror 24.8%, Adventure 18.9%, Indie 18.7%

Northern Québec, 1970. A bizarre mist —the Brume— is disconnecting a rural mining village from its quiet reality. Step into the shoes of Detective Carl Faubert as he unfolds the mysteries haunting the region while battling for his own survival.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 33.7%, Adventure 29.8%, Horror 23.3%, Indie 13.2%

Made in Construct2, Settled is a story driven game with hints of exploration. As you progress, subtle changes appear. Memories and nightmares act as new areas, although still remaining in the confines of the house. When you reach the end, the conclusion may not be what you expected.

Why similar: Adventure 38.8%, Indie 32.5%, Horror 28.7%

There's nothing scarier than waking up in the middle of the forest alone... or so it seems. Taking control of Rachel in this short, story driven, exploration game, you must find out where you are, why you're there, and most importantly, how to get out. What will you uncover when you delve into the unknown?

Why similar: Adventure 56.2%, Indie 43.8%

Investigate a paranormal disease that threatens to eradicate humanity in this unsettling Lovecraftian adventure, inspired by the choose-your-own-adventure gamebooks of the 80s and 90s. Your choices will determine the story, your character’s destiny… and the future of humanity.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 33.7%, Visual Novel 20.1%, Indie 16.7%, Text-Based 15.5%, Adventure 14%

A psychological horror anthology inspired by real-life cases. In Route 86, a group of friends ends up in a remote nightmare. Explore, hide, and survive in this first-person experience with multiple playable characters and rising tension.

Why similar: Horror 100%