Games Like Chants of Sennaar

An archaeologist uncovers a lost history in an ancient space Nebula. Award-winning narrative adventure game with hieroglyphic language puzzles, from the creators of 80 DAYS.

Why similar: Puzzle 25.6%, Point & Click 22.7%, Adventure 10.2%, Mystery 8.4%, Atmospheric 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: It is the closest match on Steam, built around exploring an evocative world and deciphering an ancient language through context and careful interpretation.

Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.

Why similar: Detective 31.9%, Puzzle 26.8%, Great Soundtrack 9.8%, Mystery 9.6%, Atmospheric 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: Like Chants of Sennaar, it asks you to observe tiny details, connect evidence, and deduce hidden truths without hand-holding.

To know a language, know the world, and finally know you.

Why similar: Word Game 54%, Puzzle 30.8%, Atmospheric 7.7%, Mystery 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: This entire puzzle narrative revolves around learning an unknown language by observing repeated words, actions, and relationships exactly like Chants of Sennaar's core loop.

A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.

Why similar: Puzzle 24.5%, Detective 24.4%, Point & Click 20.4%, Mystery 8.4%, Atmospheric 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: Its brilliant deduction structure captures the same satisfaction of piecing together meaning from fragments of visual and contextual information.

You wake up, alone, on a strange island full of puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.

Why similar: Puzzle 56.1%, Colorful 9.9%, Exploration 6.7%, Atmospheric 5.9%, Adventure 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: It teaches you a silent visual language of puzzle rules through observation alone, echoing Chants of Sennaar's learn-by-looking design.

Explore a land filled with lost legends, ancient powers, and ferocious monsters in TUNIC, an isometric action game about a small fox on a big adventure.

Why similar: Puzzle 49.6%, Colorful 11.4%, Exploration 11.4%, Stylized 8.5%, Atmospheric 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: Beyond its action-adventure shell, a huge part of its magic comes from deciphering an in-world script and extracting meaning from incomplete information.

Sethian is a sci-fi puzzle game in which you master a fictitious language. The only surviving speaker is an ancient computer. Does it hold the answers behind the disappearance of the Sethianese people?

Why similar: Puzzle 74.9%, Indie 25.1%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses directly on decoding an alien language using symbols, grammar, and contextual clues, making it a natural recommendation for language-puzzle fans.

The stage is set. Imagine an old baroque manor, perhaps a hotel or a museum, somewhere in central Europe. A woman wanders in search of answers.

Why similar: Puzzle 47.2%, Adventure 14.6%, Stylized 9.1%, Mystery 7.6%, Exploration 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: This stylish mystery-puzzle game rewards note-taking, pattern recognition, and slowly learning how its world communicates with you.

Gorogoa is an elegant evolution of the puzzle genre, told through a beautifully hand-drawn story designed and illustrated by Jason Roberts. Winner of Debut Game at the 2018 BAFTA Games Awards, as well as Best Mobile Game and the Innovation Award at the GDC 2018 Choice Awards.

Why similar: Puzzle 47%, Point & Click 14.4%, Great Soundtrack 6.6%, Stylized 6%, Atmospheric 5.8%

Why You'll Like It: Its elegant visual puzzles and layered image-based reasoning evoke the same satisfying act of discovering hidden connections.

From Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of LIMBO and INSIDE — COCOON takes you on an adventure across worlds within worlds. Master world-leaping mechanics and solve intricate puzzles to unravel a cosmic mystery.

Why similar: Puzzle 42.9%, Adventure 14%, Stylized 8.8%, Puzzle Platformer 8.1%, Atmospheric 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers polished, atmospheric puzzle progression with a strong sense of discovery and almost wordless comprehension.

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: Puzzle 27.6%, Great Soundtrack 20.4%, Mystery 9.7%, Adventure 9.7%, Exploration 9%

Why You'll Like It: It shares the same sense of archaeological discovery, where reading alien texts and connecting clues across cultures leads to major revelations.

Strange Horticulture is an occult puzzle game in which you play as the proprietor of a local plant store. Find and identify new plants, pet your cat, speak to a coven, or join a cult. Use your collection of powerful plants to influence the story and unravel Undermere’s dark mysteries.

Why similar: Puzzle 23.7%, Detective 19.7%, Point & Click 19.5%, Adventure 7.1%, Mystery 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: Its clue-driven investigation and process of identifying meanings from cryptic evidence hits a similar deductive, interpretive sweet spot.

Gomez is a 2D creature living in a 2D world. Or is he? When the existence of a mysterious 3rd dimension is revealed to him, Gomez is sent out on a journey that will take him to the very end of time and space. Use your ability to navigate 3D structures from 4 distinct classic 2D perspectives.

Why similar: Puzzle 47.5%, Great Soundtrack 17.6%, Indie 8.7%, Exploration 6.3%, Adventure 5.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its colorful exploration and secret alphabet puzzles deliver a very similar joy of uncovering how a world’s symbols and logic fit together.

Welcome to Myst: a starkly beautiful island, eerily tinged with mystery and shrouded in intrigue. Built from the ground up to play in 2D & VR, explore Myst in a whole new dimension! Journey to the Ages, unravel puzzles, and be a part of the surrealistic adventure that will become your own.

Why similar: Puzzle 45.1%, Adventure 15.8%, Point & Click 13.4%, Exploration 8.4%, Story Rich 4.2%

Why You'll Like It: This classic puzzle adventure similarly emphasizes solitary exploration, note-taking, and decoding a mysterious world at your own pace.

Solve puzzle panels and uncover the meaning of the symbols within. Explore a dense world where secrets are hidden in plain sight.

Why similar: Puzzle 52.9%, Adventure 13.2%, Stylized 11.2%, Exploration 7.7%, Mystery 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: Like The Witness and Chants of Sennaar, it trusts you to learn a symbolic puzzle language through careful attention and gradual insight.

Uncover a story of intrigue, betrayal, and a civilization teetering on the brink of collapse as you solve intricate puzzles to unlock the secrets of Riven. Built from the ground-up and expanded from the award-winning original game released in 1997.

Why similar: Puzzle 42.9%, Adventure 13.4%, Atmospheric 10%, Mystery 9%, Exploration 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: Its dense environmental storytelling and culture-rich world ask you to infer how a place and its systems work by observing everything around you.

Understand is an experimental puzzle game about guessing rules. In each level, you have to figure out the rules through trial and error, then draw a line satisfying all rules.

Why similar: Puzzle 84.5%, Singleplayer 10.8%, Indie 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: This is a pure decipherment game about figuring out what unfamiliar symbols and rule systems mean with no explicit instructions.

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: Puzzle 21.9%, Detective 17.2%, Point & Click 15.7%, Mythology 11%, Adventure 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: This mythic adventure blends puzzle-solving and scene interpretation in a way that feels close to Chants of Sennaar's story-led deduction.

Discover the truth about Quern’s past, unfold the mysteries of its present, and be the explorer who shapes its future. Quern introduces reusable puzzle mechanics to the classic genre, making the player think about the game as a whole, and not just as a series of individual challenges.

Why similar: Puzzle 33.7%, Point & Click 18.3%, Adventure 11.2%, Mystery 8.7%, Atmospheric 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: It offers interconnected environmental puzzles and a lonely, atmospheric mystery that rewards patient observation and logic.

Unravel a thrilling mystery by exploring a strange and twisted mansion, discovering curious clues, interrogating peculiar suspects and solving unique puzzles. Will you be able to uncover the secrets of Tangle Tower?

Why similar: Detective 24%, Point & Click 21.9%, Puzzle 21.2%, Great Soundtrack 5.1%, Mystery 5.1%

Why You'll Like It: It scratches the detective and point-and-click side of Chants of Sennaar with stylized presentation and clue-based puzzle solving.

Join Norah, a woman plagued by a mysterious illness, in her search for her missing husband in this adventure puzzle game set on a lush island paradise. Immerse yourself in stunning visuals and unlock forbidden secrets in a moving tale of mystery and love.

Why similar: Puzzle 39.8%, Adventure 13%, Colorful 10.5%, Atmospheric 8.2%, Mystery 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its colorful presentation, atmospheric journey, and environmental puzzle-solving make it a good fit for players who loved Chants of Sennaar's tone.

Lingo is a first person word puzzle game with a large, abstract world to explore. With its epiphany-driven gameplay and impossible geometry, Lingo provides a unique and nonlinear experience.

Why similar: Puzzle 36.4%, Word Game 33.3%, Indie 6.5%, Adventure 5.7%, Exploration 5.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its exploration and wordplay puzzles tap into the same pleasure of decoding symbols and meanings inside a mysterious space.

Rediscover gravity and explore an Escher-esque world of impossible architecture. Witness infinity in first-person and master its rules to solve physics-defying puzzles. Cultivate a garden to open new paths forward, where an eternal expanse awaits.

Why similar: Puzzle 38.8%, Colorful 10.1%, Puzzle Platformer 9.9%, Atmospheric 8.2%, Adventure 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: While more abstract, it offers striking visual puzzle spaces and the same pleasure of slowly understanding an unfamiliar system.

Explore the ancient, mysterious world of Journey as you soar above ruins and glide across sands to discover its secrets.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 26.2%, Adventure 16.7%, Atmospheric 16%, Exploration 8.8%, Relaxing 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the seed game's sense of spiritual travel, visual storytelling, and moving through a symbolic world without much explicit explanation.

Step into a living illustrated world in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the Bavarian Alps.

Why similar: Detective 24.8%, Point & Click 21.8%, Stylized 13.1%, Adventure 11.5%, Mystery 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: Its historical mystery is deeply rooted in culture, text, and interpretation, making it a strong fit if you liked Chants of Sennaar's humanistic side.

Twelve years after Senior Inspector Jeon Gyeong's retirement, she is visited by a young police officer: a woman who pleads with her to reexamine Seowon's case. But with each uncovered memory, only one thing becomes clear: everyone in Seowon's vicinity was lying.

Why similar: Puzzle 33.8%, Point & Click 26.8%, Detective 20.4%, Adventure 9.6%, Story Rich 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative mystery leans heavily on reconstructing events from partial information, matching the seed game's deductive appeal.

What if you could hear every word spoken at the scene of a crime? “Acoustic Detectives” wanted for testing our new device! Return aurally to crime scenes and use the voices you hear to identify potential suspects and solve the mysteries. What is it that’s connecting these seemingly unrelated cases?

Why similar: Puzzle 26%, Detective 23.6%, Point & Click 18.3%, Mystery 7.8%, Atmospheric 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: Instead of translating languages, you reconstruct truth by listening closely and inferring relationships from fragmented conversations.

The Talos Principle is a first-person puzzle game in the tradition of philosophical science fiction. Made by Croteam and written by Tom Jubert (FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes (The Sea Will Claim Everything).

Why similar: Puzzle 56.4%, Great Soundtrack 13.3%, Atmospheric 8%, Story Rich 5.3%, Adventure 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: Its cerebral puzzles and philosophical mystery similarly create the feeling of learning the rules of an unfamiliar world step by step.

A genealogical mystery straight out of 1998. Scour the early Internet for clues, uncover hidden connections, and piece together the family tree behind the secretive Roottree Corporation.

Why similar: Puzzle 28.5%, Detective 25.8%, Point & Click 18.2%, Mystery 7.9%, Atmospheric 5.2%

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: Great Soundtrack 23.4%, Adventure 19.3%, Mystery 15.9%, Atmospheric 12%, Exploration 11%

Why You'll Like It: It similarly revolves around uncovering a layered ancient mystery through investigation, dialogue, and piecing together cultural clues.

Journey into the forgotten world of Helix, where ancient powers awaken within you. Unlock and combine embodied abilities to unravel the mysteries of a lost civilization. Descend into a tale that will challenge your mind and soul, solving intricate puzzles as you ascend to the light of a new day.

Why similar: Puzzle 37.4%, Adventure 12.4%, Great Soundtrack 9.7%, Atmospheric 9.7%, Stylized 7.4%

Greetings Enforcer, and thank you for enlisting in the Hypnospace Patrol Department! As the world falls into its slumber, Hypnospace becomes a bustling global village. These virtual streets aren't going to police themselves!

Why similar: Point & Click 26.4%, Detective 17.9%, Puzzle 17.1%, Great Soundtrack 15%, Atmospheric 5%

Why You'll Like It: It turns browsing, reading, and contextual inference into the main gameplay, rewarding the same curiosity-driven interpretation skills.

Lingo 2 blends word puzzles and impossible geometry, with brand new puzzle mechanics and a large, colorful world to discover. Welcome back!

Why similar: Word Game 42.9%, Puzzle 29.1%, Adventure 7.8%, Exploration 4.8%, Colorful 4.6%

Storyteller is an award-winning puzzle game about building stories. Start with a title, settings and characters and create a story that fits the story’s description. Play with stories of love, intrigue, crime, monsters, betrayal, and more!

Why similar: Puzzle 45.9%, Point & Click 32.7%, Adventure 9.9%, Mystery 6.7%, Singleplayer 4.8%

The Séance of Blake Manor is a supernatural detective mystery, set in 1897 Ireland, where you investigate the disappearance of Evelyn Deane in a remote hotel full of secrets and other-worldly occurrences.

Why similar: Word Game 27.1%, Puzzle 17.8%, Detective 16.6%, Mythology 13.6%, Adventure 5.4%

A fantastic, oceanic, open world puzzle adventure. Solve innovative block puzzles while unearthing a mystifying story, gaining new friends that change the puzzle landscape, and unlocking powers that provide more options for how you choose to progress through the enigmatic Isles of Sea and Sky.

Why similar: Puzzle 29.9%, Mythology 24.4%, Stylized 11%, Adventure 9.7%, Atmospheric 8.8%

Seek out and solve 10,000+ puzzles at your own pace across this sublime puzzle game.

Why similar: Puzzle 35.7%, Puzzle Platformer 12.9%, Adventure 11.1%, Atmospheric 10.4%, Mystery 9.7%

Explore the miniature universe filled with Eastern mythology, forgotten folk tales and surprising historical events in this puzzle adventure game. Step into real artworks, reveal mysteries by solving unique puzzles, and be the hero of the miniature folk.

Why similar: Puzzle 22.9%, Mythology 18.3%, Point & Click 17.3%, Colorful 9.8%, Adventure 7.1%

Welcome to Mt. Holly, where every dawn unveils a new mystery. Navigate through shifting corridors and ever-changing chambers in this genre-defying strategy puzzle adventure. But will your unpredictable path lead you to the rumored Room 46?

Why similar: Puzzle 46.5%, Mystery 10.5%, Adventure 7.7%, Exploration 7.5%, Atmospheric 6.5%

The Artisan of Glimmith is a cozy, relaxing puzzle game about coloring stained glass and restoring the artworks of a kingdom above the clouds. Explore a world of handcrafted puzzles designed with intent, where simple rules lead to delightful surprises.

Why similar: Puzzle 48.8%, Colorful 13.2%, Adventure 10%, Atmospheric 7.7%, Exploration 6.8%

Word game is literally a game of words. Player controls "I" to find clues between lines, delete words to change the meaning of sentences, or shift words to rewrite facts. “I” must be wise and brave enough complete the mission of words. May the best "I” win!

Why similar: Puzzle 35.7%, Word Game 31%, Stylized 8.7%, Exploration 7.3%, Adventure 5.9%

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, the classic puzzle-solving mystery adventure directed by Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi, is back! This long-awaited HD remaster features upgraded visuals and sound and new gallery content.

Why similar: Puzzle 31%, Detective 21.1%, Point & Click 9.7%, Adventure 9.2%, Great Soundtrack 9%

A short puzzle game where you decipher a fictional language, mix potions, and treat patients. Enjoy the thrill of understanding and the small stories that unfold from each cure.

Why similar: Word Game 53.7%, Puzzle 30.1%, Atmospheric 4.1%, Adventure 4.1%, Relaxing 4%

The Sojourn is a first-person puzzle game set in an immersive colour-drenched world of light and darkness. Think your way through dozens of puzzles as you traverse parallel worlds, awaken mysterious artifacts and overcome challenging obstacles on an unforgettable journey.

Why similar: Puzzle 25.3%, Great Soundtrack 11%, Colorful 9.7%, Stylized 8.5%, Adventure 7.5%

Amphora is a peculiar puzzle game that mixes story elements and physics. Amphora presents you with an unfamiliar world with a striking visual style inspired by all the shadow theatre traditions and colors of the world.

Why similar: Puzzle 36.4%, Great Soundtrack 14.3%, Adventure 10.7%, Colorful 10.4%, Stylized 8.6%

Explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth, and unravel its many secrets. Collect items to manipulate your environment in surprising and meaningful ways. Encounter beautiful and unsettling creatures, as you attempt to survive what lurks in the dark. There is more than what you see.

Why similar: Puzzle 40.3%, Puzzle Platformer 13.5%, Atmospheric 9.1%, Exploration 9%, Adventure 8.5%

Challenge perception, redefine reality, and reshape the world around you with an instant camera. Viewfinder is a new single player game offering gamers hours of interesting and fun experiences while uncovering the mysteries left behind.

Why similar: Puzzle 33.1%, Puzzle Platformer 11.8%, Colorful 9.6%, Adventure 9.2%, Atmospheric 8.3%

Hue is a vibrant, award-winning puzzle-adventure, where you alter the world by changing its background colour.

Why similar: Puzzle 39%, Great Soundtrack 15.6%, Adventure 11.8%, Colorful 10.7%, Puzzle Platformer 10.3%

Can you learn Japanese by solving puzzles? So to Speak is a game about wandering in Japan, looking at signs, overhearing conversations, and using context clues in the environment to figure out what it all means. No background in Japanese is assumed.

Why similar: Language Learning 35.4% ★, Puzzle 24%, Point & Click 13.7%, Colorful 8.9%, Adventure 6.5%

Mystic Pillars is an original blend of intriguing puzzles and an immersive storyline set in Ancient India, providing you with a unique gameplay experience.

Why similar: Adventure 29%, Puzzle 24.1%, Indie 16.4%, Colorful 9.6%, Atmospheric 5.3%

SAY ANYTHING in this bizarre dungeon adventure where words control everything. Fill in the blanks with text or voice to uncover lost abilities, embark on strange quests, and solve mindbending riddles. Can you conquer the crypt and uncover the mystery at the heart of CRYPTMASTER?

Why similar: Word Game 74%, Stylized 12.3%, Action-Adventure 7.4%, Story Rich 6.3%

Embark on a journey of forgiveness through impossible environments and illusionary puzzles. Experience this meditative and calming puzzle game by manipulating monuments and creating evolving paths to explore new, surreal, and mysterious worlds.

Why similar: Puzzle 39.5%, Point & Click 18.4%, Adventure 11%, Relaxing 7.3%, Puzzle Platformer 6.2%

A mind-bending recursive puzzle game about boxes within boxes within boxes within boxes. Learn to use infinity to your advantage as you explore a deep and elegant system.

Why similar: Puzzle 83.1%, Singleplayer 9.2%, Indie 7.7%

Become the custodian of a store dealing in occult antiquities. Explore the quaint and gloomy town of Undermere, where strange goings-on and dark mysteries abound. Find and identify arcane artefacts, use your collection to aid the townsfolk with their unusual problems — and remember to pet your cat!

Why similar: Puzzle 23%, Detective 19.6%, Point & Click 19.6%, Adventure 7.2%, Atmospheric 6.8%

Learn a cryptic language of world-changing words and master their mind-bending effects. Embark on your charming puzzle-solving journey to help the LOK creatures thrive.

Why similar: Word Game 53.3%, Puzzle 32.6%, Relaxing 5.2%, Indie 4.8%, Singleplayer 4.1%

A land of discovery stretches out before you. Explore the beautiful, rugged world of RiME. Armed with your wits and a will to overcome—and the guidance of a helpful fox—you must explore the enigmatic island, reach the tower's peak, and unlock its closely guarded secrets.

Why similar: Puzzle 34.3%, Great Soundtrack 17.8%, Adventure 11.8%, Atmospheric 9.1%, Colorful 8.8%

A hand-drawn adventure blending visual novel storytelling with point-and-click puzzles. Explore a vibrant yet dangerous oasis city where humans and animals live side by side. Meet unforgettable characters, trade and combine quirky items, and solve challenging puzzle-dungeons filled with mystery.

Why similar: Puzzle 28.7%, Point & Click 24.6%, Great Soundtrack 8.9%, Atmospheric 7.1%, Adventure 7.1%

Help renowned explorer and adventurer Adam Venture and his accomplice Evelyn discover artifacts, unravel ancient mysteries, decipher strange symbols and solve ingenious puzzles around gorgeous historical sites from the 1920's.

Why similar: Puzzle 39.6%, Adventure 18.5%, Great Soundtrack 14.2%, Indie 9.1%, Atmospheric 6.6%

Explore a unique and connected world. Understand its fragile balance, uncover its deepest questions, and find more than just the answers.

Why similar: Puzzle 36.3%, Colorful 14%, Adventure 10.7%, Stylized 9.3%, Mystery 7.9%