Games Like Control, I'm Not Coming Back

Glitchhikers is a surreal journey through the spaces between places. A late night drive, a deserted airport lounge, a moonlit walk through an empty park, a quiet carriage on an overnight train. Who will you meet? What will you talk about? Where will the journey take you? Find yourself along the way.

Why similar: Philosophical 36%, Abstract 15.9%, Walking Simulator 13.9%, Interactive Fiction 10.1%, Nonlinear 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the surreal, abstract, and conversation-heavy atmosphere of the seed game, focusing on the philosophical musings of travelers.

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 31.2%, Philosophical 16%, Story Rich 14.4%, Abstract 11.8%, Psychological 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply philosophical and meta-narrative experience that explores the relationship between creator and player, much like the introspective nature of the seed game.

Observation is a sci-fi thriller uncovering what happened to Dr. Emma Fisher, and the crew of her mission, through the lens of the station’s artificial intelligence S.A.M.

Why similar: Space 41.1%, Sci-fi 14.1%, Story Rich 12.9%, Adventure 11.7%, Walking Simulator 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: You play as an AI on a space station, offering a unique perspective on isolation and human connection that mirrors the seed game's focus on space-bound narrative.

A strange signal... an alien craft... an interplanetary, gravity-defying journey through space and time.

Why similar: Philosophical 29.9%, Walking Simulator 24.3%, Space 23.9%, Story Rich 9.2%, Sci-fi 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the atmospheric, meditative experience of traveling through alien landscapes, perfectly matching the space-exploration vibe.

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: Philosophical 21.3%, Walking Simulator 16.9%, Story Rich 15.6%, Interactive Fiction 13.8%, Psychological 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: An intensely emotional narrative experience that uses a unique mechanic to explore the passage of time and the value of human memories.

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 38.2%, Space 23.6%, Story Rich 15.7%, Sci-fi 9.9%, First-Person 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative-driven game set on a space station excels at uncovering the personal stories and human connections of its crew through recorded interactions.

Hitchhiker is a mystery game set along lost highways, where your goal is to solve the puzzle of your own backstory.

Why similar: Philosophical 32.1%, Story Rich 13.2%, Psychological 10.9%, Interactive Fiction 10.6%, Walking Simulator 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, dialogue-focused journey that mirrors the abstract and philosophical storytelling found in the seed game.

The Station is a first-person sci-fi mystery set on a space station sent to study a sentient alien civilization. Assuming the role of a recon specialist, players must unravel a mystery which will decide the fate of two civilizations.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 31%, Space 25.9%, Story Rich 17.2%, Sci-fi 10.3%, First-Person 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person sci-fi mystery that focuses on environmental storytelling and the isolation of being alone on a space station.

Deliver Us The Moon is a Sci-Fi thriller set in an apocalyptic near future where Earth's natural resources are depleted. In an effort to solve the energy crisis, global powers created the World Space Agency and secured a promising new source of energy on the moon.

Why similar: Space 45.8%, Story Rich 14%, Walking Simulator 13.3%, Sci-fi 12.3%, Adventure 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A grounded sci-fi narrative that emphasizes the loneliness of space and the desperate human need to save our future.

“Thing-in-Itself” is a short interactive story about the struggles of understanding another human being. Using Immanuel Kant’s concept as a framework, it leads the player through stages of a relationship, exploring how perceptions may clash and surroundings can alter.

Why similar: Philosophical 32.8%, Walking Simulator 19.2%, Psychological 14.2%, Interactive Fiction 12.5%, Story Rich 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: A short, experimental experience that leans heavily into the psychological and philosophical themes present in the seed game.

De-Void is a first-person adventure game, where the player unravels the mysterious circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a remote space colony crew.

Why similar: Philosophical 31.9%, Walking Simulator 24.6%, Space 16.1%, Story Rich 10.2%, Sci-fi 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-focused sci-fi walking simulator that explores themes of loss and abandonment on a remote planet.

Free demo for Cognition Method - a story-driven, first-person puzzle game inspired by Space Odyssey 2001 and Solaris. Discover an innovative mechanics of altering gravity and dive into the surreal setting. Find your way within a mysterious artifact and unveal a non-ordinary story.

Why similar: Philosophical 36.5%, Space 16.3%, Walking Simulator 11.4%, Abstract 9.8%, Sci-fi 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi puzzle-adventure that uses its environment to pose deep philosophical questions about reality and consciousness.

Summerland is a first-person narrative game about morality and the afterlife. You take control of Matthew, a detective reliving the events of his past, being questioned on his morals along the way. In every door lies another memory, and every memory unlocks another door.

Why similar: Philosophical 32.6%, Walking Simulator 25.5%, Interactive Fiction 14.6%, Story Rich 12%, First-Person 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, first-person narrative game that focuses on emotional discovery and surreal environmental storytelling.

ADR1FT is the story of an astronaut who wakes up floating silently in space amongst the debris of destroyed space station…the only survivor of a catastrophic event, left with no memory, a critically damaged EVA suit leaking oxygen and no way home.

Why similar: Space 45.7%, Walking Simulator 31.4%, First-Person 10.3%, Adventure 5.1%, Sci-fi 4.8%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the visceral, terrifying, and beautiful experience of being a lone astronaut drifting through the wreckage of a space station.

A story-based exploration game about the very far future. With the help of two Artificial Intelligences, explore a universe conquered by humanity, uncover your purpose in it, and try to stop it from falling apart.

Why similar: Philosophical 35.3%, Walking Simulator 24%, Interactive Fiction 13.1%, Sci-fi 7.6%, First-Person 4%

Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi exploration game that prioritizes atmosphere and philosophical discovery over traditional gameplay challenges.

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 53.3%, Story Rich 24.6%, First-Person 11.9%, Adventure 5.6%, Colorful 2.8%

Why You'll Like It: While set on Earth, it is the gold standard for using a walking simulator format to explore deep emotional themes and human connection through radio dialogue.

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 26.8%, Interactive Fiction 20.4%, Philosophical 18%, Surreal 12.6%, Psychological 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: An interactive fiction piece that focuses on exploration and narrative choices, similar to the pacing of the seed game.

A short 10 minute visual novel about being a fragment in the universe and trying to find a way out of the ****.

Why similar: Philosophical 48.4%, Psychological 19.4%, Surreal 18.9%, Story Rich 6.8%, Stylized 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: A short, surreal, and emotionally heavy experience that focuses on the psychological state of its protagonist.

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 49.9%, Story Rich 34.2%, First-Person 10.9%, Adventure 3.2%, Indie 1.7%

Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in surreal, emotional storytelling that uses varied gameplay mechanics to explore the lives and deaths of a family.

An uncanny liminal space themed walking-simulator.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 38.9%, Abstract 21.3%, Psychological 20.5%, Surreal 6.2%, 3D 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: A short, emotional walking simulator that focuses on atmospheric storytelling and character-driven themes.

In this free 3D adventure, explore someone's mind and discover their secrets in a surreal story about a father, son, Asian-America and more. Explore a dying father's "Memory World", and travel to familiar, supernatural spaces. By Melos, co-creator of Anodyne and Angeline Era.

Why similar: Philosophical 30.3%, Walking Simulator 21.6%, Psychological 14.3%, Surreal 12.5%, Story Rich 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, psychological exploration of identity and memory that shares the abstract, story-rich DNA of the seed game.

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 71.7%, Story Rich 13.1%, First-Person 6.7%, Adventure 3.1%, Sci-fi 2.8%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, slow-paced exploration game that focuses on the remnants of human lives and the philosophical weight of existence.

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 63.1%, Story Rich 17.1%, First-Person 13.9%, Adventure 4.2%, Indie 1.6%

Why You'll Like It: Features a hauntingly beautiful, surreal atmosphere that rewards careful observation and emotional engagement with the environment.

An emotional point-and-click hard sci-fi adventure game about exploring an abandoned space station. Follow messages left by the long-gone staff to learn the outcome of the research team and the secrets they left behind.

Why similar: Space 46%, Story Rich 23.1%, Sci-fi 15.2%, 3D 9.4%, Adventure 4.1%

Why You'll Like It: A space-themed mystery that utilizes exploration and puzzle-solving to uncover a narrative of isolation.

wandering into the uncanny concept of liminality, captured in DV tape format you explore what seems to be another dimension, lost in an endless space that looks human-made but isn't.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 51.9%, Psychological 29.9%, First-Person 14.5%, Indie 2.1%, Adventure 1.6%

Why You'll Like It: A moody, atmospheric walking simulator that emphasizes psychological depth and environmental storytelling.

Jung's Labyrinth is a psychological exploration game that uses Jungian psychology, mythology, alchemical and dream symbolism in a series of active imaginations to map the process of individuation. Confront your inner archetypes, collect messages that other travelers left behind and reach your Self.

Why similar: Philosophical 28.7%, Walking Simulator 27.2%, Psychological 12.2%, Story Rich 11.3%, Interactive Fiction 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, psychological journey that uses exploration to delve into the subconscious, mirroring the abstract nature of the seed game.

The Fall of Lazarus is first person exploration and puzzle game. A deeply narrative scifi mystery game based on the exploration of an abandoned cargo spaceship about redemption and second chances.

Why similar: Space 27.6%, Walking Simulator 26.4%, Story Rich 13.2%, Sci-fi 11%, First-Person 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-driven sci-fi game set on a derelict space freighter, focusing on the mystery of the crew's disappearance.

Uncover secrets, experience history, solve puzzles and understand one another. Immerse yourself and explore a surreal and colorful world in this short, first-person adventure.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.1%, Surreal 20.2%, Abstract 19.3%, First-Person 6.5%, 3D 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: A short, surreal, and free-to-play experience that focuses on emotional resonance and abstract visual storytelling.

PREMIER EDITION - While seeking life on a distant planet, an astronaut discovers an abandoned Russian town. He suspects his mission is a hoax until a mysterious young woman saves him from a strange and deadly phenomenon...

Why similar: Walking Simulator 36.7%, Space 31.6%, Story Rich 16.2%, Sci-fi 11.8%, Adventure 3.7%

Why You'll Like It: A classic space-exploration narrative that blends mystery, isolation, and the discovery of a strange, alien truth.

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 42.3%, Surreal 22.3%, Abstract 19.7%, Minimalist 5.8%, First-Person 5.7%

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: Philosophical 47.8%, Walking Simulator 29.2%, First-Person 8.1%, Sci-fi 7.4%, 3D 3.4%

A small game about letting go. Stay up late. Smoke cigarettes. Talk to strangers. Think about what you've lost. Someone you used to love? Or someone you used to be?

Why similar: Philosophical 29.9%, Walking Simulator 28.9%, Psychological 13%, First-Person 8.5%, Surreal 8.2%

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%, Interactive Fiction 22.1%, First-Person 11%, Story Rich 9.1%, 3D 6.7%

A short point & click narrative adventure inspired by the real life experience of a struggling solo indie game developer. A story about everything and hence nothing at all. Discover what truly matters to you.

Why similar: Philosophical 29%, Interactive Fiction 17.8%, Psychological 17.5%, Abstract 15.1%, Surreal 12.7%

Tasked with finding humanity a new home, a lonely astronaut braves a desolate planet while making a fluffy friend along the way. homebound is a short 2D puzzle platformer that explores the feeling of home.

Why similar: Space 44.8%, Sci-fi 27.4%, Pixel Graphics 18.1%, Indie 9.7%

A strange signal... an alien craft... an interplanetary, gravity-defying journey through space and time. This is the prologue for Exo One.

Why similar: Philosophical 24.3%, Walking Simulator 23.4%, Space 18.4%, Abstract 14.2%, Sci-fi 8.3%

The enhanced version of Memento Mori which includes the full soundtrack.

Why similar: Adventure 100%

Why You'll Like It: A short, linear, and surreal walking simulator that deals with heavy, contemplative themes.

HOW WE KNOW WE'RE ALIVE is an award winning, hour long melancholy, point-and-click narrative mystery set in the bible belt of Sweden.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 33.1%, Philosophical 27%, Interactive Fiction 25%, Adventure 5.4%, Stylized 5.2%

A story rich narrative puzzle game in which an artist comes to terms with their grief. Explore an infinitely recursive world of strange fractal beauty and solve mind-bending puzzles. Confront the ineffable and chat with your cat in a search for meaning and hope.

Why similar: Philosophical 34.4%, Abstract 18.5%, Surreal 15.1%, Story Rich 10.5%, First-Person 7.8%

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 35.5%, Interactive Fiction 26.6%, Surreal 17.5%, First-Person 14.7%, Indie 5.7%

Space Expedition is a 2D sci-fi platformer where you play as an astronaut who is sent to a space station to collect samples of mysterious dark matter. Space Expedition combines puzzle platforming, pixel art, and atmospheric adventures set in the style of 1980s sci-fi horror films.

Why similar: Space 34.3%, Walking Simulator 24.5%, Story Rich 15.7%, Colorful 8.4%, Pixel Graphics 8%

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 47.1%, Story Rich 15.2%, Space 13.2%, Adventure 10.9%, Pixel Graphics 5.7%

The Longest Walk is a deeply personal biographical walking-simulator game about my father's experience of living with depression.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 61.8%, First-Person 13.7%, 3D 9.9%, Story Rich 6.6%, Adventure 5.3%

"Robot Hospice" is a 2D pixel art adventure game where beloved robots spend their final days in a hospice. As a new staff member, you will gently yet painfully bid farewell to these cherished machines that once lived alongside humans.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 36.9%, Story Rich 24.7%, Sci-fi 13.3%, Choose Your Own Adventure 9.1%, Pixel Graphics 7.3%

You have found yourself in a space that reminds you of nothing, and everything. A space of rooms, that are both comfortingly familiar, yet strangely unknown. A space of quiet and loneliness. You have found the BACK*SPACE. You aren't sure if you are alone. You aren't sure if you want to leave.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 44.4%, Psychological 15.7%, Surreal 12%, First-Person 8.7%, 3D 6.4%

3D first-person walking simulator with a side of exploration/interaction with the environment. The game tells the story of the Space Lemmings from Space who, after running many experiments with breakfast alphabet and the space-time continuum, got blocked between dimensions (or something).

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.2%, Interactive Fiction 19.7%, Abstract 15.3%, Surreal 12.9%, First-Person 7.7%

Step into a radiant dimension where souls reboot as data. Recover your reincarnation machine from alien terrorists and explore glowing temples of memory, logic, and light. A surreal odyssey through death, rebirth, and the beauty of being lost.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.5%, Interactive Fiction 20.8%, Surreal 14.7%, Abstract 13%, Story Rich 10.8%

Event[0] is a sci-fi narrative exploration game where you build a relationship with a lonely spaceship computer to get home to Earth.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.1%, Space 23.9%, Psychological 17.4%, First-Person 8%, Story Rich 8%

You wake up in a spaceship, you realize that strange things are going on there, you try to get back to civilization. However, this is harder than you think, the encounters will drive you crazy and you will doubt yourself.

Why similar: Space 55.1%, Sci-fi 18.1%, First-Person 9.9%, Adventure 8.1%, 3D 8.1%

Explore and unravel the mall of your mind in this surreal adventure game.

Why similar: Philosophical 52.3%, Walking Simulator 32.8%, Surreal 11.8%, Indie 3.1%

BatteryNote is a multi-ending sci-fi adventure visual novel game. You can recharge three robots with limited lifespans, bringing them back to life. Interact with them through conversations or experiment by applying high voltage. How they spend their final moments is entirely up to you.

Why similar: Philosophical 48.3%, Story Rich 20%, Sci-fi 11%, Choose Your Own Adventure 9.5%, Pixel Graphics 5.8%

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: Philosophical 28.4%, Walking Simulator 25.5%, Interactive Fiction 21.1%, Story Rich 12.1%, Stylized 3.9%

Fly between incomprehensible galaxies in this experimental micro game!

Why similar: Space 26.1%, Philosophical 21.2%, Abstract 15.1%, Surreal 13.5%, First-Person 7.5%

Come with us now on a journey through music and space... To the world of VOYAGER ◯∘ A minimalist, relaxing & atmospheric experience to chill out to for a while…

Why similar: Philosophical 33.7%, Space 27.9%, Abstract 18.5%, Minimalist 6.3%, Sci-fi 5.8%

Silence, cold, solitude… What lies ahead? A small atmospheric adventure about a robot lost in a frozen wasteland.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 62.4%, 3D 15.1%, Adventure 14.2%, Indie 8.3%

This is a short story in a sci-fi setting with a top-down view, telling the story of a nameless man lost in routine in the middle of a cold world and soulless machines. But what if it could be different?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 50.1%, Story Rich 22.2%, Stylized 10%, Colorful 8.7%, Adventure 5.9%

Classic Zork meets Existential Crisis. A modern text adventure that explores themes of control, isolation and mental health while levelling up the genre with beautiful pixel art.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.9%, Psychological 29.2%, Story Rich 22.9%, Pixel Graphics 4.7%, Adventure 4.5%

Every day is the same on the faraway Bento space-lighthouse - until a mysterious radio message breaks through. Evade the past, welcome oblivion, make the perfect Italian coffee. Still There is a psychological adventure game about grief, technical puzzles, wacky AIs and dark humour. How far is far enough?

Why similar: Space 27.4%, Psychological 22.4%, Story Rich 15.7%, Surreal 14.2%, Sci-fi 9.2%

There are things that often fail on nothing but themselves. Is there even a way out? Playing Kafka is a narrative adventure full of impenetrable schemes, insidious plot twists and conversations that slip out of hand. Based on Kafka’s life and his work, developed with Kafka experts.

Why similar: Philosophical 26.4%, Interactive Fiction 17.5%, Surreal 15.8%, Psychological 13.7%, Story Rich 11.7%

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: Story Rich 37%, Interactive Fiction 34.4%, Colorful 12.2%, First-Person 8.5%, 3D 7.1%