Games Like Dear Esther: Landmark Edition

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 50.1%, Great Soundtrack 12.2%, Atmospheric 6.5%, Exploration 6.5%, First-Person 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: It shares the same focus on slow-paced, atmospheric exploration of a desolate, beautiful environment while uncovering a fragmented narrative.

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 32.1%, Story Rich 11.5%, Exploration 9.1%, Mystery 8.3%, First-Person 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game masterfully uses environmental storytelling and unique, surreal vignettes to explore family history in a way that mirrors the emotional depth of Dear Esther.

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 32.2%, Exploration 9%, Mystery 8.9%, First-Person 8.4%, Story Rich 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a deeply personal, dialogue-driven narrative set in a stunning, isolated wilderness that prioritizes character development over action.

June 7th, 1995. 1:15 AM. You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something's not right. Where is everyone? And what's happened here? Unravel the mystery for yourself in Gone Home, a story exploration game from The Fullbright Company.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 62%, Exploration 9.5%, First-Person 6.4%, Atmospheric 4.6%, Story Rich 4.4%

Why You'll Like It: It excels at environmental storytelling, allowing players to piece together a poignant personal history by exploring a single, detailed location.

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 30.8%, Mystery 11.4%, Exploration 9.2%, First-Person 7.8%, Horror 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: This game features breathtaking landscapes and a focus on uncovering a dark, atmospheric mystery through observation and exploration.

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 48.6%, Story Rich 11.7%, First-Person 11.2%, Great Soundtrack 8%, Atmospheric 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: Created by the same developer, this game offers a similarly intimate and meta-narrative experience that challenges the player's perception of the author.

The Old City: Leviathan is an experiment in first person exploration that focuses entirely on story. All that exists is you and the world. Set in a decaying city from a civilization long past, The Old City: Leviathan puts the player in the shoes of a sewer dwelling isolationist.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 45.4%, Exploration 15.2%, First-Person 9.7%, Atmospheric 8.8%, Story Rich 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: It is a philosophical, narrative-heavy walking simulator that relies on poetic narration and environmental cues to tell its story.

From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Dear Esther comes a new first-person horrorgame that will drag you to the depths of greed, power and madness. It will bury its snout into your ribs and it will eat your heart.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 40.7%, Horror 15.8%, Interactive Fiction 10.1%, Psychological Horror 6.3%, Exploration 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: It leans into the atmospheric, linear, and narrative-driven horror elements that fans of Dear Esther's darker moments will appreciate.

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 44.9%, Exploration 11.4%, First-Person 9.8%, Story Rich 9.6%, Mystery 8%

Why You'll Like It: Like Dear Esther, it uses recorded audio fragments to reconstruct past events within a desolate, atmospheric setting.

Ether One is a first person adventure that deals with the fragility of the human mind. There are two paths in the world you can choose from. At its core is a story exploration path free from puzzles where you can unfold the story at your own pace.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 36.3%, Exploration 13.9%, Puzzle 13.6%, First-Person 12.8%, Adventure 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: This title combines exploration with light puzzle-solving to delve into the fragile nature of memory and mental health.

Proteus is a game about exploration and immersion in a dream-like island world where the soundtrack to your play is created by your surroundings. Played in first-person, the primary means of interaction is simply your presence in the world and how you observe it.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 41%, Exploration 18.9%, Relaxing 14.5%, First-Person 7.2%, Great Soundtrack 4.4%

Why You'll Like It: It is a minimalist, relaxing exploration game that focuses on the synergy between sound, color, and the environment.

You're stranded at a cathedral-like train station in the near future, searching for a ticket out of town. Explore the secret passageways, interact with strangers, dig for records, and get hypnotized by the soundtrack – a batch of original music courtesy of the band, Archie Pelago.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 46.1%, Great Soundtrack 14.8%, First-Person 10.2%, Horror 8.9%, Exploration 6.4%

Why You'll Like It: This surreal, dreamlike experience prioritizes atmosphere and environmental detail over traditional gameplay goals.

Virginia is a single-player first-person thriller set in a small town with a secret. Experience a missing person investigation through the eyes of graduate FBI agent Anne Tarver.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.1%, Interactive Fiction 16.1%, Mystery 9.9%, First-Person 8.4%, Horror 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a highly cinematic, non-verbal narrative experience that relies on visual storytelling and atmosphere to convey its mystery.

12 March 1938, Renée, 16, was ripped out of her world, her only fault was that of not knowing her place in the world.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 19.9%, Psychological Horror 15.1%, Exploration 14.3%, Horror 12.5%, Mystery 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: This game delivers a heavy, psychological narrative set in a real-world abandoned asylum, focusing on the emotional weight of the environment.

Coming back to the family hotel after years, a young woman finds herself trapped with the ghosts from her past and an old cellular telephone as the only way to unveil a terrible truth.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.9%, Exploration 10.7%, Mystery 10.4%, Open World 9.8%, First-Person 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: It is a tense, narrative-driven thriller that relies on isolation and dialogue to build its central mystery.

Marie's Room is a short story exploration game about an unconventional friendship between two classmates. You play as Kelsey, remembering Marie's room as it was twenty years ago. But something’s off. What happened to Marie?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32%, Story Rich 10.7%, Great Soundtrack 9.9%, Exploration 9.9%, First-Person 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: This short, poignant experience focuses on uncovering the secrets of a past relationship through the exploration of a single room.

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: Walking Simulator 20%, Puzzle 14.7%, Investigation 11.9%, First-Person 11.4%, Exploration 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game features a strong, character-driven story set in a beautiful, isolated location that rewards careful observation.

Investigate an infamous cold case in the eerie, abandoned town of Painscreek. Search for evidence, connect the dots and uncover who killed Vivian Roberts. Can you expose the truth behind this town’s dark secrets?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 18.8%, Investigation 16.3%, Mystery 9.6%, Exploration 9.4%, Puzzle 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a pure, non-linear exploration experience where the player must piece together a complex mystery through observation alone.

From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent comes SOMA, a sci-fi horror game set below the waves of the Atlantic ocean. Struggle to survive a hostile world that will make you question your very existence.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 23.1%, Psychological Horror 14.1%, Horror 12.5%, Exploration 9.8%, Puzzle 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: While it contains horror elements, its 'Safe Mode' allows players to focus entirely on the profound, existential narrative and atmospheric world-building.

The era-defining first-person psychological horror in all its terrifying glory. All of the game’s chapters collected into one convenient package that allows you to plumb the depths of madness in pursuit of artistic revelation.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 14.9%, Interactive Fiction 13.4%, Psychological Horror 13.3%, Horror 10.1%, Exploration 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a psychological, first-person experience that uses shifting environments to tell a tragic story of artistic obsession.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is an expanded re-imagining of 2013's The Stanley Parable. You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley. You will make a choice, and you will become powerless. You are not here to win. The Stanley Parable is a game that plays you.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 39.9%, Psychological Horror 13.3%, First-Person 11.9%, Exploration 9.8%, Mystery 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a unique, meta-narrative experience that plays with the conventions of first-person games and player agency.

The most terrifying journey of your life set in the beautiful winter scenery of the Ural Mountains. Uncover the horrific mystery behind the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Narrated by the famous Sean Bean.

Why similar: Horror 67.5%, Walking Simulator 9.9%, Psychological Horror 4.8%, Exploration 3.4%, Open World 3.3%

Why You'll Like It: Set in a desolate, snowy landscape, it uses atmospheric exploration and narration to tell a haunting, true-story-inspired mystery.

NaissanceE is an obscure and magical first person exploration game, a philosophical trip and an artistic experience. The adventure takes place in a primitive mysterious structure and the game mainly consists to explore and feel the deep and strong ambiance of this atemporal world.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 34.7%, Exploration 20.8%, First-Person 11.7%, Atmospheric 8.8%, Puzzle 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the feeling of scale and isolation within an abstract, architectural world that demands quiet exploration.

Explore an abandoned building, encountering puzzles and clues to discover what happened, as you try to escape in both your nightmares and the waking world. Be immersed in the hauntingly beautiful 3D atmosphere in this puzzle exploration mystery game.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 24%, Puzzle 11.9%, Exploration 11.6%, First-Person 9%, Great Soundtrack 9%

Why You'll Like It: It captures a similar sense of loneliness and beauty in a decaying, mysterious environment that requires careful observation to navigate.

It's 1986 - Meredith Weiss takes a break from her career in the big city to deliver mail in her hometown. How will she experience two weeks in beautiful Providence Oaks, with its iconic lake and quirky community? And what will she do next? It's up to you.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 38.5%, Relaxing 16.2%, Open World 16%, Story Rich 10.1%, Exploration 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a relaxing, narrative-focused experience that prioritizes the atmosphere of a small town and the personal stories of its inhabitants.

Conarium is a chilling Lovecraftian game, which follows a gripping story involving four scientists and their endeavor to challenge what we normally consider to be the ‘absolute’ limits of nature. Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s novella "At the Mountains of Madness", but largely set after the original story.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.9%, Horror 15.5%, Psychological Horror 13.6%, First-Person 10.2%, Puzzle 5.7%

Why You'll Like It: This Lovecraftian adventure focuses on exploration and atmospheric storytelling within a remote, mysterious research station.

INFRA puts you into the boots of a structural analyst on a routine mission. Quickly though, your task turns into a fight for survival, all caused by deep-rooted schemes of the past. Your tools are simple: your camera and the wits to navigate a labyrinth of debris.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25%, Exploration 11.9%, Puzzle 11.6%, First-Person 8.6%, Mystery 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: While it includes puzzles, its core appeal lies in the detailed, atmospheric exploration of decaying infrastructure and the stories hidden within.

Deep in international waters, Tesla’s Helios stands still. An unbound utopia for scientific research, Rose Archer steps aboard in search of her sister, quickly to discover not all is as it seems. A single word covers the entrance… QUARANTINE!

Why similar: Walking Simulator 52%, Horror 16.7%, First-Person 13.7%, Adventure 8%, Indie 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers a narrative-heavy, atmospheric experience set in a grand, isolated location that feels both majestic and unsettling.

Face unspeakable horrors. Succumb to madness. Welcome to a free daemonic narrative experience inspired by H. P. Lovecraft.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 19.2%, Interactive Fiction 18.1%, Horror 16.6%, Psychological Horror 12.8%, First-Person 9%

FRACT is a musical exploration game. You arrive in a forgotten place and explore the vast and unfamiliar landscape to discover the secrets of a world built on sound. You rebuild its machinery by solving puzzles and bring the world back to life by shaping sound and creating music in the game.

Why similar: Puzzle 21.8%, Exploration 19.9%, First-Person 15.9%, Great Soundtrack 13.7%, Walking Simulator 12.9%

Why You'll Like It: It is an abstract, atmospheric exploration game where the environment itself is a musical instrument waiting to be discovered.

Northern Canada, 1970. A strange blizzard ravages Atamipek Lake. Step into the shoes of a detective to explore the eerie village, investigate surreal events, and battle the elements to survive. Kona is a chilly interactive tale you won't soon forget.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 22.9%, Open World 12.9%, Exploration 10.8%, First-Person 10.6%, Horror 9.8%

Nephise Begins tells the player what happened at the time before Nephise was an orb collector. The main setting is forest again, but this time without snow, instead a more sunny and foggy weather.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.1%, Puzzle 9.6%, Relaxing 8.5%, First-Person 8.5%, Exploration 8.3%

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

Why similar: Puzzle 23.1%, Walking Simulator 18.6%, Exploration 14.1%, Open World 12.7%, First-Person 11.1%

Tell Me Why is the multi-award winning episodic adventure game from Dontnod Entertainment in which twins use their supernatural bond to discover the truth of their troubled past.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 41.3%, Story Rich 17.4%, Exploration 14.7%, Mystery 11.2%, Atmospheric 7.9%

Join Kate Walker as she travels to remote locations and time periods in this timeless voyage to discover her true destiny.

Why similar: Puzzle 28.3%, Adventure 15.8%, Mystery 15.4%, Story Rich 12%, Atmospheric 11.7%

SLUDGE LIFE is a first-person / open-world / vandalism-centric stroll through a polluted island full of cranky idiots and a vibe so thick you can taste it.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 35.7%, Open World 17.2%, Exploration 14.1%, First-Person 11.1%, Atmospheric 8.4%

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

Why similar: Puzzle 42%, Great Soundtrack 28.9%, Adventure 10.4%, Indie 8.9%, Story Rich 4.3%

A surreal first person walking sim about the end of humanity. Explore magnificent sky-bound ruins, and learn why they were built.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 46.6%, First-Person 9.8%, Exploration 7.4%, Atmospheric 6.9%, Relaxing 6.8%

Navigate through psychadelic mazes to chill electornic beats. Imagine a mix between Super Meat Boy and Geometry Wars.

Why similar: Relaxing 70.6%, Casual 20.4%, Singleplayer 8.9%

Embark on a journey of discovery and inspiration in The Search - a story-driven puzzle-adventure set in a mysterious world where art comes to life!

Why similar: Exploration 18%, Puzzle 16.6%, Relaxing 14.4%, First-Person 14%, Mystery 11%

You are a traveling painter, exploring the island of Eastshade. Capture the world on canvas using your artist’s easel. Talk to the inhabitants to learn about their lives. Make friends and help those in need. Visit cities, scale summits, unearth mysteries, and discover forgotten places!

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 18.3%, Open World 15.2%, Exploration 13.5%, Relaxing 11.8%, First-Person 11.4%

Estranged: The Departure follows the story of a fisherman, stranded on a mysterious island during a violent storm. Little does he know his adventure has just begun, and the island is home to more than it first seems.

Why similar: Horror 33.9%, Adventure 19.6%, Casual 17.7%, Indie 12.8%, First-Person 9%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.9%, Great Soundtrack 15.8%, Exploration 15.2%, Relaxing 13.6%, Atmospheric 10.2%

When the Darkness comes is a walking simulator whose glitchy and dark tale tries to illustrate the hardships of depression and anxiety through a variety of imaginary digital landscapes.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 36%, Psychological Horror 26.4%, Horror 11.1%, First-Person 10.5%, Atmospheric 4.6%

From the creators of What Remains of Edith Finch. Enter the surreal world of The Unfinished Swan and explore a mysterious, hidden kingdom by splatting paint to reveal the world around you.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 23.3%, Exploration 18%, Puzzle 17.5%, First-Person 8.9%, Mystery 8.8%

Smash skeletons, defeat dragons, and battle giant golems in Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure. Experience the acclaimed 2013 quest that started it all in this standalone campaign jam-packed with fantasy, fun, and mountains of magical loot!

Why similar: Story Rich 64.4%, Adventure 29.1%, Singleplayer 6.5%

The Uncertain is an story-driven adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Experience the mysterious vibe of each of carefully explored locations, solve diverse puzzles, make fateful decisions and discuss intriguing matters to find out the whole truth being kept from you.

Why similar: Puzzle 22.6%, Walking Simulator 15.9%, Atmospheric 14.3%, Great Soundtrack 12.8%, Story Rich 12.5%

A first-person horror adventure. Uncover your past and survive the Algerian desert. Fear is your enemy; stay calm to not succumb to an illness threatening you and your loved one. Avoid darkness, hide from monsters and solve puzzles. Adventure Mode available for a less scary experience.

Why similar: Puzzle 14.9%, Horror 14.6%, Exploration 14.4%, First-Person 13.9%, Psychological Horror 11.3%

A 15 minute heist game by Crows Crows Crows & Directed by William Pugh (The Stanley Parable). Slip into the soft-soled shoes of the mastermind responsible for the greatest heist- oh god I can’t do this any more, i’m joining the strike. good luck writing the steam description. -tina

Why similar: Walking Simulator 55.8%, First-Person 22.4%, Story Rich 5%, Indie 4%, Atmospheric 3.6%

Draugen is a single-player, first-person Fjord Noir mystery set in 1920s Norway. Explore a forgotten coastal village in your search for your missing sister, accompanied by your independent and enigmatic young ward. Norwegian Game of the Year 2019.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 13.7%, Mystery 12.2%, First-Person 11.5%, Puzzle 10.7%, Investigation 10.4%

There is only you, the abandoned remains of a former life and the flourishing nature that feels great in the absence of man. This world is both gloomy and empty, but so incredibly beautiful.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 38.9%, Psychological Horror 17%, Horror 12.9%, First-Person 12.8%, Puzzle 12%

Chaotic Party Arr-cade Action for up to 12 players! Be the first to plunder all the treasure, sink the enemy ship, or defeat their captain. Featuring local & online play, crossplay, 18 stages, 30+ modify-arrs, and a single-player campaign!

Why similar: Casual 42.6%, Indie 36%, Singleplayer 21.4%

You are on a bleak, cold, windy island. And you seem to be alone... but fires and candles still burn. As you explore, a story of guilt, loneliness, and faith begins to take shape. And it becomes obvious that something is hunting you...

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.4%, Psychological Horror 12.3%, Exploration 8.9%, Great Soundtrack 8.3%, First-Person 8.2%

Having searched Eastern and Western Europe for a missing heir, Kate Walker finally completed her long and arduous journey, obtaining the signature of Hans Voralberg and closing the automaton factory buyout.

Why similar: Puzzle 31.1%, Adventure 20%, Story Rich 14.5%, Mystery 13.4%, Atmospheric 10.1%

Figment is an action-adventure game that invites you to explore a unique surreal universe filled with music, humor and multi layered narrative. Join Dusty and his ever-optimistic friend, Piper, on an adventure through the different sides of the mind seeking to restore the courage that's been lost.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 24.3%, Puzzle 24%, Atmospheric 10.6%, Exploration 10.5%, Story Rich 10.3%

Take a fishing trip to Jura, a remote and beautiful island. Explore, meet the locals, and catch delicious fish!

Why similar: Walking Simulator 47.1%, Exploration 21%, Relaxing 14.4%, Atmospheric 6.5%, Casual 4.2%

The Fidelio Incident is a single-player, first-person thriller set off the coast of Iceland. Inspired by Beethoven's only opera Fidelio. After a violent plane crash, Stanley must search a desolate frozen island in search of his wife Leonore while covering up any traces of their bloody Irish past.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 44.4%, Great Soundtrack 11.5%, Exploration 8.7%, Puzzle 7.9%, First-Person 7.7%

Get ready to enter a new era of physics platforming. Polyball is a classic ball rolling game in the vein of Super Monkey Ball, Marble Madness, and Marble Blast - while taking cues from games such as the Sonic series, Trackmania, and Mario Kart.

Why similar: Casual 52.8%, Indie 42.2%, Singleplayer 5.1%

Humanity is enslaved by an AI… which is awesome, because we’re on the right side of the conflict. Exploit puny humans to extract power and build your own empire!

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 45.5%, Indie 33.6%, Singleplayer 20.9%