Games Like Dear Esther: Landmark Edition

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 32.5%, Story Rich 11.4%, Exploration 9%, Mystery 8.2%, First-Person 8%

Why You'll Like It: Shares a deep focus on first-person narrative exploration and magical realism to tell a poignant family story.

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 12.4%, Atmospheric 6.6%, Exploration 6.3%, First-Person 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: Features a similarly desolate English landscape where you uncover an apocalyptic mystery through drifting echoes of the past.

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 32.4%, Exploration 8.9%, Mystery 8.8%, First-Person 8.2%, Story Rich 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: Delivers an immersive first-person atmospheric journey driven by evocative dialogue and deep environmental storytelling.

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 31.1%, Mystery 11.3%, Exploration 9.1%, First-Person 7.7%, Horror 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: Combines a striking, moody open-world environment with a melancholic supernatural investigative narrative.

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 62.3%, Exploration 9.4%, First-Person 6.3%, Atmospheric 4.6%, Story Rich 4.3%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on intimate room-by-room exploration and environmental storytelling to uncover a deeply personal human drama.

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 49.1%, Story Rich 11.6%, First-Person 10.9%, Great Soundtrack 8.1%, Atmospheric 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: Employs a guiding narrator who walks you through a series of unusual environments and personal developer journals.

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27%, Great Soundtrack 16.2%, Exploration 15%, Relaxing 13.2%, Atmospheric 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: Captivates with a wordless, emotionally resonant pilgrimage through a gorgeous, desolate desert landscape.

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 41.6%, Exploration 18.7%, Relaxing 14.2%, First-Person 7%, Great Soundtrack 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses entirely on ambient exploration and atmospheric immersion on a procedurally generated island.

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 36.8%, Exploration 13.8%, Puzzle 13.4%, First-Person 12.6%, Adventure 5.5%

Why You'll Like It: Sends you into the fractured memories of a patient with dementia through first-person puzzle exploration.

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 45.2%, Exploration 11.3%, First-Person 9.7%, Story Rich 9.6%, Mystery 8%

Why You'll Like It: Explores an abandoned sci-fi space station by replaying interactive holographic recordings of its former crew.

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 30.4%, Interactive Fiction 16%, Mystery 9.9%, First-Person 8.4%, Exploration 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: Offers a surreal, cinematic narrative experience relying heavily on atmospheric cues and a unique visual style without dialogue.

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 24%, Exploration 17.8%, Puzzle 17.1%, First-Person 8.8%, Mystery 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: Blends a minimalist white landscape with surreal exploration as you reveal the world using droplets of paint.

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 45.7%, Exploration 15%, First-Person 9.5%, Atmospheric 8.9%, Great Soundtrack 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: Immerses you in a deeply philosophical, text-heavy narrative inside a massive, desolate underground city.

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 46.2%, Great Soundtrack 15.2%, First-Person 10%, Horror 8.6%, Exploration 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: Drops you into a strange, jazz-infused surreal transit station filled with peculiar characters and ambient discovery.

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 32.3%, Story Rich 10.7%, Great Soundtrack 10.2%, Exploration 9.8%, First-Person 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: Delivers a short, poignant story told entirely through examining objects in a single bedroom.

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 35%, Exploration 20.6%, First-Person 11.6%, Atmospheric 9%, Puzzle 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: Puts you inside a massive, brutalist, and abstract architectural world focused on pure atmospheric exploration.

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 30.2%, Exploration 10.5%, Mystery 10.3%, Open World 9.8%, First-Person 8%

Why You'll Like It: Unspools a chilling, isolated mystery inside a grand, snowbound abandoned hotel.

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: Open World 17.4%, Exploration 15.3%, Relaxing 13.1%, First-Person 12.7%, Great Soundtrack 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: Invites you to peacefully explore a stunning painterly island and capture its beauty on canvas.

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 24.3%, Puzzle 11.6%, Exploration 11.5%, Great Soundtrack 9.3%, First-Person 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: Builds a tense yet quiet atmosphere as you solve gentle puzzles inside an abandoned, sunlit building.

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 25.3%, Exploration 12.1%, Puzzle 11.3%, First-Person 8.6%, Mystery 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: Combines first-person exploration with structural decay and environmental storytelling in a decaying industrial world.

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 19.6%, Interactive Fiction 17.9%, Horror 16.3%, Psychological Horror 12.5%, First-Person 9%

Why You'll Like It: Provides a short, atmospheric narrative experience that reads out a classic horror tale as you look around.

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 30.5%, Puzzle 9.4%, First-Person 8.3%, Relaxing 8.3%, Exploration 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: Features quiet, atmospheric wilderness exploration with light puzzle-solving elements.

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 35.9%, Open World 17.1%, Exploration 13.9%, First-Person 10.9%, Atmospheric 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: Presents an open-world exploration game dripping with gritty, atmospheric style and a distinct visual identity.

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 23.1%, Open World 12.8%, Exploration 10.7%, First-Person 10.4%, Horror 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: Blends a snowy Canadian wilderness exploration with a mystery driven by a persistent narrative voiceover.

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 41.3%, Horror 15.4%, Interactive Fiction 10%, Psychological Horror 6.1%, Exploration 4.8%

Why You'll Like It: Shares a similar first-person, story-driven walking exploration style mixed with dark atmospheric horror.

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 15.2%, Interactive Fiction 13.3%, Psychological Horror 13.1%, Horror 10%, Exploration 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: Explores a shifting, surreal Victorian mansion through a first-person psychological lens.

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 16.4%, Relaxing 14.2%, First-Person 13.9%, Mystery 11%

Why You'll Like It: Offers surreal first-person exploration through dreamlike artistic environments.

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 22.1%, Relaxing 18.2%, Walking Simulator 17.6%, Open World 14.7%, Great Soundtrack 13.5%

Why You'll Like It: Offers a relaxing, cozy wilderness exploration experience focused on reaching a mountain peak.

The Stanley Parable is a first person exploration game. You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley. You will follow a story, you will not follow a story. You will have a choice, you will have no choice. The game will end, the game will never end.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 48.5%, First-Person 16.1%, Exploration 11.1%, Story Rich 4.5%, Puzzle 4.4%

Why You'll Like It: Features a constant narrative voiceover that reacts dynamically to your choices and exploration.

Submerged is a third-person combat-free game in which you explore a mysterious flooded city and discover the beauty of desolation in vast outdoor environments. You take on the role of Miku, a young girl who has brought her wounded brother to the city in their small fishing boat.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.2%, Exploration 15.3%, Open World 12.1%, Relaxing 11.7%, Mystery 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: Lets you peacefully explore a drowned, beautiful city using a small boat and climbing mechanics.

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

Why similar: Puzzle 22.8%, Walking Simulator 18.9%, Exploration 14.2%, Open World 12.7%, First-Person 11%

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

Why similar: Puzzle 40.7%, Great Soundtrack 30.3%, Adventure 10.5%, Indie 8.7%, Story Rich 4.2%

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 33.4%, Adventure 20.2%, Casual 17.6%, Indie 12.8%, First-Person 9%

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%, Adventure 29.5%, Singleplayer 6.4%

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 47.1%, First-Person 9.8%, Exploration 7.5%, Atmospheric 7.1%, Relaxing 6.5%

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

Why similar: Puzzle 27.7%, Adventure 16.1%, Mystery 15.3%, Story Rich 11.9%, Atmospheric 11.9%

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 41.4%, Story Rich 17.3%, Exploration 14.6%, Mystery 11.1%, Atmospheric 8%

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

Why similar: Relaxing 70.4%, Casual 20.5%, Singleplayer 9%

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 20.4%, Puzzle 14.4%, Investigation 11.6%, First-Person 11.4%, Exploration 9.4%

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 36.7%, Psychological Horror 25.8%, Horror 10.9%, First-Person 10.4%, Atmospheric 4.7%

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 44.7%, Great Soundtrack 11.8%, Exploration 8.6%, Puzzle 7.7%, First-Person 7.5%

A slow burn retro horror game, in which you arrive at the old lighthouse on a small island near the coast of the United States. After the previous keeper has gone missing, you need to take over his duties and watch after the light.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 22.6%, Horror 16.9%, Psychological Horror 14.3%, Mystery 8.3%, First-Person 8%

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 56.3%, First-Person 22%, Story Rich 5%, Indie 4%, Atmospheric 3.6%

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 26.8%, Psychological Horror 12%, Exploration 8.9%, Great Soundtrack 8.7%, First-Person 8.1%

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 39.6%, Psychological Horror 16.7%, First-Person 12.7%, Horror 12.6%, Puzzle 11.8%

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 13.4%, Mystery 12.4%, First-Person 11.5%, Puzzle 10.6%, Investigation 10.2%

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 25.5%, Puzzle 23.2%, Atmospheric 10.6%, Exploration 10.4%, Story Rich 10.2%

A fly ascends to the skies, pondering the pointlessness of its brief existence.

Why similar: Atmospheric 26.1%, Great Soundtrack 19.9%, Exploration 13.5%, Indie 11%, Casual 8.7%

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: Indie 100%

From the dust of a gold mine to the dirt of a saloon, Call of Juarez® Gunslinger is a real homage to the Wild West tales. Live the epic and violent journey of a ruthless bounty hunter on the trail of the West’s most notorious outlaws.

Why similar: First-Person 29.9%, Story Rich 26.3%, Linear 18.1%, Atmospheric 12.3%, Singleplayer 6.9%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 47.5%, Exploration 20.8%, Relaxing 14.1%, Atmospheric 6.6%, Casual 4.2%

TE120 is a short single player experience set in the Half-Life Universe featuring a gravity defying weapon that allows you to jump buildings and sustain large falls. The story takes place at a mysterious date & location. Where are you? Why have you been sent?

Why similar: Horror 28.1%, First-Person 23%, Walking Simulator 11.4%, Atmospheric 10.4%, Puzzle 8.9%

Nephise is a short and atmospheric puzzle game with narration. It is a relaxing and mysterious experience especially with the help of its music.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28%, Puzzle 9.8%, Exploration 9.7%, Great Soundtrack 9.1%, First-Person 8.3%

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 14.8%, Exploration 14.5%, Horror 14.4%, First-Person 13.8%, Psychological Horror 11.1%

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 18%, Exploration 17.9%, Great Soundtrack 17.5%, Walking Simulator 9.7%, Atmospheric 9.4%

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%, Walking Simulator 16.1%, Atmospheric 14.5%, Great Soundtrack 13.2%, Story Rich 12.4%

Home is Where One Starts... is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, hope, and the miracle of memory. You play as a little girl from a broken home somewhere in the American South.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 39.4%, First-Person 10.8%, Exploration 7.3%, Great Soundtrack 6.8%, Atmospheric 6.2%

Walking simulator. Explore cozy liminal spaces that feel unsettlingly familiar and spark your imagination, like a dream you’ve been in before.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.2%, Psychological Horror 13.8%, Exploration 13%, First-Person 9.2%, Horror 7.3%

Walking simulator. Explore, admire and listen. Uncanny. Relaxing. Unnerving. Eerie. Immersive. No monsters chasing you or jumping at your screen, but can feel oppressive at times by invoking fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and liminal space architecture. Inspired by backrooms.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 36.6%, Psychological Horror 17.7%, Exploration 10.9%, First-Person 9.3%, Relaxing 8.1%