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 30.8%, Story Rich 11.2%, Narration 10.5%, Exploration 8.8%, Mystery 8%

Why You'll Like It: Like Dear Esther, this game uses a unique, atmospheric environment to tell a deeply personal and fragmented narrative.

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 56.9%, Atmospheric 7.4%, Exploration 7.4%, First-Person 6.2%, Open World 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: It shares a similar focus on exploring a desolate, beautiful landscape while uncovering the stories of those who once lived there.

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 35%, Exploration 9.8%, Mystery 9.8%, First-Person 9.2%, Story Rich 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: This title excels at using first-person exploration and a strong, voice-driven narrative to build a compelling emotional connection.

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 32.2%, Mystery 11.9%, Exploration 9.7%, First-Person 8.3%, Horror 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a stunning, atmospheric world where environmental storytelling and mystery take precedence over traditional mechanics.

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 62.7%, Exploration 9.6%, First-Person 6.5%, Atmospheric 4.6%, Story Rich 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: A quintessential narrative-exploration game that relies on environmental clues to piece together an intimate family story.

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 39.1%, Narration 26.5%, Story Rich 9.5%, First-Person 9%, Atmospheric 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: A highly experimental and introspective narrative experience that challenges the player's relationship with the creator of the game.

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 38.1%, Horror 14.8%, Interactive Fiction 9.7%, Psychological Horror 5.9%, Narration 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: While darker, it shares the same developer's talent for heavy, atmospheric narration and linear, story-focused progression.

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 33.4%, Exploration 11.9%, Mystery 11.7%, Open World 10.8%, First-Person 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on a tense, atmospheric, and narrative-heavy experience set within a secluded, claustrophobic location.

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 17.3%, Narration 13.1%, Puzzle 12.7%, Investigation 10.4%, First-Person 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: It combines a beautiful, isolated setting with a strong, character-driven mystery that unfolds through 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 46%, Exploration 11.7%, First-Person 10.1%, Story Rich 10%, Mystery 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: Developed by the creators of Gone Home, it uses innovative narrative playback mechanics to tell a story within a lonely, abandoned space station.

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 24.1%, Exploration 18.8%, Puzzle 18.3%, First-Person 9.3%, Mystery 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: This game shares a surreal, artistic approach to world-building and discovery that feels very similar to the tone of Dear Esther.

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 16.6%, Interactive Fiction 15.9%, Horror 14.4%, Narration 14.2%, Psychological Horror 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: A faithful, atmospheric adaptation that prioritizes immersive narration and a sense of dread over gameplay complexity.

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 36.2%, Exploration 13.9%, Puzzle 13.7%, First-Person 12.9%, Adventure 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: It emphasizes exploration and piecing together a fractured story within a surreal, dream-like environment.

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 35.4%, Story Rich 12%, Exploration 11%, First-Person 8.3%, Atmospheric 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: A short, poignant, and free narrative experience that focuses on uncovering a personal history through exploration.

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 42.7%, Exploration 19.8%, Relaxing 15.3%, First-Person 7.5%, Casual 3.6%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on the pure joy of exploration and the way music and sound react to the player's movement through a beautiful landscape.

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 47.6%, Exploration 16%, First-Person 10.3%, Atmospheric 9.3%, Story Rich 5.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game is a pure walking simulator that leans heavily into philosophical narration and abstract, atmospheric environments.

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 35.7%, Exploration 21.6%, First-Person 12.3%, Puzzle 9.2%, Atmospheric 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: An abstract, first-person exploration game that uses scale and light to create a unique, contemplative atmosphere.

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 50%, Exploration 9.8%, Puzzle 8.9%, First-Person 8.7%, Mystery 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: Set in a desolate, frozen landscape, this game mirrors the lonely, narrative-heavy journey found in Dear Esther.

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 31.7%, Narration 20.8%, Psychological Horror 10.4%, First-Person 9.5%, Exploration 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A meta-narrative experience that uses the first-person perspective to explore themes of choice and storytelling.

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%, Open World 12.2%, Narration 11.5%, Exploration 10.4%, First-Person 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: It blends a mystery-driven narrative with a cold, isolated setting that requires careful observation to progress.

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 29.9%, Interactive Fiction 16.3%, Mystery 9.9%, First-Person 8.4%, Horror 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: A cinematic, first-person thriller that relies entirely on visual storytelling and atmosphere rather than dialogue or combat.

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 28.4%, Narration 13.9%, Puzzle 9.2%, Relaxing 8.1%, First-Person 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: A short, relaxing exploration game that prioritizes atmosphere and a gentle, linear narrative journey.

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%, Investigation 15.8%, Mystery 9.3%, Exploration 9.2%, Puzzle 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: A pure investigative walking simulator that rewards players for exploring every corner of a desolate, abandoned town.

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 26.2%, Puzzle 13.1%, Exploration 12.7%, First-Person 9.9%, Horror 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: A quiet, atmospheric exploration game that focuses on piecing together a story in a mysterious, abandoned building.

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 25.5%, Relaxing 22.1%, Walking Simulator 20.2%, Open World 16.3%, Adventure 5.8%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the spirit of peaceful, atmospheric exploration and discovery in a beautifully realized, small-scale world.

A first‑person cyberpunk horror detective story set in a decaying, neon‑scarred future. As an Observer who invades minds to hunt for clues, you will sift through corrupted memories to track down a mysterious killer and confront your own dark past.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.2%, Investigation 17.6%, Narration 14%, Psychological Horror 12.1%, Horror 12%

Why You'll Like It: While cyberpunk, it features the same focus on environmental storytelling and psychological immersion found in walking simulators.

Among the Sleep: Enhanced Edition is a new and improved version of the award winning first person horror adventure. In the game you play as a small child trapped in a weird nightmare where you go looking for your mom.

Why similar: Horror 34.7%, Walking Simulator 17.8%, First-Person 11.6%, Atmospheric 7.9%, Psychological Horror 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: It uses a unique perspective to tell a surreal, atmospheric story that is deeply rooted in emotional exploration.

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: Exploration 18.6%, Mystery 13.1%, Open World 11.7%, Puzzle 11.1%, Story Rich 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: It centers on the joy of discovery and piecing together a grand, ancient mystery through environmental exploration.

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 41.6%, Relaxing 17.7%, Open World 17.1%, Story Rich 11%, Atmospheric 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: A slow-paced, narrative-focused experience that prioritizes atmosphere and character interaction over traditional game challenges.

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%, Psychological Horror 14.1%, Horror 12.5%, Exploration 9.8%, Puzzle 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: While it contains horror elements, its core is a profound, narrative-driven exploration of consciousness and existence.

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 33.8%, Adventure 19.4%, Casual 17.7%, Indie 13.1%, First-Person 9%

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 35.6%, Open World 16.9%, Exploration 14.1%, First-Person 11.1%, Atmospheric 8.4%

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%, Story Rich 17.5%, Exploration 14.7%, Mystery 11.4%, Atmospheric 8%

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: Narration 22.8%, Exploration 14.1%, Puzzle 13%, Relaxing 11.3%, First-Person 11%

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 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 31.8%, Exploration 18%, Relaxing 16.2%, Atmospheric 12.1%, Adventure 5.5%

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 64.7%, Adventure 28.7%, Singleplayer 6.6%

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 22.1%, Horror 17.1%, Psychological Horror 14.8%, Mystery 8.2%, First-Person 8.1%

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 26.9%, Exploration 12.8%, Puzzle 12.5%, First-Person 9.2%, Mystery 7.8%

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

Why similar: Puzzle 37.8%, Narration 35.5%, Adventure 9.4%, Indie 8.3%, Story Rich 3.9%

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

Why similar: Puzzle 30.8%, Adventure 17.1%, Mystery 16.7%, Story Rich 13.2%, Atmospheric 12.6%

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

Why similar: Puzzle 23.7%, Walking Simulator 19%, Exploration 14.4%, Open World 12.7%, First-Person 11.5%

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 28.8%, First-Person 23.2%, Walking Simulator 11%, Atmospheric 10.1%, Puzzle 9%

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 53.5%, First-Person 11.8%, Horror 10.6%, Exploration 7.7%, Atmospheric 5.6%

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 30.9%, Psychological Horror 22.8%, Narration 13.8%, Horror 9.6%, First-Person 9.1%

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 48.6%, First-Person 10.3%, Exploration 7.8%, Atmospheric 7.3%, Relaxing 7.2%

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: Walking Simulator 19.4%, Narration 13.8%, Investigation 10.5%, Puzzle 9.2%, Exploration 7.9%

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 42.3%, Indie 36.3%, Singleplayer 21.4%

Two knights, a strong bond, and a long journey. Take up the race for the rose, ride from town to town and take shelter before nightfall by any means necessary! If your bond is strong and your horse drifts well, you can be the recipient of the fabled rose. Luckily you brought guns!

Why similar: First-Person 61%, Adventure 18%, Indie 16.7%, Singleplayer 4.3%

The Dream Machine is an award-winning point & click adventure game about exploring other people's dreams. It's built by hand using materials such as clay, cardboard and broccoli.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 20.1%, Puzzle 16.7%, Exploration 15.5%, Horror 15.1%, Story Rich 10.6%

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 25.2%, Exploration 24.5%, First-Person 13.3%, Story Rich 7.7%, Adventure 7.4%

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 38.8%, Psychological Horror 17.1%, Horror 12.9%, First-Person 12.9%, Puzzle 12%

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 13.6%, Mystery 12.2%, First-Person 11.5%, Puzzle 10.7%, Investigation 10.5%

Magrunner: Dark Pulse is an action-puzzle game in which technology confronts the Cthulhu Mythos, penned by H.P. Lovecraft. Equipped with your Magtech glove, you must harness the ability to magnetically polarize and manipulate objects in the environment to survive and surpass challenging puzzles.

Why similar: Puzzle 50.4%, First-Person 22.4%, Adventure 10.8%, Horror 8.3%, Indie 5.4%

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 14.5%, Exploration 14.4%, First-Person 13.9%, Psychological Horror 11.3%

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 28.6%, Psychological Horror 13.5%, Exploration 9.7%, First-Person 9%, Horror 8.6%

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 20.8%, Open World 16.5%, Exploration 14.9%, Relaxing 13.2%, First-Person 12.7%

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: Puzzle 31.9%, Atmospheric 14%, Story Rich 13.7%, Exploration 13.5%, Adventure 10.3%

You wake up, alone, on a strangely familiar island full of puzzles that will frustrate and annoy you.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 33.2%, Puzzle 19%, Exploration 14.7%, First-Person 12.6%, Open World 10.9%