Games Like El 39

Night Bus is a thrilling public transit simulator that costs less than a bus ticket! It's your first night on the job: Pick up passengers, take their fares, enjoy the beautiful countryside, and please ignore That Which Has No Eyes.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 18.6%, Retro 17.6%, Horror 17.3%, First-Person 13.6%, Dark 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: It shares the core premise of urban transit horror and the unsettling atmosphere of waiting for a bus at night.

A short narrative horror experience, in which you find yourself in the middle of nowhere in a snowstorm without knowing what has happened to the driver or the other passengers in the vehicle, you just know that there is something out there lurking.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 27.4%, Horror 23.2%, Mystery 10.5%, First-Person 10.5%, Adventure 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: This game perfectly captures the psychological tension of late-night public transportation and urban isolation.

In this short first-person psychological horror game, falling asleep on the subway takes you to the final station, abandoned and eerie. Explore the area and try to survive the entity chasing you in the darkness. Who is it? Its face looks strangely familiar...

Why similar: Horror 18.9%, Psychological Horror 17.3%, First-Person 15.8%, Retro 10.8%, Dark 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a grounded, urban-centric horror experience set in a transit environment that mirrors the seed game's setting.

A short interactive first-person horror game. Walk, look around, and talk to people to finish the short story about closing your restaurant. Complete the story with immersive sounds, and spooky tension and jumpscares to keep you focused.

Why similar: Horror 26.3%, Psychological Horror 23.5%, Exploration 14.8%, Dark 12.4%, 3D 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: It excels at turning a mundane, repetitive job into a terrifying psychological experience, much like the daily anxiety in El 39.

Board the train! Run away from a weirdo! Solve some puzzles! Make friends with some ghosts! Try not to become a ghost yourself!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 28.9%, Horror 23.2%, Walking Simulator 18.2%, Story Rich 10.2%, Exploration 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the surreal and eerie nature of public transit, matching the transit-based horror themes of the seed game.

Luto is a psychological horror experience where you take on the role of someone unable to leave their home. Every attempt to escape will lead you deeper into the unknown, where nothing is as it seems and everything will test your senses.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 19.9%, Cinematic 15.3%, Walking Simulator 14.6%, Story Rich 9.6%, First-Person 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a deep, psychological exploration of grief and anxiety within a confined, atmospheric space.

You are trapped in an endless underground passageway. Observe your surroundings carefully to reach "The Exit 8".

Why similar: Psychological Horror 19.5%, Horror 17.2%, First-Person 16.2%, Walking Simulator 16.1%, Exploration 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: It masterfully uses liminal spaces and repetitive environments to create a sense of unease similar to the feeling of being stuck in a city at night.

You are the Nightslink. Traverse abandoned roads under cover of night. Deliver cassette tapes in a post-apocalyptic world. An atmospheric retro-3D horror adventure.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 15.5%, Horror 14.3%, First-Person 13.2%, Walking Simulator 13.2%, Cinematic 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: It is a quintessential walking simulator that prioritizes atmosphere and psychological tension over traditional combat.

Smuggle contraband VHS tapes across the border. Discover the remnants of illicit industry. Prepare for an assassination. This is Paratopic, an atmospheric retro-3D horror adventure through a cursed fever dream.

Why similar: Horror 25.4%, Retro 22.7%, Psychological Horror 16.6%, Walking Simulator 8.3%, Adventure 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its retro aesthetic and fragmented, surreal narrative style align perfectly with the indie, story-rich horror of El 39.

You wake up with a bad hangover and don’t recognize your home. You see a boy and you understand... that something is wrong with him. Someone's presence causes anxiety, fear and is about to plunge you into the realm of horror. But you don’t lose hope and try to get out of this nightmare.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 22.8%, Horror 20.9%, Walking Simulator 18.1%, First-Person 11.5%, Dark 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its focus on time-based pressure and atmospheric storytelling mirrors the high-stakes anxiety of the protagonist in El 39.

The Derailed is a first-person psychological horror game. Beneath the dusty arches of a nearly forgotten depot, shadows of the past tremble. Whether you want to or not, you will have to uncover the dark secrets of this place.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 23.9%, Horror 23.5%, Walking Simulator 12.9%, Dark 9.4%, Exploration 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: This title leans into the transit-horror subgenre, focusing on the anxiety of being trapped in a transport-related setting.

You were supposed to have a relaxing cabin trip on a island all alone but after several strange encounters you had a mystery to solve, will you be able to survive a first-person psychological horror game or will you run away?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 18%, Horror 16.2%, First-Person 13.2%, Walking Simulator 11.5%, Story Rich 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: While set in a different location, it captures the same feeling of isolation and impending psychological dread.

The most relaxing horror game you'll ever play. Anemoiapolis exists in the uncanny valley of American architecture -- endless carpeted floors and lonely malls. Escape for your life, and enjoy the scenery.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 16.7%, Horror 15%, First-Person 13.4%, Cinematic 11.1%, Walking Simulator 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the unsettling nature of liminal spaces and exploration, which complements the atmospheric dread of the seed game.

The doctor said today was my last appointment, I'm healthy. Time to go home, what could go wrong?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 19.9%, Horror 16.6%, Walking Simulator 15.2%, First-Person 14.4%, Cinematic 11.4%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on the psychological weight of a single, mundane event turning into a nightmare, similar to the premise of El 39.

You are alone in a deserted station. Or are you? Take pictures of strange anomalies around the station and you might find a way out.

Why similar: Horror 20.7%, Psychological Horror 18.7%, Walking Simulator 15.6%, First-Person 15.2%, Exploration 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: This game uses surreal, liminal environments to create a sense of unease that feels very similar to the seed game's tone.

Backrooms: Exploration is a single-player horror game, which takes place in 2020. Two friends have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, but they still have to bring food to the table. After a failed heist, one of them ends up in the Backrooms. Now your only mission is to survive.

Why similar: Horror 22.2%, First-Person 18.1%, Psychological Horror 17.9%, Story Rich 10.1%, Walking Simulator 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: It leans heavily into the liminal space aesthetic that defines much of the current indie psychological horror scene.

Longing for light, a sunless world begins devouring itself. Every step shifts the landscape beneath you as you search for what remains of her.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 16.4%, Retro 14.3%, Horror 13.3%, Walking Simulator 13.3%, First-Person 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its surreal, psychedelic approach to psychological horror provides a unique, unsettling experience for fans of indie horror.

You're driving away on a forest road, late at night, under a heavy storm. Your car breaks down. Luckily, there might be a gas station nearby. But a misfortune never comes alone. The storm has brought something else, something otherworldly that oddly smells of spilled diesel oil.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 17.1%, Horror 15.5%, First-Person 12.2%, Walking Simulator 11%, Cinematic 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: This game offers a surreal, dark adventure that challenges the player's perception of reality.

Your girlfriend’s sleepwalking is getting worse each night. Find her and bring her back to bed safely.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 17.2%, Horror 15.8%, Walking Simulator 12.4%, Retro 12.2%, First-Person 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: It blends psychological horror with a personal, intimate narrative that feels grounded in reality.

It Happened At Night is a short horror game where the player must complete basic objectives to advance the story and immerse themselves through the eyes of the protagonist.

Why similar: Horror 17.9%, Walking Simulator 14.7%, Psychological Horror 13.9%, First-Person 13.2%, Mystery 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the specific fear of the night and the mystery of urban exploration in a first-person perspective.

In the Salesman, you play as a recently laid-off employee trying to survive the grind of job applications, debt, and dwindling hope. Trade your belongings for ad-supported replacements as you slowly sell away your life in this psychological horror game

Why similar: Horror 20.4%, Psychological Horror 19.9%, Retro 17.9%, Walking Simulator 6.4%, First-Person 6%

Why You'll Like It: Its retro, adventure-focused gameplay and psychological undertones make it a strong match for the seed game's style.

You woke up in some basement and don't remember who you are or how you ended up here... But what you do know is that you need to get out of here...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 21.8%, Horror 19.5%, Walking Simulator 16.3%, Story Rich 8.6%, First-Person 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a realistic, atmospheric psychological horror experience that focuses on the protagonist's internal state.

Someone slipped a mysterious videotape under your door... Do you dare watch it?!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 18.8%, Horror 16.9%, Cinematic 14.2%, Walking Simulator 14.2%, First-Person 14.1%

Why You'll Like It: It utilizes a retro, lo-fi aesthetic to deliver a short, punchy, and atmospheric horror experience.

Blasfemia is a first-person horror game. You are trapped in a seemingly normal apartment but realize early on that you're not alone. Explore a handcrafted, detail rich environment in a tense and terrifying atmosphere and try to find a way out before an ominous entity gets to you.

Why similar: Horror 23.2%, Walking Simulator 14.4%, First-Person 11.8%, Dark 10.3%, Psychological Horror 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers a dark, narrative-driven adventure that emphasizes atmosphere and psychological tension.

Something is going on in the elevator of your new home.

Why similar: Horror 33.3%, Exploration 19.2%, Adventure 15.6%, 3D 12.3%, Linear 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the claustrophobia of a confined space, creating a sense of dread through exploration.

When a routine expedition into The Complex goes horribly wrong, you're left alone and lost, wandering the seemingly infinite maze of hallways, otherwise known as the Backrooms. Might there be something following you?

Why similar: Horror 20.4%, Psychological Horror 18.7%, Cinematic 13.1%, First-Person 9.9%, Story Rich 9.5%

Step into a liminal, cosmic horror experience set in an abandoned amusement park. Uncover the haunting narrative behind its twisted rides and empty tunnels to discover what lurks within a reality that shouldn't exist…

Why similar: Psychological Horror 20.3%, Horror 18.5%, Walking Simulator 14.2%, First-Person 11.2%, Dark 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: It explores themes of loss and psychological trauma through a walking-simulator lens.

You have been sent photographs of a place where, according to rumors, an artifact of an ancient civilization is hidden... Do you dare to go there?!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 18.7%, Horror 17.2%, Walking Simulator 14.1%, First-Person 14%, Cinematic 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: This title focuses on the internal psychological state of the protagonist, mirroring the character-driven narrative of El 39.

The Elision Effect is a short surreal puzzle game. The last person finds themselves in an empty office. The place seems off, like it shouldn’t exist. Not knowing what made everyone abandon these liminal spaces, they look for an exit.

Why similar: Retro 21.1%, Walking Simulator 18.4%, First-Person 16.8%, Exploration 8.3%, Dark 6.3%

Something has gone terribly wrong in TRAPPED Alaska. Except for you, and a handful of survivors, the whole town has been emptied. Everywhere, what should be water has been replaced by a black semi-sentient sludge that seems to change everything it touches. And it’s rising...

Why similar: Adventure 66.5%, Indie 33.5%

Why You'll Like It: It is a straightforward, atmospheric first-person horror game that focuses on the feeling of being stuck in an unsettling environment.

Spend one last afternoon exploring your childhood neighborhood before the world ends at 6:38 PM.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 19.5%, Walking Simulator 19.2%, Retro 18%, Story Rich 9.2%, Exploration 8.8%

You come to your senses in this place, you do not understand what is happening, but you know that it is better to get out of here as soon as possible

Why similar: Horror 20%, Psychological Horror 17.9%, First-Person 15.4%, Adventure 13.2%, Walking Simulator 12.9%

You receive a cursed digital camera that captures ghosts from a strange website. The website allows you to liberate your loved ones by uploading images of their spirits using the camera. You decide to go to the nearest park where your girl was last seen.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 22.9%, Horror 19.9%, Walking Simulator 15.4%, First-Person 11.8%, Exploration 6.5%

Hitting the highway immediately after finishing a crazy party was definitely not a good idea... Now you are stranded on the road, luckily, there is a cozy country house nearby, what could go wrong?

Why similar: Retro 22.8%, Horror 19.5%, First-Person 15.6%, Psychological Horror 15.2%, Mystery 7.7%

On a task to find your sister, you find yourself exploring an old abandoned house. But you soon find out that things are not as they seem.

Why similar: Horror 21.8%, Walking Simulator 15.5%, First-Person 10.3%, Psychological Horror 9.7%, Adventure 9.6%

The main character wakes up in a tunnel of the subway and tries to find out that happened to it and other passengers of the train. To understand that after all it happened to the gone passengers, the player should investigate strange catacombs being deeply underground.

Why similar: Horror 33.3%, First-Person 24.6%, Indie 18.5%, Walking Simulator 13.6%, Adventure 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: This indie horror title emphasizes the feeling of hopelessness and isolation in a first-person perspective.

Alone at night, working at a petrol station deep in the American wheat belt. Something feels off... are you sure you're alone? A short 10-15 minute horror game with multiple endings.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 19.4%, First-Person 18.6%, Horror 17%, Psychological Horror 12.7%, Exploration 9.2%

It’s an indie horror game where John, a forensic photographer, after an unexpected and exhausting shift, is forced to spend the night away from home. What seemed like a temporary rest soon begins to turn unsettling.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 22.2%, Horror 17.2%, Walking Simulator 12.7%, First-Person 11.3%, Exploration 7%

You're working overtime again in your dead-end job, whilst your boss is on vacation. However, strange things are happening throughout the office. Complete your daily work tasks, explore your office, report any anomalies you may find, and you may just find yourself getting a promotion...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 22.9%, Walking Simulator 16.2%, First-Person 12.7%, Horror 11.7%, Mystery 10.2%

Dive into a realistic experience of the Backrooms, without jumpscares, getting lost in impossible spaces and feeling like something is watching you. The uncertainty of not knowing where you're going will make you want to quit… Will you be able to make it to the end?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 30.4%, Walking Simulator 22.7%, First-Person 21.1%, Exploration 7.6%, Adventure 7.5%

A new life begins in a low-cost apartment. Strange occurrences at night and the suspicious behavior of neighbors gradually push the protagonist to the edge.

Why similar: Horror 19.9%, Walking Simulator 19.7%, Psychological Horror 17.7%, First-Person 14.7%, Casual 8.2%

You were on the brink of becoming homeless, but that's when you found a sewer job application, you got accepted. What seemed like a chill work at first turned quickly in to an unsettling experience.

Why similar: Horror 22.8%, First-Person 11.3%, Walking Simulator 11.2%, Mystery 10.6%, Dark 9.3%

Early 90s. You stayed in a quiet hotel for just one night and the next morning you’ve found out that the old world was destroyed. Alien dreams, secrets of your past and other guests that are turning into monsters. This hotel will not let you to check out.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 20.7%, Horror 18.6%, Walking Simulator 15.2%, First-Person 12.4%, Story Rich 8.8%

After the accident, Jack withdraws into himself and starts working as a bus attendant to get his life back on track. He constantly sees hallucinations. And in these hallucinations, the decision is yours. Each decision will lead you to a different ending!

Why similar: First-Person 19.8%, Adventure 16.6%, Horror 13%, Psychological Horror 10.5%, Exploration 10.4%

You’ve been trapped in a school by a mysterious God. Memorize your surroundings, spot the anomalies, and reach floor 0 to earn your escape.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 20.5%, Horror 17.2%, Walking Simulator 15.6%, First-Person 12.8%, Exploration 7.1%

It's your first night as the caretaker of a scary quest. The last visitors have gone home. You need to turn off the lights, check the equipment and not die of horror, because someone or something suddenly starts a nightmarish game. With you in the lead.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 22.7%, Cinematic 21%, First-Person 17.5%, Horror 11.3%, Exploration 10.1%

Highschool student Haneko has forgotten her class assignments and must retrieve them by traversing a world of haunted horrors. Explore the dilapidated halls, find your missing homework, and avoid whatever's lurking around the corner in this bite-sized, retro survival horror experience.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 21.5%, Retro 20.8%, Horror 19.6%, Exploration 7.2%, Adventure 6.3%

Racing against time, a guy wanders around a graveyard on the middle of nowhere, searching for something that may break a deadly curse. Among murders and secrets, only darkness is certain.

Why similar: Horror 29.1%, First-Person 25.8%, Exploration 14.2%, 3D 9.7%, Story Rich 9.7%

Paranormal VHS is a horror game that features a VHS tape-inspired aesthetic. The game's story revolves around a popular vlogger who spends a night in haunted locations in search of paranormal activity. Brace for intense jumpscares.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 25.4%, Horror 23.6%, First-Person 13%, Dark 9.4%, Adventure 6.9%

Seybul Tech is a walking simulator. Navigate as an office employee, confronting peculiar encounters while in search of an exit from this enigmatic abyss.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 23.6%, Walking Simulator 17.3%, Horror 15.7%, Dark 8.7%, Exploration 7%

The Gap is a short first-person horror experience taking place in a ghostly abandoned house on a lonely street corner.

Why similar: Horror 18.8%, Psychological Horror 17.5%, Walking Simulator 15%, Cinematic 13.5%, First-Person 11.4%

Are you ready to survive in this hostile world? Discover who you are and how you ended up in this dimension. But don't worry, you can rely on warm company that will make your experience much more 'pleasant.' Oh, and good luck, you'll need it.

Why similar: Horror 17%, Psychological Horror 15.7%, Cinematic 13.3%, First-Person 13.1%, Adventure 12.2%

Dean Holt, popular Urbex vlogger, sets off on another exploration of an abandoned home but this time things aren't going as planned. Something dark is lurking inside and Dean quickly finds himself in over his head

Why similar: Psychological Horror 25.6%, Horror 24%, Walking Simulator 14.8%, First-Person 8.6%, Exploration 7.6%

A first person horror game. Fred is stuck in a dead-end job, haunted by hallucinations. A voice on the radio speaks of a green light. It promises peace and freedom. A tale of self-discovery where Fred is willing to find freedom, even at the cost of his life.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 17%, Horror 15.4%, Cinematic 11.5%, Walking Simulator 10.7%, First-Person 10.5%

A regular night shift turns into a chilling fight for survival. Explore a bustling rest stop, uncover dark secrets, and face the haunting legacy of a tragic accident in PASSENGER 23.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 19.2%, Retro 18.4%, Horror 17.3%, First-Person 9.8%, Mystery 7.5%

You arrive at a deserted street that feels familiar yet is filled with unease. Pick up your camera, capture the hidden anomalies, and break this endless loop.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 27.2%, Walking Simulator 22.2%, First-Person 20.3%, Horror 9%, Adventure 8.7%

Sector 404 is a first-person anomaly horror game set in a crumbling Soviet housing block. After taking your medicine, your world begins to fracture. Climb from floor to floor, uncovering distorted anomalies and your own unraveling mind. Miss too much, and reality resets. Will you ever make it home?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 21.8%, Horror 17.1%, Walking Simulator 15.9%, First-Person 14.7%, Exploration 6%

Pleh! is a short psychological horror walking simulator that tells the story of a depressed game developer, his intrusive thoughts and his dark mysterious secrets.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 23.3%, Walking Simulator 15.7%, Horror 11.1%, First-Person 10.4%, Story Rich 10.4%

You find yourself stranded along a lonely, abandoned road, desperately seeking help. You stumble upon an old, farm-themed amusement park, you will feel.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 20.4%, Horror 16.5%, Retro 15.5%, First-Person 12%, Mystery 7.8%

Christmas Nightmare is an atmospheric horror game about New Year's Eve.

Why similar: Cinematic 16.5%, Walking Simulator 16%, First-Person 14.1%, Psychological Horror 13.5%, Horror 11.5%