Games Like Firewatch

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 28.2%, Story Rich 17.8%, Atmospheric 11.5%, Mystery 11.3%, Great Soundtrack 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers the same kind of emotionally gripping, story-first first-person experience where exploration and atmosphere carry a deeply personal mystery.

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 59.9%, Atmospheric 7.9%, Story Rich 7.4%, Exploration 6.7%, First-Person 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: Like Firewatch, it turns quiet exploration of a single place into an intimate narrative mystery driven by discovery rather than action.

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 29.8%, Mystery 17%, Atmospheric 11.8%, First-Person 7.5%, Story Rich 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its slow first-person investigation, gorgeous wilderness setting, and haunting mystery make it one of the closest tonal matches to Firewatch.

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 44.3%, Great Soundtrack 13.5%, Atmospheric 10.3%, Story Rich 7.4%, First-Person 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a similarly reflective pace, strong environmental storytelling, and a lonely search for answers in a beautifully realized setting.

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 24%, Mystery 12.9%, Story Rich 9.1%, Atmospheric 8.8%, Open World 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: This is another first-person narrative mystery built around isolation, tense conversations, and exploring a remote location full of secrets.

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%, Atmospheric 12.1%, Open World 11.7%, First-Person 10.5%, Story Rich 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: It blends first-person wilderness exploration and mystery in a remote, atmospheric setting, though with a slightly more survival-oriented edge.

Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift. You are Alex, and you’ve just brought your new stepbrother Jonas to an overnight island party gone horribly wrong.

Why similar: Story Rich 21.6%, Mystery 17.2%, Atmospheric 14.3%, Great Soundtrack 13.4%, Walking Simulator 12.7%

Why You'll Like It: Its naturalistic dialogue, strong character chemistry, and eerie unfolding mystery make it a great fit for players who loved Firewatch's conversations and mood.

Tacoma is a sci-fi narrative adventure from the creators of Gone Home. Set aboard a high-tech space station in the year 2088, explore every detail of how the station’s crew lived and worked, finding the clues that add up to a gripping story of trust, fear, and resolve in the face of disaster.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 38.1%, Story Rich 14.4%, Mystery 10.5%, First-Person 8.2%, Atmospheric 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: Although set in space, it captures the same story-rich, exploratory feel of piecing together human relationships in an isolated place.

Rethink human’s dominion in The Invincible: a story-driven adventure set in a hard sci-fi world by Stanisław Lem. Discover planet Regis III as scientist Yasna, use atompunk tools looking for a missing crew and face unforeseen threats. Make choices in a philosophical story that’s driven by science.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 41.2%, Mystery 16.7%, Story Rich 12.6%, Adventure 9.2%, First-Person 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: Its solitary first-person exploration, constant radio contact, and slowly unfolding mystery strongly echo Firewatch's core appeal in a sci-fi setting.

Dear Esther immerses you in a stunningly realised world, a remote and desolate island somewhere in the outer Hebrides. As you step forwards, a voice begins to read fragments of a letter: 'Dear Esther...' - and so begins a journey through one of the most original first-person games of recent years.

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 is a foundational atmospheric first-person walking sim focused on mood, narration, and emotional interpretation over traditional gameplay.

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 21.6%, Story Rich 15.3%, Mystery 15.3%, First-Person 12.1%, Atmospheric 11%

Why You'll Like It: It matches Firewatch's sense of immersive first-person discovery and personal mystery, just with more overt puzzle solving and a surreal island backdrop.

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: Mystery 17.9%, Great Soundtrack 16.2%, Story Rich 13.6%, Exploration 12.1%, Atmospheric 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: It channels the same thrill of exploration and unraveling a mystery through observation, just in a far more systemic and expansive structure.

Jack Nelson, a 24-year-old fire lookout, transferred to a new outpost. As he settled into his new home, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, little did he know what was transpiring down in Ironbark State Park.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.5%, Atmospheric 16.6%, Horror 9.9%, Thriller 9.7%, First-Person 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: Its fire lookout setup and forest isolation feel immediately familiar to Firewatch fans, even if it pushes the experience into horror.

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 26.6%, Mystery 11.8%, Atmospheric 11.7%, Exploration 9.2%, First-Person 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: It scratches the same exploratory first-person itch with strong atmosphere and environmental storytelling, though it leans more into observation and puzzle-solving.

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 29.7%, Mystery 15.1%, Story Rich 10.3%, Atmospheric 9.7%, First-Person 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: It shares Firewatch's focus on mystery, place, and cinematic storytelling, with a similarly compact, mood-heavy narrative approach.

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 40.1%, Great Soundtrack 13%, Mystery 9.7%, Story Rich 8%, Adventure 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: Its narrative-first approach, isolated environment, and focus on uncovering a personal story make it a strong Firewatch-like experience.

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 34.3%, Story Rich 17.5%, Atmospheric 13.6%, Adventure 11.5%, Mystery 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a compact first-person sci-fi mystery centered on exploration, environmental clues, and the loneliness of a deserted place.

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 23.3%, Open World 14.3%, First-Person 13.7%, Exploration 12.9%, Atmospheric 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: Its quiet first-person exploration of a mysterious world can appeal to Firewatch players who especially enjoyed solitary discovery and environmental immersion.

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 39%, First-Person 13.5%, Adventure 12.2%, Exploration 11%, Story Rich 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: This is another contemplative first-person narrative game where environmental exploration and mystery drive the experience more than challenge or combat.

The Magnificent Trufflepigs is a first-person, metal-detecting narrative game. It combines laid-back detecting and exploration with a dramatic story, all set in a beautiful English countryside. It’s a game about trying to find something.

Why similar: Mystery 19.8%, Story Rich 18%, Walking Simulator 17.6%, Atmospheric 15%, First-Person 14%

Why You'll Like It: Its first-person wandering through a rural landscape while building a relationship through conversation feels very much in Firewatch's emotional lane.

Embark on an emotional first-person narrative adventure where you control the story—and affect its outcomes—with your real-life blinks. With this innovative technique you will fully immerse yourself in a world of memories, both joyous and heartbreaking, as your whole life flashes before your eyes.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.5%, Story Rich 24.6%, First-Person 13.4%, Mystery 11.4%, Adventure 6%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers the same kind of emotional, intimate storytelling payoff that many players most remember from Firewatch.

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 15.8%, Story Rich 15.7%, Great Soundtrack 14.6%, Atmospheric 13.7%, First-Person 12.9%

Why You'll Like It: If the scenic wandering and tranquil first-person immersion of Firewatch mattered most to you, this is a great mood match even without the same mystery focus.

NIGHT IN THE WOODS is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world.

Why similar: Story Rich 23.9%, Mystery 23.4%, Atmospheric 17.9%, Exploration 13%, Adventure 11.2%

Why You'll Like It: While not first-person, it shares Firewatch's melancholy tone, strong dialogue, and mystery wrapped around deeply human relationships.

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 42.5%, Story Rich 17.9%, Atmospheric 12.1%, First-Person 9.6%, Great Soundtrack 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a similarly introspective, narration-driven experience for players who connected most with Firewatch's emotional storytelling and themes.

Mundaun is a lovingly hand-penciled horror tale set in a dark, secluded valley of The Alps. Explore various areas full of secrets to discover, survive hostile encounters, drive vehicles, fill your inventory, and solve a variety of handcrafted puzzles.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.8%, Mystery 13.1%, Story Rich 10.6%, Atmospheric 8.8%, First-Person 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its lonely mountain setting, first-person exploration, and steadily deepening mystery make it a compelling darker alternative to Firewatch.

A first-person narrative adventure game about exploring a cult compound in the remote New Mexico desert. Discover the lives of the former inhabitants -- what brought them together, what they believed, and why they ended it all.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 37.7%, Adventure 16.3%, Story Rich 15.9%, First-Person 14.2%, Exploration 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: This first-person narrative exploration game similarly relies on atmosphere, place, and piecing together a disturbing story at your own pace.

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 51.9%, Walking Simulator 15%, Atmospheric 6.4%, Mystery 6.3%, First-Person 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: It emphasizes isolation, wilderness traversal, and a cryptic narrative in a way that overlaps with Firewatch, albeit with much more overt dread.

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 22.1%, Mystery 17.5%, Story Rich 11.1%, Atmospheric 9.2%, Open World 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: It is a slower, more methodical first-person mystery, but the act of exploring a place and reconstructing what happened will appeal to Firewatch fans.

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.9%, Great Soundtrack 18.8%, Atmospheric 17.5%, Exploration 10.7%, Adventure 9.5%

Stranded at an abandoned Antarctic research base with no hope of rescue, you must battle a deadly blizzard in a desperate fight to find your way home.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 35.9%, Atmospheric 15.3%, First-Person 14.1%, Exploration 11.2%, Open World 11%

Why You'll Like It: Its emphasis on isolation, atmosphere, and surviving in a desolate remote setting overlaps with Firewatch's lonely, immersive side.

It's winter, 1980. Szymon, a boy raised in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, finds an abandoned Nazi bunker. Will he find what he’s looking for? Play Paradise Lost and explore an underground world, where Slavic mythology mixes with retrofuturistic technology. Discover the last story on Earth.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32%, Mystery 15%, Story Rich 12%, Atmospheric 10.8%, First-Person 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: This is another first-person narrative exploration game focused on uncovering the past through atmosphere and environmental storytelling.

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: Great Soundtrack 22.8%, Atmospheric 17.8%, Exploration 14.3%, Adventure 11.9%, Walking Simulator 10.6%

Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 20.7%, Great Soundtrack 19.8%, Exploration 19.1%, Open World 15.3%, Adventure 12.6%

Explore the vast and beautiful world of Valley using the power of the L.E.A.F. suit: a fierce exoskeleton that grants exceptional speed and agility along with the phenomenal ability to manipulate the life and death of all living things.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 17.7%, Great Soundtrack 14%, First-Person 14%, Open World 11%, Adventure 10.1%

A beautiful, 3rd-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Uncover artifacts from the son's life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.6%, Atmospheric 14%, Great Soundtrack 9.9%, Story Rich 9.3%, Exploration 7.7%

THE LONG DARK is a thoughtful, exploration-survival experience that challenges solo players to think for themselves as they explore an expansive frozen wilderness in the aftermath of a geomagnetic disaster. There are no zombies -- only you, the cold, and all the threats Mother Nature can muster.

Why similar: Open World 24.5%, Atmospheric 17.4%, Walking Simulator 17%, Exploration 14.1%, First-Person 13.8%

From the art director of Journey®, ABZÛ is a beautiful underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving. Immerse yourself in a vibrant hidden world bursting with color and life as you descend into the heart of the ocean. But beware as you swim deeper as dangers lurk in the depths.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 24.4%, Atmospheric 22.4%, Exploration 13.9%, Walking Simulator 11.7%, Adventure 7.9%

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 25.5%, Atmospheric 14.8%, Mystery 12.9%, Great Soundtrack 11.9%, First-Person 9.5%

The Last Campfire is an adventure, a story of a lost ember trapped in a puzzling place, searching for meaning and a way home.

Why similar: Story Rich 32.7%, Atmospheric 31.7%, Adventure 20.7%, Singleplayer 8.3%, Indie 6.6%

KENTUCKY ROUTE ZERO is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway running through the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it.

Why similar: Atmospheric 26.6%, Story Rich 17%, Adventure 16.5%, Great Soundtrack 15.3%, Mystery 11.9%

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 39.8%, First-Person 13.3%, Comedy 12.7%, Exploration 6.8%, Story Rich 6.5%

In Drizzlepath you are set on a journey to the top of the Mountain of Fire. It aims to be an atmospheric, relaxed and enigmatic experience. Downloadable soundtrack included.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.5%, Great Soundtrack 13.7%, Atmospheric 10.1%, First-Person 8.4%, Mystery 7.6%

It's Clara's last day on the island where she grew up. She needs to complete preparations, visit her favorite places, and say her goodbyes before leaving on a journey she may not return from.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 45.6%, Atmospheric 13.4%, Great Soundtrack 12.9%, First-Person 11.5%, Adventure 11.1%

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: Mystery 21.7%, Story Rich 17.1%, Atmospheric 15%, First-Person 13%, Exploration 7.7%

my brother lives in a canyon is a short adventure game about two brothers reminiscing over short-wave radios.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 33.5%, Adventure 11.8%, Mystery 11.5%, First-Person 9.8%, Exploration 8.7%

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 41%, Atmospheric 14.1%, Exploration 10.1%, First-Person 8.6%, Adventure 8.2%

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 28.7%, Story Rich 16.9%, Atmospheric 11.4%, Great Soundtrack 11.1%, Mystery 8.7%

Get lost beneath the fog in The Wild Eternal, a reflective first-person exploration game. Embark on a meditative journey to heal the scars of your past. Can you escape the cycle of reincarnation?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 23.4%, Great Soundtrack 10.4%, Mystery 10.1%, Atmospheric 8.9%, Story Rich 8.7%

A Dark Presence stalks the small town of Bright Falls, pushing Alan Wake to the brink of sanity in his fight to unravel the mystery and save his love.

Why similar: Story Rich 20.8%, Atmospheric 16.2%, Great Soundtrack 13.5%, Thriller 12.9%, Mystery 11.4%

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 47.4%, Atmospheric 12.6%, First-Person 9.8%, Adventure 8.3%, Story Rich 6.4%

Cradle is a sci-fi first-person-view quest designed for the player to explore the surrounding world. The story is built around the relations of the protagonist and a mechanical girl who by quirk of fate found themselves amidst the desert.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 20.9%, Atmospheric 14.5%, Adventure 12.8%, First-Person 12.5%, Story Rich 10.7%

A story-driven, first-person adventure game offering a cinematic experience. Embark on a journey to HaustVille, an abandoned settlement in a post-apocalyptic world. Explore your surroundings and uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of the last survivors.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.2%, Mystery 16.4%, Story Rich 11.9%, Atmospheric 10.9%, Exploration 7.5%

An immersive, narrative videogame that retells Joel Green’s 4-year fight against cancer through about two hours of poetic, imaginative gameplay that explores themes of faith, hope and love.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 34.2%, Story Rich 18.6%, Great Soundtrack 14.6%, Atmospheric 11.7%, Adventure 7.2%

Empathy: Path of Whispers is an atmospheric and story-driven adventure game where you explore a seemingly abandoned world through the emotions and memories of the people who once inhabited it, trying to restore the world’s lost balance by journeying through its past.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.6%, Great Soundtrack 17.1%, Story Rich 15.2%, Adventure 12.9%, Atmospheric 12.5%

Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.

Why similar: Mystery 30.3%, Story Rich 16.3%, Atmospheric 14.1%, Great Soundtrack 13.4%, Walking Simulator 8.4%

Caligo is the darkness everyone descends into one way or another, and to each of us it's something different. For some it's a short but exciting adventure, some will see it as a place to relax. Yet others will be reminded of their worst nightmare, while for a few, it might come as a revelation.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 37.1%, Great Soundtrack 14.4%, Atmospheric 10.8%, Adventure 9.9%, Story Rich 9.9%

Lost, alone and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten cybercity and find their way home.

Why similar: Atmospheric 23.3%, Mystery 15.6%, Exploration 15.6%, Adventure 14.8%, Open World 12.4%

Welcome to The Fabled Woods, a dark and mysterious narrative short story. Despite the picturesque beauty, ugly and terrible secrets lurk among the shifting boughs, darkness that no amount of dappled sunlight can erase. Take the first step, and experience an unforgettable journey.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.5%, Adventure 18.5%, Mystery 10%, First-Person 9.3%, Story Rich 7.7%

Narrative exploration game located in a massive, post-human Western Washington. Navigate an open world that has been reclaimed by nature. Use journals, letters, zines, and other documents to learn the interconnected stories of the people who lived here once.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 43.3%, Open World 17.9%, Exploration 13.9%, Atmospheric 11.2%, Adventure 7.7%