- #1 Raging Loop
97% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 9,674 reviews2017
Dev: KEMCO
Windows
Median: 23.9 hrsMean: 58.6 hrs≥1hr: 84%
The feast has begun, can you escape the village alive?
Why similar: Visual Novel 29%, Mystery 17.4%, Psychological Horror 12%, Story Rich 9.7%, Gore 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: It shares the intense focus on ritualistic horror and mystery within a confined, isolated setting.
- #2 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
96% matchVery Positive93% of 6,967 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 21.7 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Kidnapped and taken to an unfamiliar location, nine people find themselves forced to participate in a diabolical Nonary Game by an enigmatic mastermind called Zero. Why were they there? Why were they chosen to put their lives on the line? And more importantly, who can be trusted?
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.9%, Mystery 17.9%, Story Rich 12.8%, Psychological Horror 10.6%, Puzzle 7.4%
Why You'll Like It: A quintessential trapped-in-a-facility mystery that relies on puzzle-solving and high-stakes decision-making.
- #3 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 35,609 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.9 hrsMean: 22.8 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Investigate murders, search for clues and talk to your classmates to prepare for trial. There, you'll engage in deadly wordplay, going back and forth with suspects. Dissect their statements and fire their words back at them to expose their lies! There's only one way to survive—pull the trigger.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27%, Mystery 21.2%, Anime 13.5%, Story Rich 11.6%, Psychological Horror 10.6%
Why You'll Like It: Like the seed game, it features a group of strangers forced into a deadly game within an isolated facility.
- #4 Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-
95% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 3,866 reviews2023
Dev: NankidaiPub: 0UP GAMES
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 14.0 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority- is a multi-ending horror adventure game. Sara Chidouin returns home from school late one night to discover that something's gone terribly wrong. When she comes to, she finds herself, her friend Joe, and 9 other people trapped in a mysterious place.
Why similar: Mystery 30.3%, Psychological Horror 20.6%, Story Rich 15.3%, Anime 14.6%, Adventure 10.3%
Why You'll Like It: This title perfectly mirrors the forced ritual and psychological tension of being trapped with strangers in a life-or-death scenario.
- #5 The House in Fata Morgana
94% matchVery Positive95% of 6,041 reviews2016
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 27.3 hrs≥1hr: 84%
A gothic suspense tale set in a cursed mansion. "The House in Fata Morgana" is a full-length visual novel spanning nearly a millennium that deals in tragedy, human nature, and insanity.
Why similar: Visual Novel 24.2%, Mystery 17.5%, Psychological Horror 13%, Story Rich 12.3%, Horror 11.3%
Why You'll Like It: A masterpiece of gothic mystery and drama that explores dark, historical themes through a visual novel lens.
- #6 Higurashi When They Cry Hou+
94% matchVery Positive88% of 163 reviews2023
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 64%
The tragedy of Hinamizawa is over. Those held captive within its grip are free from the fate that bound them to June 1983. Yet the tale of Hinamizawa is not truly complete. There are many worlds not yet explored.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.8%, Gore 15.1%, Anime 12.7%, Adventure 10.2%, Violent 9.7%
Why You'll Like It: Features deep, ritual-based horror and mystery that unfolds through a compelling visual novel format.
- #7 Corpse Party
93% matchVery Positive89% of 1,369 reviews2016
Dev: GrisGrisPub: XSEED Games
Windows · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 17.3 hrs≥1hr: 81%
A group of friends unknowingly perform an occult ritual that traps them in an otherworldly elementary school. Here, the vengeful spirits of young children threaten their lives and their sanity, and the only hope of survival is to uncover the chilling details behind the murders of those trapped before them...
Why similar: Horror 21.1%, Gore 16.1%, Visual Novel 15.7%, Anime 11.9%, Psychological Horror 11.6%
Why You'll Like It: A classic horror visual novel that excels at depicting the terror of being trapped in a supernatural, deadly location.
- #8 PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
91% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 6,520 reviews2023
Dev: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 8.6 hrsMean: 10.1 hrs≥1hr: 87%
How far would you go to bring someone back from the dead? Discover the depths that some will go to in this horror-adventure game.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.5%, Mystery 17.7%, Horror 14.4%, Anime 11.7%, Story Rich 11%
Why You'll Like It: A gripping mystery centered on urban legends and rituals that feels very similar in tone and structure.
- #9 Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
92% matchVery Positive82% of 4,723 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 11.5 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Nine participants awaken, trapped in an underground facility. To escape, they must play a game with deadly consequences. Who will live, and who will die? The choice is yours. Let the Decision Game begin…
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.4%, Mystery 16.3%, Psychological Horror 12.8%, Story Rich 11.2%, Puzzle 7.7%
Why You'll Like It: Continues the tradition of high-stakes, puzzle-heavy death games in an isolated setting.
- #10 Kara no Shojo
91% matchVery Positive92% of 439 reviews2018
Dev: Innocent GreyPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 6.1 hrsMean: 165.3 hrs≥1hr: 64%
Play as a detective tasked with catching a serial killer in this visual novel set in post-war Japan. Investigate key locations, question many complex characters, piece together clues, and try to stop the culprit before they end yet another young girl's smile.
Why similar: Visual Novel 14.1%, Thriller 11.8%, Mystery 11.6%, Drama 10.9%, Gore 10.8%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, gritty detective visual novel that shares the seed game's focus on gore and complex mystery.
- #11 Detention
90% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 11,663 reviews2017
Dev: RedCandleGames
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Detention is an atmospheric horror game set in 1960s Taiwan under martial law. Incorporated religious elements based in Taiwanese/Chinese culture and mythology, the game provided players with unique graphics and gaming experience.
Why similar: Horror 19.4%, Psychological Horror 13.8%, Drama 11.5%, Thriller 11.5%, Story Rich 9.6%
Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric horror game that uses historical context and psychological tension to build a haunting narrative.
- #12 Spirit Hunter: NG
89% matchVery Positive90% of 280 reviews2019
Dev: EXPERIENCEPub: Aksys Games
Windows
Median: 5.3 hrsMean: 20.5 hrs≥1hr: 72%
Beware the Creeping Horror... Face nightmares you thought were merely urban legends. Uncover a dark mystery, making deadly decisions just to survive. Play this chilling companion story to the award-winning Spirit Hunter: Death Mark game and bring the terror home.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.2%, Gore 23.8%, Horror 15.8%, Violent 15.3%, Adventure 13.5%
Why You'll Like It: Builds on the same horror-mystery foundation as the seed game, emphasizing ritualistic threats and investigation.
- #13 子归 - Blossom
88% matchVery Positive89% of 601 reviews2024
Dev: 糯米团子工作室Pub: 噪点游戏 SERICA GAMES
Windows
Early spring, 1999, Taoyuan Village. In just several days, a series of drowning incidents occurred in the same quaint village. Then, on the night of the fifteenth day, numerous villagers witnessed a woman in red who bore an uncanny resemblance to a lady who had previously met an unjust demise...
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.9%, Mystery 18.3%, Drama 12%, RPG 11.6%, Horror 11.1%
Why You'll Like It: A mystery-focused visual novel that explores dark themes through a single-player narrative experience.
- #14 The Letter - Horror Visual Novel
89% matchVery Positive86% of 1,500 reviews2017
Dev: Yangyang MobilePub: Neon Doctrine
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.6 hrsMean: 11.1 hrs≥1hr: 90%
When seven people fall prey to a vicious curse, they will discover that horror rests not from the shadows lurking about, but within themselves. To what ends will one go in order to survive?
Why similar: Visual Novel 24.6%, Horror 15.1%, Gore 10.8%, Mystery 8.9%, Psychological Horror 7.5%
Why You'll Like It: Features a branching narrative with multiple endings and a strong focus on horror and character-driven drama.
- #15 苍白花树繁茂之时Blood Flowers
86% matchVery Positive82% of 308 reviews2023
Dev: Bone Nail
Windows
A puzzle ＆ plot single-player game. It all starts with the falling star ...... Through the puzzle, find the childhood memories while gradually unraveling the truth of the "Blood Tree Plague" hundreds of years ago.
Why similar: Visual Novel 16.9%, Drama 16.2%, Mystery 15.1%, Horror 10%, Story Rich 8.1%
Why You'll Like It: A mystery-heavy JRPG that uses puzzle elements and drama to drive its narrative forward.
- #16 筮灵 SHILING
86% matchMostly Positive73% of 270 reviews2024
Dev: WindField GamesPub: Mammorize
Windows
国产本土新怪谈恐怖游戏——幽魂社前社长在直播中突然失踪，销声匿迹数月后发来诡异消息，将你引入离奇的规则世界。走不出的吞人楼栋、满员即死的午夜巴士、地图上不存在的村庄，还有勾魂剧院、吃人公司……世界的“暗面”等待探索，怪谲的谜题等待揭露。
Why similar: Thriller 20.1%, Visual Novel 18%, Mystery 14.8%, Psychological Horror 11.4%, Story Rich 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror visual novel that emphasizes mystery and thriller elements in its storytelling.
- #17 Seven Mysteries: The Last Page
87% matchMostly Positive74% of 62 reviews2018
Dev: Sang Hendrix
Windows
A story-driven psychological horror RPG about a group of friends who unintentionally become bound together after encountering 7 curses from a school.
Why similar: Visual Novel 15.8%, Psychological Horror 13.3%, Mystery 11.8%, Horror 10.9%, RPG 10.7%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror game that emphasizes the mystery of an isolated environment and the consequences of choices.
- #18 Mirages
85% matchMostly Positive80% of 296 reviews2023
Dev: 漫森游戏工作室Pub: East2West Games
Windows
Mirages is a 3D narrative and horror game with folk stories. One night, seven brides headed to the Captain Mansion but strayed into a place full of ghosts - Regret City. Horror haunts the small town. Due to destiny, actors, warlords, and offspring of the town are drawn in. They are closer to truth.
Why similar: Thriller 19.5%, Mystery 15.4%, Drama 15.2%, Horror 11.8%, Psychological Horror 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: Focuses on exploration and mystery within a dramatic, horror-tinged narrative framework.
- #19 Mandemon
83% matchVery Positive87% of 368 reviews2023
Dev: 致意
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 15.6 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Decaying Japanese school buildings, a series of bizarre incidents, eerie Mandemon legends. Lies and truths intertwine, love and hate entwined in the mist. What should one do? Whom should one believe? Welcome to this cruel world filled with deception and harm —
Why similar: Visual Novel 16.5%, Drama 14%, Historical 13.9%, Mystery 13.6%, Thriller 8.4%
Why You'll Like It: An adventure visual novel that blends drama and mystery in a way that complements the seed game's narrative style.
- #20 Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition
84% matchVery Positive90% of 592 reviews2016
Dev: YetiPub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 8.9 hrsMean: 14.3 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Rescue squad captain Watase Kasasagi wakes up without his memories in the middle of his most critical mission yet-- a nuclear meltdown at a research facility. In an unfamiliar place and without his years of training, he must rescue the survivors and escape...
Why similar: Visual Novel 33.2%, Mystery 14%, Story Rich 11%, Anime 10.7%, Gore 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: Features a high-stakes scenario where characters are trapped in a facility, forcing them to solve mysteries to survive.
- #21 Magical Girl Witch Trials
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 29,650 reviews2025
Dev: AcaciaPub: Re,AER
Windows · Mac
Median: 15.8 hrsMean: 28.1 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Thirteen girls awaken, only to find themselves in a prison. What awaits them: a Witch Trial. Help them prepare for the trial by exploring the prison in order to find the witch hidden amongst them. Find the witch, learn what kind of magic she holds, dispel the lies, and prepare for the execution.
Why similar: Visual Novel 35%, Mystery 17.3%, Gore 12%, Story Rich 9.9%, Anime 7.1%
- #22 再见断刀
80% matchVery Positive93% of 2,313 reviews2025
Dev: 非侠游戏Pub: LoveStoryProject
Windows
Median: 11.7 hrsMean: 12.8 hrs≥1hr: 87%
古风悬疑推理AVG《再见断刀》——在与世隔绝的山庄之中，接二连三地发生了骇人命案。只有通过细致入微的调查，抽丝剥茧的推理，才能定一个是非清白，还一个天理公道。 然而，在逐渐浮出水面的真相之下，似乎还有暗流涌动……
Why similar: Historical 17.8%, Visual Novel 16.4%, Mystery 12.2%, Drama 10.4%, Story Rich 9%
- #23 Other Side Of Mist And Mountain
82% matchMostly Positive74% of 91 reviews2024
Dev: Universe Studio
Windows
In 2005, a sophomore student named Maha Igarashi boarded a private train to Soukyo City. However, she vanished upon alighting at the "Kisaragi" station. Five years later, her lover, Shizuno Yokoyama, initiated an investigation into her disappearance, unraveling a series of mysteries along the way.
Why similar: Visual Novel 13.7%, Thriller 13%, Mystery 11.6%, Drama 11.5%, Horror 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: Combines horror and mystery elements in an atmospheric setting that fans of the seed game will appreciate.
- #24 七人杀阵 - Seven Sacrifices
82% matchVery Positive80% of 1,067 reviews2018
Dev: 章鱼罐头制作组
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 6.9 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Seven girls came to a mountain villa on the outskirts to attend a party. Suddenly they were struck by a storm. They were trapped and lost contact with the outside world.Everyone was caught unawares by the accident, but the conspiracy has just begun.
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.6%, Gore 21.2%, Mystery 16%, Violent 14.2%, Adventure 14.1%
Why You'll Like It: A violent, indie adventure game that focuses on the grim consequences of a deadly ritual.
- #25 Inmates
84% matchMixed60% of 330 reviews2017
Dev: Davit AndreasyanPub: Iceberg Interactive
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 18.6 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Inmates is a story-driven, atmospheric psychological horror game. Featuring interactive exploration in a suffocating location, mind-bending puzzles and disturbing imagery. You wake up in a run-down prison cell and have no clue how you got there. You’ve convinced yourself this is all just a nightmare...
Why similar: Horror 40.7%, Adventure 31.5%, Story Rich 16%, Indie 11.8%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror game that captures the feeling of being trapped in a hostile, mysterious environment.
- #26 羽翼的祈愿 - Feather Of Praying
81% matchVery Positive96% of 313 reviews2018
Dev: 秋之忧郁Pub: Eternal Dream
Windows
This is a horror puzzle RPG first released in 2016. Players control Qiu Xiaoqi as she explores a mysterious room filled with puzzles alongside a white-haired youth. They unravel mechanisms to uncover the truth behind her loss of consciousness. Will the wish be fulfilled? The story is yours to shape!
Why similar: Mystery 15.8%, Psychological Horror 13%, Horror 12.9%, RPG 12.1%, Drama 10.9%
Why You'll Like It: An indie RPG that offers a unique narrative experience with a focus on character-driven mystery.
- #27 山：临界幸存者
79% matchVery Positive92% of 625 reviews2022
Dev: 迩来工作室Pub: WindField Games
Windows
Median: 6.3 hrsMean: 8.9 hrs≥1hr: 86%
偏远的山村中，正举行着古老的祭祀『仙姑宴』。少女吟诵着，舞动着，一场漫长而恐怖的杀戮剧正在悄然上演……
Why similar: Visual Novel 34.5%, Mystery 20.6%, Story Rich 15.6%, Anime 13.3%, Adventure 12.1%
- #28 Rubbings
78% matchVery Positive89% of 235 reviews2025
Dev: 午夜说书人
Windows
《诡拓》是一款中式民俗微恐风的悬疑推理游戏。你将扮演一名民俗杂志编辑，根据匿名信件中的拓片线索，深入封闭、神秘的睖睁村，这里多年来流传着失踪旅人和诡异祭祀的传说。通过亲历村志中的诡异故事，并在村庄中展开调查，你将逐步揭开埋藏数十年的真相。
Why similar: Thriller 14.2%, Visual Novel 13.3%, Drama 10.1%, Mystery 9.8%, Investigation 8.9%
- #29 12 Hours to Die
81% matchMostly Positive73% of 226 reviews2020
Dev: Wesley ReitsmaPub: Westeford
Windows · Mac · Linux
A mystery visual novel about six students forced to play a 12-hour long killing game.
Why similar: Visual Novel 32.5%, Mystery 20.5%, Gore 10.1%, Adventure 9%, Anime 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: A visual novel that centers on a time-sensitive mystery, mirroring the urgency of the seed game's ritual.
- #30 Even20: The Interference of Parallels
76% matchVery Positive94% of 50 reviews2025
Dev: SilverEyesPub: Wisdom Games Publishing
Windows · Mac
Two souls are drawn into a mysterious otherworld—and torn apart. In a realm filled with danger and restless spirits, each searches for the other while uncovering hidden truths. A suspenseful multi-ending adventure where every choice shapes their fate.
Why similar: Thriller 20.6%, Mystery 14%, Horror 10.8%, RPG 10.4%, Psychological Horror 9.6%
- #31 Return to Shironagasu Island
77% matchVery Positive94% of 3,990 reviews2020
Dev: HYOGO ONIMUSHIPub: TABINOMICHI
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 14.2 hrs≥1hr: 92%
A mystery adventure game and visual novel set on solitary Shironagasu Island. Discover its secrets, solve its mysteries, and escape from the ominous island!
Why similar: Visual Novel 24.8%, Mystery 17.9%, Adventure 11.3%, Horror 10.9%, Thriller 8.8%
- #32 回门 Way Back Home
78% matchMostly Positive72% of 518 reviews2021
Dev: 漫森游戏工作室
Windows
"Way back home" is a 2D horizontal board horror puzzle game. It takes the Republic of China period from 1905 to 1926 as the background of the times. With a large number of exquisite original paintings, rich playing methods, excellent music and dubbing, delicate script and narrative game style, it creates a strong historical...
Why similar: Thriller 17%, Mystery 11.8%, Drama 11.5%, Horror 10.5%, Visual Novel 10.1%
- #33 The Simen Rumors
75% matchVery Positive92% of 88 reviews2026
Dev: 羊之口
Windows
本游戏以视觉小说的形式，收录了十四个奇幻恐怖的短篇故事。从网站专栏的投稿、社团的恐怖故事分享会、到某座设施中的秘密实验……你将以不同的视角，探索发生在鸶门市周边的种种奇妙传闻。
Why similar: Visual Novel 35%, Mystery 28.3%, Drama 20.5%, Adventure 3.9%, Psychological Horror 2.5%
- #34 The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty
73% matchVery Positive95% of 57,826 reviews2024
Dev: 零创游戏(ZerocreationGame)
Windows
Median: 6.1 hrsMean: 24.6 hrs≥1hr: 83%
He is a bandit who sells lives. She is a mute girl seeking revenge. In a famine-ravaged ancient China, a ruthless trafficker escorts four girls to a demon's feast. But when a deadly secret is revealed, a cold transaction turns into a journey of redemption. A dark visual novel about an unlikely bond.
Why similar: Historical 23.7%, Visual Novel 23.5%, Drama 10.8%, Story Rich 8.8%, Mystery 7.7%
- #35 Filthy us 2
76% matchVery Positive88% of 453 reviews2023
Dev: Game Logic Studio
Windows
千禧年初西北某地，一起恶性杀人事件轰动一时，行凶者临死前紧紧握着半张佛脸，他强烈的怨念引起了“无者”的注意。随着探究的深入，竟又牵扯出十年前另一起纵火灭门案！相同的一尊佛像，背后暗藏的究竟是天灾还是人祸。在那片由怨念产生的怨秽地之中，种种诡异可怖的表象之下，深埋着未知的秘密。
Why similar: Thriller 17.4%, Horror 12.3%, Mystery 11.9%, Psychological Horror 11.1%, Drama 9.9%
- #36 Xi
74% matchVery Positive91% of 263 reviews2025
Dev: HHGame
Windows
"Xi" is a horror puzzle game set in the context of modern Chinese folklore. The story takes place in an long-abandoned mountain mansion. This immersive escape room experience feels a bit too real, with eerie and strange elements everywhere—an empty banquet, an endless corridor.
Why similar: Drama 16.9%, Thriller 16.4%, RPG 14%, Mystery 13.9%, Psychological Horror 12%
- #37 KAKUSANKIBOU / 扩散希望
77% matchVery Positive83% of 160 reviews2018
Dev: あみそ組Pub: Pujia8 Studio
Windows
Basically the story goes as visual novel form. Sometimes, the system switches into dot part, and you can control the character to continue the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 13.8%, RPG 11.3%, Gore 11.1%, Mystery 10.3%, Anime 9.9%
- #38 花母
75% matchMostly Positive79% of 61 reviews2024
Dev: e-sheep
Windows
你来到了一所郊外的“荒野高校“，你发现了这所学校，不仅仅是表面上残破不堪 ，而且每个角落都透露着诡异且压抑的气氛。随着时间的流逝以及事件的推进，被尘封已久的历史真相被一步步揭露。 我与寥寥几名的“全校同学”展开了对于学校的探索，已生命为代价换取来的真相，才是整个事件的冰山一角。
Why similar: Visual Novel 16.7%, Gore 14.8%, Drama 14.4%, Mystery 12.3%, Psychological Horror 9.3%
- #39 Paper Bride
74% matchVery Positive91% of 2,220 reviews2021
Dev: HeartBeat Plus
Windows
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Paper Bride is a Chinese horror mystery puzzle game. You will play as the groom to search for the truth and have bizarre encounters, gradually learning about the dark mystic custom in the bride's home village and a story from the past...
Why similar: Thriller 20.2%, Drama 16.2%, Mystery 15.9%, Horror 12.9%, Psychological Horror 8%
- #40 Outlying Islands
72% matchVery Positive96% of 91 reviews2025
Dev: 九指画尸Pub: 2P Games
Windows
A story about discovering anomalies, finding strange energy sources, and the intertwining of peculiar spaces. Get ready to uncover hidden stories, delve into a horrifying narrative and unveil the most fundamental truth!
Why similar: Thriller 16.6%, Visual Novel 13.2%, Gore 12.7%, Drama 11.4%, Horror 8.5%
- #41 Urban Myth Dissolution Center
71% matchVery Positive88% of 5,751 reviews2025
Dev: HakababunkoPub: SHUEISHA GAMES
Windows
Median: 7.7 hrsMean: 9.8 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Join forces with the psychic Director of the Urban Myth Dissolution Center and solve a variety of cases involving cursed relics, rental properties with shady histories, and dimensional anomalies. Monstrous oddities and otherworldly planes abound in this occult mystery adventure game!
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.6%, Mystery 15.1%, Drama 13.3%, Psychological Horror 12.2%, Story Rich 9.1%
- #42 浮游
72% matchVery Positive88% of 109 reviews2024
Dev: Kaishan
Windows
紧锁的木门，消失的同学，神秘的鬼怪。爸爸妈妈去哪里了？我为什么在流眼泪…在世纪初县城的家中探索并重拾回忆，拼凑出所有谜团的答案。
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.4%, Drama 18.5%, Psychological Horror 15%, RPG 12.7%, Story Rich 12.6%
- #43 Firework
70% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 43,818 reviews2021
Dev: Shiying StudioPub: Gamirror Games
Windows
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 6.6 hrs≥1hr: 85%
An accidental fire at a funeral forces the police to re-investigate a closed case of massacre. Lin Lixun participates the re-investigation by chances. As the investigation goes deeper, the past of the victims gradually emerges. However, the case becomes more bewildering.
Why similar: Horror 19.4%, Drama 17%, Mystery 13.3%, Visual Novel 11.3%, Thriller 11.3%
- #44 KOEWOTAYORINI / 声之寄托
73% matchVery Positive86% of 977 reviews2018
Dev: あみそ組Pub: Pujia8 Studio
Windows
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 261.0 hrs≥1hr: 56%
“喂喂，求求你啦！救救我！” ——你接到这样一个电话 发出这样的求救，给你打电话的人，是一名被监禁的少女
Why similar: Visual Novel 15.6%, Gore 10.4%, Horror 10%, RPG 9.7%, Psychological Horror 8.8%
- #45 黑色花与红山羊 / Black Datura & Red Goat
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 583 reviews2020
Dev: Angels Blue Digital EntertainmentPub: Gamirror Games
Windows
苏醒之时，他正处于昏暗的木屋之中。自己的身份、过去的经历，全都无法想起。很快，他发觉自己正处于一个异常的空间，到处都是谜题和陷阱，还有一些古怪的居民。在前行的途中，也不断与同样被困在此处的人成为了同伴。道路的前方，是救赎，还是绝望？这是一个围绕着“诅咒”与“救赎”的故事。
Why similar: Thriller 20.8%, Mystery 14.5%, RPG 12.6%, Horror 11.6%, Psychological Horror 9.1%
- #46 KOEWOTAYORINI SP / 声之寄托SP
73% matchVery Positive95% of 239 reviews2018
Dev: あみそ組Pub: Pujia8 Studio
Windows
Median: 54 minMean: 37.2 hrs≥1hr: 49%
Escape by means of "Voice"! The second installment of the new feeling puzzle and escape game! You are being held in a room that you haven't been to before. The only thing you can do is using telephone to ask for hint from a cooperator.
Why similar: Visual Novel 15.9%, Gore 11.3%, Mystery 9.8%, Anime 9.1%, Adventure 8.8%
- #47 梦魇：无归 Nightmare without return
70% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 625 reviews2022
Dev: 青衣工作室
Windows
This is a journey without return When you wake up... In the strange space, the bronze gate that eats people, the strange rules of the game, and the ever-changing nightmare world appear in front of you Everything starts from here
Why similar: Drama 34.4%, RPG 27.4%, Adventure 15.5%, Story Rich 13.9%, Singleplayer 4.5%
- #48 雪凤山 Secret Opera
70% matchVery Positive80% of 167 reviews2024
Dev: GOCORE
Windows
In the Spring Festival of 2005, the blizzard in Xuefeng mountain trapped the drama troupe performing in the village. At the same time, there was a homicide during the performance. Unlike the nervous members of the drama troupe, the villagers were afraid of a more terrible existence than the homicide
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.8%, Mystery 19.7%, Drama 18.5%, Adventure 10.3%, Anime 9.2%
- #49 The Shell Part I: Inferno
68% matchVery Positive91% of 1,325 reviews2023
Dev: Innocent GreyPub: Shiravune
Windows
Median: 10.7 hrsMean: 110.2 hrs≥1hr: 70%
Unravel a string of gruesome murders terrorizing Tokyo in this mystery-thriller visual novel. The secrets of a case from six years prior may just be the key to the current unending cycle of tragedy—and the thing that cracks this woeful world’s shell may be one girl’s smile.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.6%, Mystery 20%, Psychological Horror 13.8%, Gore 12.2%, Drama 11%
- #50 Purgatory’s Flower
67% matchVery Positive95% of 91 reviews2025
Dev: vivid selfish
Windows
Hand-drawn 2D point and click Horror x Dating sim Meet the 'Flowers' imprisoned in hell. They long for an escape to purgatory. Your job here is simple. Listen to their stories, and break out together. Easy, right? ...But, doesn't it seem strange? These people... seem to be out of their mind, a bit.
Why similar: Drama 28.3%, Mystery 26.2%, Horror 21.5%, Adventure 16.3%, 2D 7.7%
- #51 Mercury Abbey
67% matchVery Positive92% of 931 reviews2024
Dev: YiTi GamesPub: Gamirror Games
Windows
In a mansion surrounded by mist, as the curse made by the Alchemist and Fairy reappears, the danger is quietly lurking in the darkness, awaiting its visitors.Follow Harrod and Willie to unravel an incredible story in Mercury Abbey, and go on an adventure that you would only find in mystery novels.
Why similar: Drama 23%, Visual Novel 15.8%, Puzzle 12.2%, Adventure 8.6%, Psychological Horror 7.7%
- #52 禁地直播
66% matchVery Positive92% of 106 reviews2026
Dev: Say Hi Hi
Windows
This is a live-action suspense puzzle game where you will be embroiled in a decade-old unsolved case. The interlocking plot branches reveal the hidden shocking truth through reasoning and interaction. Brain-burning puzzles, multi-scene plot branches, and each level is full of unknown challenges!
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.4%, RPG 16.2%, Thriller 12.4%, Drama 12.2%, Mystery 9.5%
- #53 Winter Clothing
68% matchVery Positive84% of 88 reviews2025
Dev: 坤舆科技
Windows
This is a horror plot puzzle game with Chinese folk themes. There is an unwritten rule in Tianhe Town: on the day of the Winter Clothing Festival, no villager is allowed to approach the back mountain. Is there really a ghost on the mountain? Perhaps there is something more terrifying than ghosts.
Why similar: Thriller 23.4%, Drama 18.4%, Mystery 15.1%, Horror 13.3%, RPG 11.7%
- #54 Fragile
71% matchMixed64% of 429 reviews2020
Dev: Beer Night Studio
Windows
Get pulled into the nightmares of reality as you play as an abducted girl from the ger district of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Uncover a secret organization that deals in human trafficking and other horrendous activities. Try to escape from the scariest place on earth!
Why similar: Gore 30.7%, Violent 16.6%, Horror 11.5%, Adventure 9.5%, Psychological Horror 8.3%
- #55 Back
67% matchMostly Positive78% of 365 reviews2024
Dev: MYSTERY CROWN
Windows · Mac
《Back》 is a full-motion audio live horror game. Special Note 1: This game is very supernatural and scary, timid or heart disease players do not buy ！！！！ The game will reveal different ending plots step by step through various searches and choices for your character.
Why similar: Thriller 18.8%, Drama 11.7%, Visual Novel 10.7%, Horror 10.4%, Mystery 9.7%
- #56 Incantation
67% matchMostly Positive74% of 1,098 reviews2024
Dev: SOFTSTAR ENTERTAINMENT
Windows
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 3.9 hrs≥1hr: 81%
A mother, searching for her lost daughter, stumbles into a strange cult village. "Incantation" is a first-person horror game. It reveals the chilling story behind the "Chen Family Village". What are the consequences of crossing dark boundaries?
Why similar: Thriller 18%, Horror 12.3%, Psychological Horror 11.8%, Mystery 10.7%, Gore 10.4%
- #57 FILTHY US
69% matchMixed68% of 471 reviews2021
Dev: Game Logic Studio
Windows
《残秽的我们》是一款本土手绘写实风格的恐怖冒险游戏，以真实事件为蓝本改编。在游戏中，玩家将跟随女主“无者”的脚步，深入由亡者怨念而产生的“怨秽地”，利用“刻印”的力量，探究隐藏其中的一段真实往事。
Why similar: Thriller 16.9%, Mystery 13.3%, Horror 11.9%, Drama 11.7%, Story Rich 10.3%
- #58 Folie Fatale
65% matchVery Positive86% of 2,482 reviews2024
Dev: Kanmidoko (神海処)Pub: 346lab Localization
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 5.4 hrs≥1hr: 87%
All capture targets are mentally "Jirai"(landmine)!? Meet these eccentric boys, reveal the truth beneath in this Psycho-love-horror VN!
Why similar: Visual Novel 20%, Thriller 19.6%, Mystery 12.9%, Psychological Horror 12.6%, Drama 8%
- #59 ABYSS OF THE SACRIFICE
68% matchVery Positive83% of 265 reviews2020
Dev: INTENSEPub: D3PUBLISHER
Windows
Median: 5.6 hrsMean: 12.8 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Five girls meet in an isolated underground city. As they slay and betray each other, what fate awaits them at the end of their journey? Hope? Or despair? Enjoy an immersive story, fully voiced and boasting multiple endings!
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.1%, Mystery 12.4%, Story Rich 11.3%, Anime 11.2%, Investigation 9.5%
- #60 SHINRAI - Broken Beyond Despair
69% matchVery Positive91% of 128 reviews2016
Dev: Gosatsu Visual Novels
Windows · Mac · Linux
A secluded mountain resort, 10 friends, 1 murderer. Investigate, interrogate and present evidence as you solve various mysteries throughout the night. Will you be able to reach the truth and uncover the culprit’s identity? Or will your deductions lead you to blame someone completely innocent...?
Why similar: Visual Novel 19.3%, Mystery 15.3%, Investigation 14.9%, Thriller 11.7%, Gore 9.9%
