Games Like Home is Where One Starts...

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 60%, First-Person 6.6%, Female Protagonist 6.3%, Atmospheric 5.7%, Indie 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: Like the seed game, it focuses on uncovering the personal story of a family by exploring the details left behind in a home.

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 30.9%, Atmospheric 9%, First-Person 8.4%, Story Rich 8.2%, Female Protagonist 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: It masterfully explores family history and memory through a series of intimate, narrative-driven vignettes.

Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking.

Why similar: Relaxing 26.5%, Female Protagonist 23.8%, Atmospheric 15.5%, Indie 13.7%, Story Rich 13.2%

Why You'll Like It: It uses the act of organizing personal belongings to tell a deeply moving story about a character's life and growth over time.

A woman alone in a house. A mystery and a love story. Explore the present to uncover the past, in a short story of love and loss and a life well-lived. A narrative exploration game that examines a world where memories are constantly fading and jumbled.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 41.3%, First-Person 10.9%, Adventure 10.8%, Atmospheric 10.2%, Indie 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: A short, poignant experience that deals with memory and the fragments of a life, much like the seed game.

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 34.3%, Adventure 9.7%, First-Person 9.6%, Atmospheric 9.5%, Great Soundtrack 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: It excels at building a strong sense of place and emotional connection through first-person narrative exploration.

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 31.6%, Female Protagonist 10.3%, Great Soundtrack 9.7%, Atmospheric 9%, First-Person 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: A short, free-to-play narrative experience that focuses on the emotional weight of memories tied to a specific room.

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 18.6%, Adventure 14.7%, Great Soundtrack 14.1%, Exploration 11.7%, Indie 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the same sense of childhood wonder and gentle exploration found in the seed game.

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 49.1%, Great Soundtrack 11.8%, Atmospheric 8.2%, Adventure 5.7%, First-Person 5.7%

Why You'll Like It: It features a beautifully realized, atmospheric world where you piece together the stories of people who once lived there.

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 30.4%, Atmospheric 10.6%, Adventure 9.4%, Great Soundtrack 8.3%, Narration 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: A beautiful, emotional story about life and loss that mirrors the reflective tone of the seed game.

Blackwood Crossing is a story-driven first-person adventure game. An intriguing and emotive tale exploring the fragile relationship between orphaned siblings, Scarlett and Finn. When their paths cross with a mysterious figure, an ordinary train ride evolves into a magical story of life, love and loss.

Why similar: Adventure 42.7%, Indie 28%, Female Protagonist 20.7%, Story Rich 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: It explores the complex relationship between two siblings through a dreamlike, narrative-heavy journey.

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 39%, Atmospheric 11.1%, First-Person 10.6%, Mystery 10.2%, Adventure 7%

Why You'll Like It: It combines a haunting atmosphere with a focus on uncovering the secrets of a missing child 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 38.7%, Female Protagonist 12.7%, Adventure 9.4%, First-Person 9.1%, Story Rich 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: It uses environmental storytelling to reconstruct the lives and memories of people in a confined, atmospheric space.

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 33.2%, Female Protagonist 15.2%, First-Person 9.9%, Adventure 9.3%, Mystery 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A highly atmospheric, narrative-driven experience that relies on visual storytelling to convey its mystery.

A song from years ago triggers a flood of memories for champion swimmer Miriam. Embark on an evocative journey through her turbulent childhood and the complicated relationship she shared with her devoted mother.

Why similar: Adventure 34.5%, Female Protagonist 24.9%, Atmospheric 15.1%, Casual 9%, Indie 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: It uses a unique visual style to tell a touching story about a mother and daughter, focusing on childhood memories.

Lake Ridden is a story-driven, first-person puzzle game! A cozy supernatural adventure where you unravel a mysterious past, trying to find your sister. Luckily, you are not alone...

Why similar: Adventure 26.2%, Walking Simulator 21.2%, Indie 18.1%, Female Protagonist 17.3%, Atmospheric 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a blend of atmospheric exploration and puzzle-solving in a secluded, story-rich environment.

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 25.1%, Female Protagonist 11.3%, Adventure 10.1%, Great Soundtrack 8.8%, First-Person 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: It emphasizes atmospheric exploration and a reflective journey through a beautiful, lonely landscape.

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 39.3%, Adventure 12.4%, Female Protagonist 11.8%, First-Person 10.8%, Great Soundtrack 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: A short, peaceful, and atmospheric game that focuses on the quiet moments before a major life change.

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 33.3%, Adventure 18.1%, Great Soundtrack 14.7%, Atmospheric 9.7%, Indie 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: It allows players to explore the emotions and memories of others in a surreal, atmospheric world.

Step into a quiet, abandoned Ukrainian village, left empty after the Calamity. In this short, meditative, and melancholic journey, you’ll rekindle the hearths of deserted homes, restoring warmth and hope to the families who once lived here.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 41.1%, First-Person 14.5%, Atmospheric 13.7%, Exploration 9.1%, Female Protagonist 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: A cozy, atmospheric exploration game that centers on the feeling of returning to a familiar, yet changed, place.

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 29.6%, First-Person 8.9%, Narration 8.9%, Adventure 8.7%, Female Protagonist 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: A short, casual exploration game that focuses on the simple joy of wandering through a lush, atmospheric world.

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: Adventure 25.3%, Atmospheric 22.5%, Mystery 18.9%, Story Rich 17.7%, Exploration 15.5%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the feeling of returning home and the bittersweet nature of childhood nostalgia in a small 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 31.6%, Atmospheric 13.1%, First-Person 12.7%, Great Soundtrack 11.6%, Adventure 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: It captures a sense of isolation and mystery through first-person exploration of a decaying, atmospheric environment.

An exploration game about emotional ties that transcend even death. Riley is faced with a headstrong ghost, urging her on an adventure across atmospheric shores, uncovering the island's tragic secret. Choices in dialogue shape the bond between the two, ultimately deciding Riley's fate.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.5%, Narration 9.7%, Female Protagonist 9.5%, Adventure 9.2%, Great Soundtrack 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: It features a strong focus on narrative choices and atmospheric exploration in a haunting coastal setting.

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 40.8%, Adventure 16.4%, First-Person 15.4%, Indie 9.9%, Exploration 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on the fragility of memory and the exploration of a person's past through a first-person perspective.

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 44.8%, Adventure 11.6%, Atmospheric 11.1%, First-Person 10.3%, Exploration 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a deeply introspective, atmospheric experience focused on philosophical exploration.

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 36.5%, Adventure 20.4%, Indie 15.3%, First-Person 14.9%, Story Rich 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric exploration game that uncovers the dark history of a cult through environmental storytelling.

Life on the Hook - is a short story about the life of a lonely fisherman named Hrafn, who lives his life in a small house on a lake with a dock and an old boat.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.7%, First-Person 11%, Narration 10.7%, Atmospheric 8.8%, Drama 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a short, story-rich exploration experience that feels very similar to indie walking simulators.

The Haunting of Joni Evers is a dark supernatural mystery about a broken family from small-town Oklahoma. Haunted by a specter that's hunted her family for generations, Joni must uncover the mysteries of the Cunningham House, dig through lost memories, and face the past to break the curse.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 24.8%, Female Protagonist 11.5%, Narration 11%, First-Person 9%, Drama 8.1%

Walk as Lula, on the path you choose, as she journeys to discover the meaning of the Genie and fulfill her destiny.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27%, Female Protagonist 10.8%, First-Person 9.1%, Narration 8.8%, Adventure 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: A meditative walking simulator that prioritizes the experience of traversing a beautiful, atmospheric landscape.

What if you lost all your memories? An emotional family drama seen through the eyes of a woman with Alzheimer's disease. As Annie’s life slowly unravels, uncover memories of her deceased brother as her past bleeds into the present.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.2%, Female Protagonist 13%, First-Person 12.1%, Drama 11.2%, Adventure 10.5%

Forgotten Hope is a short, single-player narrative-driven video game presented through the eyes of a teenage girl who is trying to reconnect with her past to find answers.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 24.5%, Female Protagonist 12.8%, Narration 12.7%, First-Person 11.7%, Atmospheric 8.8%

As a young soldier returning to an eerily deserted home, you'll explore enigmatic rooms and uncover a haunting, tragic story. Experience an atmospheric journey filled with suspense, mysterious encounters, and a deep narrative.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.6%, Narration 11.4%, First-Person 11.1%, Atmospheric 8.5%, Drama 7.6%

An emotional and immersive game about a man named Will and the people close to him. Experience his life through a story about love, memories and hope.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 39.1%, Narration 12%, First-Person 11.4%, Atmospheric 10.3%, Drama 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply emotional narrative game that explores the impact of a person's life on those they left behind.

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27%, First-Person 8.8%, Female Protagonist 8.6%, Great Soundtrack 8.4%, Narration 8.3%

A minimal point and click adventure, designed to take the player on a short but memorable journey.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 56.7%, Adventure 22.4%, Indie 16%, Exploration 5%

What Never Was is a short, story-driven first-person game focused on exploration and puzzle-solving about Sarah, having to shoulder the arduous task of clearing out her grandfathers attic, and soon finds that not everything about the attic is what it seems.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 19.5%, Adventure 13%, Female Protagonist 12.7%, First-Person 12.2%, Indie 8.4%

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 31.9%, Great Soundtrack 12.5%, First-Person 10.6%, Adventure 8.8%, Atmospheric 8.4%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 31.9%, Female Protagonist 15%, Adventure 7.8%, Exploration 7.7%, Atmospheric 7.7%

ORACLE is a single player, open world experience with dozens of locations to explore, great soundtrack and an awesome story ready to be unraveled.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 40.1%, Adventure 17.9%, Indie 9%, Open World 7.6%, Atmospheric 6.7%

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 29.3%, Female Protagonist 11%, First-Person 8.6%, Drama 8.1%, Atmospheric 7.7%

If Found... is a game about going home, coming out and erasing everything.

Why similar: Female Protagonist 22.3%, Indie 19.7%, Great Soundtrack 18.9%, Adventure 12.9%, Atmospheric 10.9%

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 35.2%, First-Person 10%, Atmospheric 9.8%, Mystery 9.4%, Adventure 7.8%

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 37.1%, Narration 10.9%, First-Person 10.6%, Exploration 7.1%, Atmospheric 5.8%

Where the Bees Make Honey tells a story about reflecting on different moments from a childhood, which are played and experienced from an adult perspective. At its core Where The Bees Make Honey is a narrative puzzle adventure game, with playable childhood moments filtered throughout.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28%, Adventure 24.6%, Indie 18.9%, Female Protagonist 13.6%, Great Soundtrack 9.9%

A game about the short journey of a boy who left home. Experience a dense story in around 2 hours, along with rhythm gameplay and music puzzles. Enjoy live acoustic sounds and a story that feels like a musical film!

Why similar: Drama 30.3%, Adventure 26.2%, Story Rich 25.3%, Indie 18.2%

Enter the pages of the hand painted world of Journal. A journey through the life of a young and troubled girl as she tries to face up to the choices and responsibilities that come with childhood. An experience that questions the reliability of how we choose to remember events and explores the truths hidden within our dreams.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 35%, Female Protagonist 23.7%, Adventure 21.8%, Indie 17.2%, Casual 2.2%

The Longest Walk is a deeply personal biographical walking-simulator game about my father's experience of living with depression.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 45.7%, First-Person 12.6%, Narration 12.5%, Adventure 10.6%, Exploration 7.4%

HOME is a feel-good walking simulator experience in which you create your own poem and music. Embark on a poetic and musical heartwarming journey about what home means to you.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 46.8%, Atmospheric 13.8%, Adventure 12.8%, Exploration 9.8%, Relaxing 9.2%

Transform into a bird and fly to explore and experience a vibrant world of floating islands in the sky. Venture down into lost ancient ruins where each step leads you closer to the end of the world.

Why similar: Adventure 16.1%, Female Protagonist 14.4%, Great Soundtrack 9.8%, Exploration 9.6%, Atmospheric 9.6%

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 45.9%, Exploration 10.5%, Indie 9%, First-Person 8.5%, Relaxing 8.2%

Bottle is a short game which you play as a man of solitude. It is about the mood of melancholy in the winter nature.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.1%, First-Person 11.5%, Great Soundtrack 10.4%, Adventure 9.4%, Atmospheric 8.3%

Time is relative. Sometimes 10 seconds can feel like an eternity... In TIMEframe you will discover a world in slow motion. Explore the remnants of a mysterious civilization on the brink of destruction.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 42%, Great Soundtrack 13.7%, First-Person 10.6%, Indie 9.7%, Atmospheric 9.1%

STARDROP is an interactive sci-fi cinematic experience.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.5%, Female Protagonist 15.3%, Adventure 11.2%, First-Person 10.2%, Atmospheric 8%

Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 22.9%, Female Protagonist 20.2%, Atmospheric 17%, Walking Simulator 9.5%, Indie 9.5%

Experience the surreal story of Elea. In this first-person Sci-Fi adventure you play as a space scientist recovering your lost husband. Venture out on a curious interstellar journey, full of devastating memories and startling secrets.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 20.2%, Adventure 17.6%, Female Protagonist 14.6%, Indie 12.1%, First-Person 9.7%

A hand-drawn story exploration game set 300 years after the apocalypse. You play an archaeologist named Professor Zay, joined by her companion, ARORA, a centuries-old AI capable of recreating human memories from scanned relics.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 24.9%, Adventure 20%, Female Protagonist 13%, Indie 12%, Atmospheric 9.7%

One apartment, many stories: Witness turning points in the lives of the inhabitants of an apartment in Berlin over the course of a whole century.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.8%, First-Person 11.7%, Narration 10%, Atmospheric 8.2%, Adventure 7.4%

Unable to sleep, you navigate a quiet condo complex. There's no rush - just you, the building, its inhabitants, and the stories they hold.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 46.9%, First-Person 13.5%, Adventure 11.2%, Atmospheric 10.6%, Exploration 8%