Games Like HOW WE KNOW WE'RE ALIVE

If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers is a narrative-driven point-and-click adventure with horror elements that explores the stories of four characters in a masked ball taking place aboard a train in the late 1920s.

Why similar: Emotional 26.9%, Pixel Graphics 22.3%, Mystery 15.5%, Atmospheric 12.7%, Adventure 12.1%

Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in atmospheric, pixel-art narrative storytelling that mirrors the melancholic and mysterious tone of the seed game.

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: Stylized 23.4%, Adventure 22.9%, Mystery 22.4%, Atmospheric 15.4%, 2D 13.3%

Why You'll Like It: Captures the essence of small-town life and personal introspection through a deeply emotional and narrative-heavy lens.

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a folk horror narrative-driven adventure. Explore the isolated moors of rural Victorian England as you uncover the mysteries of Hob's Barrow. The answers lie in the soil...

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.9%, Pixel Graphics 15.4%, Emotional 14.8%, Adventure 12.9%, Female Protagonist 12.9%

Why You'll Like It: A high-quality point-and-click mystery featuring a strong female protagonist and a dark, atmospheric setting.

Milkmaid of the Milky Way is an award-winning point-and-click adventure game in rhyme that combines a gripping story with puzzles and exploration. What happens when a young milkmaid sees an alien craft in a fjord in 1920's Norway?

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 28.7%, Adventure 25.2%, Female Protagonist 23.5%, 2D 12.8%, Atmospheric 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: Shares the pixel-art aesthetic and point-and-click mechanics while centering on a compelling female protagonist.

A story-driven experience about two doctors traversing backwards through a dying man's memories to artificially fulfill his last wish.

Why similar: Emotional 32.8%, Interactive Fiction 28.7%, Pixel Graphics 16.2%, Adventure 12%, 2D 4%

Why You'll Like It: A seminal pixel-art narrative game that focuses on emotional depth and character-driven storytelling.

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 37.1%, Emotional 20.7%, Adventure 11.8%, Mystery 11.4%, Stylized 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: A short, poignant exploration of memory and loss that feels very similar in scope and emotional weight.

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: Walking Simulator 19.6%, Mystery 19.5%, Female Protagonist 18.7%, Adventure 15.5%, Atmospheric 14.5%

Why You'll Like It: Combines a small-town setting with supernatural mystery and dialogue-driven narrative choices.

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 71.8%, Atmospheric 6.2%, Female Protagonist 6%, Interactive Fiction 5.6%, Adventure 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: A foundational walking simulator that excels at environmental storytelling and uncovering personal secrets.

Florence Yeoh feels a little... stuck. Her life is an endless routine of work, sleep, and spending too much time on social media. Then one day, she meets a cello player named Krish who changes everything about how she sees the world and herself.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 40%, Adventure 22.1%, Female Protagonist 16.7%, Stylized 13.5%, 2D 5.7%

Why You'll Like It: A short, incredibly impactful interactive story that explores the emotional arc of a relationship with minimalist mechanics.

Award winning emotional visual novel about a little girl in a world of adults. How can you find a monster you can’t see?

Why similar: Female Protagonist 24.6%, Adventure 24.2%, Emotional 23.5%, Atmospheric 15.3%, Mystery 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: A short, dark, and deeply emotional point-and-click game that tackles heavy themes with a unique visual style.

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 47.1%, Mystery 13.8%, Atmospheric 12.6%, Adventure 10%, Female Protagonist 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: The gold standard for atmospheric, narrative-driven exploration that uncovers the history of a family through emotional vignettes.

Experience the intricate dioramas and connections of your life, and the ripples we all make, in this award-winning narrative puzzle game about death, loss, and mental health.

Why similar: Emotional 23.5%, Mystery 21.5%, Adventure 17.2%, Stylized 13.2%, Female Protagonist 11.6%

Why You'll Like It: A beautiful, atmospheric puzzle-mystery that uses diorama-style environments to tell a haunting story.

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 49.5%, Female Protagonist 12.9%, Atmospheric 12.9%, Adventure 12%, Mystery 11%

Why You'll Like It: A free, short narrative experience that focuses on uncovering the past through environmental exploration.

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 33.9%, Emotional 17.6%, Adventure 13.9%, Mystery 11.3%, Atmospheric 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: Features a strong focus on atmospheric exploration and narrative choices in a lonely, beautiful setting.

Summerland is a first-person narrative game about morality and the afterlife. You take control of Matthew, a detective reliving the events of his past, being questioned on his morals along the way. In every door lies another memory, and every memory unlocks another door.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.9%, Interactive Fiction 21.4%, Philosophical 18.1%, Adventure 10.1%, Emotional 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric walking simulator that focuses on emotional exploration and environmental storytelling.

Set in the '90s, Kathy Rain tells the story of a strong-willed journalism major who has to come to terms with her troubled past as she investigates the mysterious death of her recently deceased grandfather.

Why similar: Adventure 27.7%, Pixel Graphics 25.3%, Mystery 21.3%, Female Protagonist 20.6%, Atmospheric 3.9%

Why You'll Like It: A classic point-and-click mystery featuring a strong female lead and a compelling, grounded narrative.

Tell Me Why is the multi-award winning episodic adventure game from Dontnod Entertainment in which twins use their supernatural bond to discover the truth of their troubled past.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 33.8%, Emotional 24.6%, Adventure 14.4%, Mystery 10.5%, Atmospheric 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-driven adventure that deals with memory, trauma, and family secrets in a small-town setting.

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 41.9%, Mystery 17.8%, Emotional 16.9%, Adventure 11.3%, Atmospheric 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric mystery that emphasizes exploration and uncovering the narrative at your own pace.

Deepwell is a story-driven adventure game, about a small town surrounding a giant mystery hole.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 43%, Adventure 23.2%, Pixel Graphics 15%, Mystery 9.2%, 2D 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: A 2D pixel-art adventure that prioritizes exploration and interactive narrative elements.

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 30.1%, Adventure 28.8%, Pixel Graphics 27%, Female Protagonist 11.8%, Singleplayer 2.3%

Why You'll Like It: While more optimistic, it shares the intimate, character-focused exploration and cozy atmosphere of the seed game.

A story about a dead lamb walking.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 43.3%, Female Protagonist 15.2%, Pixel Graphics 10.1%, Emotional 9.8%, 2D 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: A 2D interactive-fiction game with a female protagonist that aligns well with the seed game's visual and narrative style.

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: Pixel Graphics 45.2%, Female Protagonist 22.6%, Atmospheric 17%, 2D 11.2%, Singleplayer 4%

Why You'll Like It: Uses environmental storytelling to convey a character's life story and emotional journey without a single word of dialogue.

A thoughtful and deeply personal title with stripped-down mechanics. The lack of dialogue or text allows you to create your own narrative through your time with four characters. Each short story will allow players to be swept away by the haunting lyrics of over twenty original, nostalgic songs.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.3%, Walking Simulator 31.6%, Emotional 17%, Pixel Graphics 11.2%, 2D 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: A meditative, cozy narrative experience that relies on atmosphere and music to tell its story.

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 51.4%, Adventure 17.6%, Mystery 16.2%, Atmospheric 13.1%, Singleplayer 1.7%

Why You'll Like It: A premier narrative adventure that uses a remote setting to explore isolation and personal history.

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 28.9%, Philosophical 26.9%, Emotional 19.7%, Adventure 9.6%, Atmospheric 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A short, pixel-art horror-mystery that relies on atmosphere and player choice to shape the narrative.

A hospitalized Boy comes to terms with his own story by traveling with his Mom to a beautiful fantasy world; ultimately helping his fellow patients find closure by walking a mile in their shoes.

Why similar: Emotional 42.9%, Pixel Graphics 25.3%, Adventure 18.9%, 2D 10.7%, Singleplayer 2.2%

Why You'll Like It: An emotional, narrative-heavy pixel-art game that explores themes of loss and hope.

Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.

Why similar: Adventure 37.2%, Female Protagonist 26.7%, Atmospheric 20.2%, 2D 12.1%, Singleplayer 3.8%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, surreal point-and-click adventure that features a young female protagonist navigating a mysterious world.

Set out on a cross-country journey to win back the love of your life and endure the hardship of making story-defining choices that affect your life and the lives of those around you.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 43%, Pixel Graphics 33%, Adventure 11.6%, Female Protagonist 6.5%, 2D 3.7%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on the emotional consequences of choices and the gritty reality of life, similar to the grounded tone of the seed.

It's 1986 - Meredith Weiss takes a break from her career in the big city to deliver mail in her hometown. How will she experience two weeks in beautiful Providence Oaks, with its iconic lake and quirky community? And what will she do next? It's up to you.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 47.7%, Female Protagonist 16.9%, Adventure 12.7%, Multiple Endings 11%, Atmospheric 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: A slow-paced, atmospheric narrative game about returning to a small town and reconnecting with the past.

A short story point-and-click visual novel about the afterlife.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 30.9%, Adventure 17.1%, Pixel Graphics 9%, Emotional 8%, Philosophical 7.7%

Follow Sybil in her pursuit for survival, having to sacrifice everything - her culture, her identity, her values - to achieve a single objective: escape from a place that is constantly trying to kill her. A short game about persecution and identity.

Why similar: Emotional 23.3%, Adventure 14.4%, Pixel Graphics 13.3%, Interactive Fiction 12.6%, Stylized 10.6%

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 25.3%, Emotional 22.6%, Adventure 11.9%, Mystery 10%, Female Protagonist 9.6%

Don't Let Me Fade is an interactive adventure about memory, identity, and loss. Piece together fragments of a life - even if a simple teddy bear is the last symbol of connection to oneself in a world without time.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 37.9%, Adventure 20.8%, Emotional 13.7%, Pixel Graphics 10.4%, 2D 7%

Home is Where One Starts... is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, hope, and the miracle of memory. You play as a little girl from a broken home somewhere in the American South.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 49.5%, Adventure 21.9%, Female Protagonist 12.4%, Atmospheric 9%, Mystery 7.2%

"Hold Me Still" is a point-and-click puzzle mystery game where you investigate your friend's disappearance by exploring their house, collecting clues, solving puzzles, and uncovering the truth.

Why similar: Adventure 31.1%, Emotional 24.9%, Pixel Graphics 18.4%, Mystery 13.2%, 2D 11.1%

You wake up on a floating island with no idea how you got there. Find ways to reach new and strange islands and meet other survivors all while uncovering the story of how you all got there.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 30.8%, Walking Simulator 30.4%, Mystery 11.9%, Adventure 10.8%, Atmospheric 8%

"From Head to Toe" is a short interactive story about winter, existential guilt and your ex-classmates.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 22.6%, Walking Simulator 21.4%, Adventure 20.1%, Emotional 15%, Female Protagonist 10.2%

Live the perfect day, break the cycle, and discover the truth about yourself in this short, quirky sci-fi mystery about freedom, choice, and loneliness.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.6%, Philosophical 26.2%, Emotional 17.6%, Mystery 8.6%, Adventure 7.5%

7th Chance is a short (20-30 minute) story-based exploration adventure game. Waking up from a night of heavy drinking ... something isn't right.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.6%, Walking Simulator 27.3%, Emotional 10.4%, Philosophical 9.5%, Adventure 8.5%

Prologue chapter of A Space For The Unbound, an upcoming slice-of-life adventure game with beautiful pixelart set in the late 90s rural Indonesia that tells a story about overcoming anxiety, depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers

Why similar: Walking Simulator 21.8%, Philosophical 17.9%, Emotional 15.1%, Pixel Graphics 12.7%, Adventure 9.3%

Windy Meadow – A Roadwarden Tale is an interactive slice-of-life visual novel about choosing your own path. Help three protagonists make the most important choices of their lives. Featuring a multitude of hand-crafted characters and a richly detailed village set in the Roadwarden story world.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 36.1%, Emotional 18.6%, Pixel Graphics 14.8%, Adventure 14%, Atmospheric 8%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 49.7%, Adventure 23.9%, Pixel Graphics 20.8%, 2D 4.8%, Singleplayer 0.9%

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 25%, Interactive Fiction 23.3%, Emotional 15.5%, Mystery 10.6%, Female Protagonist 9.3%

What Comes After is a side-scrolling adventure and a short heartwarming story about learning how to love yourself. Help Vivi in her journey on the train to the afterlife and back.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 48.2%, Philosophical 12.3%, Emotional 12.1%, Female Protagonist 9.6%, Adventure 8.5%

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 37.9%, Female Protagonist 15.9%, Atmospheric 12.5%, Linear 11.6%, Adventure 11.4%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 59.3%, Adventure 16.7%, Emotional 13.8%, Linear 9%, Singleplayer 1.2%

This is the prologue chapter of "When the Past was Around", an upcoming adventure point-and-click puzzle game about love, moving on, letting go, and the joy and pain of everything in between.

Why similar: Philosophical 29.8%, Emotional 22.3%, Mystery 13.8%, Adventure 13.4%, Female Protagonist 12.2%

A short and mysterious free point and click adventure game, inspired by the feeling of oddness in an everyday situation.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.2%, Walking Simulator 27.9%, Emotional 15.1%, Mystery 9.2%, Adventure 6.6%

An award winning adventure crime thriller with a deeply plotted storyline which takes you to atmospheric settings all around the globe, including among other locations, South Africa, Finland and the USA.

Why similar: Adventure 72.3%, Female Protagonist 27.7%

A short visual novel about finding your name and a girl in the fog.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 50.8%, Pixel Graphics 32.2%, 2D 12.3%, Female Protagonist 4.2%, Singleplayer 0.5%

Home is a unique horror adventure set in a beautifully-realized pixel world. It’s a murder mystery with a twist—because you decide what ultimately happens.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 21.4%, Walking Simulator 19.8%, Pixel Graphics 16%, Adventure 14.7%, Mystery 10.2%

Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.

Why similar: Female Protagonist 24.6%, Mystery 16.5%, Atmospheric 15.4%, Walking Simulator 15.3%, Adventure 15.1%

A Pizza Delivery is a narrative exploration game with puzzle elements focused on connecting with people. Share pizza with charming characters to uncover their stories—and your own. Drive and explore a strange, meditative world filled with secrets.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 31.5%, Emotional 17.4%, Philosophical 17.3%, Adventure 11.2%, Stylized 9.3%

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: Emotional 28.3%, Interactive Fiction 21.6%, Walking Simulator 19.5%, Philosophical 12.8%, Adventure 6.3%

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 30.3%, Interactive Fiction 29.6%, Adventure 22.9%, Female Protagonist 16.3%, Singleplayer 0.8%

When the Past was Around is an adventure point-and-click puzzle game about love, moving on, letting go, and the joy and pain of everything in between.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 35.1%, Philosophical 23.7%, Female Protagonist 13.9%, Stylized 11.1%, 2D 7.7%

A short atmospheric adventure game about finding meaning in a meaningless world.

Why similar: Philosophical 48.5%, Adventure 29.7%, Atmospheric 14.2%, 2D 5.8%, Singleplayer 1.8%

A short psychological adventure about a stressed girl who wants to explore her ceiling.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.3%, Adventure 14.9%, Mystery 14%, Female Protagonist 12.2%, Multiple Endings 9.8%

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 43.7%, Interactive Fiction 20.6%, Adventure 12.7%, Emotional 12.7%, Atmospheric 9.1%

A short narrative and exploration game about Zach, June, and a strange phenomenon. You're Zach and, stuck in your home, you will do everything to keep hearing June's voice messages. What is happening out there?

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 41.3%, Walking Simulator 40%, Emotional 18.7%