- #1 Acolyte
97% matchMostly Positive77% of 62 reviews2022
Dev: SuperstringPub: Pantaloon
Windows
Acolyte is a narrative ARG/Detective game that gives you your own Acolyte; a digital assistant you can talk to freely with unlimited dialogue options. Just like a real conversation.
Why similar: Typing 26.2% ★, Artificial Intelligence 25%, Detective 16.7%, Interactive Fiction 15.6%, Story Rich 7.4%
Why You'll Like It: This title focuses on natural language conversation with an AI, requiring players to build trust and extract information through careful questioning.
- #2 Her Story
96% matchVery Positive89% of 10,228 reviews2015
Dev: Sam Barlow
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 4.2 hrs≥1hr: 87%
A woman is interviewed seven times by the police. Search the video database and explore hundreds of authentic clips to discover her story in this groundbreaking and award winning narrative game.
Why similar: Typing 36.5% ★, Interactive Fiction 14.3%, Detective 14.2%, Visual Novel 11.3%, Point & Click 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: The core mechanic of searching a database with specific keywords to piece together a narrative is the foundational experience shared with the seed game.
- #3 7 Days to End with You
96% matchVery Positive88% of 3,158 reviews2022
Dev: LizardryPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 2.4 hrsMean: 3.1 hrs≥1hr: 69%
To know a language, know the world, and finally know you.
Why similar: Typing 35.5% ★, Text-Based 20.9%, Interactive Fiction 14%, Visual Novel 12.6%, Puzzle 7.5%
Why You'll Like It: It shares the text-based, language-decoding puzzle style where the player must interpret ambiguous communication to progress.
- #4 Cyber Manhunt 2: New World - The Hacking Simulator
94% matchVery Positive93% of 5,341 reviews2025
Dev: Aluba Van+Pub: Spiral Up Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 10.0 hrsMean: 22.6 hrs≥1hr: 95%
Discover a digital realm shrouded in mystery. Sequel to an award-winning narrative driven hacking simulator puzzle game. Play as an AI assistant in a major corporation. Deploy intricate social engineering tactics and expose hidden truths in a world of ambition and high-tech deception.
Why similar: Clicker 24.7%, Point & Click 18.4%, Story Rich 17.5%, Detective 16.6%, RPG 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: It expands on the investigation and hacking themes, requiring players to search for clues and manipulate digital systems.
- #5 Event[0]
95% matchVery Positive80% of 2,270 reviews2016
Dev: Ocelot Society
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 4.1 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Event[0] is a sci-fi narrative exploration game where you build a relationship with a lonely spaceship computer to get home to Earth.
Why similar: Artificial Intelligence 31.1%, Dynamic Narration 21.1% ★, Typing 16.9% ★, Text-Based 12.9%, Story Rich 10.1%
Why You'll Like It: Players must communicate with a lonely AI via a terminal to solve puzzles and uncover the truth, capturing the exact essence of Hymer 2000.
- #6 I doesn't exist - a modern text adventure
94% matchMixed69% of 78 reviews2023
Dev: LUAL Games KIGPub: DreadXP
Windows · Mac · Linux
Classic Zork meets Existential Crisis. A modern text adventure that explores themes of control, isolation and mental health while levelling up the genre with beautiful pixel art.
Why similar: Artificial Intelligence 24.5%, Interactive Fiction 22.3%, Text-Based 19.9%, Story Rich 12.8%, Pixel Graphics 9.6%
Why You'll Like It: This game subverts the traditional text adventure format with meta-narrative elements and a focus on the player's relationship with the system.
- #7 The Operator
93% matchVery Positive92% of 8,099 reviews2024
Dev: Bureau 81
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 3.9 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Welcome to the FDI. As our newest Operator, your role is to use your detective skills to assist our field agents and investigate mysterious crimes. Use cutting-edge FDI software to dig for clues, solve puzzles, and uncover the truth.
Why similar: Detective 26.9%, Immersive Sim 21.1%, Point & Click 12.1%, Puzzle 11.7%, Interactive Fiction 11%
Why You'll Like It: It provides a deep, UI-based investigation experience where you must use terminal commands and search functions to solve complex cases.
- #8 CaseCracker
92% matchVery Positive90% of 3,209 reviews2022
Dev: BlackRobe
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.9 hrsMean: 5.4 hrs≥1hr: 75%
In order to improve the efficiency of selecting talents, the Chicheng police specially developed a test system-the true detection system, with the black robe company. As a tester, you need to complete the cracking of the case under the rules of the system.
Why similar: Typing 30.9% ★, Text-Based 23.5%, Detective 15.8%, Puzzle 7.8%, Story Rich 7.2%
Why You'll Like It: It focuses on text-based puzzle solving and detective work, making it a natural companion for fans of Hymer 2000.
- #9 Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You
91% matchVery Positive90% of 15,333 reviews2016
Dev: Osmotic StudiosPub: Daedalic Entertainment
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 8.1 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Big Brother has arrived - and it’s you. Investigate the lives of citizens to find those responsible for a series of terror attacks. Information from the internet, personal communications and private files are all accessible to you. But, be warned, the information you supply will have consequences.
Why similar: Detective 31.9%, Interactive Fiction 25.9%, Story Rich 20.4%, Visual Novel 12.9%, Point & Click 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: Players act as a surveillance operative, sifting through text and data to piece together a story, which aligns perfectly with the investigative feel of Hymer 2000.
- #10 UNMEMORY
91% matchVery Positive84% of 98 reviews2020
Dev: PATRONES & ESCONDITES
Windows · Mac · Linux
Unravel a mystery: A game you can read, a book you can play.
Why similar: Text-Based 26.3%, Interactive Fiction 16.3%, Detective 16.1%, Visual Novel 12.9%, Point & Click 10.7%
Why You'll Like It: A highly stylized text-based puzzle game that requires players to read carefully and interact with the environment to unlock secrets.
- #11 Stories Untold
90% matchVery Positive87% of 5,390 reviews2017
Dev: No CodePub: Devolver Digital
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 3.0 hrs≥1hr: 76%
Stories Untold is a compilation tape of four experimental adventures, including a remaster of the original hit episode “The House Abandon”.
Why similar: Text-Based 61.7%, Point & Click 19.7%, Story Rich 11.6%, Puzzle 7%
Why You'll Like It: This experimental anthology uses retro-computer interfaces and text-based commands to create a tense, puzzle-rich atmosphere.
- #12 Emily is Away
89% matchVery Positive89% of 32,165 reviews2015
Dev: Kyle Seeley
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 54 minMean: 19.8 hrs≥1hr: 42%
Emily is Away is an interactive story. Create a screenname and choose your path through the branching narrative.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 29.4%, Story Rich 21.2%, Text-Based 19.9%, Visual Novel 15.9%, Pixel Graphics 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: This game captures the intimacy of text-based conversation through a simulated interface, focusing on the weight of every word typed.
- #13 Roadwarden
88% matchVery Positive94% of 4,905 reviews2022
Dev: Moral Anxiety StudioPub: Assemble Entertainment
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.2 hrsMean: 7.5 hrs≥1hr: 53%
Roadwarden is an illustrated text-based RPG that uses isometric pixel art and combines mechanics borrowed from RPGs, Visual Novels, adventure games and interactive fiction.
Why similar: Text-Based 40.4%, Interactive Fiction 16.5%, RPG 11.6%, Pixel Graphics 10.8%, Story Rich 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: An immersive text-based RPG that emphasizes choice, investigation, and the accumulation of knowledge to survive.
- #14 Interrogation Simulator
89% matchVery Positive95% of 60 reviews2022
Dev: Otis MillerPub: Fire Cycle Games
Windows · Linux
Inspired by JCS videos and similar Interrogation analysis. Match evidence with statements. Play good cop/bad cop. Make choices. Learn what makes people tick. Unravel the mystery.
Why similar: Text-Based 18.6%, Interactive Fiction 16.7%, Immersive Sim 15.5%, Visual Novel 13.6%, Point & Click 10.4%
Why You'll Like It: It emphasizes the conversation-based puzzle aspect, where the player must choose the right words to break down a suspect's defenses.
- #15 Uncover the Smoking Gun
87% matchVery Positive95% of 430 reviews2024
Dev: ReLU Games, Inc.
Windows
A Battle of Wits with AI: Solve the case by conversing with a suspect robot using GPT to gather evidence. What single truth emerges from countless dialogues and pieces of information?
Why similar: Text-Based 19.2%, Typing 19.1% ★, Immersive Sim 15.1%, Interactive Fiction 15.1%, Detective 13.3%
Why You'll Like It: This investigation-focused game uses immersive-sim elements to let players solve crimes through deduction and interaction.
- #16 Word Game
86% matchVery Positive94% of 6,256 reviews2022
Dev: Team9
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 7.2 hrs≥1hr: 72%
Word game is literally a game of words. Player controls "I" to find clues between lines, delete words to change the meaning of sentences, or shift words to rewrite facts. “I” must be wise and brave enough complete the mission of words. May the best "I” win!
Why similar: Puzzle 22.7%, Story Rich 19.6%, Pixel Graphics 18.2%, Linear 17%, RPG 14.6%
Why You'll Like It: It treats words as physical objects in a 2D space, providing a unique puzzle experience that fans of text-based games will appreciate.
- #17 DREAMIO: AI-Powered Adventures
86% matchVery Positive88% of 179 reviews2024
Dev: Oleg Skutte
Windows
DREAMIO is a 'choose-your-own-adventure' game where stories and visuals are dynamically created through the power of generative AI in response to your decisions. Explore endless worlds with limitless possibilities; go anywhere, do anything.
Why similar: Typing 25.9% ★, Text-Based 18.3%, Artificial Intelligence 17.9%, Dynamic Narration 12.2% ★, Visual Novel 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: This title leverages AI to generate text-based adventures, offering a similar dynamic of unpredictable, interactive storytelling.
- #18 Myths of Rules
84% matchVery Positive88% of 1,027 reviews2023
Dev: Sugarcane Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.1 hrsMean: 2.7 hrs≥1hr: 53%
This is a text-based adventure puzzle game, where you must struggle to survive in a world filled with ghosts and urban legends. While collecting clues, you'll uncover the truth behind the world and find the way out. The game features a wealth of levels, unconventional rules, and a touch of horror.
Why similar: Text-Based 31.3%, Puzzle 28.1%, Story Rich 25.9%, 2D 6.2%, Casual 5.8%
Why You'll Like It: A word-game-focused psychological puzzle that shares the atmospheric, text-heavy design of the seed game.
- #19 Replica
84% matchVery Positive86% of 3,503 reviews2016
Dev: Somi
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.8 hrsMean: 35.1 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Replica is an interactive novel game played through a cellphone and social media. The insane experience of peeping into someone's private life through a cellphone will transform you into the state's greatest patriot.
Why similar: Pixel Graphics 36.2%, Puzzle 29.1%, Story Rich 22.6%, Visual Novel 12.1%
Why You'll Like It: The game forces you to explore a phone's contents to uncover secrets, mirroring the intrusive, investigative nature of the seed game.
- #20 Do Not Feed the Monkeys
83% matchVery Positive94% of 12,088 reviews2018
Dev: Fictiorama StudiosPub: Alawar
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 6.9 hrs≥1hr: 88%
A digital voyeur simulator where you watch strangers through surveillance cameras. Invade their privacy and witness their most intimate moments, but don’t interact with the subjects – anything could happen if you dare feed the monkeys!
Why similar: Point & Click 38.5%, Pixel Graphics 26.4%, Story Rich 25.3%, 2D 9.8%
Why You'll Like It: A surveillance-based puzzle game where you must gather information through text and observation to influence the lives of others.
- #21 Telling Lies
85% matchMixed63% of 1,290 reviews2019
Dev: Sam BarlowPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.3 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Four private lives. One big lie. Search through secretly recorded video conversations to discover the truth. The successor to the acclaimed Her Story.
Why similar: Detective 29.4%, Interactive Fiction 25.8%, Point & Click 17.3%, Story Rich 15.2%, Puzzle 12.3%
Why You'll Like It: Like Her Story, this game relies on a keyword-based search engine to navigate through video clips and uncover a hidden narrative.
- #22 Hypnospace Outlaw
82% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 5,338 reviews2019
Dev: TendershootPub: No More Robots
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 6.7 hrs≥1hr: 77%
Greetings Enforcer, and thank you for enlisting in the Hypnospace Patrol Department! As the world falls into its slumber, Hypnospace becomes a bustling global village. These virtual streets aren't going to police themselves!
Why similar: Detective 27.5%, Point & Click 27.4%, Interactive Fiction 20.9%, Story Rich 12.8%, Puzzle 11.4%
Why You'll Like It: This game tasks you with investigating a retro-internet environment, requiring you to search for keywords and clues to solve cases.
- #23 CaseCracker2
81% matchVery Positive91% of 761 reviews2024
Dev: BlackRobePub: NPC Entertainment
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.1 hrsMean: 6.2 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Jia huasheng ,the policeman of Chicheng police station, got disappeared without any trace after leaving a letter which illustrates the police station to start the CaseCracker system version 2.0.
Why similar: Typing 31% ★, Text-Based 19.2%, Detective 13.7%, Immersive Sim 12.3%, Point & Click 8.1%
Why You'll Like It: It continues the detective and word-game themes of the first, providing more opportunities for text-based investigation.
- #24 Dyping Escape
78% matchVery Positive93% of 332 reviews2026
Dev: Heaviside CreationsPub: PLAYISM
Windows
"Let's play a typing game." Dyping Escape is a simple game where you type according to instructions from the game master, a mysterious eyeball. But be careful; everything you type becomes reality. Just be careful not to brick your computer.
Why similar: Typing 35.5% ★, Text-Based 20.3%, Interactive Fiction 14.1%, Immersive Sim 13.1%, Story Rich 7%
- #25 Papers, Please
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 78,508 reviews2013
Dev: Lucas PopePub: 3909
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 10.2 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Congratulations. The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled. For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint. An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.
Why similar: Point & Click 34.4%, Pixel Graphics 27.6%, Story Rich 15.6%, Puzzle 15.1%, 2D 4.8%
Why You'll Like It: The document-based puzzle mechanics and dystopian atmosphere offer a similar 'work-sim' feel to the investigative tasks in Hymer 2000.
- #26 Observation
80% matchMostly Positive78% of 5,063 reviews2020
Dev: No CodePub: Devolver Digital
Windows
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.0 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Observation is a sci-fi thriller uncovering what happened to Dr. Emma Fisher, and the crew of her mission, through the lens of the station’s artificial intelligence S.A.M.
Why similar: Artificial Intelligence 51.9%, Story Rich 23.5%, Puzzle 20.1%, First-Person 4.6%
Why You'll Like It: You play as an AI station system, using cameras and terminals to investigate a mystery, which provides a unique perspective on the genre.
- #27 Acolyte: Prologue
81% matchMostly Positive77% of 83 reviews2021
Dev: SuperstringPub: Superstring
Windows
Acolyte: Prologue is the first act in a dynamic narrative detective/puzzle game that gives you your own Acolyte; a digital assistant you can talk to freely without pre-defined dialogue options. Just like a real conversation.
Why similar: Artificial Intelligence 23.4%, Interactive Fiction 20.8%, Visual Novel 16.9%, Abstract 15.1%, Text-Based 12.4%
Why You'll Like It: This shorter experience serves as a perfect introduction to the AI-conversation mechanics found in the full Acolyte title.
- #28 Tell Me Everything
82% matchMixed61% of 71 reviews2018
Dev: LizardFactory
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 12 minMean: 10.3 hrs≥1hr: 34%
A mysterious murder has shocked the inner city, and as the lead detective, it is your job to catch the real killer. Armed with words and wits, you uncover the secrets and capture the murderer, and make sure justice will be served.
Why similar: Typing 29.4% ★, Text-Based 22%, Detective 18.9%, Puzzle 7.3%, RPG 6.3%
Why You'll Like It: A mystery-focused investigation game that relies on word-based puzzles and exploration to reveal its story.
- #29 Turlock Holmes
78% matchVery Positive80% of 917 reviews2024
Dev: Find the Lamp GamesPub: Neverland Entertainment
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.9 hrsMean: 6.4 hrs≥1hr: 85%
A detective narrative puzzler without pre-set options! Raise your questions at will, and an AI-host will answer only with 'yes' or 'no.' Drive the investigation with your curiosity; the path to solving the mystery lies in questions you ask. Can you dig out the truth through your questions?
Why similar: Detective 27.1%, Visual Novel 14.5%, Typing 14.3% ★, Puzzle 13.9%, Point & Click 12.6%
- #30 Shui's Odyssey
77% matchVery Positive90% of 136 reviews2024
Dev: Intentional StudioPub: 2P Games
Windows
This is a puzzle game that combines text and images. Players use visual illusions to piece together fragments of memories from Alzheimer's patients, in order to reconstruct the truth of the story and witness the passage of time for three generations.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 29.4%, Clicker 25%, Point & Click 19.6%, Puzzle 17%, 2D 4.6%
- #31 Cyber Manhunt
77% matchVery Positive93% of 15,410 reviews2021
Dev: Aluba Van+
Windows · Mac
Median: 7.8 hrsMean: 11.5 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Cyber Manhunt is a story-oriented puzzle game focusing on big data, hacking, citizen privacy, and social workers. It focuses on social issues such as cyber violence and privacy breaches.
Why similar: Puzzle 24.4%, Detective 22.6%, RPG 19.8%, Immersive Sim 17%, Story Rich 9.8%
- #32 Nobody Nowhere
76% matchVery Positive93% of 184 reviews2025
Dev: 深渊标记 Tag:hadal
Windows
a side-scrolling, story-driven text adventure game in pixel art. The story is set in 2079, when a Replicant awakens in a lab facility amidst a life-or-death situation. The replicant aid agency tries to rescue him but fails. In the process they stumble on the real secret of the Replicant project...
Why similar: Artificial Intelligence 20.1%, Text-Based 18.1%, Interactive Fiction 15%, Visual Novel 13.3%, Story Rich 9.8%
- #33 Profession investigator
76% matchVery Positive99% of 103 reviews2022
Dev: Indie-Geek
Windows · Mac
Profession Investigator is an immersive simulator with a text-based interface in which you have to deal with real criminal cases. The game uses materials from court archives and specialized literature.
Why similar: Detective 24.1%, Text-Based 24.1%, Interactive Fiction 19.6%, Immersive Sim 14.3%, Puzzle 11.4%
- #34 Need to Know
79% matchMixed67% of 293 reviews2018
Dev: Monomyth Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Welcome to the Department of Liberty. Ascend the ranks of the NSA-like surveillance agency and decide: will you stand up for privacy, or help create an unstoppable police state? Spy on people’s deepest secrets, pick apart their private lives and decide their fate in this modern surveillance thriller.
Why similar: Point & Click 37.9%, Story Rich 32.2%, Puzzle 29.9%
Why You'll Like It: A surveillance thriller that forces you to manage information and make choices based on the data you uncover.
- #35 GOODBYE WORLD
75% matchVery Positive85% of 832 reviews2022
Dev: YO FUJIIPub: Flyhigh Works
Windows
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 1.7 hrs≥1hr: 68%
"GOODBYE WORLD" is a narrative adventure game. Play through 12 stages of a puzzle platformer while following the two protagonists through 13 chapters of their story.
Why similar: Text-Based 25.2%, Interactive Fiction 18.7%, Visual Novel 14.3%, Story Rich 13.1%, Pixel Graphics 12.3%
- #36 The Roottrees are Dead
72% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 7,749 reviews2025
Dev: Evil Trout Inc.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 8.0 hrsMean: 9.7 hrs≥1hr: 89%
A genealogical mystery straight out of 1998. Scour the early Internet for clues, uncover hidden connections, and piece together the family tree behind the secretive Roottree Corporation.
Why similar: Detective 35.9%, Point & Click 18.1%, Puzzle 17.2%, Interactive Fiction 13.9%, Story Rich 12.1%
- #37 Deathless Death
75% matchMostly Positive72% of 833 reviews2024
Dev: Dream Delivery CenterPub: GCORES PUBLISHING
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 2.8 hrs≥1hr: 64%
In the quiet of conscience and shadows of sin, four souls find themselves entwined in crimes involving a woman. In this narrative puzzle game, you don the sacred robe of a priest, hear the confessions of sinners, uncover secrets, seek the truth behind their crimes and deliver the final judgment.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 29.1%, Visual Novel 25.3%, Point & Click 19.3%, Puzzle 13.3%, Story Rich 13%
- #38 Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case
74% matchMostly Positive77% of 52 reviews2025
Dev: Birdy Interactive
Windows
A missing person case straight out of 1995. Search the early internet, dig through emails and dusty floppy discs, and uncover the secrets behind the disappearance of Victoria Mason.
Why similar: Typing 25.8% ★, Detective 12.7%, Interactive Fiction 10.5%, Visual Novel 10%, Immersive Sim 9.9%
- #39 Word Game: Episode 0
73% matchOverwhelmingly Positive99% of 4,566 reviews2021
Dev: Team9
Windows · Mac
Median: 36 minMean: 3.5 hrs≥1hr: 21%
Word game is literally a game of words. Player controls "I" to find clues between lines, delete words to change the meaning of sentences, or shift words to rewrite facts. “I” must be wise and brave enough complete the mission of words. May the best "I” win!
Why similar: Pixel Graphics 23.1%, Puzzle 20.4%, Story Rich 17.5%, Linear 16.5%, RPG 15.4%
- #40 The Dark Egg Demo
74% matchVery Positive96% of 226 reviews2022
Dev: Transcend Pixels
Windows
A surrealist text-based RPG. You will explore an island, solve puzzles, and fight enemies, all in your attempt to get the Dark Egg.
Why similar: Text-Based 26.1%, Interactive Fiction 19.1%, Immersive Sim 18%, Puzzle 9.5%, Story Rich 8.3%
- #41 The Occult Detective
73% matchMostly Positive72% of 323 reviews2025
Dev: Battlecry Studio
Windows
A narrative detective game blended with supernatural elements. Play as a rookie investigator, discover vital clues in every case, dive into unscripted interrogations and uncover truths that break minds. But with each revelation, the world feels... less human.
Why similar: Detective 23.6%, Visual Novel 22.9%, Story Rich 15.5%, Puzzle 12.9%, Artificial Intelligence 10.7%
- #42 Don't Let Me Fade
71% matchVery Positive99% of 127 reviews2025
Dev: AinkOink
Windows
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 26.3%, Visual Novel 19%, Text-Based 17.7%, Point & Click 16.3%, Pixel Graphics 9.4%
- #43 No Case Should Remain Unsolved
70% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 9,767 reviews2024
Dev: Somi
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 2.7 hrs≥1hr: 75%
Twelve years after Senior Inspector Jeon Gyeong's retirement, she is visited by a young police officer: a woman who pleads with her to reexamine Seowon's case. But with each uncovered memory, only one thing becomes clear: everyone in Seowon's vicinity was lying.
Why similar: Text-Based 17.5%, Interactive Fiction 15.5%, Visual Novel 12.8%, Detective 10.7%, Point & Click 9.8%
- #44 Murder Is Game Over
73% matchVery Positive96% of 54 reviews2022
Dev: HitherYon Games
Windows
Join the investigation in Murder Is Game Over, a pixel art point-and-click game where you and Cleo try to solve the murder of a famous game designer. Can you uncover the clues and catch the killer before it's game over?
Why similar: Text-Based 20.7%, Interactive Fiction 16.6%, Detective 13.2%, Visual Novel 13.2%, Point & Click 10.2%
- #45 Nodes Escape
72% matchVery Positive85% of 533 reviews2023
Dev: 夜喵
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.7 hrsMean: 4.2 hrs≥1hr: 64%
The game presents realistic game graphics through sound effects, narration and imagination. The level design is subtle and challenging, allowing players to challenge their intelligence and logic skills in solving puzzles.
Why similar: Text-Based 38.7%, Detective 22.9%, Abstract 15.3%, Puzzle 14.2%, Clicker 8.9%
- #46 Murders on the Yangtze River
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 20,376 reviews2024
Dev: OMEGAMES STUDIO
Windows · Mac
Median: 11.4 hrsMean: 14.0 hrs≥1hr: 87%
"Murders on Yangtze River" is an Ace Attorney-like detective game that takes you on a journey through early 20th century China as you solve a series of intriguing cases. Use your logical reasoning and deduction skills to uncover clues, interrogate suspects, and solve the mysteries.
Why similar: Detective 39.2%, Puzzle 17.8%, Story Rich 17.3%, Text-Based 14.9%, RPG 6.5%
- #47 Saga & Seeker
71% matchNo user reviews59% of 139 reviews2026
Dev: Dagdoria Studio
Windows · Mac
From a consumer of stories to a creator of them. Saga & Seeker is a "storycrafting game" where you can generate endless tales with your favorite characters. The words you write become a part of the story itself in this immersive entertainment experience powered by your imagination.
Why similar: Artificial Intelligence 27%, Text-Based 23.7%, Interactive Fiction 15%, Visual Novel 12.9%, Story Rich 8.8%
- #48 Aliya: Timelink
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 8,841 reviews2024
Dev: TDGame StudioPub: Anotherindie
Windows
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 23.9 hrs≥1hr: 73%
The player connects to a girl in distress in space thousands of years later? How will they resolve the crisis and discover the truth? Through the mechanism of real-time synchronization, the game breaks through the dimensional wall and creates an immersive dialogue across time and space.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.6%, Text-Based 28.2%, Visual Novel 22.7%, RPG 11.5%, Story Rich 5.9%
- #49 Millennium Whisper
71% matchMixed67% of 81 reviews2025
Dev: Parable Studios
Windows · Linux
Millennium Whisper is a next-gen dating-sim set in 1999 at the fictional Escafeld College with an AI trained by real actors portraying the cast! Who will you confess your feelings to at the end of the millennium?
Why similar: Typing 35.1% ★, Artificial Intelligence 21.2%, Visual Novel 15.3%, Pixel Graphics 9.6%, Text-Based 8.3%
- #50 Au Revoir
69% matchVery Positive96% of 106 reviews2025
Dev: Invisible StudioPub: Nuntius Games
Windows
Play as Tristan and solve puzzles to recover human consciousnesses in the year 2071. Investigate environments, uncover secrets, and make choices that affect the ending. Explore a neon-noir world with a low poly aesthetic inspired by the 90s.
Why similar: Text-Based 27.7%, Point & Click 17.4%, Interactive Fiction 17.4%, Detective 13.8%, Story Rich 13.1%
- #51 Buddy Simulator 1984
69% matchVery Positive94% of 4,160 reviews2021
Dev: Not a Sailor Studios
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 7.8 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Thanks to next generation AI technology, BUDDY SIMULATOR 1984 simulates the experience of hanging out with a best buddy! Your buddy learns from you, constantly adapting to your interests and personality. But most importantly, your buddy can play games with you!
Why similar: Typing 25.9% ★, Text-Based 25.2%, Story Rich 12.8%, Pixel Graphics 12.3%, Interactive Fiction 11.8%
- #52 Bird Game
67% matchVery Positive96% of 203 reviews2025
Dev: Black Jacket
Windows
Bird Game is an abstract, exploration-based RPG with unique, stylized visuals and puzzle mechanics
Why similar: Design & Illustration 42.1% ★, Abstract 15.7%, Text-Based 13.3%, Pixel Graphics 9.3%, Puzzle 9.2%
- #53 SIMULACRA 2
69% matchVery Positive86% of 1,648 reviews2020
Dev: Kaigan GamesPub: Neon Doctrine
Windows
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 6.5 hrs≥1hr: 75%
A dead influencer. An obsessed detective. Three suspects. Piece the truth together by going through the victim’s phone messages, videos, and social media in the follow up to the critically acclaimed SIMULACRA.
Why similar: Artificial Intelligence 20.3%, Text-Based 18.2%, Detective 14.2%, Immersive Sim 13%, Visual Novel 11.5%
- #54 Hold Me Still
67% matchVery Positive84% of 56 reviews2025
Dev: Zeroshade123
Windows
"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: Clicker 31%, Point & Click 23.1%, Puzzle 15.8%, Pixel Graphics 11%, Casual 7.8%
- #55 BatteryNote
65% matchVery Positive100% of 186 reviews2025
Dev: 72studioPub: room6
Windows · Mac
BatteryNote is a multi-ending sci-fi adventure visual novel game. You can recharge three robots with limited lifespans, bringing them back to life. Interact with them through conversations or experiment by applying high voltage. How they spend their final moments is entirely up to you.
Why similar: Visual Novel 30%, Pixel Graphics 23%, Text-Based 22.2%, Story Rich 22.1%, 2D 2.7%
- #56 Urban Myth Dissolution Center
65% 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: Text-Based 25.1%, Visual Novel 23.1%, Detective 14.8%, Pixel Graphics 12.6%, Story Rich 11.2%
- #57 We. The Refugees: Ticket to Europe
68% matchVery Positive87% of 127 reviews2023
Dev: Act Zero
Windows
‘We. The Refugees: Ticket to Europe’ is a socially engaged, text-based RPG about a journalist looking for his big break by uncovering the plights of refugees travelling from Africa to Europe. It is a story inspired by true events.
Why similar: Text-Based 33.6%, Interactive Fiction 23.8%, Detective 19.4%, Story Rich 12.3%, RPG 6.5%
- #58 Hitchhiker - A Mystery Game
70% matchMostly Positive71% of 226 reviews2021
Dev: Mad About PandasPub: Versus Evil
Windows
Median: 2.8 hrsMean: 4.0 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Hitchhiker is a mystery game set along lost highways, where your goal is to solve the puzzle of your own backstory.
Why similar: Story Rich 30.5%, Interactive Fiction 29.6%, Visual Novel 20.8%, First-Person 19.1%
- #59 SELF
70% matchMostly Positive77% of 272 reviews2020
Dev: doBellPub: indienova
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.4 hrsMean: 3.9 hrs≥1hr: 69%
SELF is a suspenseful Kafkaesque text-based adventure game with simulation and puzzle mechanics. Could you seize the opportunity to find your father and your SELF back in this introspective journey?
Why similar: Story Rich 51.3%, Pixel Graphics 48.7%
- #60 YOUR HOUSE
66% matchVery Positive86% of 66 reviews2025
Dev: PATRONES & ESCONDITES
Windows · Mac
A narrative puzzle-thriller that blurs the lines between games and books, reality and fiction, puzzles and storytelling.
Why similar: Text-Based 22.6%, Detective 20%, Interactive Fiction 16.1%, Visual Novel 13.2%, Point & Click 10%