Games Like Jay Schilling's Edge of Chaos

A text adventure game about a 19th century explorer who finds himself stranded and alone.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 44.9%, Text-Based 37.1%, Adventure 18%

A darkly comedic legal sim where your goal is to get disbarred—spectacularly. Play as a defense attorney or prosecutor in ethically disastrous cases full of bad decisions, weird clients, and Kafkaesque courtroom chaos. Succeed, and you lose.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 34.5%, Text-Based 29%, Crime 19.7%, Comedy 11.1%, Adventure 4.9%

Thaumistry: In Charm's Way is an all-new comedy text adventure from award-winning Infocom and Legend Entertainment author Bob Bates.

Why similar: Text-Based 31.3%, Interactive Fiction 30.7%, Adventure 23.2%, Comedy 13.5%, Singleplayer 1.3%

I found myself at the station. The story unfolds as you type commands on your keyboard. As the days repeat, I keep wondering what I can do for her. A command-driven adventure steeped in nostalgic pixel art and sound.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 46.4%, Text-Based 38.1%, Adventure 15.5%

Alchemy, puzzles, and a crashed starship. Old-style interactive fiction — a classic text adventure. No graphics! No dialogue trees! No point-and-click! You type your commands, and read what happens next.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 50.5%, Text-Based 40%, Adventure 9.4%

The most anticipated game since chess! A text-based comedy adventure in which you interact with the world by slamming one of two brightly colored buttons: Harm or Other

Why similar: Text-Based 33%, Interactive Fiction 29.4%, Comedy 22.5%, Adventure 14.4%, Singleplayer 0.7%

Experience a race against time written by a former forensic investigation expert. As detective JACK, you are the last hope to rescue the US President's kidnapped daughter. With only 1% battery left on her phone, use authentic detective techniques to find her before the screen goes black.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.6%, Crime 22.7%, Text-Based 22.7%, Detective 16%, Adventure 9.6%

Interactive fiction starring Molly the Werezompire - a grad student who jumped into a portal, was killed by a werewolf, a zombie, and a vampire, and became a heroic werezompire! Also includes the sci-fi parody, Epiphany in Spaaace! Originally released on XBLIG.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 37.1%, Text-Based 30%, Comedy 19.6%, Adventure 11.9%, Singleplayer 1.4%

A story-driven deduction game set in Okayama, Japan, where everyone has an answer—but you need evidence. Examine evidence and records, cross-reference witness accounts, reconstruct timelines, and separate plausible theories from provable facts across six murder investigations.

Why similar: Crime 31.2%, Detective 23.2%, Interactive Fiction 19.7%, Text-Based 17.5%, Adventure 7.8%

ATMOSPHERIC UNDERGROUND ADVENTURE. You seek revenge against the oligarch who destroyed your family. Is killing ever justified?

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 46.8%, Crime 33.4%, Adventure 18.5%, Singleplayer 1.3%

CLOSED HANDS is a groundbreaking work of interactive fiction that explores the tangled intertwined stories of five people thrown together by a fictional terror attack.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 43.4%, Text-Based 34.2%, Adventure 20.9%, Singleplayer 1.6%

The Broken Crown is a dark fantasy text adventure between game and novel. Read through a fallen kingdom, make choices at key moments, and face the weight of memory and sacrifice.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 42.5%, Text-Based 34.1%, Adventure 21.8%, Singleplayer 1.5%

Find the Golden Pineapple and the crimes against the Mayans. In Pineapple Legend, solve investigations with amusing and humorous situations. Explore the city of Takitani: investigate, solve puzzles, collect cards, equip accessories, fish, garden, fight in the arena, and increase your affinity!!!

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.1%, Crime 22.8%, Text-Based 16.9%, Detective 15.9%, Comedy 11.3%

A mystery psychological thriller visual novel set in 2000. Follow a serial murder case through the eyes of three characters: the woman, the man, and the detective. With live-action backgrounds and silhouetted characters, every choice branches the story, and one wrong move means game over.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 29.9%, Crime 29%, Detective 19.3%, Text-Based 12%, Adventure 9.8%

A short narrative deduction game set in the overly litigious bowels of Hell. A simple text-based investigative game about asking the right questions of the right people. When surrounded by pathological liars always remember, the detail's in the devils. A simple text-based investigative game.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.4%, Text-Based 28.7%, Detective 19.7%, Crime 11.4%, Comedy 7.5%

Step into Mistbound City, a cinematic interactive mystery where every clue matters and every choice has consequences. Investigate a rain-soaked manor, question suspicious characters, uncover hidden secrets, and shape the story toward multiple possible endings.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 46.6%, Detective 27%, Adventure 24.2%, Singleplayer 2.1%

Immerse yourself in a dark fantasy world that is inspired by traditional text-based adventure and interactive fiction games.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 45.3%, Text-Based 41.2%, Adventure 11.7%, Singleplayer 1.7%

Welcome to the Detective Club! Led by the troublesome and shy president Alice Baskerville. Follow this comedy story where together you will solve cases using your deductive powers!

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 26.6%, Text-Based 21.7%, Crime 19.7%, Detective 12.5%, Comedy 10.9%

In the kingdom of Bruneva, an unlikely hero embarks on a magical mission full of humor. With eccentric characters, comedic challenges, and witty dialogues, "The Adventures of Bruneva" guarantees laughter at every turn.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 50.7%, Adventure 25.7%, Comedy 22%, Singleplayer 1.7%

Lacuna: Prologue tasks you – CDI agent Neil Conrad – with investigating the murder of a high-profile victim whose death could plunge the solar system into war. Solve the first in a series of cases that lead you ever deeper into the conspiracy at the core of this captivating 2D sci-fi noir adventure.

Why similar: Crime 26.8%, Interactive Fiction 26.3%, Text-Based 19.6%, Detective 19.1%, Adventure 8.2%

戏班内扑朔迷离的死亡，步步紧逼的幕后黑手，封闭剧场内的死亡倒计时，案件主角的生命和救赎都取决于你的决断。当第一桩案件尘埃落定，你以为可以回到现实世界时，轮回之路才刚刚开始……

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 30.2%, Crime 29.9%, Detective 19.7%, Text-Based 17.3%, Adventure 2.7%

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: Crime 27.9%, Interactive Fiction 26.9%, Text-Based 22.4%, Detective 16.6%, Adventure 6.1%

这是一款以中式校园为背景的推理类文字游戏，你将扮演一名高中生司空茂，在开学第一天目击密室杀人事件的现场，并经过调查和推理解决案件，找出真正的犯人和真相背后更深的阴谋。但在享受侦探游戏的同时，请千万不要忽视学习。保持情绪稳定，尽量维持活下去的念头...记住，你的成绩，永远比案件要更重要。

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 31.8%, Text-Based 24.3%, Detective 23.6%, Crime 15.5%, Adventure 4.5%

A gritty, semi-kinetic visual novel about broken people and notorious gangsters, featuring six individualized routes with six different endings.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 31.7%, Text-Based 22.5%, Detective 20.3%, Crime 20.1%, Adventure 5%

Once you step through the door to Zork, you leave the world of arcade games and trite fantasies behind and enter the dimension of your imagination.

Why similar: Text-Based 53.1%, Interactive Fiction 28.6%, Adventure 18.3%

Writing on a blog and using her obscure ability, the mysterious Nightingale has been helping people in danger for years. Now, she’s forced to disappear, facing threats from a killer... one of those people she helped in the past. An interactive short story featuring an advanced navigation UI.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 36%, Text-Based 31.9%, Crime 24.5%, Adventure 6.8%, Singleplayer 0.9%

A narrative adventure blending point-and-click and visual novel elements. Play as a young FBI agent in New Orleans, investigate crime scenes, profile suspects, and make choices that shape a branching story mixing offbeat humor with a gripping crime thriller.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24%, Crime 23.2%, Text-Based 17.3%, Detective 16.4%, Comedy 12.4%

DARK CITY TROUBLE NIGHTS es un videojuego de ROL narrativo con toma de decisiones. Toma el papel de Chad Simons, detective privado. Tu comportamiento decidirá el final de tu historia en Dark City, ¿podrás resolver el caso, y salir con vida?

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 35%, Crime 30.6%, Text-Based 17.6%, Detective 16.2%, Singleplayer 0.6%

Explore an abandoned movie theater and step inside five black-and-white films in this mystery text adventure that pays tribute to classic Hollywood B-Movies and combines the best elements of interactive fiction, visual novels, and gamebooks.

Why similar: Text-Based 41.7%, Interactive Fiction 33.7%, Adventure 23%, Singleplayer 1.6%

Your first case as a detective is forcing you to open your eyes to a world bigger than you thought. Or maybe it's better to keep them closed. Seems the supernatural didn’t get the memo that nothing exciting ever happens in the little town of Wayhaven.

Why similar: Text-Based 39.6%, Interactive Fiction 31.7%, Adventure 16.5%, Detective 12.2%

The Baron's daughter is missing, and you are the man to find her. No problem. With your inexhaustible arsenal of hard-boiled similes, there is nothing you can't handle.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.8%, Text-Based 26.5%, Crime 22.8%, Detective 12.2%, Adventure 8.4%

Unravel the mysterious past of your parents and homeland while journeying through four unique lands in this exciting science-fantasy adventure!

Why similar: Text-Based 38.9%, Interactive Fiction 38.3%, Adventure 21.5%, Singleplayer 1.3%

疫病神の依神女苑ちゃん。 女苑ちゃんが提示してくるお題に大急ぎで答えて 見返りも求めずに物品を貢ぎまくろう！！

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 43.3%, Comedy 30.2%, Text-Based 23.6%, Singleplayer 2.8%

Ever wonder how heroes-in-training spend their time between epic confrontations with dastardly villains? Join the students at Speck Community College as they enjoy a tabletop roleplay game, investigate a legendary small-town monster, and endure the embarrassments of Parents’ Day.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 36.5%, Text-Based 29.7%, Adventure 18.7%, Comedy 14%, Singleplayer 1.1%

A detective noir puzzle deduction game. Explore a non-linear timeline as a clairvoyant investigator in 1941 Borneo. Jump between time and locations to uncover motives and discover what truly happened in the Goodwill tobacco plantation that fateful night on the eve of the WW2 Japanese invasion.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 35.4%, Detective 28.1%, Text-Based 22.9%, Adventure 13.6%

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 48.4%, Interactive Fiction 30.1%, Adventure 11.4%, Detective 5.8%, Crime 3.6%

Homicide detective Ralph is distraught when his trusted, reliable partner goes missing around the same time strange killings begin to take place. While solving the case, Ralph is paired up with an impish rookie he can't get along with.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.8%, Crime 26.6%, Text-Based 24.6%, Detective 15.7%, Singleplayer 0.3%

"Xiangsheng Simulator" is a humorous and witty adventure that takes you into the unique world of Xiangsheng. As a Xiangsheng Penggen, you'll team up with your Dougen partner to deliver a performance filled with laughter.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 39.3%, Text-Based 33.4%, Comedy 25.9%, Singleplayer 1.4%

Follow amateur sleuth Marcella Moon to Ireland to investigate the disappearance of a famous writer.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.4%, Detective 20.9%, Text-Based 19.7%, Crime 19.3%, Adventure 11.3%

You log on to a computer having no clue of what lies within. Explore its files, solve puzzles to recover missing pieces, and decipher passwords to enter otherwise prohibited folders. As you delve deeper into its content, you’ll find that there is a greater mystery to be solved.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 41.8%, Text-Based 30.5%, Detective 26.5%, Singleplayer 1.2%

No criminal has ever been a match for you, and everybody is looking forward to a description of your brilliant deductions. There is just one small problem. One tiny detail that makes it different this time. A mere trifle, really. This time you have no idea who did it.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.1%, Text-Based 30.1%, Detective 19.2%, Adventure 9.9%, Comedy 8.7%

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: Interactive Fiction 30.3%, Detective 26.1%, Text-Based 24.2%, Adventure 18.6%, Singleplayer 0.9%

NINA AQUILA is back for her brightest, boldest, most magical adventure yet!

Why similar: Crime 29.8%, Interactive Fiction 26.4%, Detective 21.2%, Comedy 11.6%, Adventure 9.2%

見知らぬ密室で目を覚ました主人公。 頼れるものは、手元に残された一台のスマートフォンだけ。 通話、メッセージ、アプリなどに残された痕跡をたどりながら、脱出の手がかりを探していく。 しかし、情報を集めるほどに、 この事件の裏に隠された異様な真実が浮かび上がっていく。 スマートフォンを操作して進める、サイコロジカル・ホラーADV。

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 44.3%, Text-Based 33.7%, Adventure 21.2%, Singleplayer 0.9%

In a parallel universe text-based dialogue adventure game, a brand-new Three Kingdoms era is constructed. Players can freely choose to play as classic warriors, and each dialogue choice will lead to distinct and surprising events.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 53.1%, Text-Based 44.3%, Singleplayer 2.6%

Are you ready to solve the case and bring a criminal to justice?

Why similar: Crime 50.8%, Detective 32.4%, Adventure 16.8%

You make every interaction with her feel like coincidence. You know her far more than she could ever imagine. But you don't seem to realize, a butterfliy don't usually fly into the net on their own.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 34.7%, Crime 24.2%, Text-Based 18.6%, Detective 14.5%, Adventure 7%

In The Watch Post you will explore areas through a living CRT television in this atmospheric dark-fantasy text adventure. Find strange items, unlock hidden paths, solve optional mysteries, and decide whether the signal should ever be answered.

Why similar: Text-Based 43%, Interactive Fiction 39.9%, Adventure 16%, Singleplayer 1.1%

DETECTIVE The Motel is a deduction game where, to advance, you must take a pencil and a piece of paper and write down everything that seems like evidence in order to answer all the questions that arise. Solving the case will depend only on you.

Why similar: Crime 37%, Interactive Fiction 29.3%, Detective 25.1%, Adventure 8%, Singleplayer 0.5%

BEL/S is an Elemental Firewall: a fire elemental bound with C++ code to protect a network of people and places. She can learn things, develop relationships, and even gain sapience. Or she can burn everything with fire. It's up to you.

Why similar: Text-Based 44.7%, Interactive Fiction 34.2%, Adventure 19.7%, Singleplayer 1.5%

A novel-style mystery adventure game. Explore 2D top-down maps! Enjoy easy puzzles and comical text. Become the assistant to the lost detective Chiho-chan and help solve mysteries!

Why similar: Text-Based 36.4%, Detective 30%, Comedy 18.9%, Adventure 14%, Singleplayer 0.7%

Help solve a crime.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 37%, Crime 31%, Detective 18.4%, Adventure 13.2%, Singleplayer 0.4%

Assigned to Moderate Her Chat! is a game where you become the moderator for rookie VTuber Komeran A. Lerna. Delete toxic comments as soon as they appear! With simple click controls, protect Lerna's livestream and keep the chat safe and friendly.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 53.1%, Adventure 26.4%, Comedy 18.7%, Singleplayer 1.8%

Solve puzzles, enlist magic beans, eat soap, plan your escape, and confront the menacing mage who keeps you confined in his tower. Will you keep cracking jokes or learn from your mistakes? Your choices matter.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 35.3%, Text-Based 31.3%, Comedy 21.8%, Adventure 10.8%, Singleplayer 0.8%

Detective Red July must stop a serial killer who patterns his murders after optical illusions in this mystery visual novel set in the world of Methods.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 30%, Text-Based 25.2%, Crime 25.1%, Detective 18.7%, Singleplayer 1%

Hoist the Jolly Roger and set sail to find the legendary Titan’s Treasure! Do you fight with a cutlass or with magic? Are you biding your time until you can shoot your captain in the back, or are you the reason the rum is gone?

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 47.1%, Text-Based 39.6%, Adventure 11.4%, Singleplayer 1.9%

A thrilling detective mystery adventure set in a historical fantasy world. As a dragon detective, use your six senses to find evidence and hunt down the culprit.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 35.1%, Crime 29.2%, Detective 23.5%, Adventure 11.8%, Singleplayer 0.3%