Games Like Kairo

NaissanceE is an obscure and magical first person exploration game, a philosophical trip and an artistic experience. The adventure takes place in a primitive mysterious structure and the game mainly consists to explore and feel the deep and strong ambiance of this atemporal world.

Why similar: Abstract 24.3%, Surreal 15.7%, Exploration 15.6%, Atmospheric 9.4%, Puzzle 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: Like Kairo, this game features vast, abstract, and surreal architectural spaces that emphasize a sense of scale and isolation.

Rediscover gravity and explore an Escher-esque world of impossible architecture. Witness infinity in first-person and master its rules to solve physics-defying puzzles. Cultivate a garden to open new paths forward, where an eternal expanse awaits.

Why similar: Abstract 24.6%, Surreal 20.3%, Puzzle 15.8%, Exploration 10%, First-Person 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: It shares Kairo's focus on impossible, abstract geometry and physics-defying puzzles that challenge your perception of space.

Discover the truth about Quern’s past, unfold the mysteries of its present, and be the explorer who shapes its future. Quern introduces reusable puzzle mechanics to the classic genre, making the player think about the game as a whole, and not just as a series of individual challenges.

Why similar: Puzzle 20.1%, Surreal 18.2%, Exploration 13.3%, Walking Simulator 10.8%, Atmospheric 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: A strong spiritual successor to classic puzzle-exploration games, providing a deep, atmospheric mystery set in a beautifully crafted world.

You wake up, alone, on a strange island full of puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.

Why similar: Puzzle 36.7%, Exploration 17.3%, First-Person 12.8%, Atmospheric 8%, Walking Simulator 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a similarly quiet, contemplative exploration of a mysterious island filled with environmental puzzles that reward keen observation.

Welcome to Myst: a starkly beautiful island, eerily tinged with mystery and shrouded in intrigue. Built from the ground up to play in 2D & VR, explore Myst in a whole new dimension! Journey to the Ages, unravel puzzles, and be a part of the surrealistic adventure that will become your own.

Why similar: Puzzle 30.7%, Exploration 23.1%, First-Person 11.7%, VR 10.6%, Adventure 8%

Why You'll Like It: As the definitive blueprint for the genre, it shares Kairo's core loop of exploring a strange, abandoned world to solve intricate mechanical puzzles.

Antichamber is a mind-bending psychological exploration game where nothing can be taken for granted. Discover an Escher-like world where hallways wrap around upon each other, spaces reconfigure themselves, and accomplishing the impossible may just be the only way forward.

Why similar: Puzzle 28%, Surreal 22.7%, Abstract 16.3%, First-Person 11.5%, Exploration 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: This game masterfully utilizes non-Euclidean geometry and abstract puzzle design, mirroring the surreal logic found in Kairo.

MIND: Path to Thalamus is a First Person Puzzler that throws you into a fantastic and surreal environment. You will bend the natural elements to your will in order to progress in this emotive, mindbending tale. Now also in Virtual Reality!

Why similar: Surreal 24.6%, Puzzle 21.4%, Walking Simulator 13.2%, Atmospheric 10.7%, First-Person 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: This game leans heavily into the surreal and dreamlike atmosphere, using environmental manipulation to solve puzzles in a first-person perspective.

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: Puzzle 22.5%, Exploration 17.7%, Walking Simulator 15.2%, First-Person 15.2%, Adventure 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: It balances atmospheric exploration with complex, layered puzzles, capturing a similar feeling of uncovering a forgotten history.

A new sci-fi adventure from Cyan, the creators of Myst. Abducted far across the universe, you find yourself on a broken alien landscape with odd pieces of Earth. Explore, uncover, solve, and find a way to make it home.

Why similar: Puzzle 20.8%, Surreal 16.2%, Exploration 14.8%, First-Person 9.4%, Mystery 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: Created by the developers of Myst, this title offers the same sense of wonder and discovery while navigating alien, atmospheric environments.

INFRA puts you into the boots of a structural analyst on a routine mission. Quickly though, your task turns into a fight for survival, all caused by deep-rooted schemes of the past. Your tools are simple: your camera and the wits to navigate a labyrinth of debris.

Why similar: Puzzle 22.8%, Exploration 18.1%, Atmospheric 13.4%, Walking Simulator 12.6%, First-Person 12.2%

Why You'll Like It: While more grounded, it captures the same feeling of exploring vast, abandoned industrial structures to solve environmental puzzles.

Uncover a story of intrigue, betrayal, and a civilization teetering on the brink of collapse as you solve intricate puzzles to unlock the secrets of Riven. Built from the ground-up and expanded from the award-winning original game released in 1997.

Why similar: Puzzle 19.7%, Exploration 14.8%, Surreal 14.3%, First-Person 11.3%, Atmospheric 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game provides a dense, immersive world full of ancient machinery and environmental puzzles that require deep attention to detail.

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: Puzzle 22.1%, Exploration 16.5%, Atmospheric 15.8%, First-Person 12.1%, Walking Simulator 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: It shares Kairo's minimalist, atmospheric approach to storytelling and exploration in a quiet, decaying world.

Lingo is a first person word puzzle game with a large, abstract world to explore. With its epiphany-driven gameplay and impossible geometry, Lingo provides a unique and nonlinear experience.

Why similar: Abstract 23%, Surreal 20.1%, Puzzle 19.1%, Exploration 11.5%, First-Person 10.9%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, first-person puzzle game that relies on exploration and pattern recognition within a minimalist, abstract environment.

The Talos Principle is a first-person puzzle game in the tradition of philosophical science fiction. Made by Croteam and written by Tom Jubert (FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes (The Sea Will Claim Everything).

Why similar: Puzzle 47.4%, First-Person 16.4%, Atmospheric 14%, Exploration 10.3%, Mystery 3.7%

Why You'll Like It: This title combines philosophical depth with intricate, logic-based puzzles in a serene, atmospheric setting that feels both ancient and futuristic.

Perception is reality. In this mind-bending first-person puzzler, you escape a surreal dream world through solving impossible puzzles using the ambiguity of depth and perspective.

Why similar: Surreal 32.9%, Puzzle 29.4%, First-Person 15.5%, Exploration 12.6%, Adventure 3.8%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on perspective-based puzzles that play with the player's perception of reality, echoing the abstract nature of Kairo.

Challenge perception, redefine reality, and reshape the world around you with an instant camera. Viewfinder is a new single player game offering gamers hours of interesting and fun experiences while uncovering the mysteries left behind.

Why similar: Abstract 26.9%, Surreal 21.1%, Puzzle 16.5%, Exploration 10.9%, First-Person 10.9%

Why You'll Like It: This game uses innovative camera mechanics to reshape the environment, providing a surreal and highly creative puzzle experience.

A slow burn walking sim with an interactive soundtrack and horror vibes. You explore abstract locations and create your own unique sound for each of them by moving around and using Monoliths.

Why similar: Surreal 29.7%, Walking Simulator 15.3%, Atmospheric 12.5%, Exploration 11.2%, First-Person 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: This walking simulator captures a similar sense of surreal, atmospheric exploration within a mysterious, monolithic setting.

Dream is an exploration game that takes place within the subconscious mind of Howard Phillips, a young man whose waking hours are tedious and dull, but whose dreams are lucid and powerful.

Why similar: Exploration 19.1%, Walking Simulator 14.1%, Puzzle 12.5%, Atmospheric 10.2%, First-Person 10%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a surreal, dreamlike exploration experience that prioritizes atmosphere and environmental discovery over traditional narrative.

Go on a voyage of discovery following the traces of a mysterious culture. Discover diverse landscapes, investigate abandoned artifacts, and wake strange machines from their slumber.

Why similar: Puzzle 23.9%, Exploration 16.2%, Walking Simulator 13.7%, First-Person 12.2%, Atmospheric 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-adventure game that tasks players with exploring ancient ruins and deciphering the technology of a lost civilization.

Placed in a world without change, you must create fate by watering an ancient plant. Determine a future and live with it.

Why similar: Surreal 25.6%, Atmospheric 13.4%, Indie 13.2%, First-Person 11.4%, Puzzle 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, atmospheric exploration game that uses a unique aesthetic to create a sense of mystery and unease.

Pneuma: Breath of Life forces you to think outside the box through a narrated story of self-discovery, whilst exploring the ontological mystery of the breath of life. Features award winning voice actor 'Jay Britton' as Pneuma.

Why similar: Puzzle 46.7%, First-Person 25.1%, Indie 15.2%, Adventure 13%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person puzzle game that explores philosophical themes through environmental interaction and observation.

Door2:Key - breathtaking and mysterious door-puzzle game in which any little thing could be a key to the solution

Why similar: Abstract 25.3%, Puzzle 15.3%, Exploration 11.4%, Indie 11%, First-Person 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: A minimalist, first-person puzzle game that relies on abstract logic and environmental navigation.

REVEIL is a narrative first-person psycho-thriller game that focuses on story, puzzles and exploration. Find out what’s going on inside Walter Thompson and what his dark past at the Nelson Bros Circus has to do with it.

Why similar: Surreal 20.1%, Puzzle 14.5%, Exploration 11.6%, Walking Simulator 11.1%, First-Person 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: This game blends first-person exploration with surreal, puzzle-driven sequences in a highly atmospheric setting.

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 17.3%, Atmospheric 16.6%, Exploration 15.7%, Mystery 14.9%, First-Person 12.5%

Why You'll Like It: It excels at atmospheric, non-linear exploration, allowing the player to piece together a mystery through environmental clues.

Join Norah, a woman plagued by a mysterious illness, in her search for her missing husband in this adventure puzzle game set on a lush island paradise. Immerse yourself in stunning visuals and unlock forbidden secrets in a moving tale of mystery and love.

Why similar: Puzzle 22.9%, Surreal 15.2%, First-Person 12.9%, Exploration 11.4%, Atmospheric 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: A beautiful, puzzle-heavy adventure that focuses on exploring a mysterious, isolated location to uncover a hidden truth.

Cylne is a first person surreal exploration game having a poetic and philosophical side. Explore and feel unreal worlds filled with environmental enigmas to try to achieve the chapter called "The Choice"...

Why similar: Puzzle 21%, Exploration 17.9%, First-Person 13.9%, Atmospheric 11.8%, Surreal 11.7%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on exploration and puzzle-solving within a surreal, first-person environment that feels distinct and mysterious.

A mysterious invitation leads to the attic of an abandoned house. In the room is a cast-iron safe laced with strange carvings and on top, a note from your distant companion. It promises something ancient and astonishing concealed in the iron chamber - you need only find a way in.

Why similar: Puzzle 56.6%, Mystery 15.4%, Atmospheric 12%, First-Person 4.6%, Indie 3.8%

Why You'll Like It: While more contained, it focuses on the tactile, mechanical satisfaction of solving intricate puzzles that feel ancient and mysterious.

They have no names, only serial numbers. They have no freedom, no memories from the past. You are one of them. Explore the last center of civilization on a shattered Earth to understand what is really going on.

Why similar: Exploration 25.1%, Walking Simulator 18.3%, Atmospheric 16.9%, Mystery 14%, Indie 13.5%

Why You'll Like It: It emphasizes a slow, atmospheric journey through a quiet world, perfect for fans of Kairo's pacing.

Explore a unique and connected world. Understand its fragile balance, uncover its deepest questions, and find more than just the answers.

Why similar: Puzzle 21.4%, Surreal 13.8%, First-Person 12.8%, Exploration 12.5%, Mystery 9.2%

'The Guest' is a gloomy adventure full of enigmas where the exploration of your surroundings comes to prominence; puzzles, secrets and riddles will help you discover who has locked you in this somber hotel room and most importantly, why.

Why similar: Puzzle 33.9%, Mystery 12.7%, Atmospheric 11.8%, First-Person 11.3%, Indie 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-focused adventure that traps the player in a mysterious, atmospheric environment filled with hidden secrets.

Relicta is a first-person physics-based puzzle game where you need to creatively combine magnetism and gravity to unravel the secrets of Chandra Base.

Why similar: Puzzle 37.9%, Exploration 32.6%, First-Person 25.6%, Singleplayer 3.9%

Why You'll Like It: This physics-based puzzle game features a striking, isolated sci-fi setting that rewards careful exploration and experimentation.

Experience liminal spaces like never before. Dreamcore is the ultimate psychological exploration game, set in the largest liminal world ever made. No guides, no path—only intuition. Will you keep your bearings in a world designed to make you lose them?

Why similar: Surreal 25.3%, Exploration 15.4%, Walking Simulator 12.6%, First-Person 11.8%, Atmospheric 9.8%

CoRoT is a first-person psychological meta-horror game. Search for cassettes in a transforming house, unraveling its macabre past. A sinister atmosphere surrounds you as you try to understand what's happening and where you really are. Can you discover the truth hidden in its walls?

Why similar: Surreal 27.4%, Puzzle 18.4%, Exploration 11.6%, Atmospheric 10.7%, Walking Simulator 10.4%

Kaisuo is a single-player puzzle game about opening Chinese puzzle boxes that unlock surreal worlds. Journey through a strange landscape and discover new uses to familiar objects. Slide open panels, discover secret compartments and change the way you see the world.

Why similar: Surreal 24.9%, Puzzle 18%, Exploration 15%, Atmospheric 9.8%, VR 8.9%

DREAM LOGIC is a story driven first-person atmospheric horror game which takes place in liminal spaces. Explore various nostalgic, dreamlike, uncanny environments. But don't feel too safe, there's a sneaky creature watching your every move.

Why similar: Puzzle 18.5%, Exploration 17.2%, Atmospheric 13.9%, Walking Simulator 11.6%, Mystery 10.7%

Sans Logique is a first-person game that blends puzzle and adventure gameplay. You'll explore different dreamlike worlds, discover the story of your character, and solve some original puzzles.

Why similar: Surreal 26.1%, Puzzle 22.5%, Exploration 15.7%, First-Person 11.3%, Walking Simulator 11%

A first-person puzzle game. Simply walk to the door.

Why similar: Puzzle 25.9%, Abstract 25.5%, Surreal 19%, First-Person 12.1%, Indie 6.8%

Andarin Weppes is a first person puzzle experience of a man with ever advancing dementia...

Why similar: Abstract 22.5%, Surreal 17.5%, Puzzle 13.4%, Exploration 9.7%, Atmospheric 8.4%

Hiiro is a 2D platform game focused on ambient exploration and puzzle solving. Discover a grand world filled with mysterious artifacts and forgotten ruins. Become immersed in relaxing gameplay and meditative music. Remain observant as you unravel an explanation for your solitude.

Why similar: Adventure 35%, Puzzle 23.9%, Exploration 19.2%, Indie 9.6%, Atmospheric 9.4%

After losing consciousness, I found myself in a strange room. An unknown figure guided me deeper into the room. "I thought you would make it this far." Eventually, I saw a past I had forgotten... "monoch room" is an adventure game with puzzle elements.

Why similar: Surreal 21.6%, Puzzle 19.8%, Exploration 14.9%, First-Person 12.6%, Mystery 9.2%

Liminal Shift is a unique atmospheric suspense game developed using the latest Unreal Engine 5 technologies such as Lumen and Nanite. With every step you take, Liminal Shift pushes you deeper into an eerie, unsettling experience like no other.

Why similar: Abstract 23.8%, Surreal 18.3%, First-Person 13.4%, Walking Simulator 10.1%, Exploration 10%

Exit the Abyss is a psychological horror game where you are trapped in an abandoned, haunted hospital. The game focuses on an oppressive atmosphere, exploration, and mysteries, with minimalist puzzle elements. Immerse yourself in a distorted reality, confront your fears, and find the way out!

Why similar: Surreal 18.5%, Puzzle 16.8%, Exploration 13.9%, Mystery 11%, Walking Simulator 11%

A knowledge-based progression game. Explore and solve the strange misteries of the interconnected fantasy worlds trapped inside an esoteric book and discover the roots of a terrible evil. No stats, no log, no savefiles. Only pure knowledge is your progress.

Why similar: Exploration 24.2%, Puzzle 24.1%, Mystery 15.7%, Atmospheric 9.6%, Adventure 7.6%

Andarin Weppes is a first person puzzle experience of a man with ever advancing dementia...

Why similar: Abstract 24.8%, Surreal 18.7%, Puzzle 15.7%, Atmospheric 10%, First-Person 7.9%

The Sojourn is a first-person puzzle game set in an immersive colour-drenched world of light and darkness. Think your way through dozens of puzzles as you traverse parallel worlds, awaken mysterious artifacts and overcome challenging obstacles on an unforgettable journey.

Why similar: Surreal 21.1%, Puzzle 18.7%, First-Person 11.7%, Atmospheric 11.1%, Exploration 9.9%

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 17.5%, Atmospheric 17.3%, Puzzle 13.8%, Surreal 13.3%, Adventure 12.1%

FRACT is a musical exploration game. You arrive in a forgotten place and explore the vast and unfamiliar landscape to discover the secrets of a world built on sound. You rebuild its machinery by solving puzzles and bring the world back to life by shaping sound and creating music in the game.

Why similar: Puzzle 26.3%, Exploration 18.5%, First-Person 13.9%, Abstract 12.7%, Indie 8.5%

Experience Will's complicated story, find a way out of the nightmare of liminal spaces by solving challenging puzzles and avoiding dangerous entities — all this awaits you in "Shifting To The Backrooms".

Why similar: Puzzle 19.5%, Surreal 19.1%, Exploration 14.3%, First-Person 12.4%, Walking Simulator 10.7%

Rememoried is an independent video game, a virtual place where memories change to dreams and the only possible way is forgetting, which becomes a mechanism for proceeding to the next layer of dreams. The Surrealist explorative first-person adventure game.

Why similar: Abstract 21.3%, Surreal 19.2%, Puzzle 10.5%, Exploration 7.9%, First-Person 7.5%

A psychological first-person horror game where you enter a memory-erasing protocol and relive a trauma. Uncover dark secrets, and experience fear through immersive atmosphere.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 24.4%, Atmospheric 21.5%, First-Person 18.4%, Puzzle 11.2%, Horror 9.7%

Embark on a journey of anomalies and repetition in "Prison Loop," a captivating indie puzzle game. Trapped in a mysterious temporal loop within a high-security prison, your objective is to observe anomalies throughout the environment.

Why similar: Surreal 21.8%, Puzzle 16.5%, Exploration 13.4%, Walking Simulator 11.6%, First-Person 11.3%

Explore and admire while navigate through eerie, surreal environments inspired by the Backrooms lore. Explore this uncanny world lost in time and get lost in the otherworldly architecture in a world where reality bends and your sanity is tested.

Why similar: Surreal 24.4%, Exploration 20.1%, Walking Simulator 19.5%, Atmospheric 16.3%, Mystery 10.9%

Walking simulator. Explore, admire and listen. Uncanny. Relaxing. Unnerving. Eerie. Immersive. No monsters chasing you or jumping at your screen, but can feel oppressive at times by invoking fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and liminal space architecture. Inspired by backrooms.

Why similar: Surreal 26.1%, Walking Simulator 16.9%, Exploration 16.1%, Atmospheric 14.6%, First-Person 12.9%

You don't know how you got here, and you don't know how you'll leave. Wander the depths of the Backrooms in hopes of finding something more.

Why similar: Surreal 35.8%, Exploration 22%, Atmospheric 16.7%, Adventure 6.7%, First-Person 6%

You will have to face hundreds of different doors, and decide which one you should go to in order to get to the main secret. You have to open the doors in many locations of this world, each of which is dedicated to its type of doors.

Why similar: Abstract 20.2%, Puzzle 15.8%, Surreal 14.1%, Exploration 9.7%, Indie 7.6%

Firmament is a new puzzle-adventure game by the legendary game studio behind the best-selling games Myst and Riven. Featuring deep storytelling and world-building, discover the story of this seemingly abandoned world as you explore and unlock the mysteries of 3 unique Realms… and beyond!

Why similar: Puzzle 25.4%, Exploration 19.2%, Mystery 12.8%, Walking Simulator 12.8%, VR 10.9%

Seybul Tech is a walking simulator. Navigate as an office employee, confronting peculiar encounters while in search of an exit from this enigmatic abyss.

Why similar: Surreal 26.8%, Abstract 14.8%, Walking Simulator 14.2%, Exploration 14.1%, Mystery 7.1%

Explore your surroundings as the protagonist of your own horror story as you immerse yourself in this tense VR thriller set in America’s Deep South. Navigate your way through your memories, piecing together the clues and puzzles, to solve the mystery of how you have awoken in the sinister Greenwater Institute, known only as Patient No.

Why similar: VR 27.6%, Puzzle 25%, Horror 11%, Indie 9.8%, Exploration 9.3%

An exploration game that delves into the depths of loneliness. Wander through empty rooms, search for signs of an abandoned world, and listen to the sounds around you. No dangerous chases, just silence and an empty world to explore.

Why similar: Surreal 27.5%, Exploration 18.8%, Walking Simulator 15%, First-Person 13.7%, Atmospheric 10.2%

In Elevator Zero, a first-person exploration and puzzle game, you find yourself trapped in an otherworldly dimension. Escape is possible only through the elevator.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.8%, First-Person 25.2%, Mystery 14.9%, Exploration 13.2%, Horror 8.5%