Games Like Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth

Step into a living illustrated world in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the Bavarian Alps.

Why similar: Medieval 18.4%, Point & Click 14.8%, Interactive Fiction 14.7%, Historical 13.5%, Story Rich 12.5%

Why You'll Like It: Like The Pillars of the Earth, this game features a rich historical setting and a narrative where your choices have long-lasting consequences on the community.

A narrative-driven hardcore RPG set in a gritty world ruled by real but unrelenting gods. Set out on a challenging lifetime journey, where every choice has a price and entails consequences. Will you become an inquisitor, a judge, or conspire against the old order? Dare to decide!

Why similar: Choices Matter 31.4%, Interactive Fiction 15.6%, Visual Novel 14.9%, Medieval 13.1%, Story Rich 12.7%

Why You'll Like It: A deep, text-heavy interactive fiction game that mirrors the moral weight and medieval societal struggles found in the seed game.

These are troubling times, Your Grace. The petitioners’ petty matters exceed our limited resources, to say nothing of the war. A careful balance must be struck. Your throne awaits.

Why similar: Medieval 32.6%, Choices Matter 28.6%, Story Rich 13.6%, Historical 12.3%, Indie 3.8%

Why You'll Like It: This game captures the medieval management and difficult moral decision-making required to keep a kingdom afloat.

Experience a Narrative Adventure where your choices and character growth truly matter. As a member of a 1793 secret society, live a tale of intrigue and manipulation on the hunt for your missing mother.

Why similar: Choices Matter 44%, Story Rich 18.2%, Adventure 12.3%, Historical 10.2%, Point & Click 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative adventure focuses heavily on social manipulation and complex choices that alter the branching story path.

Follow the grim tale of young Amicia and her little brother Hugo, in a heartrending journey through the darkest hours of history.

Why similar: Medieval 34.3%, Story Rich 24.5%, Adventure 10.1%, Historical 8.8%, Great Soundtrack 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a similarly grounded, emotional, and high-stakes narrative set against a dark, historically-inspired medieval backdrop.

Live through an epic role-playing Viking saga where your strategic choices directly affect your personal journey. Make allies as you travel with your caravan across this stunning yet harsh landscape. Carefully choose those who will help fight a new threat that jeopardizes an entire civilization.

Why similar: Choices Matter 33.9%, Story Rich 19.7%, Great Soundtrack 12.1%, Adventure 9.2%, Atmospheric 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: This tactical RPG emphasizes difficult choices and character-driven storytelling in a harsh, unforgiving world.

Embark on a quest for identity through time, as you piece together the puzzle of two lives.

Why similar: Point & Click 35.3%, Story Rich 18.2%, Choices Matter 13.2%, Historical 12.3%, Adventure 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: A beautifully crafted point-and-click adventure that excels in environmental storytelling and emotional character arcs.

In Memoria, players travel through different time periods, following two distinct protagonists: Sadja, a southern princess who wants to be a war hero, and Geron, a bird catcher who wants to lift a curse from his girlfriend.

Why similar: Point & Click 54.7%, Adventure 18.7%, Story Rich 18.1%, Singleplayer 2.3%, Atmospheric 1.8%

Why You'll Like It: A classic point-and-click adventure that shares the fantasy-historical depth and puzzle-solving mechanics of the seed game.

Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is a groundbreaking role playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.

Why similar: Choices Matter 32.1%, Story Rich 20.6%, Point & Click 19.5%, Visual Novel 13.3%, Atmospheric 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: While more RPG-focused, its unparalleled depth in dialogue and choice-driven narrative makes it a perfect match for fans of interactive fiction.

11th November 1916, a young photographer leaves Canada to join the western front in Europe. The same day, a German technician is told that his son is missing in action. Both want to preserve their humanity and come back alive to their loved ones.

Why similar: Historical 26.9%, Story Rich 24.5%, Adventure 20.8%, Great Soundtrack 10.2%, Casual 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: This historical narrative game uses a unique art style to tell a poignant, character-focused story during wartime.

From the makers of the 2012 Game of the Year: The Walking Dead, comes a thriller based on the award-winning Fables comic books. As Bigby Wolf you will discover that a brutal, bloody murder is just a taste of things to come in a game series where your every decision can have enormous consequences.

Why similar: Point & Click 23.3%, Choices Matter 23%, Visual Novel 20.3%, Story Rich 14.8%, Adventure 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A quintessential choice-driven narrative game that excels at building tension through dialogue and investigation.

Detroit: Become Human puts the destiny of both mankind and androids in your hands, taking you to a near future where machines have become more intelligent than humans. Every choice you make affects the outcome of the game, with one of the most intricately branching narratives ever created.

Why similar: Choices Matter 54.2%, Story Rich 26.6%, Great Soundtrack 6.7%, Adventure 4.3%, Atmospheric 3.6%

Why You'll Like It: It is a premier example of a branching narrative where every player choice significantly alters the fate of the characters.

Forge your own path and embark on a perilous journey on board a ship of Thorwal raiders in this epic tale set in the award-winning world of The Dark Eye RPG.

Why similar: Choices Matter 18.1%, Medieval 17%, Visual Novel 16.2%, Interactive Fiction 14.1%, Historical 10%

Why You'll Like It: A visual novel-style interactive fiction game that leans heavily into choice-based consequences.

Story-driven open-world RPG that immerses you in an epic adventure in the Holy Roman Empire. Avenge your parents' death as you battle invading forces, go on game-changing quests, and make influential choices. Explore castles, forests, villages and other realistic settings in medieval Bohemia!

Why similar: Medieval 44.8%, Choices Matter 13%, Historical 13%, Story Rich 11.7%, Adventure 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: For those who want a more immersive, open-world simulation of the medieval life depicted in the seed game.

The classic multi-award winning adventure "Broken Sword - the Shadow of the Templars" returns with glorious 4K visuals and iconic remastered audio, pitching intrepid tourist George Stobbart and fearless journalist Nico Collard into a journey of perilous adventures and ancient conspiracies.

Why similar: Point & Click 42%, Historical 20%, Story Rich 16.5%, Adventure 8%, Hand-drawn 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: A definitive point-and-click experience that balances historical mystery with engaging character interactions.

Experience a gripping psychological thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns. The hunt is on for a murderer known only as the Origami Killer. Four characters, each following their own leads, must take part in a desperate attempt to prevent the killer from claiming a new victim.

Why similar: Choices Matter 47.5%, Story Rich 23.1%, Interactive Fiction 14.7%, Adventure 6.6%, Atmospheric 3.9%

Why You'll Like It: This cinematic adventure focuses on investigation and moral dilemmas that directly impact the survival of its protagonists.

Join Kate Walker as she travels to remote locations and time periods in this timeless voyage to discover her true destiny.

Why similar: Point & Click 49.2%, Adventure 19.3%, Story Rich 12.3%, Atmospheric 6.2%, Casual 4.2%

Why You'll Like It: The classic point-and-click adventure that set the standard for atmospheric, story-rich puzzle games.

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: Point & Click 45.3%, Interactive Fiction 18.6%, Story Rich 10.8%, Adventure 9.9%, Atmospheric 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: A folk-horror point-and-click adventure that excels at building a slow-burn, atmospheric mystery.

A deep, interactive adventure about love and loss, beautifully depicted and offering an intense cinematic experience. What would you do to save the one you love?

Why similar: Choices Matter 29.1%, Story Rich 22.9%, Great Soundtrack 14%, Adventure 12.4%, Atmospheric 11%

Why You'll Like It: An emotional, story-rich adventure that explores the consequences of changing the past through choices.

Roleplaying in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism. Live the life of an escaped worker, washed-up on a lawless station at the edge of an interstellar society. Inspired by the flexibility and freedom of TTRPGs, explore the station, choose your friends, escape your past and change your future.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 34.8%, Story Rich 28.1%, Atmospheric 10.8%, Adventure 10.7%, Hand-drawn 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative-driven RPG focuses on survival and choice, capturing the feeling of living through a complex, interconnected story.

NORCO is a dialogue-focused point & click adventure that immerses the player in the sinking suburbs and industrial swamplands of an increasingly surreal and distorted South Louisiana.

Why similar: Point & Click 50.1%, Story Rich 25.2%, Atmospheric 11.7%, Adventure 9.5%, Singleplayer 2.7%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal point-and-click adventure that prioritizes deep, atmospheric writing and a strong sense of place.

Face your Destiny! In Andergast, whose inhabitants are considered to be superstitious, King Efferdan awaits a state visit from high-ranking dignitaries. For centuries the kingdom has been at odds with neighboring Nostria, but now first steps are being undertaken toward a lasting peace.

Why similar: Point & Click 58.1%, Adventure 16.2%, Story Rich 10.7%, Medieval 6.5%, Great Soundtrack 3.9%

Why You'll Like It: Another strong entry in the point-and-click genre that features a deep, fantasy-based narrative.

Hitchhike your way to freedom in this crazy procedurally generated road trip. No one's road is the same!

Why similar: Choices Matter 36.7%, Story Rich 20.8%, Interactive Fiction 18.1%, Adventure 10.4%, Atmospheric 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: A procedural narrative game where your choices determine the outcome of a journey through a politically charged landscape.

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: Story Rich 31.3%, Adventure 17.9%, Historical 17.8%, Atmospheric 11.5%, Female Protagonist 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative-focused adventure game emphasizes exploration and puzzle-solving within a deeply personal story.

Rethink human’s dominion in The Invincible: a story-driven adventure set in a hard sci-fi world by Stanisław Lem. Discover planet Regis III as scientist Yasna, use atompunk tools looking for a missing crew and face unforeseen threats. Make choices in a philosophical story that’s driven by science.

Why similar: Choices Matter 37.5%, Interactive Fiction 22.7%, Story Rich 18.9%, Adventure 13.3%, Female Protagonist 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-heavy adventure that focuses on player agency and discovery in a beautifully realized, atmospheric setting.

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: Story Rich 42.9%, Atmospheric 14.1%, Great Soundtrack 13%, Visual Novel 11.4%, Adventure 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: A masterpiece of narrative design that tells a multi-generational story through unique, character-focused vignettes.

A unique psychological action thriller delivered by A-list Hollywood performances by Elliot Page and Willem Dafoe, Beyond: Two Souls takes you on a thrilling journey across the globe as you play out the remarkable life of Jodie Holmes.

Why similar: Choices Matter 47%, Story Rich 24.4%, Adventure 11.8%, Great Soundtrack 5.1%, Female Protagonist 4.6%

Why You'll Like It: A cinematic, choice-heavy game that focuses on the life and struggles of a single protagonist.

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: Story Rich 37.4%, Adventure 18.8%, Atmospheric 17.5%, Great Soundtrack 15.9%, Indie 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-driven adventure that relies on dialogue and environmental storytelling to build a compelling mystery.

A card game in a Medieval setting where you make decisions on which not only your life will depend, but also the future of the kingdom!

Why similar: Medieval 38.2%, Choices Matter 36.9%, Adventure 7%, Indie 4.5%, Casual 4.4%

Play as three intrepid paladins through a terrible war of succession to save a sinister medieval kingdom from political turmoil. Pick a side amongst noble families to choose the future monarch and crush those who stand in your way through board-shattering tactical card combat!

Why similar: Medieval 17.6%, Point & Click 17.3%, Choices Matter 15%, Interactive Fiction 13.1%, Visual Novel 12.7%

Can you save Silence, the grim, but also serene world between life and death? Can you help Noah find his little sister Renie in this suffering world? Can you bring her home? Explore Silence and join the siblings on their adventurous journey.

Why similar: Point & Click 52.7%, Adventure 20.1%, Story Rich 14.9%, Great Soundtrack 8.8%, Indie 1.7%

Seers Isle is a narrative game, set in a fantasy version of medieval northern Europe, where your choices impact the fate of a group of characters.

Why similar: Choices Matter 20.5%, Visual Novel 19.5%, Interactive Fiction 16%, Story Rich 13.4%, Great Soundtrack 6.4%

A narrative-driven hardcore RPG set in a gritty world where the gods are real. Set out on a challenging lifetime journey, where every choice you make has a price to pay and consequence to it. Will you become an inquisitor, a judge, or conspire against the old order? Dare to decide!

Why similar: Medieval 23%, Visual Novel 19.7%, Interactive Fiction 18.3%, Choices Matter 17.7%, Story Rich 10.2%

You are an Administrator serving your probationary period in a medieval town. Make decisions to affect the town's reputation, order, military and supplies. Choose wisely to deal with bandits, famines, cultists and plagues. The most difficult choices will decide the fate of your town!

Why similar: Medieval 28.7%, Choices Matter 21.1%, Visual Novel 14.6%, Interactive Fiction 13.8%, Story Rich 11%

The award-winning adventure continues in Banner Saga 2! This epic, story-based, role-playing game continues its emotional journey across a breaking world. Bold leadership decisions, wise use of resources, and skillful battle tactics are vital to ensure your viking clans make it through alive.

Why similar: Choices Matter 33.2%, Story Rich 28%, Great Soundtrack 8.6%, Atmospheric 7.9%, Medieval 5.7%

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

Why similar: Adventure 28.6%, Great Soundtrack 20%, Atmospheric 16.1%, Indie 10.8%, Story Rich 10.6%

The ABC Murders is an adventure and investigation game adapted from the classic Agatha Christie novel. You are the famous private detective Hercule Poirot and, once again, you find yourself up against a mysterious serial killer who goes by the name of "ABC".

Why similar: Based On A Novel 41.1% ★, Point & Click 16.6%, Visual Novel 14%, Choices Matter 12.3%, Story Rich 7.4%

Misericorde: Volume One is the first part of a series of mystery visual novels set in a convent in 1482.

Why similar: Medieval 36.5%, Visual Novel 30.6%, Historical 11.6%, Adventure 8.8%, Story Rich 5.1%

Crazy Machines 3 is the latest, greatest, most amazing and craziest part of the series and fascinates once more with physic-based puzzles. Build your own crazy machines and share your awesomeness across the world thanks to the Steam® Workshop.

Why similar: Casual 53.7%, Singleplayer 46.3%

Styx returns in a new stealth adventure! Explore and master huge open environments, sneak past or assassinate new enemies and bosses, and experiment with the new array of lethal abilities and weapons in our goblin assassin's arsenal.

Why similar: Story Rich 41.1%, Adventure 20%, Atmospheric 18.9%, Violent 12.8%, Singleplayer 6.1%

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: Visual Novel 27.4%, Interactive Fiction 23.4%, Medieval 23.2%, Adventure 9.7%, Story Rich 8.4%

Turn-based kingdom management simulator focused on decision-making. Will you survive and lead the kingdom to prosperity, or die in agony? The throne awaits.

Why similar: Medieval 33.5%, Choices Matter 25.7%, Visual Novel 14%, Historical 12.6%, Story Rich 9.2%

Acceleration of SUGURI 2 is a lightning-paced duel-style shoot'em'up from Orange Juice, featuring all favorite characters from the SUGURI universe.

Why similar: Female Protagonist 56.9%, Singleplayer 32.8%, 2D 10.2%

„The Lion's Song: Episode 1 – Silence" draws the player into the life of a talented young composer, Wilma, preparing for her breakthrough concert, the defining moment of her career. Searching for inspiration she escapes from the pressure for success to the solitude of the Austrian Alps.

Why similar: Point & Click 23.5%, Choices Matter 21.7%, Story Rich 11.9%, Visual Novel 11.1%, Indie 9.7%

State of Mind is a futuristic thriller game delving into transhumanism. The game explores themes of separation, disjuncture and reunification, in a world that is torn between a dystopian material reality and a utopian virtual future.

Why similar: Story Rich 36.1%, Adventure 17.4%, Visual Novel 15.6%, Interactive Fiction 15.1%, Indie 5.7%

Figment is an action-adventure game that invites you to explore a unique surreal universe filled with music, humor and multi layered narrative. Join Dusty and his ever-optimistic friend, Piper, on an adventure through the different sides of the mind seeking to restore the courage that's been lost.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 23.8%, Story Rich 21.1%, Adventure 19%, Atmospheric 11.2%, Indie 8.3%

Shadow Tactics is a hardcore tactical stealth game set in Japan around the Edo period. A new Shogun seizes power over Japan and enforces nationwide peace. In his battle against conspiracy and rebellion, he recruits five specialists with extraordinary skills for assassination, sabotage and espionage.

Why similar: Historical 48.4%, Indie 14.5%, Atmospheric 10.7%, Singleplayer 9.8%, Violent 9.3%

Hardcore survival RPG with non-linear story that lets you play as a young medieval soldier who over the course of battles and adventures becomes the most formidable and respected knight of his era. Or, if he’s not lucky enough, perishes in the chaos of the Hundred Years' War.

Why similar: Medieval 26.6%, Choices Matter 23.1%, Interactive Fiction 14.9%, Historical 13%, Story Rich 12%

An archaeologist uncovers a lost history in an ancient space Nebula. Award-winning narrative adventure game with hieroglyphic language puzzles, from the creators of 80 DAYS.

Why similar: Point & Click 23.9%, Choices Matter 21.8%, Interactive Fiction 16.3%, Story Rich 7.4%, Adventure 7.3%

The Ballad Singer is an asymmetric adventure, inspired by RPGs and game books, where you can experience many dynamic stories. Forge the fate of Hesperia through the stories of four different adventurers in a fantasy world completely illustrated and narrated.

Why similar: Based On A Novel 35.5% ★, Visual Novel 13.1%, Choices Matter 12.5%, Point & Click 9.3%, Interactive Fiction 9.3%

Experience a fantastic adventure with unique gameplay that blends investigation, action and exploration in a breath-taking thriller that will test the limits of your nerves and intelligence. Play as the great detective and track down evil in the darkest corners of London and the human soul…

Why similar: Point & Click 28.5%, Choices Matter 25.1%, Story Rich 20.3%, Adventure 12%, Atmospheric 7.8%

Prepare to be enchanted by a world where the choices you make and the paths you choose shape your destiny. Obsidian Entertainment, the developer of Fallout: New Vegas™ and South Park: The Stick of Truth™, together with Paradox Interactive is proud to present Pillars of Eternity.

Why similar: Story Rich 47.3%, Adventure 10.6%, Great Soundtrack 9.3%, Choices Matter 9%, RPG 8.8%

Discover a brand new RPG from the creators of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Facing an imminent invasion, Meve — war-veteran and Queen of Lyria and Rivia — is forced to once again enter the warpath and set out on a dark journey of destruction and revenge.

Why similar: Choices Matter 23.9%, Story Rich 23.6%, Adventure 14.5%, Medieval 14.2%, Great Soundtrack 9.4%

The hottest bird lawyering game to come out of 1840s France! Join Jayjay Falcon and his witty apprentice, Sparrowson, as the two take on clients, interview witnesses, collect evidence, and deliver justice to the guilty.

Why similar: Visual Novel 41.4%, Story Rich 16.3%, Choices Matter 12.2%, Adventure 10.3%, Historical 5.6%

Old Man’s Journey, a soul-searching puzzle adventure, tells a story of life, loss, and hope. Interacting with the world around you, you'll shape the landscape to create the old man's path forward. Experience heartache and hope as you embark on a heartfelt journey through a sunkissed world.

Why similar: Point & Click 29.9%, Story Rich 19.2%, Interactive Fiction 18.1%, Adventure 9.1%, Atmospheric 7.3%

Haunt a suit of armour. Explore an abandoned castle. Recover your memories... and bring the ghosts of the past to rest in this melancholy visual novel about love, family and regret.

Why similar: Visual Novel 21.4%, Medieval 21.4%, Point & Click 20.7%, Choices Matter 14.3%, Story Rich 7.6%

The massive sequel to the original cult classic! Plan your menu, decorate your restaurant, cook hundreds of foods, and for the first time ever - earn medals by mastering dozens of themed restaurants!

Why similar: Casual 68.8%, Singleplayer 20.5%, 2D 10.7%

Unrest is a role playing adventure game set in a fantasy interpretation of ancient India that adapts to death, failure, and the choices you make. Play as ordinary people in a struggle for safety, freedom, and a chance at peace. Use conversation, manipulation (and rarely, violence) to achieve your goals.

Why similar: Point & Click 21.5%, Visual Novel 18.4%, Interactive Fiction 16.2%, Choices Matter 16.1%, Historical 10.3%