- #1 The House in Fata Morgana
97% matchVery Positive95% of 6,041 reviews2016
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 27.3 hrs≥1hr: 84%
A gothic suspense tale set in a cursed mansion. "The House in Fata Morgana" is a full-length visual novel spanning nearly a millennium that deals in tragedy, human nature, and insanity.
Why similar: Gothic 21.5% ★, Great Soundtrack 11.2%, Visual Novel 8.7%, Psychological Horror 8.2%, Mystery 8.1%
Why You'll Like It: A gothic, story-rich visual novel that excels at creating a haunting, melancholic atmosphere centered on memory and tragedy.
- #2 Raging Loop
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 9,674 reviews2017
Dev: KEMCO
Windows
Median: 23.9 hrsMean: 58.6 hrs≥1hr: 84%
The feast has begun, can you escape the village alive?
Why similar: Visual Novel 19.6%, Mystery 15.3%, Psychological Horror 14.5%, Psychological 13.5%, Gore 9.6%
Why You'll Like It: A gripping psychological thriller that uses a time-loop mechanic to explore dark mysteries in a secluded, tradition-bound village.
- #3 Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 2,634 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 13.9 hrsMean: 40.4 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Umineko When They Cry is the 2nd series of Sound Novel released by 07th Expansion. The steam version features renewed character sprites which is swappable from the classic art.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 26.9%, Mystery 15.4%, Visual Novel 14%, Story Rich 8.6%, Psychological 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: This masterpiece of mystery and psychological horror shares the surreal, lore-heavy atmosphere and intense narrative depth found in the seed game.
- #4 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi
95% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 6,215 reviews2015
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 21.9 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Psychological 21.1%, Visual Novel 18.6%, Mystery 15.6%, Anime 11.9%, Dark 9.6%
Why You'll Like It: Like the seed game, this title focuses on the creeping dread of an isolated town where secrets and paranoia slowly unravel.
- #5 The Song of Saya
94% matchVery Positive90% of 9,092 reviews2019
Dev: NitroplusPub: JAST
Windows
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 56.3 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Bear witness to a love that will change the world, in this classic horror romance visual novel from acclaimed writer Urobuchi Gen.
Why similar: Gore 19.6%, Psychological Horror 15.9%, Visual Novel 14.9%, Nudity 9%, Great Soundtrack 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: This game is a quintessential example of surreal, gore-filled psychological horror that challenges the player's perception of reality.
- #6 Corpse Party
94% matchVery Positive89% of 1,369 reviews2016
Dev: GrisGrisPub: XSEED Games
Windows · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 17.3 hrs≥1hr: 81%
A group of friends unknowingly perform an occult ritual that traps them in an otherworldly elementary school. Here, the vengeful spirits of young children threaten their lives and their sanity, and the only hope of survival is to uncover the chilling details behind the murders of those trapped before them...
Why similar: Horror 19.5%, Gore 16.2%, Anime 12.8%, Psychological Horror 12.3%, Visual Novel 9.4%
Why You'll Like It: This title perfectly captures the blend of gore, supernatural mystery, and psychological terror within an isolated, hostile environment.
- #7 Tiny Bunny
91% matchVery Positive83% of 29,932 reviews2025
Dev: SaikonoPub: Serenity Forge
Windows · Mac
Median: 8.5 hrsMean: 12.6 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Tiny Bunny is a non-linear horror visual novel. Those, who have heard the voice of the forest, are beyond help.
Why similar: Visual Novel 14.1%, Horror 12.2%, Psychological Horror 12%, Dark 11.6%, Gore 10.7%
Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, dark visual novel that uses a snowy, isolated setting to build intense psychological horror and mystery.
- #8 Tokyo Dark
93% matchVery Positive84% of 1,336 reviews2017
Dev: CherrymochiPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Legend tells of a door deep below Tokyo's sewers. All who enter are lost forever. Detective Ito's partner is missing. Explore Tokyo & uncover the darkness that lays beneath the streets in this Point & Click - meets Visual Novel - narrative adventure that questions the very core of Ito's sanity.
Why similar: Visual Novel 12.3%, Anime 12.2%, Psychological Horror 11.2%, Horror 10.8%, Mystery 10.4%
Why You'll Like It: This detective-focused horror game features multiple endings and a heavy emphasis on psychological consequences and urban mystery.
- #9 CHAOS;CHILD
92% matchVery Positive94% of 3,800 reviews2019
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 81.1 hrs≥1hr: 81%
From the creators of the critically acclaimed STEINS;GATE comes a sensational new visual novel: CHAOS;CHILD. Set in Shibuya in 2015, a group of high school students who survived an earthquake six years ago find themselves at the center of a new series of bizarre murders in the city.
Why similar: Visual Novel 13.5%, Gore 12.1%, Mystery 10.6%, Great Soundtrack 10.1%, Psychological Horror 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: A complex mystery visual novel that incorporates gore and psychological tension as the protagonist investigates a series of bizarre murders.
- #10 The Cat Lady
91% matchVery Positive94% of 6,079 reviews2013
Dev: Harvester GamesPub: Screen 7
Windows
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 6.0 hrs≥1hr: 91%
The Cat Lady follows Susan Ashworth, a lonely 40-year old on the verge of suicide. She has no family, no friends and no hope for a better future. One day she discovers that five strangers will come along and change everything...
Why similar: Horror 17.4%, Psychological 17.2%, Psychological Horror 16.3%, Surreal 14.9%, Dark 11.6%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, surreal psychological horror game that deals with themes of death and trauma through a unique, gritty art style.
- #11 Return to Shironagasu Island
90% matchVery Positive94% of 3,990 reviews2020
Dev: HYOGO ONIMUSHIPub: TABINOMICHI
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 14.2 hrs≥1hr: 92%
A mystery adventure game and visual novel set on solitary Shironagasu Island. Discover its secrets, solve its mysteries, and escape from the ominous island!
Why similar: Visual Novel 18.3%, Mystery 17.2%, Horror 12.4%, Thriller 10.1%, Psychological Horror 9.4%
Why You'll Like It: A mystery-adventure game that features a secluded island setting and a tense, horror-filled investigation.
- #12 WORLD OF HORROR
89% matchVery Positive90% of 9,731 reviews2023
Dev: panstaszPub: Ysbryd Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 7.7 hrs≥1hr: 71%
Experience the quiet terror of this 1-bit love letter to Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Navigate a hellish roguelite reality with turn-based combat and unforgiving choices. Experiment with your deck of event cards to discover new forms of cosmic horror in every playthrough. The inevitable awaits...
Why similar: Horror 29.3%, Psychological Horror 26.1%, Mystery 17.1%, Anime 14.2%, Atmospheric 9%
Why You'll Like It: A cosmic horror game that excels at building a surreal, atmospheric mystery through its unique aesthetic and lore-rich narrative.
- #13 Bad Dream: Coma
89% matchVery Positive91% of 2,195 reviews2017
Dev: Desert Fox
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.9 hrsMean: 6.4 hrs≥1hr: 66%
Welcome in Bad Dream: Coma. A point & click game where unique minimalistic art style creates an unforgettable and atmospheric experience. Travel through the surreal and disturbing dreamland where everything depends on your actions. You can't die but you can suffer greatly...
Why similar: Psychological 13.6%, Gore 13.4%, Surreal 12.7%, Multiple Endings 9.7%, Psychological Horror 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: A point-and-click horror game that excels at surreal, nightmare-like imagery and meaningful player choices.
- #14 Wonderful Everyday Down the Rabbit-Hole
87% matchVery Positive93% of 2,444 reviews2017
Dev: KeroQPub: Frontwing USA
Windows
Median: 9.4 hrsMean: 168.3 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Wonderful Everyday is a visual novel with multiple routes which develops a story based on a few concepts: "the sky and the world", "the beginning and the end", "literature and science", "savior and hero", "brother and sister".
Why similar: Psychological Horror 14.6%, Visual Novel 14.3%, Psychological 12.3%, Gore 10.2%, Nudity 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: A philosophical and dark visual novel that explores the nature of reality and human depravity in a deeply surreal way.
- #15 Sound of Drop - fall into poison -
88% matchVery Positive85% of 536 reviews2015
Dev: aiueoKompanyPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 95%
Nestled in the heart of Tokyo, the quaint little aquarium, Manten Aquarium. Numerous urban legends have arisen from here. On the night of the full moon the waters turn to blood and man faced fish lurk within.
Why similar: Gore 19%, Visual Novel 18.6%, Horror 14.6%, Anime 13.2%, Great Soundtrack 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: A horror-themed visual novel set in an aquarium that features a strong emphasis on mystery and gore.
- #16 The Signifier Director's Cut
86% matchVery Positive80% of 333 reviews2020
Dev: PlaymestudioPub: Raw Fury
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 89%
This story-driven adventure follows a mystery of death and despair from reality into the surreal realms of objective memories and subjective experiences. Search the mind, solve puzzles, and unravel the dark truth in this psychological thriller.
Why similar: Thriller 18%, Surreal 15.4%, Psychological Horror 11.3%, Multiple Endings 9.7%, Dark 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on exploring the subconscious mind, blending surreal investigation with psychological thriller elements.
- #17 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
85% matchVery Positive93% of 6,967 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 21.7 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Kidnapped and taken to an unfamiliar location, nine people find themselves forced to participate in a diabolical Nonary Game by an enigmatic mastermind called Zero. Why were they there? Why were they chosen to put their lives on the line? And more importantly, who can be trusted?
Why similar: Visual Novel 14.4%, Mystery 13%, Multiple Endings 11.2%, Choices Matter 10.8%, Psychological Horror 10.5%
Why You'll Like It: A high-stakes thriller that blends escape-room puzzles with a deep, branching narrative full of psychological twists.
- #18 Night Loops
84% matchVery Positive89% of 157 reviews2023
Dev: JiaquariumPub: indie.io
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 3.9 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Journey through the psyche… Welcome to the Seaside Hotel, where the final hour of your night shift awaits. Tend to guests, explore their dreams, and lose your sense of Self – time and again. In this dark, labyrinthine adventure, unravel the path to the truth below.
Why similar: Psychological 18.5%, Psychological Horror 13.3%, Dark 11.1%, Multiple Endings 10.9%, Visual Novel 10.5%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror game that uses a recurring, surreal setting to unravel a dark and mysterious narrative.
- #19 Yomawari: Night Alone
86% matchMostly Positive76% of 2,266 reviews2016
Dev: Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.Pub: NIS America, Inc.
Windows
Median: 5.9 hrsMean: 9.2 hrs≥1hr: 80%
A quiet evening stroll takes a turn for the worse as a tragic accident befalls a little girl and her dog. When her sister goes missing later in the night, the little girl decides to venture out into the eerie darkness to search for her loved ones as evil spirits haunt the alleyways and streets of her once-peaceful town.
Why similar: Horror 34.7%, Great Soundtrack 25%, Anime 15.5%, Gore 12.4%, Adventure 8.4%
Why You'll Like It: This game captures the feeling of being lost in a dark, surreal town where every shadow hides a terrifying mystery.
- #20 Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk
82% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 32,921 reviews2020
Dev: Nikita KryukovPub: Nikita Igorevich Studio
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 24 minMean: 7.2 hrs≥1hr: 11%
A short story about what sort of challenges everyday little things can be. Help the girl buy milk, be the first not to disappoint her.
Why similar: Psychological 23.3%, Psychological Horror 21.8%, Visual Novel 20.7%, Horror 14.4%, Anime 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: A short but incredibly potent surreal experience that dives deep into the fractured psyche of its protagonist.
- #21 Hazy Mind
83% matchVery Positive86% of 318 reviews2024
Dev: betetiro
Windows · Mac · Linux
You can't remember anything, and all you can see is HER. Delve into your story and uncover the truth behind what happened to you and your parents.
Why similar: Psychological 18.5%, Psychological Horror 14.6%, Visual Novel 11.9%, Multiple Endings 10.4%, Choices Matter 9.2%
Why You'll Like It: A psychedelic, psychological horror game that mirrors the memory-focused, surreal nature of the seed game.
- #22 Gore Screaming Show
84% matchVery Positive88% of 145 reviews2022
Dev: Black CycPub: JAST
Windows
A deeply unsettling visual novel following a boy who returns to his hometown expecting to find peace; however, it isn't long before his hopes are dashed by the monster known as Gore Screaming Show.
Why similar: Thriller 17.1%, Surreal 14%, Psychological Horror 11.4%, Visual Novel 9.4%, Anime 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: A brutal psychological horror visual novel that leans heavily into the supernatural and thriller aspects of its narrative.
- #23 Slender Threads
81% matchVery Positive91% of 589 reviews2025
Dev: Blyts
Windows · Mac · Linux
In this paranormal point-and-click adventure, a traveling salesman races to stop a string of horrific deaths in a quiet seaside town—before he’s next.
Why similar: Gore 19.9%, Psychological Horror 10.7%, Horror 10.5%, Psychological 9.7%, Surreal 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: A point-and-click adventure that focuses on dark, atmospheric mystery and gore in a small, unsettling town.
- #24 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.2 Watanagashi
82% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 1,766 reviews2015
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 17.1 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 14.4%, Psychological Horror 11.6%, Mystery 11.2%, Horror 10.8%, Anime 9.3%
Why You'll Like It: A direct continuation of the horror mystery that deepens the lore and psychological stakes of the village setting.
- #25 Doki Doki Literature Club!
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 219,150 reviews2017
Dev: Team Salvato
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 38.2 hrs≥1hr: 74%
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
Why similar: Psychological Horror 21.3%, Visual Novel 15.1%, Anime 13.4%, Great Soundtrack 11.9%, Horror 10.9%
Why You'll Like It: A meta-horror experience that subverts expectations to deliver a deeply unsettling psychological narrative.
- #26 MAMIYA
80% matchVery Positive93% of 444 reviews2021
Dev: Kenkou LandPub: Fruitbat Factory
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 12.1 hrs≥1hr: 86%
MAMIYA is a captivating, dark mystery visual novel in which a group of young men struggle against existential dread before the end of the world.
Why similar: Psychological Horror 16.1%, Visual Novel 13.9%, Multiple Endings 10.6%, Choices Matter 9.8%, Mystery 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: A surreal, psychological visual novel that deals with the themes of loss and memory in a hauntingly beautiful way.
- #27 Magical Eyes - Red is for Anguish
81% matchVery Positive81% of 69 reviews2016
Dev: Pomera StudiosPub: Fruitbat Factory
Windows
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 97%
Magical Eyes - Red is for Anguish is a thrilling mystery story revolving around a series of unfathomable incidents in a town.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.3%, Mystery 23.9%, Anime 22.2%, Horror 16.5%, Adventure 10.1%
Why You'll Like It: An indie adventure that combines mystery and horror elements with a unique, story-rich narrative.
- #28 fault - milestone one
79% matchVery Positive92% of 3,231 reviews2014
Dev: ALICE IN DISSONANCE
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 29.1 hrs≥1hr: 92%
fault is a series of Science Fantasy Cinematic Novels using a unique 3D Camera system for a visually immersive reading experience. Follow Selphine, the bubbly Princess and her sharp-witted Royal Guardian, Ritona, on their journey of a lifetime back to their homeland of Rughzenhaide.
Why similar: Visual Novel 37.3%, Anime 28.9%, Great Soundtrack 19.9%, Story Rich 9.7%, Adventure 3.5%
Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, story-rich adventure that focuses on world-building and mystery in a beautifully realized setting.
- #29 Sunlight Scream
77% matchVery Positive84% of 81 reviews2023
Dev: Faithy Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
The hero moves to a new city. However, along with him comes a masked killer who begins to kill his friends one by one... Make decisions to build your adventure. Can you stop him before it's too late?
Why similar: Visual Novel 11.9%, Mystery 11.8%, Psychological Horror 11.4%, Thriller 10.8%, Anime 10.1%
- #30 Lucid9: Inciting Incident
78% matchVery Positive90% of 1,038 reviews2016
Dev: Fallen Snow Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 12.1 hrs≥1hr: 71%
Lucid9 is a visual novel focused on a web of intricate mysteries set in the fictional 2018 metropolis of Isamu. Lucid9: Inciting Incident is the first part of the story, focused on a string of disappearances that occur at a prestigious, uppity boarding academy.
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.4%, Mystery 16.1%, Anime 15.4%, Horror 9%, Story Rich 8.2%
- #31 Nightmare Zapping
75% matchVery Positive99% of 74 reviews2023
Dev: Maldo19
Windows
A horror channel browsing game where each channel holds a different nightmare to experience, explore them and find out the truth about what has happened in a small town where the inhabitants have disappeared.
Why similar: Visual Novel 16.2%, Horror 14.2%, Dark 13.6%, Psychological Horror 13.6%, Mystery 12%
- #32 Sakura no Mori † Dreamers
76% matchVery Positive92% of 1,051 reviews2017
Dev: MOONSTONEPub: HIKARI FIELD
Windows
Median: 7.8 hrsMean: 192.2 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Who is the one hiding deeply in abyss? The Devil? The Killer? or—Yourself?
Why similar: Visual Novel 24.7%, Nudity 15.7%, Anime 14.3%, Psychological Horror 13.8%, Gore 10.8%
- #33 Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition
77% matchVery Positive90% of 592 reviews2016
Dev: YetiPub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 8.9 hrsMean: 14.3 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Rescue squad captain Watase Kasasagi wakes up without his memories in the middle of his most critical mission yet-- a nuclear meltdown at a research facility. In an unfamiliar place and without his years of training, he must rescue the survivors and escape...
Why similar: Visual Novel 20.8%, Anime 12%, Multiple Endings 11.6%, Mystery 11.3%, Gore 9.3%
- #34 The Agony
78% matchMixed57% of 319 reviews2017
Dev: KishMish Games
Windows · Linux
Do you often think of what is there, beneath the towns and the cities we live in? Sewer systems, bombshelters, scientific objects... Are you ready to find yourself in a place on the edge of the reality plane you are used to?
Why similar: Visual Novel 12.8%, Surreal 12.4%, Great Soundtrack 11.6%, Psychological 11.2%, Horror 10.5%
- #35 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.5 Meakashi
75% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,008 reviews2017
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.8 hrsMean: 21.9 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 17.1%, Psychological Horror 11.9%, Visual Novel 11.8%, Horror 11.3%, Mystery 10.7%
- #36 The Letter - Horror Visual Novel
74% matchVery Positive86% of 1,500 reviews2017
Dev: Yangyang MobilePub: Neon Doctrine
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.6 hrsMean: 11.1 hrs≥1hr: 90%
When seven people fall prey to a vicious curse, they will discover that horror rests not from the shadows lurking about, but within themselves. To what ends will one go in order to survive?
Why similar: Visual Novel 17.6%, Horror 16.7%, Gore 12.9%, Choices Matter 11.2%, Psychological Horror 9.6%
- #37 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.4 Himatsubushi
73% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 867 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 20.9 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 15.2%, Visual Novel 13.8%, Mystery 11.7%, Psychological Horror 11.4%, Anime 9.9%
- #38 The Fruit of Grisaia
74% matchVery Positive93% of 1,095 reviews2015
Dev: FrontwingPub: Frontwing USA
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 127.7 hrs≥1hr: 86%
SIX FRUITS BARE THEIR FANGS AT THE WORLD. --The academy was their orchard. In this place of learning, protected by high walls from the outside world, there arrived a single young man who'd lost his purpose in life. He'd lost sight of what he wanted to protect.
Why similar: Visual Novel 18.2%, Nudity 16.2%, Anime 14%, Multiple Endings 11.4%, Psychological 9.8%
- #39 Higurashi When They Cry Hou+
72% matchVery Positive88% of 163 reviews2023
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 64%
The tragedy of Hinamizawa is over. Those held captive within its grip are free from the fate that bound them to June 1983. Yet the tale of Hinamizawa is not truly complete. There are many worlds not yet explored.
Why similar: Psychological 23.5%, Visual Novel 16.3%, Gore 14.8%, Anime 13.4%, Great Soundtrack 6.2%
- #40 The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence
73% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 1,710 reviews2018
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 9.5 hrsMean: 16.6 hrs≥1hr: 79%
"A Requiem for Innocence" is a companion to the visual novel "The House in Fata Morgana." It tells the tale of a young man dragged down by his ambitions and a girl both worshiped as a saint and maligned as a witch. For them, there is no happily ever after.
Why similar: Gothic 23.2% ★, Gore 18.2%, Visual Novel 16.2%, Great Soundtrack 15.5%, Story Rich 7.7%
- #41 Siren's Call: Escape Velocity
70% matchVery Positive98% of 133 reviews2025
Dev: ThePenSword
Windows
The definitive edition of the fan-favorite visual novel is here! A surreal, coming-of-age tale set in early 2010s Central Florida, Siren's Call is the small town you swore you'd always leave. Something inside you knows this is your last chance. Will you reach escape velocity?
Why similar: Psychological 17.9%, Surreal 16.4%, Visual Novel 10.3%, Mystery 9.2%, Psychological Horror 8.9%
- #42 Train of Afterlife
76% matchMixed51% of 183 reviews2015
Dev: Zeiva Inc
Windows
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 97%
Train of Afterlife is a mystery, psychological, horror Visual Novel.
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.7%, Anime 11%, Psychological 10.7%, Surreal 8.5%, Mystery 7.1%
- #43 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.3 Tatarigoroshi
72% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,224 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 22.0 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Psychological 15.3%, Visual Novel 12.3%, Great Soundtrack 12.2%, Mystery 10.6%, Anime 8.9%
- #44 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.6 Tsumihoroboshi
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive99% of 873 reviews2018
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.2 hrsMean: 40.2 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 15.9%, Mystery 12.9%, Psychological Horror 12.5%, Gore 12.5%, Horror 12.3%
- #45 Hashihime of the Old Book Town
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 612 reviews2019
Dev: ADELTAPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Follow the protagonist's pursuit to uncover the death of his friends during the Taisho era of Japan. An highly-acclaimed, psychedelic BL murder-mystery visual novel from indie developer ADELTA!
Why similar: Nudity 21.6%, Visual Novel 21.5%, Gore 12.8%, Multiple Endings 9%, Story Rich 8.3%
- #46 Kid,napper: Gosh, I'm Kidnapped by a Pupil
71% matchVery Positive88% of 4,449 reviews2018
Dev: Catnip
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 36 minMean: 9.6 hrs≥1hr: 31%
I had to admit, the only thing that is more scary than a murder weapon, is that girl, who is not even supposed to hold it
Why similar: Thriller 17.9%, Psychological Horror 12%, Visual Novel 11.6%, Horror 10.2%, Choices Matter 10%
- #47 CHAOS;HEAD NOAH
69% matchVery Positive89% of 1,696 reviews2022
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 52.6 hrs≥1hr: 82%
CHAOS;HEAD NOAH is now available on Steam!
Why similar: Gore 20.7%, Visual Novel 18.5%, Mystery 13.3%, Psychological Horror 11.9%, Anime 10.7%
- #48 Dreamless
70% matchMostly Positive73% of 119 reviews2024
Dev: Setone GamesPub: Limansia Fears
Windows
In a remote provincial town, teenagers mysteriously disappear every 25 years. You're a high school student about to turn 18... But what if you become the next victim?
Why similar: Psychological 24.1%, Psychological Horror 17.2%, Dark 15.2%, Horror 13.5%, Mystery 9.6%
- #49 Summer Nightmare
73% matchMixed55% of 554 reviews2017
Dev: Team Summer NightmarePub: Elkibe Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 30 minMean: 12.4 hrs≥1hr: 30%
If one’s imagined world of nightmare and the real world unite…. The hide-and-seek game of death in the world of nightmare begins. Discover hints and save yourself from the nightmare!
Why similar: Gore 25%, Visual Novel 18.6%, Horror 17.4%, Anime 16.8%, Psychological Horror 13.4%
- #50 Nie No Hakoniwa - Dollhouse of Offerings
69% matchMostly Positive78% of 204 reviews2024
Dev: Chatte NoirePub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 5.4 hrsMean: 9.5 hrs≥1hr: 93%
"Let us celebrate, the birth of this nightmare." A story about an urban legend surrounding a certain "Box", this is a Japanese-style, supernatural visual novel about madness, love and hate.
Why similar: Gore 20.8%, Visual Novel 17.5%, Thriller 14.6%, Anime 13.1%, Horror 12.4%
- #51 HAPPY SAIN† SHEOL
68% matchVery Positive85% of 221 reviews2024
Dev: HUNGRYCULTPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Two thousand years ago, the Pestis Disaster swept through the land, corrupting all living things and making it to difficult to live on the land. Having touched the darkest darkness the world has seen, one must now face the dazzling light. Thus I pose this question. Whose wings did I see that day?
Why similar: Gore 17.7%, Dark 15.4%, Visual Novel 15.4%, Anime 14.7%, Horror 14.4%
- #52 Silence Channel
70% matchMostly Positive77% of 162 reviews2021
Dev: Lexip Games
Windows
A bad incident is like a tangled knot, It sits there, waiting for someone or something to untie it, but until then… scars may be left behind … are you ready for a First person Psychological Horror game based on a true story?!
Why similar: Thriller 14.1%, Psychological 13.2%, Gore 11.9%, Psychological Horror 10.9%, Mystery 9.4%
- #53 Midnight Syndrome
67% matchVery Positive99% of 87 reviews2024
Dev: ナツミカン
Windows
A summer night consumes the girls... Exploration type horror ADV game
Why similar: Visual Novel 19%, Horror 17.8%, Dark 14.9%, Anime 14.4%, Mystery 13.8%
- #54 Narcissu 1st & 2nd
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 5,225 reviews2015
Dev: stage-nanaPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 48 minMean: 19.5 hrs≥1hr: 47%
This is a story of disease and suffering; of medication and adverse effects; of thoracotomy scars and cellular poisons; of the living who cannot help but to die and of the dying who cannot help but to live; of a resting place other than "on 7F" or "at home".
Why similar: Visual Novel 42.9%, Anime 25%, Great Soundtrack 21.1%, Story Rich 8.9%, Casual 1.4%
- #55 Salthe
68% matchVery Positive86% of 211 reviews2020
Dev: SoireePub: Shiravune
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 15.9 hrs≥1hr: 85%
A dark, dramatic medieval visual novel. On a stage at the boundary between life and death, an actress struggles through her hardest performance—directed by a jester, she relives her past for the the prize of resurrection...
Why similar: Gothic 25.1% ★, Psychological 11.4%, Psychological Horror 11.3%, Mystery 10.7%, Visual Novel 10.1%
- #56 A Light in the Dark
67% matchVery Positive93% of 1,722 reviews2018
Dev: CreSpiritPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 8.1 hrs≥1hr: 91%
──We cannot choose in this unfair world.The rich boy stuck in his never changing daily life...The fierce girl struggling for survival...Two people in totally opposite positions in life.In the face of confusion and the choices before them, what will they find...?
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.6%, Gore 18.7%, Great Soundtrack 15.8%, Anime 12.4%, Multiple Endings 10.8%
- #57 My Head On Your Body
67% matchMostly Positive74% of 50 reviews2024
Dev: Creepy Pop
Windows · Mac · Linux
You've moved to a new house where the previous owner was murdered. They never found his head. But, it has found you.
Why similar: Psychological 20.3%, Psychological Horror 14.3%, Visual Novel 12.9%, Horror 11.6%, Anime 9.6%
- #58 LUNA
67% matchVery Positive83% of 322 reviews2020
Dev: SimplePub: PsychoFlux Entertainment
Windows
Play as a little girl named 'Luna', and survive from the dark being while discovering the secrets behind her. The more you traverse on her memory, the more you will discover dark truths that lie deep inside.
Why similar: Thriller 24.5%, Psychological Horror 16.8%, Horror 14.5%, Mystery 13.4%, Anime 12.3%
- #59 Dead Dreams
69% matchMostly Positive74% of 65 reviews2020
Dev: Aiaz Marx
Windows
"DEAD DREAMS" is a 2D psychological horror game focused on puzzle-solving and atmosphere with a complex non-linear story in which every element has a meaning...
Why similar: Thriller 16.5%, Gore 12.8%, Psychological Horror 9.7%, Horror 9.7%, Mystery 9.6%
- #60 Even20: The Interference of Parallels
64% matchVery Positive94% of 50 reviews2025
Dev: SilverEyesPub: Wisdom Games Publishing
Windows · Mac
Two souls are drawn into a mysterious otherworld—and torn apart. In a realm filled with danger and restless spirits, each searches for the other while uncovering hidden truths. A suspenseful multi-ending adventure where every choice shapes their fate.
Why similar: Thriller 23.3%, Mystery 13.2%, Psychological Horror 12.4%, Horror 12.1%, Multiple Endings 9.4%
