Games Like Once Alive

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: Walking Simulator 28.2%, Mystery 16.4%, Story Rich 11.9%, Atmospheric 10.9%, Exploration 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: It shares the same focus on cinematic, first-person narrative exploration within a secluded and atmospheric environment.

Investigate an infamous cold case in the eerie, abandoned town of Painscreek. Search for evidence, connect the dots and uncover who killed Vivian Roberts. Can you expose the truth behind this town’s dark secrets?

Why similar: Investigation 21.8%, Mystery 16%, Walking Simulator 14.9%, Supernatural 8.4%, Story Rich 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: This title offers a deep, non-linear investigation experience that rewards players for exploring abandoned locations for clues.

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 28.2%, Mystery 21.7%, Atmospheric 11.2%, Supernatural 8.3%, Exploration 8%

Why You'll Like It: This game mirrors the investigative, mystery-solving gameplay set against a beautifully detailed and lonely landscape.

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: Walking Simulator 27.7%, Story Rich 17.4%, Mystery 15%, Atmospheric 11.3%, Exploration 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: It is a masterclass in environmental storytelling and narrative-driven exploration that feels very similar to the cinematic nature of Once Alive.

Featuring a beautiful, detailed open-world and a haunting soundtrack, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is non-linear storytelling at its best.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 46.1%, Atmospheric 10.7%, Post-apocalyptic 9.4%, Story Rich 7.7%, Exploration 5.7%

Why You'll Like It: It perfectly captures the feeling of walking through an abandoned, post-apocalyptic town while uncovering the stories of those who disappeared.

A woman alone in a house. A mystery and a love story. Explore the present to uncover the past, in a short story of love and loss and a life well-lived. A narrative exploration game that examines a world where memories are constantly fading and jumbled.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.1%, Mystery 16.4%, Emotional 14.7%, Exploration 10.7%, Atmospheric 10%

Why You'll Like It: A short, poignant narrative experience that uses exploration to reveal the history of its protagonist.

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 37.5%, Story Rich 18.5%, Atmospheric 15.3%, Adventure 12.5%, First-Person 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on exploring surreal, abandoned environments to uncover the memories and stories of a lost civilization.

Get lost beneath the fog in The Wild Eternal, a reflective first-person exploration game. Embark on a meditative journey to heal the scars of your past. Can you escape the cycle of reincarnation?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 23.8%, Mystery 13.9%, Atmospheric 9.1%, Story Rich 8.8%, Exploration 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a beautiful, atmospheric journey through a mysterious wilderness that emphasizes exploration and discovery.

Northern Canada, 1970. A strange blizzard ravages Atamipek Lake. Step into the shoes of a detective to explore the eerie village, investigate surreal events, and battle the elements to survive. Kona is a chilly interactive tale you won't soon forget.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.8%, Atmospheric 14.3%, First-Person 12.5%, Exploration 12%, Story Rich 11.9%

Why You'll Like It: Set in a desolate, frozen environment, this game combines survival elements with mystery-solving and exploration.

The Moon has gone dark, cutting off Earth’s last source of energy. As a lone astronaut, you’ll explore abandoned lunar bases, solve intricate puzzles, and navigate stunning zero-gravity environments. Operate advanced vehicles, uncover hidden truths, and survive in this gripping sci-fi thriller.

Why similar: Mystery 16%, Adventure 14.4%, Walking Simulator 13.1%, Atmospheric 12.7%, Story Rich 12.4%

Why You'll Like It: This cinematic adventure features a lone protagonist exploring a post-apocalyptic setting to solve a mystery that could save humanity.

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: Walking Simulator 43.1%, Mystery 23.6%, Story Rich 13.1%, First-Person 9.8%, Adventure 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a highly atmospheric, narrative-heavy experience on a desolate planet that emphasizes discovery and mystery.

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: Walking Simulator 27.5%, Mystery 16.4%, Exploration 10.2%, Atmospheric 9.2%, Story Rich 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: This game challenges players to explore ancient, abandoned ruins to solve puzzles and uncover the history of a lost culture.

Tacoma is a sci-fi narrative adventure from the creators of Gone Home. Set aboard a high-tech space station in the year 2088, explore every detail of how the station’s crew lived and worked, finding the clues that add up to a gripping story of trust, fear, and resolve in the face of disaster.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 37.4%, Story Rich 14%, Mystery 13.9%, Exploration 9%, First-Person 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on piecing together a narrative by exploring an abandoned space station, mirroring the investigative loop of the seed game.

Lost Brothers is a single-player first-person adventure, taking place in an abandoned mine. All you have is a walkie-talkie and a map. Explore a mysterious forest and a labyrinth of underground passages to rescue a mysterious lady.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.3%, Emotional 14.1%, Drama 13.7%, Mystery 9.7%, Atmospheric 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: It provides an emotional, atmospheric narrative experience that relies on first-person exploration of isolated environments.

June 7th, 1995. 1:15 AM. You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something's not right. Where is everyone? And what's happened here? Unravel the mystery for yourself in Gone Home, a story exploration game from The Fullbright Company.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 59.3%, Exploration 8.7%, Atmospheric 7.8%, Story Rich 7.3%, First-Person 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: A foundational walking simulator that excels at telling a compelling, personal story through the exploration of an empty home.

Atmospheric first person adventure game focusing on immersion and exploration. Meet strange characters, discover secrets and try to unfold the mystery of the Fragmentation.

Why similar: Mystery 22.2%, Investigation 19%, Exploration 13.3%, Atmospheric 12.3%, First-Person 11.7%

Why You'll Like It: This title emphasizes immersive, first-person exploration within a surreal and atmospheric world.

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: Walking Simulator 15.8%, Investigation 15.7%, Mystery 15.1%, Story Rich 11.1%, First-Person 9%

Why You'll Like It: This game features a strong sense of place and mystery, requiring players to explore and solve puzzles in a secluded, atmospheric setting.

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: Walking Simulator 33.7%, Mystery 22.9%, Exploration 14.5%, Atmospheric 12.9%, Adventure 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: A walking simulator that focuses on the atmosphere of a quiet, mysterious world waiting to be explored.

Coming back to the family hotel after years, a young woman finds herself trapped with the ghosts from her past and an old cellular telephone as the only way to unveil a terrible truth.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 24.4%, Mystery 17.7%, Drama 12.1%, Story Rich 9.3%, Atmospheric 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers a tense, atmospheric narrative experience set in a large, isolated building filled with secrets.

Forgotten Hope is a short, single-player narrative-driven video game presented through the eyes of a teenage girl who is trying to reconnect with her past to find answers.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 21.6%, Investigation 12.9%, Story Rich 12.6%, Atmospheric 10.8%, Exploration 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on atmospheric exploration and narrative discovery in a 3D environment that feels lonely and mysterious.

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: Walking Simulator 16.6%, Investigation 14.9%, Mystery 13.7%, Cinematic 11.2%, Drama 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: While puzzle-heavy, it shares the same sense of mystery and exploration found in isolated, atmospheric settings.

Immerse yourself in the obscure and mysterious autumnal forest, where every wrong step could be your last. As you travel uncover the dark story behind this place, where beauty and danger have become as one.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 24.8%, Mystery 11.7%, Drama 11.6%, Nature 10%, Atmospheric 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game excels at creating a haunting, atmospheric environment that encourages the player to explore and uncover its secrets.

Uncover the mystery of Thalassa, a first-person psychological drama set under the sea. Ill-fate has fallen on your former crew and friends and it’s up to you to find answers onboard the wreckage. Experience the melancholic underwater journey of human stories facing life and loss.

Why similar: Emotional 16.9%, Atmospheric 12.9%, First-Person 12.5%, Walking Simulator 11.3%, Story Rich 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative-driven adventure focuses on emotional storytelling and investigation in an isolated, atmospheric setting.

The Old City: Leviathan is an experiment in first person exploration that focuses entirely on story. All that exists is you and the world. Set in a decaying city from a civilization long past, The Old City: Leviathan puts the player in the shoes of a sewer dwelling isolationist.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 43.5%, Atmospheric 15%, Exploration 13.9%, First-Person 9.4%, Story Rich 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: This game offers a philosophical and atmospheric journey through a decaying, abandoned city.

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: Walking Simulator 28.3%, Mystery 19.4%, Atmospheric 16.4%, Exploration 13%, First-Person 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: It combines atmospheric exploration with light puzzle-solving in a mysterious, abandoned facility.

This is a short story in a sci-fi setting with a top-down view, telling the story of a nameless man lost in routine in the middle of a cold world and soulless machines. But what if it could be different?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30%, Mystery 16.2%, Story Rich 12.1%, Atmospheric 11.7%, Exploration 11.6%

Why You'll Like It: It is a narrative-driven walking simulator that focuses on exploring a specific location to piece together a story.

Long-lost family secrets. Hints of a hidden fortune. And miles to go before they sleep. Tess Devine’s relationship with her mom has never been easy, but they’re about to set out together on a journey into the past that they’ll never forget.

Why similar: Investigation 22.9%, Cinematic 14.9%, Story Rich 9.8%, Exploration 9.3%, Drama 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: It features a strong focus on narrative and investigation as the protagonist explores abandoned locations to uncover family secrets.

An exploration game about emotional ties that transcend even death. Riley is faced with a headstrong ghost, urging her on an adventure across atmospheric shores, uncovering the island's tragic secret. Choices in dialogue shape the bond between the two, ultimately deciding Riley's fate.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 22.6%, Mystery 13.8%, Emotional 10.6%, Story Rich 10.3%, Atmospheric 10%

Why You'll Like It: This game emphasizes exploration and story-rich interactions within a lonely, atmospheric coastal setting.

In the wake of catastrophe find the means to make your family whole again.

Why similar: Cinematic 22.9%, Emotional 18.6%, Atmospheric 13.5%, Story Rich 12.8%, Walking Simulator 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: This cinematic, atmospheric adventure captures the feeling of navigating a post-apocalyptic world through visual storytelling.

As a young soldier returning to an eerily deserted home, you'll explore enigmatic rooms and uncover a haunting, tragic story. Experience an atmospheric journey filled with suspense, mysterious encounters, and a deep narrative.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 20.1%, Mystery 13.4%, Investigation 12.6%, Drama 9%, Story Rich 9%

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: Walking Simulator 28.2%, Mystery 18%, First-Person 9.5%, Exploration 9.3%, Atmospheric 9.2%

A first-person narrative adventure set in the unforgiving Arctic. Your plane crashed in a storm, leaving only your court-mandated therapy bot for company as you journey to find your co-pilot and uncover the mysteries buried beneath the ice.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 21.3%, Mystery 15.4%, Drama 15.4%, First-Person 9%, Story Rich 9%

Explore an unknown and abandoned world. Each step, each puzzle, brings you closer to discovering the history and secrets of a lost civilization. Can you find the light?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.6%, Mystery 20.2%, Investigation 16.6%, Emotional 12.3%, Atmospheric 8.3%

The Silent Swan is a contemplative first-person narrative experience across a megalithic, derelict world. Mixing elements from both walking simulator and open levels.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 22.1%, Mystery 15.9%, Drama 11.8%, Story Rich 9.5%, Atmospheric 7.9%

Third person shooter action adventure game with post-apocalyptic theme. Witness the adventures of Victor and his friends in this abandoned world.

Why similar: Post-apocalyptic 18.7%, Cinematic 15.3%, Mystery 14.3%, Story Rich 10.7%, Atmospheric 10%

A surreal first person walking sim about the end of humanity. Explore magnificent sky-bound ruins, and learn why they were built.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 39.9%, Post-apocalyptic 19.7%, Atmospheric 10.6%, First-Person 8.5%, Exploration 6%

Mia Lorenson, wakes up in an abandoned hospital full of questions. What happened to her? What happened to the world? Edengate: The Edge of Life is an interactive experience reflecting on feelings of uncertainty, isolation and hope in the face of devastation.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 16.9%, Mystery 14.7%, Investigation 12.4%, Drama 11%, Story Rich 10.6%

Hitchhiker is a mystery game set along lost highways, where your goal is to solve the puzzle of your own backstory.

Why similar: Mystery 24.7%, Story Rich 15%, Drama 13.5%, Atmospheric 13.2%, Emotional 11.9%

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: Walking Simulator 17.3%, Mystery 15%, Investigation 14.8%, Emotional 9.5%, Exploration 9.5%

Try to escape with your life in a first-person survival horror adventure. Play through the eyes of four distinct characters as you evade and confront terrifying ghosts, unravel mind-bending puzzles, and unearth a sinister conspiracy…

Why similar: Mystery 16.3%, Walking Simulator 13.7%, Investigation 11.3%, Drama 10.3%, Supernatural 9.1%

Home is Where One Starts... is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, hope, and the miracle of memory. You play as a little girl from a broken home somewhere in the American South.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 35.2%, First-Person 10%, Atmospheric 9.8%, Mystery 9.4%, Adventure 7.8%

Left Alone plunges you into a first-person psychological horror journey, where darkness and memories intertwine. As secrets emerge from shadows, use your wits to solve puzzles and explore haunting, forgotten locations. Every step echoes with the past; can you face the truths that await?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.8%, Investigation 18.1%, Mystery 13.4%, Exploration 10.2%, Story Rich 9.3%

Hazel Sky is a heartfelt adventure about a young engineer facing his destiny and his desires. Fix ramshackle flying machines and jump, climb, swing, and slide through a beautiful, mysterious world.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 20.5%, Investigation 18.9%, Mystery 15.2%, Emotional 11.4%, Story Rich 8.8%

A beautiful, 3rd-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Uncover artifacts from the son's life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.8%, Atmospheric 14.1%, Exploration 10.1%, Story Rich 9.3%, Mystery 8.4%

Draugen is a single-player, first-person Fjord Noir mystery set in 1920s Norway. Explore a forgotten coastal village in your search for your missing sister, accompanied by your independent and enigmatic young ward. Norwegian Game of the Year 2019.

Why similar: Mystery 17.4%, Cinematic 14%, Investigation 12%, Story Rich 10%, Atmospheric 8.9%

Explore the remains of a fallen world from fascinating perspectives! Slip into the role of different animals to uncover the fate of an ancient world. Dive into deep waters, fly at lofty heights, dig underground as a mole or even climb steep cliffs with a mountain goat, there are lots of ways of getting around.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.5%, Emotional 16%, Nature 12.8%, Story Rich 12.7%, Atmospheric 12.4%

An adventure about searching for a missing hunter and meeting with alien beings! Explore wild nature, climb on a rock, lure out a boar, meet a wolf, survive in a rockfall. Heal a deer and trick a creature! Meet the Unknown and find mystery!

Why similar: Walking Simulator 41.3%, Story Rich 19%, Exploration 15.1%, Atmospheric 13.5%, Adventure 5.7%

Years after a tragic expedition, investigator Aleksei Morozov returns to the frozen mountains to uncover the truth. But some trails should never be followed...

Why similar: Walking Simulator 18.5%, Investigation 13.3%, Cinematic 13%, Mystery 9.3%, Emotional 8.8%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 22.4%, Mystery 21.5%, First-Person 11.9%, Exploration 10.4%, Atmospheric 8.8%

Explore a surreal world, solve puzzles, fight monsters and get to the bottom of the mystery of this compelling horror thriller.

Why similar: Investigation 18%, Mystery 14.9%, Emotional 14%, Drama 13.4%, Story Rich 10.5%

Investigate. Interrogate. Descend into a world of intrigue to untangle the Mystery of the Malign.

Why similar: Investigation 25.6%, Mystery 24.8%, Story Rich 12.5%, Atmospheric 11.1%, Exploration 10.1%

Deep Beyond Is a first-person interactive thriller about a sea explorer and the mystery behind her father’s disappearance.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 22.5%, Investigation 14.8%, Mystery 10.3%, Emotional 9.4%, Story Rich 9.2%

Explore the corners of a surrealistic post-human world to give life on Earth a second chance in this touching story about sacrifice and hope.

Why similar: Emotional 26.4%, Exploration 25%, Adventure 20%, Atmospheric 17.2%, 3D 7.3%

Play as Gregor, turned into a tiny bug, and set out on an extraordinary journey to unravel the mystery of your transformation. Metamorphosis is a first person adventure set in a surrealist world where your newfound abilities are your last and only hope for redemption.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 23.3%, Mystery 16.7%, Supernatural 12.9%, Story Rich 10.9%, Atmospheric 9.3%

The story of Henry Nelson is a psychological first-person thriller, based on real events. It is a game in which the player will experience mysterious events and take part in an unbelievable journey.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.7%, Post-apocalyptic 26.8%, Story Rich 10.3%, First-Person 9.8%, Open World 9.1%

Step into a quiet, abandoned Ukrainian village, left empty after the Calamity. In this short, meditative, and melancholic journey, you’ll rekindle the hearths of deserted homes, restoring warmth and hope to the families who once lived here.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 39%, Atmospheric 18.1%, Exploration 16.5%, First-Person 12.9%, Adventure 5.1%

Step into the shoes of a researcher in the depths of the antarctic and uncover the mysteries behind Project Hailstorm.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.8%, Investigation 20.9%, Mystery 14.8%, Story Rich 9.9%, First-Person 9.5%

It's winter, 1980. Szymon, a boy raised in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, finds an abandoned Nazi bunker. Will he find what he’s looking for? Play Paradise Lost and explore an underground world, where Slavic mythology mixes with retrofuturistic technology. Discover the last story on Earth.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 21.3%, Post-apocalyptic 17.9%, Mystery 13.5%, Emotional 10.6%, Story Rich 8%

Uncover secrets, experience history, solve puzzles and understand one another. Immerse yourself and explore a surreal and colorful world in this short, first-person adventure.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 35.3%, Investigation 16.6%, Exploration 13.7%, First-Person 9.5%, Adventure 8%