Games Like Pony Island

Inscryption is an inky black card-based odyssey that blends the deckbuilding roguelike, escape-room style puzzles, and psychological horror into a blood-laced smoothie. Darker still are the secrets inscrybed upon the cards...

Why similar: Experimental 26%, Puzzle 19.9%, Horror 18.8%, Dark 16.8%, Story Rich 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: Created by the same developer, this game masterfully blends deckbuilding with a dark, meta-narrative that constantly subverts player expectations.

In a creaky old tavern, in a forgotten corner of the video-game universe, a storm is raging. An anonymous caller suggests that there is a murder plot. Six video game protagonists are the only plausible suspects...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 25.8%, Great Soundtrack 15.3%, Pixel Graphics 10.1%, Indie 10%, Dark 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: This genre-bending mystery from the creator of Pony Island uses a meta-narrative structure to explore the lives of various video game protagonists.

OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 27.6%, Pixel Graphics 17.6%, Puzzle 16%, Psychological Horror 11.3%, Story Rich 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: This game breaks the fourth wall by interacting with your computer's file system and treating you, the player, as a character within the narrative.

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 43.2%, Great Soundtrack 14.3%, Horror 13.1%, Dark 11.6%, Story Rich 4.1%

Why You'll Like It: Like Pony Island, this game uses a deceptively cute exterior to hide a deeply unsettling, meta-fictional psychological horror experience.

There is no game. So don't go messing things up by clicking everywhere. You don’t want to be kicked out of your video game world, do you? Of course not!

Why similar: Puzzle 27.8%, Pixel Graphics 22.2%, Great Soundtrack 14.6%, Funny 10.9%, Indie 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: This title is a pure meta-puzzle experience that actively fights the player's attempts to play it, much like the malicious arcade machine in Pony Island.

A brain-racking game about bathroom breaks, screwdrivers and nuclear explosions.

Why similar: Puzzle 33.2%, Pixel Graphics 21.6%, Great Soundtrack 16.8%, Indie 9.2%, Psychological Horror 6.6%

Why You'll Like It: This puzzle game focuses on an interface-based experience where your curiosity leads to increasingly dark and catastrophic outcomes.

What you are about to do has not been approved by the Vatican. As a young priest, struggle against demons, cultists, and your own weakening faith in this pixel horror game inspired by the era of classic 8-bit gaming and the "Satanic Panic" of the 1980s.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 27.8%, Pixel Graphics 14.7%, Horror 14.6%, Great Soundtrack 11.6%, Dark 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: A retro-styled horror game that captures the same demonic, low-fi aesthetic and sense of dread found in Pony Island.

Thanks to next generation AI technology, BUDDY SIMULATOR 1984 simulates the experience of hanging out with a best buddy! Your buddy learns from you, constantly adapting to your interests and personality. But most importantly, your buddy can play games with you!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 39.1%, Horror 17.7%, Pixel Graphics 17.1%, Indie 7.9%, Story Rich 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror game that simulates a retro AI companion which slowly becomes obsessed with controlling your experience.

KinitoPET is a psychological horror experience that takes place through Kinito, an early 2000s virtual assistant. Kinito is able to walk, talk, browse, adapt, and play games as Kinito is like no other with its adaptive technology!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 48.4%, Horror 20%, Pixel Graphics 13%, Indie 6.9%, Story Rich 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: This desktop-based psychological horror game uses meta-narrative elements to create an invasive and unsettling experience that feels like it is watching you.

UNDERTALE! The RPG game where you don't have to destroy anyone.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 35.1%, Pixel Graphics 15.9%, Psychological Horror 9.5%, Funny 7.4%, Story Rich 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: It subverts traditional RPG tropes and meta-narrative expectations, forcing players to confront the consequences of their actions within the game world.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is an expanded re-imagining of 2013's The Stanley Parable. You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley. You will make a choice, and you will become powerless. You are not here to win. The Stanley Parable is a game that plays you.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 51.6%, Funny 14.6%, Horror 11%, Story Rich 9.1%, Singleplayer 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: A quintessential meta-narrative game that constantly mocks and subverts the player's choices and the nature of video game design.

Baba Is You is a puzzle game where the rules you have to follow are present as blocks you can interact with. By manipulating them, you can change how the game works, repurpose things you find in the levels and cause surprising interactions!

Why similar: Puzzle 46.5%, Pixel Graphics 16.7%, Great Soundtrack 13.8%, Indie 10.6%, Cute 4.1%

Why You'll Like It: A brilliant puzzle game that allows you to rewrite the rules of the game world, mirroring the hacking mechanics found in Pony Island.

Explore a strange world full of colorful friends and foes. When the time comes, the path you’ve chosen will determine your fate... and perhaps the fate of others as well.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 38.1%, Great Soundtrack 23.5%, Pixel Graphics 14.1%, Horror 8.3%, Story Rich 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply psychological horror RPG that explores trauma through a surreal, pixel-art world that hides dark secrets beneath its surface.

Replica is an interactive novel game played through a cellphone and social media. The insane experience of peeping into someone's private life through a cellphone will transform you into the state's greatest patriot.

Why similar: Hacking 52.3% ★, Puzzle 14.2%, Pixel Graphics 13.1%, Psychological Horror 7.2%, Indie 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle game played entirely through a smartphone interface, focusing on the themes of surveillance and hacking.

Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 36.7%, Puzzle 16.6%, Horror 11.6%, Dark 9.8%, Great Soundtrack 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: A point-and-click psychological horror game that features a young girl navigating a dark, surreal world filled with disturbing imagery.

A reverse-detective adventure, where you control your character's face

Why similar: Psychological Horror 45.1%, Puzzle 25.6%, Horror 22.2%, Story Rich 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: A unique psychological horror game where you must manually control your character's facial expressions, adding a layer of meta-interaction to the mystery.

SUPERHOT is the smash-hit FPS where time moves only when you move. No regenerating health bars. No conveniently placed ammo drops. It's you, alone, outnumbered and outgunned. Snatch weapons from fallen enemies to shoot, slice and dodge through a truly cinematic hurricane of slow-motion bullets.

Why similar: Puzzle 52.5%, Indie 28.1%, Singleplayer 15.7%, Gore 2.7%, Story Rich 1%

Why You'll Like It: This game blends a unique time-manipulation mechanic with a meta-narrative about the nature of the game itself.

Bendy and the Ink Machine® is the first person puzzle action horror game that will forever ruin your childhood love of cartoons.

Why similar: Horror 21.4%, Great Soundtrack 17.1%, Puzzle 16.3%, Psychological Horror 14.3%, Dark 12.2%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person puzzle horror game that explores the dark side of animation and studio history.

The miserable journey of a broken man...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 23.2%, Great Soundtrack 19%, Dark 11.9%, Pixel Graphics 11.8%, Horror 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, story-rich RPG that forces players to make brutal, permanent choices in a post-apocalyptic world.

Explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth, and unravel its many secrets. Collect items to manipulate your environment in surprising and meaningful ways. Encounter beautiful and unsettling creatures, as you attempt to survive what lurks in the dark. There is more than what you see.

Why similar: Puzzle 31.5%, Pixel Graphics 25.8%, Horror 19.3%, Indie 6.7%, Atmospheric 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: A dense, atmospheric puzzle-platformer that rewards deep exploration and discovery of hidden, meta-level secrets.

Delve into a dark adventure following the boy with a prosthetic face and a tragic past. Unravel the sinister mysteries of Sally's world to find the truth that lies hidden beneath the shadows.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 28%, Demons 16.7%, Puzzle 13.7%, Dark 11.9%, Horror 11.2%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, story-driven adventure that explores unsettling psychological themes through a distinct, hand-drawn art style.

The classic web game, reborn! Enjoy this remaster in glorious 4k resolution! Follow this frog on its arcade action adventure through swarm of bugs and beyond! Purchase the hat DLC for the ultimate experience, if you want to eat bugs while wearing a hat!

Why similar: Indie 45.4%, Funny 20.1%, Story Rich 16.5%, Memes 14.2%, Singleplayer 3.8%

Why You'll Like It: A legendary example of a deceptive game that starts as a simple educational title before spiraling into a bizarre and complex meta-experience.

The adventure plunges you into the tortured and hidden past of five humans. Delve into their darkest fears. Outwit the Master Computer AM in a game of psychological warfare. Disturbing, compelling. An adventure you won't easily forget !!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 32.7%, Horror 21.7%, Dark 12%, Great Soundtrack 11.4%, Puzzle 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: A classic point-and-click adventure that deals with a malevolent AI, serving as a thematic ancestor to the devilish machine in Pony Island.

Rusty Lake Paradise is set on a small remote island which is cursed by the ten plagues of Egypt. Solve all the mysteries of this dark, macabre puzzle adventure. Paradise builds upon the distinctive atmosphere and excitement from the Rusty Lake series.

Why similar: Puzzle 37%, Psychological Horror 28.4%, Horror 11.2%, Indie 7.9%, Dark 3.9%

Why You'll Like It: A point-and-click puzzle game known for its bizarre, surreal atmosphere and dark, cryptic narrative.

Marissa Marcel was a film star. She made three movies. But none of the movies were ever released. And Marissa Marcel disappeared. An interactive trilogy from Sam Barlow, creator of Her Story.

Why similar: Puzzle 34.3%, Horror 27.1%, Dark 26.9%, Story Rich 11.7%

Why You'll Like It: A complex meta-narrative mystery where you piece together the truth by scrubbing through footage of lost films.

Where do you run to when your demons reside within you? Decarnation is a pixel art adventure/action puzzle game with a horrific story inspired by some of the most influential films and novels in the genre. Dive into a breathtaking thriller where nightmares and dreams intertwine…

Why similar: Psychological Horror 23.2%, Puzzle 21.8%, Dark 12.5%, Pixel Graphics 12.4%, Horror 11.9%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal horror adventure that blends puzzle-solving with emotional, psychological storytelling.

Smuggle contraband VHS tapes across the border. Discover the remnants of illicit industry. Prepare for an assassination. This is Paratopic, an atmospheric retro-3D horror adventure through a cursed fever dream.

Why similar: Experimental 29.6%, Psychological Horror 18.7%, Horror 16.2%, Great Soundtrack 16%, Indie 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, retro-styled horror experience that uses fragmented storytelling to create a sense of unease.

TIS-100 is an open-ended programming game by Zachtronics, the creators of SpaceChem and Infinifactory, in which you rewrite corrupted code segments to repair the TIS-100 and unlock its secrets. It’s the assembly language programming game you never asked for!

Why similar: Hacking 55.5% ★, Puzzle 29.7%, Indie 6.5%, Psychological Horror 5.8%, Singleplayer 2.4%

Why You'll Like It: An open-ended programming puzzle game that captures the raw, technical satisfaction of the hacking segments in Pony Island.

The Princess of the Flower Kingdom has vanished! She was taken by the Ghulibas of the north, and it is up to brave Zee Tee to rescue her. On his quest, he - and you - will discover the hidden lands behind the peaceful kingdom, and come face to face with secrets that will set you on edge!

Why similar: Horror 23.4%, Indie 17.9%, Pixel Graphics 17.8%, Dark 13.5%, Psychological Horror 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A platformer that appears innocent at first but allows you to 'evert' the world into a dark, Lovecraftian nightmare.

Tormenture is a psychological horror game where you play as a child trapped in a cursed 8-bit game with a dark secret. To survive, you must find four relics and solve reality-blurring puzzles. But beware—some creatures may escape the game and haunt you in the real world. A game within a game.

Why similar: Puzzle 24.5%, Dark 20.5%, Pixel Graphics 19.5%, Horror 17.8%, Story Rich 5.8%

I hate this game is a logic game, where gameplay changes every level. Solve crazy puzzles and use forgotten functions of your PC! Be attentive, interact with everything that you see on the screen.

Why similar: Hacking 26.6% ★, Great Soundtrack 17.7%, Experimental 15.4%, Puzzle 13.3%, Pixel Graphics 10.6%

You are trapped in an experiment, trying to find ways to make you still "yourself" , persevere, and survive.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 29.6%, Puzzle 16.6%, Great Soundtrack 15.4%, Pixel Graphics 13.1%, Horror 6.6%

In the dark and mysterious world of Closure, only what you see exists. Manipulate lights to phase objects in and out of reality in this multiple-award-winning puzzle game. Play as a strange spider-like demon who explores the stories of three human characters through beautiful, eerie environments such as a decrepit factory, a murky...

Why similar: Puzzle 38.5%, Experimental 16.1%, Indie 11.2%, Great Soundtrack 10.9%, Dark 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: A unique puzzle-platformer where the mechanic of light and shadow is used to manipulate the environment in a surreal, dark world.

Revisiting a childhood classic, Beasts of Burden is a disturbing experience that will traumatize your child-self. Explore a Groundhog-Day scenario where all is not as it seems, and discover the horrifying truth lying just under the surface in this impactful psychological horror nostalgia trip.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 25.4%, Demons 18%, Puzzle 14.6%, Dark 12.9%, Horror 12%

Bite-sized surreal horror with multiple choices. Make your own way through the claymation madness!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 34.7%, Puzzle 19%, Horror 13.4%, Dark 8.4%, Indie 7.6%

Led by her new friend, Mr. Voice, Misfortune ventures into the woods, where mysteries are unraveled and a little bad luck unfolds.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 34.6%, Horror 13.1%, Dark 9.3%, Great Soundtrack 8.8%, Indie 7.1%

Alicemare is a somehow familiar yet totally unique adventure game infused with subtle hints of horror, created by △○□× (Miwashiba) using the WOLF RPG Editor.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 21.8%, Pixel Graphics 17%, Great Soundtrack 15.8%, Puzzle 13%, Horror 12.7%

Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus drags you into a sordid world of mirrors and shadows where the demon lurks. Dare to take on this macabre pixel-art graphic adventure of horror and madness. Solve puzzles and explore two parallel timelines.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 25.2%, Puzzle 23%, Horror 19.7%, Dark 9.2%, Story Rich 7%

Every why has a wherefore. You are trapped, and you must escape. But is that really the goal? Centum is an unreliable narrative-driven adventure where everything may be a lie.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 26.1%, Puzzle 22.6%, Pixel Graphics 14.6%, Horror 13.3%, Gore 6%

An ex-minister ventures through the frozen depths of Hell in search of his kidnapped daughter.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 21.3%, Dark 21.2%, Puzzle 19.3%, Indie 12.7%, Story Rich 6.2%

A teenage girl and the vengeful ghost possessing her stumble onto horrors of cosmic proportions as the latter searches for a way to murder the former.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 22.4%, Great Soundtrack 19.9%, Puzzle 13.2%, Dark 11.4%, Horror 11.2%

A sinister creature has enslaved mankind. Solve puzzles, gather components for a machine you are building, find comfort in your dreams.

Why similar: Puzzle 25.4%, Psychological Horror 21.2%, Pixel Graphics 15.9%, Dark 13.2%, Horror 11.6%

Welcome to Netbreak™, a horror-puzzle experience. When a mysterious USB drive arrives on your desk, your curiosity drags you into a nightmare. Piece together clues, watch forbidden videos, and take down an underground SNUFF marketplace, that allows you to see interactive torture and murder.

Why similar: Hacking 35.1% ★, Psychological Horror 13.7%, Puzzle 8.6%, Indie 8.4%, Horror 7.9%

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 Horror 36.9%, Experimental 36.2%, Horror 14.4%, Pixel Graphics 6.6%, Indie 2.4%

A short pixel psychological survival horror and gruelling story told with no words.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 34.9%, Horror 20.7%, Pixel Graphics 20.3%, Puzzle 13.8%, Gore 3.2%

A short psychological horror game, where you attempt to gain root access into an unethical superstructure.

Why similar: Hacking 47.5% ★, Psychological Horror 19.8%, Puzzle 9.7%, Dark 8.9%, Horror 7.7%

Are you ready to serve the guests in the Rusty Lake Hotel? Solve all mysteries in this dark and eerie puzzle game. Rusty Lake Hotel is a point-and-click adventure by the creators of the Rusty Lake & Cube Escape series.

Why similar: Puzzle 32%, Psychological Horror 26%, Horror 15.2%, Indie 7.7%, Dark 7.3%

This is a game in which you traverse the extremely dark world inside a dream.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 26.9%, Experimental 24.4%, Pixel Graphics 11.9%, Horror 10.7%, Dark 10.1%

Silent Decent is a highly-immersive first-person horror game with a rich and engaging atmosphere. Trapped in purgatory, you play as Samuel Harris who roams in an endless loop of anguish, pain and suffering. Can you find a way to save a tormented man's soul?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 34.5%, Horror 16.8%, Puzzle 16.5%, Great Soundtrack 15.1%, Indie 11.8%

See No Evil is a dark, isometric puzzle game about sound manipulation. A harsh fantasy where the willingly blind are hostile to the nonconformist. Sometimes, the world seems darker with your eyes open.

Why similar: Puzzle 46.2%, Indie 25.3%, Great Soundtrack 21.2%, Singleplayer 3.8%, Atmospheric 3.5%

The Stanley Parable is a first person exploration game. You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley. You will follow a story, you will not follow a story. You will have a choice, you will have no choice. The game will end, the game will never end.

Why similar: Indie 23.4%, Funny 23.2%, Puzzle 17.1%, Psychological Horror 15%, Story Rich 8.9%

The Initiate is a mystery puzzle game. You awake in a house full of traps and puzzles - This is your trial; complete it, or die!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 21.8%, Great Soundtrack 20.1%, Puzzle 19.4%, Indie 13.4%, Horror 13.2%

Insane, absurd and intense avoid-'em up game about a cat!

Why similar: Experimental 23.7%, Psychological Horror 19.3%, Demons 18.9%, Puzzle 9.9%, Horror 9%

Demons Never Lie is a creepy graphic adventure made with voxel and low-poly where even your soul is at stake! An incredible and dark story with elements of the classic point&click and visual novels. An exciting interactive experience with a unique atmosphere.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 26.9%, Horror 20.1%, Indie 19.7%, Dark 16.5%, Story Rich 8.2%

Pixel adventure inspired by classics like Zelda and Silent Hill.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 27.9%, Puzzle 18.4%, Pixel Graphics 15.8%, Horror 14.9%, Gore 5.5%

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: Puzzle 37%, Psychological Horror 31.7%, Horror 10.9%, Funny 8.3%, Story Rich 7.5%

A woman is interviewed seven times by the police. Search the video database and explore hundreds of authentic clips to discover her story in this groundbreaking and award winning narrative game.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 49.2%, Puzzle 35.5%, Story Rich 10.1%, Singleplayer 5.2%

Join Brian Pasternack on his first working day at Sintracorp. Uncertain, unprepared, and massively unqualified, will Pasternack have what it takes to shine in Sintracorp’s hierarchy? It all depends on how he performs on his first assignment… and whether he survives it.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 28.5%, Puzzle 23.5%, Pixel Graphics 15.1%, Horror 13.4%, Story Rich 5.6%

A horror game that tests your wits, courage and dark sense of humor. Solve puzzles to survive in a world full of dark secrets, but beware - there could be something waiting around every corner!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 43.3%, Puzzle 18.6%, Horror 13.9%, Funny 10.7%, Indie 7.5%

In this horror, comedy, and puzzle game, you will play as a demon summoned by an old woman to fix her television, sending you on an adventure beyond all reason.

Why similar: Puzzle 43.5%, Horror 39.3%, Indie 10.1%, Singleplayer 7%