Games Like Retention

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: Exploration 29.2%, Atmospheric 21.5%, Adventure 17.2%, Indie 14.4%, Casual 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: A short, powerful exploration of memory loss that forces the player to piece together a life story through fragmented objects.

Florence Yeoh feels a little... stuck. Her life is an endless routine of work, sleep, and spending too much time on social media. Then one day, she meets a cello player named Krish who changes everything about how she sees the world and herself.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 22.6%, Visual Novel 17.2%, Point & Click 15.1%, Casual 10.5%, Family Friendly 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: A short, deeply emotional interactive story that mirrors the highs and lows of a life journey through simple, evocative mechanics.

A story-driven experience about two doctors traversing backwards through a dying man's memories to artificially fulfill his last wish.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 46.5%, Indie 21.3%, Adventure 14.6%, Singleplayer 7.7%, 2D 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative-heavy masterpiece explores the concept of reliving a person's memories to fulfill their final wishes, matching the introspective tone of the seed game.

Forgotten Fields is a game about yearning and nostalgia. Play as Sid - a struggling writer who travels back to his childhood home one last time before it's sold off. Visit old friends, relive memories and play through sections of Sid's book in this warm game about the passage of time.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 26.9%, Cinematic 23.4%, Visual Novel 14.2%, Minimalist 11%, Relaxing 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-driven game that captures the struggle of creativity and the bittersweet nature of looking back at one's own life.

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: Cinematic 25.9%, Atmospheric 19%, Adventure 15%, Relaxing 12.4%, Indie 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: A beautiful, melancholic puzzle game about reliving memories to prevent a tragic loss, echoing the theme of reflecting on the past.

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 19.1%, Interactive Fiction 18.1%, Family Friendly 14.4%, Puzzle 10.2%, Exploration 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on reflecting on a lifetime of choices and regrets through a series of beautiful, interactive vignettes.

When the Past was Around is an adventure point-and-click puzzle game about love, moving on, letting go, and the joy and pain of everything in between.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.1%, Point & Click 23.2%, Relaxing 13.6%, Puzzle 11.9%, Atmospheric 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: A point-and-click adventure that uses surreal imagery and puzzles to tell a poignant story about love and moving on from memories.

If Found... is a game about going home, coming out and erasing everything.

Why similar: Visual Novel 32.8%, Interactive Fiction 24.8%, Casual 12.1%, Indie 11.4%, Atmospheric 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: An intimate, diary-based narrative that explores memory and personal identity through the act of erasing and uncovering the past.

A fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark's life. People disappear and memories prove unreliable. Uncover a hidden truth with Mark and his friends in this narrative adventure and race to unravel the mystery before it's too late.

Why similar: Visual Novel 41.1%, Interactive Fiction 37.2%, 2D 7.3%, Adventure 6.3%, Casual 4.2%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-heavy experience that deals with the emotional weight of memory and the passage of time in a grounded, relatable way.

What if the physical objects of everyday life, the possessions we hold close, were actual windows to the past? Peer into distant memories and unseen futures in Hindsight.

Why similar: Cinematic 20.8%, Point & Click 19.3%, Interactive Fiction 12.7%, Visual Novel 11.3%, Exploration 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: A game centered on exploring objects from the past to uncover the memories and emotions tied to a specific life story.

7th Chance is a short (20-30 minute) story-based exploration adventure game. Waking up from a night of heavy drinking ... something isn't right.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 34.6%, Exploration 15.7%, Puzzle 15.7%, Point & Click 13.4%, Adventure 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: An exploration-focused interactive fiction game that encourages players to piece together a narrative through environmental clues.

A short, emotional visual novel following a grieving man who relives memories of days long gone. An exploration of loss presented honestly and kinetically.

Why similar: Visual Novel 30.9%, Interactive Fiction 28.2%, Minimalist 18.6%, Simulation 11.3%, 2D 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric visual novel that focuses on mystery and emotional drama, similar to the contemplative pacing of the seed game.

Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking.

Why similar: Life Sim 20%, Relaxing 18.4%, Point & Click 14.5%, Puzzle 11%, Simulation 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: Tells a life story through the subtle, emotional act of organizing personal belongings across different stages of a character's life.

Coming home after visiting your doctor for the last time, you are told that you only have three more days to live. A sequence of short memory fragments flashing through as you try to run away from what you have done.

Why similar: Indie 56.9%, Adventure 43.1%

Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric walking simulator that emphasizes mood and personal reflection over complex mechanics.

An emotional and immersive game about a man named Will and the people close to him. Experience his life through a story about love, memories and hope.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 26.3%, Visual Novel 23.6%, Point & Click 23.2%, Atmospheric 9.6%, Casual 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: An emotional, interactive experience that explores the impact of a person's life on those they left behind.

A song from years ago triggers a flood of memories for champion swimmer Miriam. Embark on an evocative journey through her turbulent childhood and the complicated relationship she shared with her devoted mother.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 42.7%, Adventure 16.8%, Casual 14.6%, Atmospheric 9.8%, 2D 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A highly emotional, interactive poem that uses memory and visual storytelling to explore the relationship between a mother and daughter.

Late Bird is a short interactive story about birds, movies, suicidal thoughts and not growing up in time.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 27.6%, Point & Click 22.4%, Visual Novel 18.9%, Minimalist 14.1%, Casual 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: A casual, interactive fiction title that captures the quiet, reflective moments of daily life.

No Longer Home is a game about letting go of the life you've built due to circumstances beyond your control. Immerse yourself in the lives of Bo and Ao and learn about their dreams, frustrations and fears. Welcome the magic of the everyday and somewhat extraordinary.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 20.7%, Point & Click 17.6%, Minimalist 15%, Visual Novel 12.8%, Relaxing 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: A semi-autobiographical game about the anxiety of transition and the bittersweet feeling of leaving a place that holds your memories.

Childhood friends reunite after spending a long time apart, revisiting old memories and rekindling their friendship. However, something beyond their control will ruin this reunion.

Why similar: Visual Novel 18.1%, Realistic 16.5%, Cinematic 14.8%, Point & Click 13.7%, Minimalist 13.6%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply emotional story about friendship and the difficulty of letting go of the past as life moves forward.

This is a visual novel about 60 minutes in length, telling a story of memories."Once'" is a story which will recall the experience of many individuals. Regardless of if you're in your springtime of life having full of dreams for the future, or if you're a matured adult who has already stepped into the society and owns a family,...

Why similar: Adventure 55.7%, Indie 44.3%

Why You'll Like It: A minimalist indie adventure that focuses on delivering a concise, emotional narrative experience.

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: Exploration 29.8%, Atmospheric 21.2%, Interactive Fiction 14.4%, Indie 13.5%, Adventure 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A quintessential exploration game that focuses on uncovering the personal history and hidden stories of a family through their belongings.

Bottle is a very short game in which you play as an alcoholic man of solitude.

Why similar: Exploration 28.4%, Atmospheric 19.4%, Realistic 17.8%, Relaxing 13.7%, Adventure 12.4%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, linear exploration game that uses its setting to evoke a sense of loneliness and reflection.

What if you lost all your memories? An emotional family drama seen through the eyes of a woman with Alzheimer's disease. As Annie’s life slowly unravels, uncover memories of her deceased brother as her past bleeds into the present.

Why similar: Exploration 28.3%, Adventure 25.5%, Point & Click 18.2%, Atmospheric 11.3%, Indie 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person narrative game that focuses on emotional drama and the importance of human connection.

Alone in the forest glade he shared with his wife, a woodworker struggles to accept her passing. Help him hold on to cherished memories of their life together as he struggles to care for himself and his now empty home. Pine is a single-serving game focused on telling a beautiful, emotional tale.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.2%, Point & Click 25.1%, Visual Novel 21.7%, Adventure 7.4%, 2D 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: A short, hand-drawn narrative experience that deals directly with the emotional weight of grief and memory.

My dream is a Lost Memory is a short interactive story about having Déjà vu, realizing that this Déjà vu came to you because of a dream, and then wondering if that dream is actually a memory. It's a story about work, limitations and self-respect.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.4%, Point & Click 21.9%, Visual Novel 18.6%, Minimalist 16.7%, Casual 6%

Why You'll Like It: A casual, point-and-click visual novel that explores themes of memory and dreams through a short, focused story.

Short visual novel about a guy and his cracks down relations. Help him decide what is best for him - his work or his girlfriend.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 30.1%, Visual Novel 28.2%, Casual 27.9%, Relaxing 13.7%

Why You'll Like It: A short, relaxing visual novel that prioritizes emotional storytelling and character reflection.

Don't Let Me Fade is an interactive adventure about memory, identity, and loss. Piece together fragments of a life - even if a simple teddy bear is the last symbol of connection to oneself in a world without time.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 27.8%, Point & Click 23%, Visual Novel 18.4%, Adventure 11.2%, Atmospheric 5.5%

Life on the Hook - is a short story about the life of a lonely fisherman named Hrafn, who lives his life in a small house on a lake with a dock and an old boat.

Why similar: Exploration 21.2%, Relaxing 21%, Family Friendly 18.9%, Atmospheric 18.1%, Adventure 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric walking simulator that uses its environment to tell a story about personal history and reflection.

This is a puzzle game that combines text and images. Players use visual illusions to piece together fragments of memories from Alzheimer's patients, in order to reconstruct the truth of the story and witness the passage of time for three generations.

Why similar: Life Sim 21%, Interactive Fiction 20.2%, Point & Click 17.9%, Puzzle 11.1%, Atmospheric 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-adventure game that blends atmospheric exploration with a dramatic, personal narrative.

A chronic illness simulator. You think you have a chronic illness, but you don't know what. All you know is you are always in some state of pain. You've been to too many doctors to count... but you still have to live your life.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.5%, Life Sim 24.5%, Visual Novel 18.2%, Minimalist 10.2%, Simulation 9.8%

A small game about letting go. Stay up late. Smoke cigarettes. Talk to strangers. Think about what you've lost. Someone you used to love? Or someone you used to be?

Why similar: Point & Click 35.2%, Exploration 17.4%, Atmospheric 14.4%, Relaxing 11.8%, Casual 11%

Why You'll Like It: A short, first-person exploration game that focuses on atmosphere and the quiet contemplation of one's surroundings.

"Purpose 1951" is an almost pure walking simulator set in the United States of 1951. You play as a retired doctor whose life falls apart.

Why similar: Exploration 31.4%, Atmospheric 22%, Relaxing 17.6%, Adventure 16.4%, Indie 8.2%

halfmoon is a short adventure game set in an information center for the dead before they move on.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 23.7%, Point & Click 22.1%, Visual Novel 20.8%, Minimalist 14.1%, Atmospheric 6%

This small Narrative Point & Click (Puzzle) game is about the mental health struggles of a adolescent high school dropout who's lost at life. Find out what they're struggling with, you might even recognize some things from your own life.

Why similar: Point & Click 31.9%, Visual Novel 22.2%, Puzzle 14.1%, Atmospheric 11%, Simulation 10.5%

It’s 2035 in Buenos Aires, or where Buenos Aires used to be. You’ve just woken up in a hospital, and you can’t remember anything. All you know is you have to escape and find out what happened to the city. And how to save it.

Why similar: Adventure 78.5%, Point & Click 12%, Puzzle 3.2%, Indie 3%, Casual 1.8%

A melancholic journey through the cemetery... and far beyond its gates.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.9%, Visual Novel 20.3%, Puzzle 11.8%, Exploration 10.4%, Relaxing 7.1%

A game about the short journey of a boy who left home. Experience a dense story in around 2 hours, along with rhythm gameplay and music puzzles. Enjoy live acoustic sounds and a story that feels like a musical film!

Why similar: Visual Novel 49.2%, Puzzle 22.4%, Adventure 11.8%, Indie 8.3%, 2D 5.5%

On a cold November night in a desolate estate deep in the mountains an innocent life has prematurely perished and its up to the player to find out who did it.

Why similar: Indie 43.1%, Visual Novel 36%, Adventure 20.8%

Rue Valley is a narrative adventure about a man trapped in a time loop, surrounded by a colorful cast with complex emotional stories, each hiding unexpected secrets. Dealing with mental challenges, the main character must delve into the anomaly to uncover its enigmatic origins.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 18.6%, Point & Click 18%, Choose Your Own Adventure 17.8%, Visual Novel 15.2%, Exploration 7.9%

"Hold Me Still" is a point-and-click puzzle mystery game where you investigate your friend's disappearance by exploring their house, collecting clues, solving puzzles, and uncovering the truth.

Why similar: Point & Click 34.6%, Puzzle 16.5%, Casual 14.2%, Adventure 11.8%, Exploration 11.5%

An old farmer lives with his wife - However, he hasn't quite been himself lately. His mind wanders off, he forgets his daily routine and he often brings up things from the past. Forgotten, Not Lost comes from the creators of A More Beautiful World and is a kinetic novel that tackles the theme of dementia and is a visual novel that hopes...

Why similar: Casual 48.4%, Visual Novel 29.3%, Simulation 11.8%, Indie 6.9%, Singleplayer 3.4%

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: Exploration 23.8%, Relaxing 18.8%, Atmospheric 18.8%, Simulation 16.1%, Adventure 16%

"They mean everything to me. Please, make them whole again." An interactive visual novel puzzle game. By fixing the broken android, you may uncover the truth about your client's past.

Why similar: Point & Click 19.7%, Choose Your Own Adventure 18.8%, Visual Novel 18.7%, Puzzle 11.9%, Adventure 10.5%

Driven by a rare neurological affliction plaguing his family, Joshua has to recover his memories by exploring parallel realities through déjà vu. Facing the innermost depths of his past – moments both joyous and painful – seems to be the only way to get his life and family back together.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 27.8%, Cinematic 26.1%, Minimalist 15.1%, Puzzle 11.7%, Exploration 10.7%

Summer days and no one around. Routine feat. The agony of isolation and abandonment. No violence, no haste, no conflict, except fighting your doubts. Swifts, butterflies, sunset rays on the leaves of trees; radio, notebook and pencil; typewriter; bus; overwhelming loneliness.

Why similar: Life Sim 53.7%, Simulation 17.5%, Atmospheric 15.7%, Relaxing 9.6%, Adventure 2.7%

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

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 27.1%, Visual Novel 17.8%, Atmospheric 17.2%, Adventure 11.9%, Puzzle 9.1%

Make up for lost time with Once Again, If you could travel through time, who’s the first person you’d meet? An interactive story about a boy who spends his summers wandering between past and present... After meeting her, summer will never be the same again...Who is she, and what journey awaits you?

Why similar: Visual Novel 32.1%, Interactive Fiction 15.5%, Adventure 11.7%, Casual 10.8%, Indie 9.2%

A short sci-fi visual novel about four scientists trapped in an underground lab. Explore their chat records to uncover the mysteries of Inturg Technologies. How can they escape their doom?

Why similar: Visual Novel 38.3%, Interactive Fiction 32.7%, Adventure 8.8%, Casual 7.9%, 2D 4.9%

A short point & click narrative adventure inspired by the real life experience of a struggling solo indie game developer. A story about everything and hence nothing at all. Discover what truly matters to you.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 18.9%, Point & Click 17.3%, Cinematic 15.2%, Visual Novel 12%, Realistic 8.9%

Leave home for the first time to collect memories before a mysterious cataclysm washes everything away. Ride, record, meet people, and unravel the strange world around you in this third-person meditative exploration game.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 23.5%, Visual Novel 18.4%, Cinematic 18.2%, Relaxing 10.4%, Exploration 10.1%

Control, I'm Not Coming Back is a short and emotional narrative game about a lost astronaut searching for a reason to keep going forward while facing the emptiness of space. Inspired by the Hopecore aesthetic, it’s a story about positivism, friendship and our human connection with Voyager 1.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 55.2%, Choose Your Own Adventure 15.2%, Minimalist 13.8%, Adventure 9.3%, Indie 6.5%

W!LiB! is an interactive psychological thriller about suicide, based on personal experience. This is a story about a void in the soul, about search and loss of the life purpose in trying to save oneself and others. This is a life that can be lived your own way. For any life is beautiful... isn’t it?

Why similar: Point & Click 32.9%, Puzzle 14.2%, Simulation 13.5%, Atmospheric 9.8%, 2D 7.1%

A short hidden object adventure about doing things later. Search, find, and don't lose yourself.

Why similar: Point & Click 34.7%, Interactive Fiction 24.6%, Casual 10.8%, Adventure 8.1%, Atmospheric 7.1%

A short story about how grandpa went to the store for bread.

Why similar: Visual Novel 45.6%, Minimalist 24.5%, Adventure 11.8%, Casual 5.9%, Indie 5.1%

A thoughtful and deeply personal title with stripped-down mechanics. The lack of dialogue or text allows you to create your own narrative through your time with four characters. Each short story will allow players to be swept away by the haunting lyrics of over twenty original, nostalgic songs.

Why similar: Life Sim 23.6%, Interactive Fiction 21.8%, Point & Click 19.1%, Visual Novel 12.1%, Relaxing 7.3%

You woke up in some basement and don't remember who you are or how you ended up here... But what you do know is that you need to get out of here...

Why similar: Realistic 44.9%, Atmospheric 24.6%, Adventure 12.8%, Singleplayer 6.3%, Exploration 5.1%

What to do when your days are not going well? What to do when you need to wake up and manage a troubled life, in which you need to work, eat well and still have time for yourself? Isolated Room is about that, and maybe a little more.

Why similar: Life Sim 27.1%, Point & Click 20.3%, Visual Novel 14.5%, Choose Your Own Adventure 13.6%, Relaxing 8.2%

Depression The Game is an interactive game simulating major depression. You are joining a young man on one of his really bad days trying to handle his thoughts and survive that day... Will he?

Why similar: Life Sim 31.6%, Interactive Fiction 26.7%, Visual Novel 19.3%, Simulation 9.6%, Atmospheric 9.5%

An emotional point-and-click hard sci-fi adventure game about exploring an abandoned space station. Follow messages left by the long-gone staff to learn the outcome of the research team and the secrets they left behind.

Why similar: Point & Click 26.9%, Visual Novel 15.7%, Puzzle 15.2%, Exploration 14%, Atmospheric 8.6%

My grandmother went to space—and came back.After that, the world began to spin, round and round...What was this country, this society, meant to be?We simply process the things that come our way.What was the world supposed to be like?I don’t know.SAYONALAIKA is an adventure game.

Why similar: Life Sim 33.2%, Relaxing 22%, Atmospheric 16.1%, Puzzle 16.1%, Adventure 6.8%