Games Like Scanner Sombre

From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent comes SOMA, a sci-fi horror game set below the waves of the Atlantic ocean. Struggle to survive a hostile world that will make you question your very existence.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 20.9%, Horror 16.8%, Lovecraftian 14.8%, Exploration 9.5%, Psychological Horror 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: Like Scanner Sombre, it excels at building a sense of dread and isolation through its dark, atmospheric environments and narrative-driven exploration.

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 35.7%, Horror 13.3%, Atmospheric 12.7%, Exploration 11.4%, Lovecraftian 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: It shares a strong emphasis on atmospheric exploration and uncovering a narrative through environmental clues in a secluded setting.

INFRA puts you into the boots of a structural analyst on a routine mission. Quickly though, your task turns into a fight for survival, all caused by deep-rooted schemes of the past. Your tools are simple: your camera and the wits to navigate a labyrinth of debris.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 33.6%, Exploration 17.3%, Atmospheric 13.5%, Horror 11.6%, First-Person 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: It emphasizes slow-paced exploration and puzzle-solving in decaying, atmospheric environments that feel grounded and lonely.

The era-defining first-person psychological horror in all its terrifying glory. All of the game’s chapters collected into one convenient package that allows you to plumb the depths of madness in pursuit of artistic revelation.

Why similar: Horror 21.3%, Walking Simulator 21.3%, Psychological Horror 13.3%, Exploration 13%, Atmospheric 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on psychological horror and environmental storytelling, mirroring the disorienting and surreal experience of navigating dark spaces.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a first person survival horror. A game about immersion, discovery and living through a nightmare. An experience that will chill you to the core.

Why similar: Horror 37.9%, Lovecraftian 13.2%, Walking Simulator 10.4%, Psychological Horror 9.3%, Atmospheric 9%

Why You'll Like It: It utilizes darkness as a primary gameplay mechanic, forcing the player to manage light and shadow to survive in a hostile environment.

Walking simulator. Explore, admire and listen. Uncanny. Relaxing. Unnerving. Eerie. Immersive. No monsters chasing you or jumping at your screen, but can feel oppressive at times by invoking fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and liminal space architecture. Inspired by backrooms.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 37%, Psychological Horror 13.3%, Atmospheric 12.6%, Exploration 12.1%, VR 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: This title focuses on the liminal, unsettling nature of empty spaces, capturing the same eerie, quiet exploration found in Scanner Sombre.

The original first‑person cyberpunk horror detective tale set in a decaying, neon‑scarred future. As an Observer who invades minds to hunt for clues, you will sift through corrupted memories to track down a mysterious killer and confront your own dark past.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26%, Horror 23.9%, Psychological Horror 14.8%, Atmospheric 13.1%, First-Person 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game offers a similarly intense, atmospheric, and visually distinct experience that leans heavily into psychological horror and exploration.

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 41%, Atmospheric 14.3%, Exploration 12.3%, First-Person 8.8%, Horror 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a masterclass in atmospheric exploration and narrative pacing within a beautiful, isolated wilderness setting.

What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of strange tales about a family in Washington state. As Edith, you’ll explore the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she's the last one in her family left alive.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 41.4%, Atmospheric 14.9%, Exploration 12.6%, First-Person 8.7%, Horror 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: It is a narrative-focused exploration game that excels at creating unique, memorable environments that tell a story without traditional combat.

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: Horror 31.9%, Walking Simulator 21.4%, Atmospheric 14.7%, Psychological Horror 11%, Indie 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its surreal, low-fidelity aesthetic and focus on atmosphere create a haunting, short-form horror experience similar to the feel of Scanner Sombre.

Shattered Lights is a VR psychological horror room-scale experience, which focuses on drawing the player into the game with unparalleled immersion.

Why similar: VR 22.8%, Horror 21.6%, Walking Simulator 20.2%, Psychological Horror 10.8%, Atmospheric 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: Designed specifically for VR, this horror game uses lighting and environmental navigation to create tension in a way that feels very similar to the LIDAR mechanic.

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 30.2%, Horror 16.2%, Atmospheric 15.7%, Exploration 15.6%, First-Person 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: It is a short, atmospheric puzzle-exploration game that emphasizes the beauty and mystery of a decaying, abandoned world.

Penumbra: Overture is a first person survival horror game, emphasizing on survival and problem solving instead of mindless violence and gore.

Why similar: Horror 40.5%, Lovecraftian 13.1%, First-Person 10.9%, Psychological Horror 10.7%, Atmospheric 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: It features a heavy reliance on physics-based interaction and navigating dark, claustrophobic caves, much like the seed game.

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: Walking Simulator 32%, Horror 19.5%, Exploration 17.2%, Atmospheric 11.9%, First-Person 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: It is a pure exploration-based mystery game that rewards careful observation of the environment to piece together a dark history.

Snap your own homemade liminal space photos using a mysterious SLR camera as you explore a variety of empty, strange, and familiar spaces.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.1%, Horror 18.2%, Exploration 17%, Atmospheric 12.2%, First-Person 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the specific aesthetic of liminal spaces, focusing on the exploration of empty, eerie environments.

Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.

Why similar: Exploration 28.2%, Horror 18.3%, Atmospheric 14.9%, First-Person 8.6%, Psychological Horror 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: It is the ultimate exploration game, focusing on uncovering the secrets of a mysterious, atmospheric world through curiosity and observation.

You are on a bleak, cold, windy island. And you seem to be alone... but fires and candles still burn. As you explore, a story of guilt, loneliness, and faith begins to take shape. And it becomes obvious that something is hunting you...

Why similar: Walking Simulator 34%, Horror 15%, Exploration 12.4%, Psychological Horror 11.1%, First-Person 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the narrative potential of exploration in a desolate, atmospheric environment, mirroring the short, focused nature of the seed game.

You are trapped in an endless underground passageway. Observe your surroundings carefully to reach "The Exit 8".

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.4%, Underground 18% ★, Horror 15.4%, Exploration 12.1%, Psychological Horror 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: It uses a repetitive, puzzle-based exploration loop to create a sense of unease and psychological tension in a confined space.

Dream is an exploration game that takes place within the subconscious mind of Howard Phillips, a young man whose waking hours are tedious and dull, but whose dreams are lucid and powerful.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 31.4%, VR 15.9%, Exploration 15%, Atmospheric 8.5%, Horror 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: It is an exploration-heavy game that takes the player through surreal, atmospheric dreamscapes, emphasizing discovery and mood.

Caligo is the darkness everyone descends into one way or another, and to each of us it's something different. For some it's a short but exciting adventure, some will see it as a place to relax. Yet others will be reminded of their worst nightmare, while for a few, it might come as a revelation.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 42.4%, Horror 14.5%, Atmospheric 11.1%, Adventure 8.5%, First-Person 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: It is a short, purely atmospheric walking simulator that prioritizes visual and auditory immersion over complex mechanics.

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 47.5%, Exploration 12.9%, Sci-fi 9%, First-Person 8.6%, Atmospheric 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: It utilizes a unique narrative playback mechanic that encourages players to explore and observe their surroundings to understand what happened.

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 61%, Atmospheric 12.6%, Exploration 8.4%, First-Person 5.5%, Indie 4.3%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a deeply atmospheric, slow-paced exploration experience set in a hauntingly empty, beautiful environment.

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: Walking Simulator 50.8%, First-Person 14.3%, Exploration 12.7%, Indie 6.5%, Atmospheric 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: It explores the boundaries of the walking simulator genre with a focus on environmental discovery and meta-narrative.

Frightence is a short, intense first-person horror experience.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 52%, Horror 34.5%, Adventure 10.7%, Singleplayer 2.9%

Why You'll Like It: This short, atmospheric horror game focuses on building tension through environmental cues and a sense of impending dread.

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 68.5%, Exploration 11.3%, Atmospheric 8.1%, First-Person 5.9%, Indie 3.4%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the intimacy of exploring a quiet, atmospheric space to uncover a personal and emotional narrative.

LiDAR Exploration Program is a relaxing atmospheric game with light horror elements, where you explore in complete darkness using a scanner to reveal the world around you.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.7%, Horror 17.6%, Exploration 12.8%, Atmospheric 11.3%, Psychological Horror 10.3%

Explore a mysterious abandoned bunker and find notes that paint a disturbing picture.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.3%, Horror 19.3%, Psychological Horror 11.6%, Exploration 10.5%, First-Person 9%

Why You'll Like It: This short, free-to-play horror experience relies on environmental storytelling and a dark, unsettling atmosphere to engage the player.

Face your fears in realistic VR spelunking. Explore fictional and real-life caves recreated in VR, including the infamous Nutty Putty cave guided by a real-life rescuer. Tackle steep climbs and narrow tunnels with physical tools and authentic techniques.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 20.2%, VR 16.4%, Underground 13.5% ★, Horror 10.8%, Exploration 9.3%

A claustrophobic first-person horror game about crawling through a dark, winding cave system in search of three missing divers.

Why similar: Horror 21.7%, Walking Simulator 13.4%, Exploration 13%, Atmospheric 11.7%, Psychological Horror 10.6%

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 28.8%, Horror 18.2%, Exploration 14.6%, Atmospheric 13.8%, First-Person 11%

Why You'll Like It: Set in a frozen, isolated landscape, it combines exploration and survival elements with a strong sense of atmosphere and mystery.

A first-person horror adventure game that will take you on a journey through an ancient castle and that lies beneath. Dangers and forgotten horrors await in the dark...

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.7%, Horror 21.3%, Exploration 12.3%, Adventure 9.8%, Atmospheric 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: It combines exploration and horror elements in a way that highlights the vulnerability of the player in a dark, unknown environment.

Cave Crawler is a short horror game where you pilot a drone into a cave and discover something horrible.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 35.1%, Horror 25.2%, Psychological Horror 9.7%, First-Person 9.1%, Atmospheric 6%

Grapple, clamber and fall thousands of meters down into a dark and ancient place in this first-person horror climbing game. You are being hunted.

Why similar: Horror 36.6%, Atmospheric 19.6%, Exploration 16%, First-Person 13%, Adventure 5.8%

This is a short, first-person psychological horror game with VHS effects. Be careful, you are facing a terrifying being.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 33.8%, Horror 21.9%, Psychological Horror 12.3%, Exploration 7.6%, Adventure 6.5%

Narrative exploration game located in a massive, post-human Western Washington. Navigate an open world that has been reclaimed by nature. Use journals, letters, zines, and other documents to learn the interconnected stories of the people who lived here once.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 50%, Exploration 23.4%, Atmospheric 11.6%, Adventure 6.6%, Indie 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: It features a vast, lonely, and atmospheric world that encourages the player to wander and discover the environment at their own pace.

A slow burn walking sim with an interactive soundtrack and horror vibes. You explore abstract locations and create your own unique sound for each of them by moving around and using Monoliths.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 34.5%, Psychological Horror 11.3%, Atmospheric 10.4%, Exploration 8.9%, Horror 8.9%

GORE is a Lovecraft-inspired horror experience set deep in the Rocky Mountains. Explore the wilderness and uncover the origins of the fleshy entity.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.1%, Lovecraftian 17.8%, Horror 12.6%, Exploration 11.3%, Atmospheric 8.2%

A first-person exploration game where you walk through eerie and realistic spaces, searching for an exit. Powered by Unreal Engine's Lumen, it's perfect for those who enjoy quiet walks or simple games. Use the sandbox feature to create your own space! Requires a DirectX12-compatible GPU.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 70.9%, Horror 21.8%, Adventure 4.9%, Singleplayer 2.3%

Wander long creepy corridors in search for answers in this short and jumpscare filled game.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 24.6%, Horror 17.7%, VR 13.7%, Exploration 9.9%, First-Person 7.9%

In the Backrooms: Exit from Supermarket, you find yourself trapped in a labyrinth of endless, flickering aisles. Unearth dark secrets behind every shelf while evading lurking apparitions and supernatural terrors. Can you survive the haunted corridors and escape before the nightmare consumes?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 21.3%, Horror 17.2%, Lovecraftian 17%, Psychological Horror 10.2%, Atmospheric 9.9%

Explore a cold, abandoned, and dreary facility to piece together its mysteries and find a means for escape from the horror that lurks within.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.7%, Horror 19.6%, Atmospheric 13.6%, Exploration 12.2%, Psychological Horror 7.7%

Jumpscare Simulator is a sci-fi horror game featuring a story-driven main game and two additional game modes. Pass through doors carefully, battle the simulation, and try to fall from your seat as little as possible!

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.8%, Horror 23.1%, Psychological Horror 13.5%, Atmospheric 8.7%, First-Person 8%

A psychological horror game where you spend a night in the shoes of an arcade worker named Marcus. Win prizes on the crane machine and shoot some hoops. Just make sure to keep the doors locked.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.8%, Horror 16.1%, Exploration 15.2%, Psychological Horror 9.6%, Atmospheric 8.9%

Dean Holt, popular Urbex vlogger, sets off on another exploration of an abandoned home but this time things aren't going as planned. Something dark is lurking inside and Dean quickly finds himself in over his head

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.4%, Horror 22.7%, Psychological Horror 12.8%, Exploration 12.3%, Atmospheric 12.2%

Step into a liminal, cosmic horror experience set in an abandoned amusement park. Uncover the haunting narrative behind its twisted rides and empty tunnels to discover what lurks within a reality that shouldn't exist…

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.1%, Lovecraftian 20%, Horror 18%, Psychological Horror 10.4%, Atmospheric 8.5%

Fork Road is a first-person immersive atmospheric game with new gameplay , Be prepared to face fears you've never faced before

Why similar: Jump Scare 32.1% ★, Walking Simulator 24.6%, Horror 16.5%, First-Person 6.4%, Atmospheric 5.5%

There's Nothing Down There is a short undersea horror exploration game. Descend into a sinkhole at the bottom of the ocean and discover the remains of a lost, yet not dead, civilization.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.5%, Horror 22.2%, Exploration 13.4%, First-Person 9%, Underground 8.5% ★

Explore a looping corridor filled with anomalies. Walk through the fluorescent-lit backrooms environment, examine your surroundings, and spot subtle changes in reality.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26%, Underground 17.1% ★, Horror 14.8%, Exploration 11.3%, Psychological Horror 8.8%

Trapped in a hallucinatory, liminal-space style underground passageway, explore and unravel the endless "dead-end" paths to find a way forward. "Dead Path is a short ambient horror puzzle game that references Exit 8, but with a completely different core mechanic.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.5%, Horror 16.9%, Exploration 11.4%, Underground 11.2% ★, Psychological Horror 11.1%

Wander through intricate maze under the bed, and discover the secrets hidden in the long, dark tunnels. Document the existence of monsters. Retrieve the stolen treasures and memories.

Why similar: Horror 22.8%, Underground 18.9% ★, Exploration 15.2%, Psychological Horror 13.3%, First-Person 10.6%

DREAM LOGIC is a story driven first-person atmospheric horror game which takes place in liminal spaces. Explore various nostalgic, dreamlike, uncanny environments. But don't feel too safe, there's a sneaky creature watching your every move.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.2%, Horror 17.6%, Exploration 13.2%, Psychological Horror 11.4%, Atmospheric 11.2%

Ether One is a first person adventure that deals with the fragility of the human mind. There are two paths in the world you can choose from. At its core is a story exploration path free from puzzles where you can unfold the story at your own pace.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 36.9%, Exploration 15.2%, First-Person 10.8%, Adventure 8.6%, VR 8.1%

A psychological first-person horror game where you enter a memory-erasing protocol and relive a trauma. Uncover dark secrets, and experience fear through immersive atmosphere.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 34.1%, Horror 21.9%, Psychological Horror 12.5%, Atmospheric 11.2%, First-Person 7.5%

Dire Echo is a psychological horror walking simulator that immerses players in the eerie and oppressive atmosphere of abandoned deep space.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.9%, Horror 13.7%, Exploration 12%, Atmospheric 9.2%, Psychological Horror 8.5%

Subliminal is a psychological horror game inspired by the urban legend of The Backrooms. Bleeding edge lighting and rendering, handcrafted open-ended levels, light and perspective-based puzzles, nostalgic spaces, unfamiliar faces, and a rotting feeling that something is not quite right.

Why similar: Horror 26.4%, Exploration 18.1%, Psychological Horror 16.6%, Atmospheric 16.2%, First-Person 12.7%

Set in a creepy amusement park hiding a dark and sinister secret, The Park is a first-person psychological horror experience focused on exploration and storytelling.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 33.5%, Horror 23.7%, Psychological Horror 12%, First-Person 9%, Atmospheric 7.9%

ROUTINE is a First Person Sci-Fi Horror set on an abandoned lunar base designed around an 80s vision of the future. Explore and investigate your surroundings as you survive against unknown threats.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.6%, Horror 15.8%, Psychological Horror 11.3%, Atmospheric 11.1%, Exploration 11.1%

Experience backrooms like never before. Dreamcore is the ultimate psychological exploration game, set in the largest liminal world ever made. No guides, no path—only intuition. Will you keep your bearings in a world designed to make you lose them?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.1%, Horror 16.6%, Exploration 13.8%, Psychological Horror 11.1%, Atmospheric 9.3%

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: Walking Simulator 36.7%, Horror 22.4%, Psychological Horror 13.3%, Atmospheric 12.3%, First-Person 4.8%