- #1 Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut
97% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 33,680 reviews2023
Dev: Black Tabby Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 7.0 hrs≥1hr: 88%
You're here to slay the princess. Don't believe her lies.
Why similar: Visual Novel 15%, Choices Matter 13.7%, Psychological Horror 12.7%, Dating Sim 10.3%, Horror 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: Created by the same developers, this game offers a similarly brilliant, branching narrative that explores psychological horror through unique, high-stakes choices.
- #2 I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 4,802 reviews2022
Dev: Northway GamesPub: Finji
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.8 hrsMean: 15.8 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Spend your teenage years on an alien planet in this narrative RPG with card-based battles. Explore, grow up, and fall in love. The choices you make and skills you master over ten years will determine the course of your life and the survival of your colony.
Why similar: Dating Sim 20.7%, Choices Matter 15.7%, Visual Novel 15.5%, Interactive Fiction 13.6%, Multiple Endings 11.2%
Why You'll Like It: This game features an incredibly dense branching narrative where every choice you make over years of gameplay significantly impacts the world and your character's survival.
- #3 BAD END THEATER
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 10,015 reviews2021
Dev: NomnomNami
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.6 hrsMean: 5.8 hrs≥1hr: 71%
select your protagonist and explore a variety of terrible fates!
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.8%, Choices Matter 23.5%, Multiple Endings 22.2%, Story Rich 14.4%, Choose Your Own Adventure 13.1%
Why You'll Like It: A meta-narrative visual novel that focuses entirely on the consequences of your choices, encouraging you to explore every tragic path possible.
- #4 Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
95% matchVery Positive93% of 130,397 reviews2019
Dev: ZA/UM
Windows · Mac
Median: 7.4 hrsMean: 22.9 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is a groundbreaking role playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.
Why similar: Choices Matter 34.2%, Story Rich 22.2%, Visual Novel 16.2%, RPG 13.3%, Point & Click 12.1%
Why You'll Like It: It offers the gold standard for choice-driven narrative depth, where your internal dialogue and decisions define the outcome of a complex, atmospheric mystery.
- #5 Citizen Sleeper
94% matchVery Positive92% of 10,481 reviews2022
Dev: Jump Over The AgePub: Fellow Traveller
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 7.3 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Roleplaying in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism. Live the life of an escaped worker, washed-up on a lawless station at the edge of an interstellar society. Inspired by the flexibility and freedom of TTRPGs, explore the station, choose your friends, escape your past and change your future.
Why similar: Narrative 35.6% ★, Interactive Fiction 17.9%, Multiple Endings 14.4%, Story Rich 12%, Point & Click 10.5%
Why You'll Like It: This narrative RPG captures the feeling of being an outsider in a strange, oppressive environment where your choices dictate your survival and relationships.
- #6 Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-
94% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 4,394 reviews2023
Dev: NankidaiPub: 0UP GAMES
Windows
Median: 6.9 hrsMean: 13.6 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority- is a multi-ending horror adventure game. Sara Chidouin returns home from school late one night to discover that something's gone terribly wrong. When she comes to, she finds herself, her friend Joe, and 9 other people trapped in a mysterious place.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 17.1%, Multiple Endings 16.9%, Psychological Horror 16.8%, Mystery 13.2%, Choose Your Own Adventure 13%
Why You'll Like It: A high-stakes mystery game that forces you to make difficult choices about who lives and who dies, much like the survival pressure in Scarlet Hollow.
- #7 The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
93% matchVery Positive93% of 6,312 reviews2023
Dev: DeconstructeamPub: Devolver Digital
Windows
Median: 4.8 hrsMean: 6.1 hrs≥1hr: 77%
Immerse yourself in an enchanting narrative experience as Fortuna, a fortune-teller Witch condemned to exile on her asteroid home. Craft your own Tarot deck, regain your freedom, and shape the fate of the cosmic Witch society.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 22.1%, Visual Novel 21.6%, Choices Matter 19.5%, Narrative 18.2% ★, Story Rich 10.1%
Why You'll Like It: This game features a deeply branching story where your choices in crafting tarot cards directly influence the fate of the characters and the world.
- #8 The Letter - Horror Visual Novel
92% matchVery Positive86% of 1,527 reviews2017
Dev: Yangyang MobilePub: Neon Doctrine
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.6 hrsMean: 11.0 hrs≥1hr: 89%
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 24.2%, Horror 18.4%, Choices Matter 14.3%, Psychological Horror 10.8%, Multiple Endings 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: A branching horror narrative that relies heavily on character relationships and the long-term consequences of your dialogue choices.
- #9 Little Goody Two Shoes
91% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 2,516 reviews2023
Dev: AstralShiftPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 8.1 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Venture into the woods as you play Little Goody Two Shoes, a phantasmagorical horror narrative adventure where all your decisions matter!
Why similar: Dating Sim 26.1%, Horror 17.4%, Choices Matter 15.6%, Multiple Endings 12.9%, Mystery 10.6%
Why You'll Like It: A horror-adventure game that blends dark, fairytale themes with dating-sim mechanics and multiple branching endings.
- #10 Night in the Woods
91% matchVery Positive95% of 20,210 reviews2017
Dev: Infinite FallPub: Finji
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.7 hrsMean: 12.7 hrs≥1hr: 89%
NIGHT IN THE WOODS is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world.
Why similar: Narrative 24.1% ★, Dark Humor 14.2%, Psychological Horror 13.4%, Choices Matter 13.3%, Visual Novel 13.3%
Why You'll Like It: It perfectly captures the feeling of returning to a small, decaying town filled with secrets and complex, relatable character dynamics.
- #11 Cabernet
89% matchVery Positive95% of 2,300 reviews2025
Dev: Party for IntrovertsPub: Akupara Games
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 7.6 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Cabernet is a 2D narrative RPG set in a 19th century Eastern European inspired world, with a modern twist. Guide Liza, a young vampire in her new unlife among the unsuspecting townsfolk. Will you retain your humanity or descend further into the horror you have become?
Why similar: Dating Sim 12.6%, Choices Matter 12.1%, Visual Novel 10.5%, Psychological Horror 9.3%, Horror 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric vampire narrative that focuses on dialogue and choice-based gameplay within a dark, Victorian-inspired setting.
- #12 OXENFREE II: Lost Signals
90% matchVery Positive88% of 2,070 reviews2023
Dev: Night School StudioPub: Netflix
Windows · Mac
Median: 6.0 hrsMean: 11.3 hrs≥1hr: 72%
Five years after the events of OXENFREE, Riley returns to her hometown of Camena to investigate mysterious radio signals. What she finds is more than she bargained for.
Why similar: Narrative 14.6% ★, Supernatural 14.1%, Visual Novel 8.4%, Interactive Fiction 8.4%, Choices Matter 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: Features a supernatural mystery set in a small town, focusing on dialogue-driven choices and the impact of your interactions with others.
- #13 Until Then
88% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 18,965 reviews2024
Dev: Polychroma GamesPub: Maximum Entertainment
Windows · Linux
Median: 7.0 hrsMean: 11.2 hrs≥1hr: 76%
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 34.7%, Interactive Fiction 23.3%, Story Rich 16.6%, Mystery 11.6%, Multiple Endings 7.7%
Why You'll Like It: An emotional, narrative-heavy experience that uses branching paths to explore the lives of teenagers in a world on the brink of change.
- #14 WORLD OF HORROR
89% matchVery Positive90% of 9,835 reviews2023
Dev: panstaszPub: Ysbryd Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 7.8 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: Lovecraftian 33.2%, Horror 20.5%, Psychological Horror 19%, Point & Click 11.6%, Mystery 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: A cosmic horror game with high replayability that forces you to manage resources and make difficult choices in a procedurally generated nightmare.
- #15 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
86% matchVery Positive93% of 7,340 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 21.7 hrs≥1hr: 90%
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 22.8%, Choices Matter 16%, Psychological Horror 13.6%, Multiple Endings 13%, Mystery 12.5%
Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in branching narrative design, combining psychological horror with complex puzzles and life-or-death decision-making.
- #16 Cooking Companions
86% matchVery Positive94% of 1,207 reviews2021
Dev: Deer Dream StudiosPub: Serenity Forge
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 4.6 hrs≥1hr: 95%
Unravel the mystery in this cute psychological horror VN, set deep in the woods of the Tatras Mountains. Will you wind up on the chopping block?
Why similar: Dating Sim 15.8%, Supernatural 14.3%, Visual Novel 12.5%, Psychological Horror 11%, Horror 9.4%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror visual novel that uses a cute aesthetic to mask a deeply unsettling and branching narrative.
- #17 Saint Kotar
87% matchMostly Positive74% of 289 reviews2021
Dev: The-Mark EntertainmentPub: SOEDESCO
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 5.8 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Saint Kotar is a psychological horror detective game set in a cursed valley in rural Croatia. Investigate the disappearance of your relative in the occult-ridden town of Sveti Kotar as you switch between conflicting realities through the eyes of two godly men.
Why similar: Lovecraftian 17.9%, Choices Matter 11.3%, Psychological Horror 10.8%, Interactive Fiction 9.8%, Visual Novel 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, point-and-click psychological horror game that emphasizes branching paths and the impact of your moral choices on the story.
- #18 Sucker for Love: First Date
84% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 3,007 reviews2022
Dev: AkabakaPub: DreadXP
Windows
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 68%
Put the 'love' in 'Lovecraftian horror'! Perform terrifying rituals to win the affections of eldritch horrors and smooch 'em... at any cost!
Why similar: Lovecraftian 20.7%, Dating Sim 15.5%, Visual Novel 11.6%, Psychological Horror 11.3%, Horror 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: A horror-comedy visual novel that subverts dating-sim tropes with Lovecraftian themes and branching paths.
- #19 Pathologic 2
85% matchVery Positive92% of 12,156 reviews2019
Dev: Ice-Pick LodgePub: tinyBuild
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 12.4 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Pathologic 2 is a groundbreaking open-world horror RPG. Resist the plague. Make medicine. Heal people. Perform an autopsy. Trade to get what you need. Fight and kill if necessary. Survive. Struggle with an outbreak in a secluded rural town that is rapidly turning into hell.
Why similar: Choices Matter 34.8%, Psychological Horror 29.1%, Story Rich 22.2%, RPG 10.6%, Adventure 3.4%
Why You'll Like It: An oppressive, dark experience where your choices are constantly tested against a dying town and the survival of those around you.
- #20 Saint Maker - Horror Visual Novel
83% matchVery Positive86% of 264 reviews2023
Dev: Yangyang MobilePub: Neon Doctrine
Windows · Mac
A haunted convent. Statues that move on their own. A buried past. Welcome to Saint Idelora’s convent, where becoming a saint comes with a price.
Why similar: Visual Novel 18.5%, Psychological Horror 17.1%, Interactive Fiction 13.7%, Horror 13.3%, Choices Matter 10.4%
Why You'll Like It: A chilling psychological horror visual novel that focuses on a strong female protagonist and a narrative shaped by your choices.
- #21 Heart of the House
84% matchVery Positive90% of 78 reviews2017
Dev: Choice of Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
When your uncle Kent mysteriously disappears, you'll embark on a journey find out what really happened. What will you sacrifice when trapped in a haunted manor? Will you destroy this evil or claim its power? And can love bloom in a haunted house?
Why similar: Choices Matter 41.9%, Choose Your Own Adventure 29.9%, RPG 19.7%, Adventure 8.6%
Why You'll Like It: A text-based adventure that offers a deep, supernatural mystery with significant branching paths based on your character's traits.
- #22 GNOSIA
81% matchVery Positive94% of 5,092 reviews2022
Dev: Petit DepottoPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 7.3 hrsMean: 15.3 hrs≥1hr: 91%
The Gnosia lie. Pretending to be human, they’ll get in close, trick and deceive, and then eliminate one victim at a time...
Why similar: Visual Novel 32.4%, Psychological Horror 25.3%, Mystery 18.7%, Story Rich 16.5%, Adventure 3.6%
Why You'll Like It: A unique social deduction game with a massive amount of branching dialogue and replayability that reveals the story through repeated loops.
- #23 Wayhaven Chronicles: Book One
82% matchVery Positive92% of 370 reviews2018
Dev: Hosted Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Your first case as a detective is forcing you to open your eyes to a world bigger than you thought. Or maybe it's better to keep them closed. Seems the supernatural didn’t get the memo that nothing exciting ever happens in the little town of Wayhaven.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 31.5%, Choose Your Own Adventure 24.9%, RPG 19.5%, Choices Matter 15.8%, Adventure 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: A choice-driven supernatural romance that focuses heavily on character relationships and the impact of your personality on the story.
- #24 7Days Origins
82% matchVery Positive86% of 354 reviews2021
Dev: Buff Studio
Windows
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 4.6 hrs≥1hr: 61%
7Days Origins is a single-player story game where the storyline changes based on the player's choices. For 7 days, you will meet various characters in the world of the dead. You may become allies and embark on adventures together or become enemies and fight.
Why similar: Supernatural 12.4%, Visual Novel 11.4%, Choices Matter 10.6%, Psychological Horror 10.3%, Interactive Fiction 10.2%
Why You'll Like It: A horror-themed visual novel that forces you to make time-sensitive, life-altering choices to survive a supernatural trial.
- #25 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
81% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 38,237 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.9 hrsMean: 22.9 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Investigate murders, search for clues and talk to your classmates to prepare for trial. There, you'll engage in deadly wordplay, going back and forth with suspects. Dissect their statements and fire their words back at them to expose their lies! There's only one way to survive—pull the trigger.
Why similar: Visual Novel 28.6%, Mystery 17.8%, Psychological Horror 16.7%, Story Rich 12.2%, Dark Humor 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: A high-stakes death game that relies on strong character interactions and mystery-solving to drive its dark, branching narrative.
- #26 The Case of the Golden Idol
78% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 10,922 reviews2022
Dev: Color Gray GamesPub: Playstack
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.9 hrsMean: 8.0 hrs≥1hr: 90%
A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.
Why similar: Narrative 22.5% ★, Mystery 18.2%, Interactive Fiction 17.6%, Choices Matter 15.1%, Point & Click 13.1%
Why You'll Like It: An intense mystery-solving game with a dark, macabre art style that rewards careful observation and deduction.
- #27 When The Night Comes
79% matchVery Positive93% of 329 reviews2021
Dev: Lunaris Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
When The Night Comes is a queer, narrative-driven, supernatural visual novel.
Why similar: Dating Sim 17.2%, Supernatural 14.6%, Visual Novel 13.6%, Dark Humor 9.6%, Dark Fantasy 9.4%
Why You'll Like It: A supernatural visual novel that balances romance and mystery with branching paths that depend on your interactions with the cast.
- #28 The Demons Told Me to Make This Game
77% matchVery Positive98% of 112 reviews2025
Dev: Haunted Dude
Windows · Mac
Welcome to Red Hives, a lovely Midwestern town infested with demons. You're a little spirit stuck in a time loop, your only way to interact with the world is by possessing people and whispering into their ears. Explore timelines, solve mysteries, and please, try to keep your hosts alive...
Why similar: Lovecraftian 22.1%, Choices Matter 13%, Visual Novel 12.3%, Supernatural 11.5%, Dark Humor 9.8%
- #29 Sucker for Love: Date to Die For
76% matchVery Positive95% of 1,325 reviews2024
Dev: AkabakaPub: DreadXP
Windows
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 79%
Put the ‘love’ in 'Lovecraftian horror!' Avoid the fanatical cultists and survive dangerous rituals to escape the Black Woods with your life in this 90’s anime inspired visual novel!
Why similar: Lovecraftian 23.4%, Dating Sim 20.1%, Visual Novel 14.8%, Horror 10.9%, Psychological Horror 7.4%
- #30 Sanator: Scarlet Scarf
79% matchVery Positive89% of 538 reviews2019
Dev: Ignis SanatPub: Ignis Sanat 🔥
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.4 hrsMean: 118.8 hrs≥1hr: 75%
Scarlet Scarf is a visual novel inspired by the legend of Plague Maiden. Dive into the dark mysteries of a dying city with the fate of Sanator Richard Murdock in your hands. Perhaps it's not too late to stop the on-going calamity...
Why similar: Visual Novel 18.1%, Dark Fantasy 15.9%, Choices Matter 14.1%, Horror 12.6%, Story Rich 9.4%
Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric dark fantasy visual novel that emphasizes world-building and narrative choices in a plague-ridden setting.
- #31 Kentucky Route Zero: PC Edition
80% matchVery Positive80% of 4,444 reviews2013
Dev: Cardboard Computer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.3 hrsMean: 4.6 hrs≥1hr: 56%
KENTUCKY ROUTE ZERO is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway running through the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it.
Why similar: Narrative 30.8% ★, Point & Click 27.5%, Story Rich 16.4%, Mystery 11.2%, Adventure 8%
Why You'll Like It: A surreal, atmospheric adventure that prioritizes narrative depth and character-driven choices over traditional gameplay mechanics.
- #32 Chronicles of Taldun: The Remainder
78% matchVery Positive95% of 153 reviews2022
Dev: Square Weasel Studio
Windows · Linux
A dark fantasy tale where death is not the end but the path to the truth. Two magi trapped in a collapsing tower must unravel a deadly mystery. Each death reveals another piece of the puzzle that is their shared past and forbidden love. For fans of House in Fata Morgana and literary dark fantasy.
Why similar: Visual Novel 16.1%, Psychological Horror 15.2%, Choices Matter 14.1%, Dark Fantasy 13.4%, Multiple Endings 12.3%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological mystery visual novel that features multiple endings and a focus on the consequences of your past decisions.
- #33 Enelia: Dawn of Madness
76% matchVery Positive95% of 129 reviews2024
Dev: Indra Studio
Windows
Immerse yourself in the enigmatic world of Nauris, where enchanting landscapes hide terrifying secrets: the strange behavior of elders, sinister rituals of priests, and the disappearance of citizens. Madness lurks everywhere – will you master it or become its victim? The choice is yours.
Why similar: Visual Novel 14.2%, Interactive Fiction 11.3%, Dating Sim 10.8%, Choices Matter 10.3%, Horror 10.2%
- #34 Malleus Cocconum: The Heiress
75% matchVery Positive95% of 161 reviews2025
Dev: Domus Aurea
Windows · Mac · Linux
You are Arenda Finch—fifteen years old, wealthy beyond measure, and newly exiled from your former school. Dunkenwood House takes you in, but its halls hide the darker side of privilege. Humanity or demonic nature. Love or desire. Every choice shapes the person you become.
Why similar: Psychological Horror 24.8%, Visual Novel 24.5%, Mystery 18.6%, Multiple Endings 12.6%, Story Rich 9.3%
- #35 Our Wonderland
73% matchVery Positive100% of 106 reviews2026
Dev: CarrotPub: Project Ensō
Windows · Mac · Linux
A horror-romance visual novel following the trials of a dysfunctional friend group thrust back into the wish-granting wonderland of their youth. Either they face the issues plaguing them or risk dying in horrific ways again… and again… and again.
Why similar: Visual Novel 14.1%, Dating Sim 13.5%, Interactive Fiction 11.5%, Choices Matter 11%, Psychological Horror 10.6%
- #36 Midnight Witch
74% matchVery Positive93% of 364 reviews2023
Dev: Crimson Moon Studio
Windows
Your average student life quickly descents into horror as a mysterious witch takes over the college... Can you save the girl you love? Or even make it out alive?
Why similar: Dating Sim 17.1%, Visual Novel 15%, Psychological Horror 14%, Interactive Fiction 10.2%, Multiple Endings 9.2%
- #37 Esoteric Ebb
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 9,245 reviews2026
Dev: Christoffer BodegårdPub: Raw Fury
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 10.9 hrs≥1hr: 79%
Esoteric Ebb is a single-player CRPG inspired by the freedom of tabletop adventures. Unravel a political conspiracy with your goblin sidekick. Roll dice in tense encounters. Become a cleric of legends or completely ruin the campaign.
Why similar: Narrative 24.5% ★, Choices Matter 20.7%, Interactive Fiction 15.9%, Story Rich 12.5%, Visual Novel 9.3%
- #38 The Coffin of Andy and Leyley
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 39,157 reviews2023
Dev: Kit9 Studio
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 13.0 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Walk-n-talk adventure with light puzzling. Brother and sister practice cannibalism after witnessing a botched satanic ritual.
Why similar: Visual Novel 18%, Psychological Horror 17.4%, Choices Matter 16.7%, Multiple Endings 14.8%, Story Rich 11.1%
- #39 Pink Noise
72% matchVery Positive86% of 133 reviews2026
Dev: Somber GamesPub: Caspianborn Publishing
Windows
Pink Noise is a nonlinear visual novel in the psychological horror genre, immersing you in the retro atmosphere of the '90s. It tells the tale of a group of teenagers who unknowingly set off a chain of terrifying events. What secrets lie within the mysterious VHS tape they should’ve never played?
Why similar: Visual Novel 13%, Choices Matter 12.8%, Psychological Horror 12.3%, Interactive Fiction 10.8%, Dark Fantasy 10.3%
- #40 The Test
72% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 20,140 reviews2020
Dev: Randumb Studios
Windows
Median: 30 minMean: 2.8 hrs≥1hr: 23%
You will answer a series of questions that will reveal truths from deep within. These questions may make you uncomfortable, but with great knowledge comes great sacrifice. Can you make it all the way through The Test, and if you do, are you sure you want the answers you seek?
Why similar: Psychological Horror 14.9%, Visual Novel 13.6%, Multiple Endings 13.4%, Choices Matter 13.1%, Choose Your Own Adventure 12.2%
- #41 Blood Lily Loop
73% matchVery Positive83% of 72 reviews2024
Dev: Sounding Stone / 老奉毊
Windows
Your bestie seems to be hiding something. There's something about your world that seems odd as well, like it has...secrets. Dive into the Cthulhu Mythos universe of this horror game and witness a "friendship" that rewrites the world.
Why similar: Lovecraftian 20.6%, Visual Novel 12.1%, Choices Matter 11.4%, Multiple Endings 9.7%, Dark Humor 9%
- #42 Creepy Support
70% matchVery Positive90% of 126 reviews2026
Dev: Squirrel Melting
Windows
Save people from terrible paranormal dangers as a support operator of a secret SCP-like organization! Ask questions, give advice and watch the consequences of your choices... multiple endings in each story ;-)
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 12.4%, Narrative 12.1% ★, Dark Humor 12.1%, Psychological Horror 11%, Choices Matter 10.4%
- #43 Cooking Companions 2: Dread Weight
71% matchVery Positive87% of 182 reviews2024
Dev: Deer Dream Studios
Windows · Mac
Trapped in a crumbling mansion, it’s up to you to outsmart and outlast an ancient witch hunting you down. Scavenge for items to set traps, solve puzzles and discover hidden secrets to avoid your demise. Don’t be scared: encounters with ghosts are rewarded in this horror visual novel.
Why similar: Dating Sim 18%, Visual Novel 14.8%, Psychological Horror 12.1%, Choices Matter 11.5%, Horror 11%
- #44 1000xRESIST
69% matchVery Positive94% of 6,940 reviews2024
Dev: sunset visitor 斜陽過客Pub: Fellow Traveller
Windows
Median: 2.9 hrsMean: 12.4 hrs≥1hr: 66%
1000xRESIST is a thrilling sci-fi adventure. The year is unknown, and a disease spread by an alien invasion keeps you underground. You are Watcher. You dutifully fulfil your purpose in serving the ALLMOTHER, until the day you discover a shocking secret that changes everything.
Why similar: Narrative 29.5% ★, Visual Novel 18.6%, Psychological Horror 17.4%, Multiple Endings 12.4%, Story Rich 11.2%
- #45 7'scarlet
74% matchMostly Positive74% of 880 reviews2019
Dev: IDEA FACTORYPub: Intragames
Windows
Median: 7.2 hrsMean: 14.5 hrs≥1hr: 75%
The remote town of Okunezato is shaped like a crescent moon and shrouded in dark myths and legends. Take on the role of a brave young woman journeying into the unknown to uncover dangerous truths and locate her missing brother with her childhood friend.
Why similar: Dating Sim 24.7%, Visual Novel 21.8%, Horror 13.5%, Supernatural 11.7%, Mystery 10.2%
- #46 Beacon Pines
69% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 4,465 reviews2022
Dev: Hiding SpotPub: Fellow Traveller
Windows
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 8.7 hrs≥1hr: 67%
Beacon Pines is a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book. Sneak out late, make new friends, uncover hidden truths, and collect words that will change the course of fate!
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.3%, Interactive Fiction 19.5%, Horror 14.7%, Story Rich 12.9%, Mystery 10%
- #47 Who's Lila?
70% matchVery Positive94% of 3,792 reviews2022
Dev: Garage Heathen
Windows
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 78%
A reverse-detective adventure, where you control your character's face
Why similar: Psychological Horror 13.7%, Visual Novel 12.9%, Interactive Fiction 12.3%, Horror 10.9%, Choices Matter 10.6%
- #48 BAD END
73% matchVery Positive83% of 398 reviews2015
Dev: Arai Koh Create OfficePub: YOX-Project
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 3.9 hrs≥1hr: 92%
It's rumored that those who play 'BAD END'- a Visual Novel will die in REAL LIFE if they make the wrong decision in the game itself.
Why similar: Visual Novel 17.7%, Horror 13%, Interactive Fiction 12.7%, Multiple Endings 11.8%, Mystery 11%
- #49 Siren's Call: Escape Velocity
68% matchVery Positive98% of 141 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: Visual Novel 18.3%, Psychological Horror 17%, Interactive Fiction 13.9%, Horror 11.7%, Mystery 11.7%
- #50 Bewitching Sinners
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 530 reviews2024
Dev: Miss Xero
Windows · Mac · Linux
Bewitching Sinners is a dark comedy dating sim where your choices will either leave you with your true love or ruin a whole world and potentially killing millions of people within it, no pressure! Explore a fantasy world full of witches, hot priests, and the occasional dance with death.
Why similar: Dating Sim 23%, Visual Novel 17.7%, Interactive Fiction 14.2%, Choices Matter 12.8%, Multiple Endings 10.1%
- #51 The Apocalypse Sacrifice
67% matchVery Positive95% of 248 reviews2024
Dev: FOG GAMESPub: INDIECN
Windows
As an adventurer, you have unintentionally uncovered a horrifying secret hidden in the town for years. Every choice you make will shape the story and become part of your personality test. Will you be the hero who saves the villagers, or will you sacrifice them to create your own legend?
Why similar: Psychological Horror 12.7%, Choices Matter 10.8%, Interactive Fiction 10.6%, Visual Novel 9.8%, Multiple Endings 9.3%
- #52 Pentiment
67% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 9,748 reviews2022
Dev: Obsidian EntertainmentPub: Xbox Game Studios
Windows
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 10.5 hrs≥1hr: 72%
Step into a living illustrated world in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the Bavarian Alps.
Why similar: Narrative 17.9% ★, Interactive Fiction 16.3%, Multiple Endings 12.5%, Story Rich 11.1%, Mystery 11%
- #53 Trapped with Jester
68% matchVery Positive94% of 1,579 reviews2022
Dev: AntaPub: Neoclassic Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
An unusual horror-themed Visual Novel about waking up in a carriage with a stranger… Whatever could go wrong?
Why similar: Visual Novel 13.7%, Psychological Horror 12.5%, Interactive Fiction 12.4%, Dark Humor 10.3%, Choose Your Own Adventure 9.3%
- #54 Soul Mates
66% matchVery Positive99% of 100 reviews2025
Dev: Sad Panda Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
You’re trapped inside a haunted house, stalked by angry ghosts. To survive, you’ll have to run, hide, strategize, give gifts, chat, flirt… Wait, what kind of game is this? Oh right, it’s a point-and-click survival horror dating sim!
Why similar: Dating Sim 33.9%, Narrative 22.1% ★, Visual Novel 17.1%, Horror 14.8%, Story Rich 7.2%
- #55 Demonheart: The Cursed Trial
67% matchVery Positive91% of 133 reviews2025
Dev: Rolling Crown
Windows · Mac
You are a girl with a demonic heart, trapped with a group of suspicious individuals. A demonspawn arrives, setting off a chain of mysterious murders. Can you trust any of your fellow captives and find love in the chaos? Or will you fight for your life alone?
Why similar: Dating Sim 17.4%, Visual Novel 13.7%, Dark Fantasy 12.1%, Interactive Fiction 11.4%, Psychological Horror 11.4%
- #56 Strange Horticulture
66% matchVery Positive94% of 16,007 reviews2022
Dev: Bad VikingPub: Iceberg Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 5.9 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Strange Horticulture is an occult puzzle game in which you play as the proprietor of a local plant store. Find and identify new plants, pet your cat, speak to a coven, or join a cult. Use your collection of powerful plants to influence the story and unravel Undermere’s dark mysteries.
Why similar: Lovecraftian 25%, Choices Matter 15.1%, Mystery 13.8%, Multiple Endings 12.8%, Point & Click 11.5%
- #57 Cursed Affection
66% matchVery Positive82% of 66 reviews2026
Dev: Daniels K.
Windows
A quiet night in Oakridge Valley spirals into chaos after you rescue a girl from a sinister ritual. As the last law enforcement officer in town, you’ll face paranormal horrors, twisted secrets, and the darkness that hungers to consume everything you swore to protect.
Why similar: Dating Sim 18.4%, Supernatural 14.5%, Visual Novel 14.1%, Dark Fantasy 11.9%, Choices Matter 11.3%
- #58 Witching Hour
70% matchMixed68% of 68 reviews2022
Dev: Vincent Lade
Windows
Witching Hour is a horror story that takes you out of your family home and across the quiet town of Hollow Hills. Your fate depends on making difficult choices, your relationship with your family, and confrontations with the matriarch of the town’s affliction with witchcraft, Lucilia.
Why similar: Psychological Horror 28%, Horror 25.1%, Mystery 19.4%, Lore-Rich 14.5%, Story Rich 13%
