Games Like Subliminal

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: Psychological Horror 22.2%, Surreal 20%, Realistic 16.8%, Atmospheric 10.2%, First-Person 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the exact aesthetic of liminal spaces and surreal, water-filled environments with a focus on exploration and puzzle-solving.

Experience liminal spaces 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: Surreal 15.7%, Investigation 14.1%, Psychological Horror 12.9%, Realistic 10.4%, Mystery 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a high-fidelity, dreamlike exploration experience that mirrors the uncanny, nostalgic, and unsettling nature of the Backrooms.

The Backrooms: 1998 is a first-person found footage psychological horror survival game where it tells the story of a young teen after accidentally falling into the depths of The Backrooms in 1998. Roam freely, mark, explore and try unravel the story - however you are not alone. Don't scream.

Why similar: Thriller 32.9%, Psychological Horror 22.7%, Realistic 13.8%, Action-Adventure 8.5%, Simulation 8%

Why You'll Like It: It perfectly replicates the found-footage aesthetic and claustrophobic tension inherent in the Backrooms urban legend.

The most relaxing horror game you'll ever play. Anemoiapolis exists in the uncanny valley of American architecture -- endless carpeted floors and lonely malls. Escape for your life, and enjoy the scenery.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 14.7%, Surreal 14.4%, Mystery 11.9%, Realistic 11.7%, Horror 11.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game is a definitive experience for fans of liminal spaces, offering a masterclass in atmospheric dread and environmental storytelling.

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: Thriller 24.8%, Surreal 24.2%, Psychological Horror 13%, First-Person 11%, Story Rich 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: While more puzzle-focused, it shares the core concept of perspective-based manipulation within surreal, dream-like environments.

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

Why similar: Immersive Sim 16.1%, Psychological Horror 14.2%, Surreal 12.5%, Horror 11.1%, First-Person 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: This title pioneered the anomaly-spotting subgenre within liminal spaces, requiring the same keen observation skills as Subliminal.

Luto is a psychological horror experience where you take on the role of someone unable to leave their home. Every attempt to escape will lead you deeper into the unknown, where nothing is as it seems and everything will test your senses.

Why similar: Thriller 20.7%, Psychological Horror 18.7%, Mystery 12.7%, Realistic 9%, Story Rich 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: This psychological horror game features high-fidelity environments and a heavy focus on the feeling of being trapped in a shifting, uncanny home.

When a routine expedition into The Complex goes horribly wrong, you're left alone and lost, wandering the seemingly infinite maze of hallways, otherwise known as the Backrooms. Might there be something following you?

Why similar: Realistic 13.5%, Psychological Horror 13.2%, Horror 12.7%, Mystery 11.1%, Immersive Sim 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a dedicated, high-quality exploration experience specifically set within the expansive, unsettling architecture of the Backrooms.

Unpredictable horrors lurk around every corner, forcing you to find the missing people while desperately clinging to survival. In this experience even your own mind can become your enemy. Stay vigilant and keep your voice hushed, or risk becoming another victim of the forest's darkness

Why similar: Thriller 22.7%, Psychological Horror 15.6%, Horror 14%, Realistic 12.7%, Multiple Endings 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: It utilizes realistic graphics to create a terrifying, immersive atmosphere that feels grounded and deeply unsettling.

Inspired by Allison Road. SUPERNORMAL is a psychological horror game set in a seemingly ordinary apartment harboring dark secrets. Play as Detective Wyatt, tasked with unravelling the disappearance of Masato Sakamoto's daughter. Search for clues and unravel the sinister truth.

Why similar: Investigation 13.9%, Thriller 13.7%, Psychological Horror 11.8%, Realistic 10.8%, Mystery 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: This realistic, detective-style psychological horror game focuses on atmosphere and environmental storytelling in a way that resonates with Subliminal fans.

MADiSON is a first person psychological horror game that delivers an immersive and terrifying experience. With the help of an instant camera, connect the human world with the beyond, take pictures and develop them by yourself. Solve puzzles, explore your surroundings and most importantly, survive.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 28.7%, Horror 25.1%, First-Person 11.7%, Atmospheric 8.9%, Story Rich 5%

Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in psychological horror that uses complex puzzles and environmental manipulation to keep the player in a constant state of unease.

Visage is a first-person psychological horror game. Explore a mysterious ever-changing house in a slow-paced, atmospheric world that combines both uncannily comforting and horrifyingly realistic environments, and enjoy a genuinely terrifying experience.

Why similar: Horror 29.4%, Psychological Horror 28.7%, First-Person 8.1%, Surreal 8%, Realistic 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: Widely considered the gold standard for psychological horror, it excels at creating an oppressive, atmospheric environment that changes around the player.

Explore and admire while navigate through eerie, surreal environments inspired by the Backrooms lore. Explore this uncanny world lost in time and get lost in the otherworldly architecture in a world where reality bends and your sanity is tested.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 18.9%, Realistic 15.6%, Immersive Sim 15%, Surreal 14.9%, Mystery 12.6%

Why You'll Like It: A dedicated exploration experience that leans heavily into the aesthetic of empty, nostalgic spaces and psychological discomfort.

Liminal City is a psychological horror and exploration game based on found footage, set in Backrooms Level 11. Walk through the streets of Level 11, filled with soulless buildings, dynamically moving to different levels and searching for a way out. Once you fall in here will you be able to get out?

Why similar: Thriller 17.4%, Psychological Horror 15.6%, Realistic 12.5%, Mystery 9.7%, Horror 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on the urban side of liminal spaces, offering a realistic and atmospheric exploration of empty cityscapes.

"Trapped in a cocoon, the silkworm weaves her final dream." Hollow Cocoon is a first-person horror adventure game set in 1980s Japan. Immerse yourself in meticulously recreated environments as you venture into the depths of unspeakable horrors that await you.

Why similar: Thriller 16.6%, Psychological Horror 13.2%, Surreal 11.8%, Horror 10.9%, Multiple Endings 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: A slow-burn, atmospheric psychological horror game that emphasizes exploration and the dread of being watched in a realistic setting.

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: Psychological Horror 19.1%, Horror 14.3%, Mystery 13%, Multiple Endings 12.9%, First-Person 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: The game excels at shifting environments and psychological manipulation, mirroring the surreal architectural changes found in liminal spaces.

An observation-driven psychological horror set inside an endless furniture superstore. Spot anomalies, choose the correct path, complete your shopping list — and escape the loop.

Why similar: Thriller 15.3%, Surreal 12.6%, Immersive Sim 10%, Psychological Horror 9.2%, Realistic 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the dread of being trapped in an infinite, repetitive, and uncanny space, which is a core theme of the Backrooms.

Set in 1944 Italy, Martha Is Dead is an award-winning dark psychological thriller where the lines between truth, superstition, and tragedy blur. Explore a haunting countryside, uncover disturbing memories, and peel back layers of mystery. Every choice shapes the nightmare…are you ready to face it?

Why similar: Thriller 22.5%, Psychological Horror 17.5%, Mystery 12.1%, Horror 12%, Story Rich 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: Known for its hyper-realistic visuals, this game delivers a deeply disturbing psychological narrative set in a hauntingly beautiful environment.

A first‑person cyberpunk horror detective story 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: Investigation 23%, Surreal 15.9%, Psychological Horror 13.5%, Horror 13.1%, Multiple Endings 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a high-fidelity, cyberpunk-infused psychological horror experience that is dense with atmosphere and unsettling environmental details.

Amnesia: The Bunker is a first-person horror game set in a WW1 bunker. A relentless, AI-driven monster stalks you. Survival depends on finding tools, crafting items, and keeping the lights on.

Why similar: Immersive Sim 19.3%, Psychological Horror 16.4%, Horror 14.6%, First-Person 10.3%, Action-Adventure 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on immersive, claustrophobic horror where the environment itself is a primary antagonist, demanding careful navigation.

"Psalm 5:9-13" is a first-person psychological horror game with VHS effect. Be careful and attentive, there is something hiding in these rooms, something is watching from the darkness.

Why similar: Thriller 16.8%, Psychological Horror 12.8%, Surreal 11.4%, Mystery 10.6%, Horror 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: An indie psychological horror title that prioritizes a heavy, oppressive atmosphere and environmental mystery over jump scares.

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: Psychological Horror 16.9%, Thriller 16.2%, Realistic 14.6%, Horror 13.3%, Mystery 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: A realistic, atmospheric horror game that uses the environment to tell a psychological story of isolation and mystery.

A short interactive first-person horror game. Walk, look around, and talk to people to finish the short story about closing your restaurant. Complete the story with immersive sounds, and spooky tension and jumpscares to keep you focused.

Why similar: Thriller 19.3%, Action-Adventure 15.3%, Psychological Horror 14%, Horror 13.8%, Simulation 12.6%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the unsettling nature of mundane, everyday environments turned into sources of psychological terror.

Fears to Fathom is an episodic psychological horror game where each episode unveils a short story narrated by the ones who survived.

Why similar: Horror 29.6%, Psychological Horror 25.4%, First-Person 11.5%, Realistic 8.7%, Atmospheric 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers a realistic, unsettling narrative that makes the familiar environment of a home feel deeply threatening.

A horror game about claustrophobia. During a storm your service dog is forced down a broken sewer drain. You find the nearest sewer entrance and run in after it. Along the way you will meet others that are also stricken by abnormal or psychological fear.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 28%, Surreal 20.3%, Horror 20.3%, Atmospheric 12.5%, First-Person 10.9%

Why You'll Like It: A claustrophobic, psychological horror experience that uses tight spaces and surreal imagery to create a sense of profound unease.

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: Multiple Endings 24.6%, Psychological Horror 16.4%, First-Person 12.3%, Mystery 9.7%, Exploration 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: While satirical, its meta-narrative and focus on navigating strange, repetitive office environments align well with the liminal space genre.

Liminal Shift is a unique atmospheric suspense game developed using the latest Unreal Engine 5 technologies such as Lumen and Nanite. With every step you take, Liminal Shift pushes you deeper into an eerie, unsettling experience like no other.

Why similar: Thriller 15.2%, Surreal 11.3%, Immersive Sim 9.7%, Psychological Horror 9%, Realistic 8.5%

The Door in the Basement is an atmospheric pixelated horror game set in a mysterious subterranean world.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 17.7%, Surreal 15.9%, Mystery 15.2%, Horror 15.1%, Atmospheric 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: It excels at creating a dark, atmospheric exploration experience that feels deeply personal and psychologically taxing.

Fear and anxiety prevail after the darkest tales from Japanese folklore come to life in this first-person psychological horror game. Set in a feudal era, Ikai revolves around the priestess of a shrine struggling to defeat the spirits of her past and her present.

Why similar: Thriller 17.9%, Psychological Horror 14.3%, Horror 11.4%, Mystery 11.3%, Realistic 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: This game blends atmospheric exploration with puzzle-solving, focusing on the tension of being in a space where something is clearly wrong.

Welcome to a world where you are lost between consciousness and dreams. As you wander the dark corridors of an old hotel, face the games your mind plays on you. Your memories linger like a shadow following you. But there's nowhere to escape... Are you ready to confront your darkest fears?

Why similar: Thriller 23.6%, Psychological Horror 17.5%, Immersive Sim 12.6%, Realistic 9%, Atmospheric 7.8%

Scanner Sombre is a 3d horror cave exploration game where darkness is your greatest foe. Illuminate the unseen with your LIDAR scanner, revealing the eerie beauty and peril of the abyss. From the creators of Prison Architect, this immersive adventure uses light and shadow for a haunting experience.

Why similar: Horror 26.3%, Exploration 18.2%, Psychological Horror 16.6%, Atmospheric 16.5%, First-Person 12.6%

Why You'll Like It: It uses a unique point-cloud visual style to make exploration feel both beautiful and deeply unsettling, perfectly matching the 'mystery' tag.

Step into an uncanny building trapped in endless loops. Use the elevator, uncover unsettling anomalies, and evade the Entity lurking behind you. Liminal Exit is an immersive game inspired by liminal spaces and Exit 8. Explore 3 liminal space floors and track anomalies to escape, but watch your back!

Why similar: Immersive Sim 16.4%, Surreal 13%, Psychological Horror 11.8%, Multiple Endings 9.5%, Horror 9.1%

Backrooms: Exploration is a single-player horror game, which takes place in 2020. Two friends have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, but they still have to bring food to the table. After a failed heist, one of them ends up in the Backrooms. Now your only mission is to survive.

Why similar: Realistic 15.8%, Horror 15.4%, Psychological Horror 14.1%, Investigation 10.6%, First-Person 10.3%

This is a thriller game based on memory puzzles that supports PC play and VR mode. The theme is inspired by people's depression and tension while waiting in the hospital.In an infinite loop space, one must carefully observe all abnormal information and strive to escape from the infinite space

Why similar: Dungeon Crawler 13.2%, Immersive Sim 12.4%, Psychological Horror 12%, Mystery 9.7%, Investigation 9.3%

Backrooms: Found Footage is a single-player horror game where you are the main character trying to survive the Backrooms. Curiosity wins and you decide to explore this weird place that you got trapped in. What could go wrong?

Why similar: Realistic 14.1%, Investigation 12%, Horror 10.5%, Psychological Horror 9.7%, First-Person 8.9%

An unsettling rogue-lite survival horror adventure. Iconic levels reshape around you. Classic and original entities lurk as greater beings bid for your favor. Collect relics and strange items. Grow stronger. Survive, escape, or claim more uncertain fates. Fall in. Get lost. Go beyond The Backrooms.

Why similar: Surreal 21%, Psychological Horror 17.1%, Horror 13.3%, Multiple Endings 10.9%, Exploration 9%

Dive into the mysteries of the Backrooms with a solo-developed survival game. Explore eerie hallways, uncover secrets alone or in multiplayer (up to 6 players), and take on unique challenges.

Why similar: Horror 19.9%, Psychological Horror 19.4%, Realistic 15.6%, First-Person 11.7%, Action-Adventure 11.6%

Sector 404 is a first-person anomaly horror game set in a crumbling Soviet housing block. After taking your medicine, your world begins to fracture. Climb from floor to floor, uncovering distorted anomalies and your own unraveling mind. Miss too much, and reality resets. Will you ever make it home?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 15.1%, Thriller 14.9%, Realistic 11.2%, Immersive Sim 10.5%, Horror 10.4%

MIRROR MIRROR is a first-person psychological horror game. You repeatedly find yourself in a house where you find presence of unknown entities. Go through unreal experiences in the house and uncover the secrets of your fractured mind. Experience the tension and fear in the repeating space.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 13.7%, Surreal 12%, Realistic 11.7%, Horror 9.7%, Mystery 9.6%

The Empty Eyes is a first-person psychological horror experience that immerses you in an investigation steeped in mystery. Every step inside the house brings you closer to a hidden truth, while tension mounts and fear takes root in your mind.

Why similar: Thriller 20.1%, Psychological Horror 14.8%, Horror 12.5%, Mystery 12.5%, Realistic 8.1%

A psychological horror game set in a Korean apartment building. Explore eerie occurrences throughout the complex and uncover the truth behind them.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 19.4%, Horror 12.9%, Thriller 11.7%, Multiple Endings 8.9%, Immersive Sim 8.8%

An indie psychological horror experience about surviving infinity. Navigate an endless expanse of rooms, ascend through various levels, gather items and artifacts, avoid going insane, evade corrupted entities, and see just how deep the realm known as The Backrooms goes.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 30.1%, Horror 20.7%, Surreal 18%, First-Person 12.9%, 3D 8.7%

Experience Will's complicated story, find a way out of the nightmare of liminal spaces by solving challenging puzzles and avoiding dangerous entities — all this awaits you in "Shifting To The Backrooms".

Why similar: Psychological Horror 17.6%, Surreal 15.9%, Horror 14.7%, First-Person 10%, Story Rich 9.3%

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: Psychological Horror 17.6%, Mystery 14.3%, Horror 12.6%, Atmospheric 9%, Exploration 8.4%

SKUF BACKROOMS is a psychological horror game that takes the player to the Backrooms level, consisting of intertwining transition zones of post-Soviet living spaces.

Why similar: Thriller 19.6%, Psychological Horror 16.7%, Realistic 13.2%, Surreal 10%, Horror 9.6%

You work in the cinema as an usher and accidentally fell into the Backrooms, now being trapped, needing to unravel the mysteries of the yellow rooms in order to get out of this place, but be careful, there are entities that will be in your way.

Why similar: Thriller 15.1%, Investigation 13.6%, Surreal 11.7%, Psychological Horror 11.6%, Horror 9.7%

Inside the Backrooms is a horror multiplayer game mixed with different mechanics that will make you spend an intense night with friends. Explore, think, interact, but be careful, it is rumored that there are several entities wishing to find you...

Why similar: Horror 30.7%, Psychological Horror 21.7%, Mystery 11.1%, First-Person 8.7%, Exploration 7.8%

Dive into a realistic experience of the Backrooms, without jumpscares, getting lost in impossible spaces and feeling like something is watching you. The uncertainty of not knowing where you're going will make you want to quit… Will you be able to make it to the end?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 22.9%, Realistic 18.5%, Immersive Sim 12.3%, First-Person 11.5%, Atmospheric 10.7%

Enter the abandoned arcade after your car has crashed, and the shelter you were looking for is trying to eat you alive in this dark mystery-horror adventure. Solve mysteries, keep JANITOR satisfied, and always be aware of what's behind your back.

Why similar: Thriller 15.8%, Investigation 13.1%, Surreal 13%, Psychological Horror 10.1%, Mystery 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: Psychological Horror 18.7%, Thriller 15%, Horror 13.2%, Surreal 11.2%, Realistic 9.9%

A bad incident is like a tangled knot, It sits there, waiting for someone or something to untie it, but until then… scars may be left behind … are you ready for a First person Psychological Horror game based on a true story?!

Why similar: Thriller 15.9%, Psychological Horror 12.3%, Mystery 10.4%, Realistic 9.9%, Horror 9.6%

A claustrophobic anomaly-horror game where you can only turn, blink, and decide: is it real or not? Survive five endings and uncover Mike’s story.

Why similar: Thriller 16.2%, Surreal 14.2%, Psychological Horror 12.9%, Immersive Sim 12.3%, Mystery 9.9%

The Backrooms is a first person survival horror game set in one of the most terrifying environments of the human psyche. Explore an ever evolving nightmare while running from terrifying creatures to stay alive.

Why similar: Dungeon Crawler 29.2%, Realistic 18.1%, Psychological Horror 13.1%, First-Person 12.1%, Horror 11.9%

Experience the dread of a midnight shift in a quiet supermarket. As mundane tasks blur with eerie events, discover that the darkness hides more than just silence.

Why similar: Thriller 14.1%, Psychological Horror 13.7%, Surreal 13.3%, Horror 10.9%, Realistic 9.1%

In Floor 9, you find yourself trapped in a mysterious hotel known as "Hotel Liminal." To escape, you must identify anomalies on each floor. These anomalies can be anywhere - on the ground, in paintings, or even right in front of your eyes.

Why similar: Surreal 16.5%, Psychological Horror 14%, Immersive Sim 13.9%, Investigation 8.5%, Realistic 7.8%

Walking simulator. Explore cozy liminal spaces that feel unsettlingly familiar and spark your imagination, like a dream you’ve been in before.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 16.4%, Surreal 15%, Investigation 9.6%, Exploration 9.5%, First-Person 9.1%

Five scary stories, but they all have the same ending. Can you play it? A psychological horror game from the first person, which few will pass.

Why similar: Thriller 15.9%, Psychological Horror 14.5%, Mystery 12.5%, Horror 10.9%, Surreal 8.4%

Explore terrifying liminal spaces. Horror walking simulator with reality-bending platforming and supernatural threats. Get lost between dimensions.

Why similar: Realistic 20.3%, Adventure 14.8%, Exploration 14.3%, First-Person 13.2%, Psychological Horror 11.4%

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: Thriller 21.5%, Psychological Horror 16.2%, Horror 13.2%, Realistic 12.9%, Atmospheric 7.5%

Stigmatized Property, 事故物件 (Jiko bukken) is a horror game inspired by haunted apartment rooms in Japan. These properties are known to have cheap rents and you play to find out the exact reason why.

Why similar: Horror 24.9%, Psychological Horror 15.7%, Simulation 12.9%, Strategy 12.7%, Adventure 8.2%