- #1 Before Your Eyes
97% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 22,878 reviews2021
Dev: GoodbyeWorld GamesPub: Skybound Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.1 hrsMean: 3.5 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Embark on an emotional first-person narrative adventure where you control the story—and affect its outcomes—with your real-life blinks. With this innovative technique you will fully immerse yourself in a world of memories, both joyous and heartbreaking, as your whole life flashes before your eyes.
Why similar: Emotional 40.9%, Story Rich 18.6%, Walking Simulator 17.1%, Surreal 8.4%, Indie 5.6%
Why You'll Like It: Like the seed game, it uses a unique, experimental mechanic to create a deeply personal and emotionally devastating narrative experience.
- #2 The Beginner's Guide
96% matchVery Positive88% of 23,006 reviews2015
Dev: Everything Unlimited Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.6 hrsMean: 2.2 hrs≥1hr: 85%
The Beginner's Guide is a narrative video game from Davey Wreden, the creator of The Stanley Parable. It lasts about an hour and a half and has no traditional mechanics, no goals or objectives. Instead, it tells the story of a person struggling to deal with something they do not understand.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.8%, Story Rich 16.1%, Emotional 12.1%, Great Soundtrack 10%, Surreal 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: It offers a similarly intimate, meta-narrative look into the mind and personal struggles of a creator.
- #3 To the Moon
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 85,392 reviews2012
Dev: Freebird Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.8 hrsMean: 11.4 hrs≥1hr: 79%
A story-driven experience about two doctors traversing backwards through a dying man's memories to artificially fulfill his last wish.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 34.2%, Emotional 26%, Story Rich 25.1%, Indie 7.4%, Adventure 3.6%
Why You'll Like It: A landmark title in emotional storytelling that explores the weight of life, regret, and final goodbyes.
- #4 What Remains of Edith Finch
94% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 50,731 reviews2017
Dev: Giant SparrowPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 6.3 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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 30%, Story Rich 24.2%, Great Soundtrack 13.9%, Atmospheric 10.7%, Emotional 5.9%
Why You'll Like It: It uses imaginative, varied gameplay vignettes to explore the themes of mortality and family legacy.
- #5 Fragments of Him
95% matchVery Positive84% of 147 reviews2016
Dev: Sassybot
Windows
Median: 2.9 hrsMean: 3.7 hrs≥1hr: 92%
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: Walking Simulator 27%, Emotional 19.7%, Story Rich 13.6%, Point & Click 11.9%, Atmospheric 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: This game directly mirrors the seed's focus on the aftermath of loss and the process of grieving a loved one.
- #6 Last Day of June
94% matchVery Positive87% of 4,658 reviews2017
Dev: OvosonicoPub: 505 Games
Windows
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 5.6 hrs≥1hr: 90%
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: Great Soundtrack 22.8%, Story Rich 19.8%, Walking Simulator 14.8%, Atmospheric 13%, Emotional 10.3%
Why You'll Like It: It centers on the pain of sudden loss and the desperate, emotional desire to change the past.
- #7 GRIS
93% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 94,608 reviews2018
Dev: Nomada StudioPub: Devolver Digital
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 7.4 hrs≥1hr: 78%
Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 39%, Atmospheric 17.3%, Story Rich 10.7%, Surreal 8.6%, Indie 8.4%
Why You'll Like It: A beautiful, wordless exploration of the stages of grief through artistic, metaphorical platforming.
- #8 Spiritfarer®: Farewell Edition
91% matchVery Positive95% of 52,284 reviews2020
Dev: Thunder Lotus
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 15.4 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Spiritfarer® is a cozy management game about dying. As ferrymaster to the deceased, build a boat to explore the world, care for your spirit friends, and release them into the afterlife. The Spiritfarer Farewell Edition includes the heartwarming base game and three major content updates.
Why similar: Emotional 49%, Story Rich 24.5%, Atmospheric 10.6%, Indie 8.8%, Adventure 7.1%
Why You'll Like It: A poignant and comforting management game that focuses on the act of saying goodbye to those we love.
- #9 Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons
91% matchVery Positive94% of 41,228 reviews2013
Dev: Starbreeze Studios ABPub: 505 Games
Windows
Median: 3.1 hrsMean: 10.9 hrs≥1hr: 77%
Guide two brothers on an epic fairy tale journey from visionary Swedish film director, Josef Fares and top-tier developer Starbreeze Studios. Control both brothers at once as you experience co-op play in single player mode, like never before.
Why similar: Emotional 30.1%, Story Rich 19%, Atmospheric 14%, Great Soundtrack 12.4%, Adventure 11.6%
Why You'll Like It: Uses innovative controller mechanics to convey a profound sense of loss and emotional connection.
- #10 Firewatch
90% matchVery Positive91% of 97,344 reviews2016
Dev: Campo SantoPub: Panic
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 13.6 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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 35%, Story Rich 19%, Great Soundtrack 15.2%, Atmospheric 11.9%, Adventure 7.4%
Why You'll Like It: Explores themes of isolation and the tendency to run away from personal trauma and life-altering decisions.
- #11 The First Tree
89% matchMostly Positive75% of 5,806 reviews2017
Dev: David Wehle
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 3.3 hrs≥1hr: 73%
A beautiful, 3rd-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Uncover artifacts from the son's life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 33.5%, Great Soundtrack 18.8%, Atmospheric 14.5%, Story Rich 14%, Adventure 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: It masterfully intertwines a story of animal loss with a human narrative about grief and reconciliation.
- #12 A Memoir Blue
88% matchVery Positive85% of 499 reviews2022
Dev: Cloisters InteractivePub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 2.0 hrsMean: 5.0 hrs≥1hr: 80%
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: Emotional 40.7%, Adventure 17.2%, Story Rich 16.6%, Atmospheric 12.4%, Indie 6.1%
Why You'll Like It: An autobiographical, poetic journey that uses interactive vignettes to explore a complex mother-daughter relationship.
- #13 Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
89% matchMixed68% of 2,107 reviews2016
Dev: The Chinese RoomPub: PlayStation Publishing LLC
Windows
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 71%
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 45.1%, Great Soundtrack 22.3%, Story Rich 9.7%, Atmospheric 9.2%, Indie 5.3%
Why You'll Like It: A melancholic, atmospheric exploration of the end of the world and the lingering echoes of human connection.
- #14 Lost Words: Beyond the Page
85% matchVery Positive95% of 827 reviews2021
Dev: Sketchbook DevelopmentsPub: Sketchbook Games
Windows
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 3.7 hrs≥1hr: 79%
A short, fully voiced, story-first adventure across two worlds. Rearrange words into platforms in Izzy’s diary, then wield word magic to shape your path in the fantasy she writes. Gentle puzzles, watercolour wonder, and a bittersweet story of family, loss, and healing.
Why similar: Emotional 50.7%, Story Rich 23%, Atmospheric 12.8%, Adventure 7.5%, Singleplayer 3.8%
Why You'll Like It: Uses a diary format to process personal tragedy and the growth that follows through creative word-based puzzles.
- #15 Gone Home
86% matchMostly Positive77% of 18,283 reviews2013
Dev: Fullbright
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 81%
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 60.1%, Story Rich 9.5%, Atmospheric 7%, Great Soundtrack 6.7%, Indie 5.1%
Why You'll Like It: A deeply personal narrative that uncovers family secrets and emotional truths through environmental storytelling.
- #16 Actual Sunlight
87% matchMostly Positive74% of 615 reviews2014
Dev: WZOGI
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.2 hrsMean: 3.6 hrs≥1hr: 89%
A short interactive story about love, depression and the corporation.
Why similar: Indie 31.2%, Story Rich 23.7%, Adventure 21.6%, Dark 18.9%, Singleplayer 4.5%
Why You'll Like It: A raw, unflinching, and deeply heavy look at depression and the struggles of everyday life.
- #17 Kentucky Route Zero: PC Edition
86% matchVery Positive80% of 4,401 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: Surreal 21.1%, Point & Click 17.9%, Great Soundtrack 14.5%, Atmospheric 13.8%, Story Rich 12.8%
Why You'll Like It: A surreal, literary exploration of life, death, and the weight of debt in a magical-realist setting.
- #18 OneShot
84% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 62,700 reviews2016
Dev: Future Cat LLCPub: KOMODO
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 27.5 hrs≥1hr: 84%
OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 33.9%, Story Rich 25.5%, Atmospheric 10.6%, Surreal 10.4%, Indie 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: A meta-narrative that builds a unique, deep emotional connection between the player and a vulnerable character.
- #19 Florence
83% matchVery Positive93% of 15,963 reviews2020
Dev: MountainsPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.2 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 63%
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: Story Rich 28.9%, Emotional 17.8%, Indie 17.1%, Point & Click 14.9%, Adventure 13.2%
Why You'll Like It: A short, impactful interactive story that captures the emotional arc of a relationship from beginning to end.
- #20 A Bird Story
84% matchVery Positive85% of 10,707 reviews2014
Dev: Freebird Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 4.8 hrs≥1hr: 85%
An experimental short from the creator of To the Moon & Finding Paradise: A simple & surreal 1-hour interactive animation about a boy and an injured bird, told without dialogues.If you're looking for To the Moon-like experience, I'd suggest playing Finding Paradise first.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 32.5%, Story Rich 21.6%, Emotional 11.5%, Walking Simulator 9.2%, Indie 8.6%
Why You'll Like It: A short, poignant narrative that captures the feeling of loneliness and the need for connection.
- #21 Before I Forget
82% matchVery Positive89% of 210 reviews2020
Dev: 3-Fold Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 2.9 hrs≥1hr: 69%
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: Walking Simulator 34.8%, Emotional 31.4%, Atmospheric 10.6%, Indie 8.1%, Adventure 6.9%
Why You'll Like It: A sensitive, emotional look at the experience of living with dementia and the fading of one's own history.
- #22 Sea of Solitude
81% matchVery Positive83% of 2,082 reviews2020
Dev: Jo-Mei GamesPub: Electronic Arts
Windows
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 80%
When humans get too lonely, they turn into monsters… Set sail across a beautiful and evolving world of darkness and light, and discover what it means to be human.
Why similar: Emotional 52.6%, Adventure 15.2%, Atmospheric 15%, Dark 12%, Singleplayer 5.2%
Why You'll Like It: Uses surreal, monster-filled metaphors to navigate the protagonist's mental health and loneliness.
- #23 Unpacking
79% matchVery Positive93% of 39,661 reviews2021
Dev: Witch BeamPub: Balor Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 86%
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: Story Rich 34.7%, Point & Click 25.3%, Atmospheric 16.6%, Indie 12.7%, Singleplayer 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: Tells a life story through the quiet, emotional act of moving and organizing possessions over several decades.
- #24 Dream
82% matchMixed56% of 994 reviews2015
Dev: HyperSloth
Windows
Median: 2.2 hrsMean: 4.1 hrs≥1hr: 76%
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 36.8%, Great Soundtrack 12.7%, Indie 11.2%, Adventure 10.2%, Atmospheric 9.8%
Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric exploration of the subconscious mind and the nature of personal memory.
- #25 Old Man's Journey
80% matchVery Positive87% of 4,186 reviews2017
Dev: Broken Rules
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.9 hrsMean: 5.0 hrs≥1hr: 85%
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: Walking Simulator 20.1%, Emotional 19.3%, Story Rich 18.9%, Point & Click 14.3%, Atmospheric 9.7%
Why You'll Like It: A touching, wordless story about life, regret, and the search for reconciliation in one's later years.
- #26 Little Misfortune
78% matchVery Positive92% of 13,710 reviews2019
Dev: Killmonday Games AB
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 10.3 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Led by her new friend, Mr. Voice, Misfortune ventures into the woods, where mysteries are unraveled and a little bad luck unfolds.
Why similar: Story Rich 25.4%, Point & Click 24.4%, Great Soundtrack 13%, Indie 10.3%, Adventure 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, narrative-heavy game that explores the intersection of childhood innocence and tragic reality.
- #27 Promesa
79% matchVery Positive87% of 193 reviews2020
Dev: Julián Palacios Gechtman
Windows · Mac
A contemplative experience where you’ll wander through the dreams, memories and fantasies emerging from a dialogue between a grandfather and his grandchild.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 34.3%, Surreal 21.6%, Story Rich 18.4%, Atmospheric 11.2%, Adventure 4.2%
Why You'll Like It: An experimental, nostalgic journey that uses surreal imagery to explore personal memories and family history.
- #28 Spiral
77% matchVery Positive95% of 64 reviews2024
Dev: Folklore Games
Windows
Spiral is a third-person narrative exploration game that shares a poetic vision of cognitive degeneration. Step into the shoes of Bernard as you help him and support him while braving his unravelling mind and reliving his most treasured moments.
Why similar: Narration 33.2%, Emotional 21.5%, Walking Simulator 19%, Story Rich 11.7%, Atmospheric 5.4%
- #29 Always Sometimes Monsters
81% matchMostly Positive75% of 2,447 reviews2014
Dev: Vagabond Dog
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Set out on a cross-country journey to win back the love of your life and endure the hardship of making story-defining choices that affect your life and the lives of those around you.
Why similar: Story Rich 28.6%, Walking Simulator 23.1%, Indie 20.2%, Great Soundtrack 20.1%, Adventure 3.9%
Why You'll Like It: Focuses on the difficult, messy, and emotional choices that define a human life.
- #30 The Longest Walk
77% matchVery Positive96% of 402 reviews2022
Dev: Alexander TarvetPub: Somewhat Unsettling
Windows
The Longest Walk is a deeply personal biographical walking-simulator game about my father's experience of living with depression.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 33%, Narration 32.5%, Emotional 12.4%, Adventure 5.8%, Indie 4.8%
- #31 The Cat Lady
78% matchVery Positive94% of 6,142 reviews2013
Dev: Harvester GamesPub: Screen 7
Windows
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 6.0 hrs≥1hr: 91%
The Cat Lady follows Susan Ashworth, a lonely 40-year old on the verge of suicide. She has no family, no friends and no hope for a better future. One day she discovers that five strangers will come along and change everything...
Why similar: Emotional 21.2%, Story Rich 20.2%, Point & Click 15.2%, Surreal 13.1%, Atmospheric 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, psychological narrative that deals with suicide, trauma, and the search for redemption.
- #32 As Long As You're Here
71% matchVery Positive100% of 475 reviews2025
Dev: Autoscopia Interactive
Windows · Mac
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: Emotional 32.6%, Walking Simulator 22.6%, Story Rich 16.2%, Adventure 6.6%, Surreal 5.3%
- #33 Blind Touch
72% matchNo user reviews90% of 69 reviews2026
Dev: Flygogo Games
Windows
A "Blind" simulator that lets you experience a new perspective and immersive sensory journey. Step into a world of darkness using your guide cane.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.3%, Emotional 30.5%, Story Rich 16.6%, Atmospheric 10.1%, Indie 5.2%
- #34 Ghost on the Shore
76% matchVery Positive84% of 216 reviews2022
Dev: like CharliePub: Application Systems Heidelberg
Windows · Mac
An exploration game about emotional ties that transcend even death. Riley is faced with a headstrong ghost, urging her on an adventure across atmospheric shores, uncovering the island's tragic secret. Choices in dialogue shape the bond between the two, ultimately deciding Riley's fate.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 23.4%, Emotional 19.6%, Great Soundtrack 15.4%, Story Rich 13.8%, Atmospheric 9.2%
- #35 Earthshine
75% matchVery Positive90% of 68 reviews2019
Dev: ElleivPub: Phoenix_co
Windows · Mac · Linux
Explore a deeply emotional story about love and sacrifice, and the hope that exists in us all.
Why similar: Narration 29%, Great Soundtrack 21.5%, Adventure 12.9%, Indie 12.7%, Story Rich 12.3%
- #36 Copycat
70% matchVery Positive89% of 5,303 reviews2024
Dev: Spoonful Of WonderPub: Neverland Entertainment
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.9 hrsMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 76%
A poignant narrative-driven game about rejection, belonging and the meaning of home. It follows the story of a newly adopted shelter cat whose space in the home is taken by a copycat. Bring the tissues.
Why similar: Emotional 34.8%, Walking Simulator 23.1%, Story Rich 16.6%, Atmospheric 9.1%, Indie 7%
- #37 Into A Dream
74% matchVery Positive91% of 76 reviews2020
Dev: Filipe F. Thomaz
Windows · Mac · Linux
You are his last hope. The only one who can rescue him. Delve deep into the dreams of Luke Williams, a man diagnosed with depression, unfold the heartbreaking story of his life and prevent him from... fading away.
Why similar: Emotional 23.2%, Great Soundtrack 22.2%, Walking Simulator 21.4%, Story Rich 13%, Atmospheric 7.6%
- #38 Life on the Hook
73% matchVery Positive81% of 95 reviews2022
Dev: Arkuda Inc.
Windows
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: Walking Simulator 25.1%, Emotional 20.5%, Story Rich 13.8%, Great Soundtrack 13.4%, Atmospheric 8.9%
- #39 Empathy: Path of Whispers
76% matchMixed60% of 219 reviews2017
Dev: Pixel NightPub: Iceberg Interactive
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 5.0 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Empathy: Path of Whispers is an atmospheric and story-driven adventure game where you explore a seemingly abandoned world through the emotions and memories of the people who once inhabited it, trying to restore the world’s lost balance by journeying through its past.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.5%, Great Soundtrack 23.2%, Story Rich 16.2%, Adventure 10.5%, Atmospheric 9.2%
- #40 Home is Where One Starts...
74% matchMostly Positive77% of 716 reviews2015
Dev: David Wehle
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.9 hrsMean: 3.6 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Home is Where One Starts... is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, hope, and the miracle of memory. You play as a little girl from a broken home somewhere in the American South.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.2%, Narration 19.7%, Great Soundtrack 10.4%, Indie 8.4%, Adventure 8.3%
- #41 Drizzlepath
75% matchMixed53% of 621 reviews2015
Dev: Tonguç Bodur
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 84%
In Drizzlepath you are set on a journey to the top of the Mountain of Fire. It aims to be an atmospheric, relaxed and enigmatic experience. Downloadable soundtrack included.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 31.2%, Great Soundtrack 25.3%, Story Rich 10.4%, Atmospheric 10.1%, Indie 6.8%
- #42 Radiant One
73% matchMostly Positive77% of 249 reviews2018
Dev: Fntastic
Windows · Mac
Median: 48 minMean: 1.6 hrs≥1hr: 38%
Radiant One is art. It makes you think about the meaning of human existence in today's rapidly changing world.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.9%, Great Soundtrack 25.7%, Story Rich 16.7%, Atmospheric 9.9%, Adventure 9.6%
- #43 Proteus
73% matchMostly Positive76% of 2,784 reviews2013
Dev: Ed Key and David KanagaPub: Twisted Tree
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 18 minMean: 2.0 hrs≥1hr: 18%
Proteus is a game about exploration and immersion in a dream-like island world where the soundtrack to your play is created by your surroundings. Played in first-person, the primary means of interaction is simply your presence in the world and how you observe it.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 54%, Great Soundtrack 11.8%, Indie 11.3%, Atmospheric 5.6%, Surreal 5.1%
- #44 ABEL
68% matchVery Positive87% of 183 reviews2023
Dev: CNAM-ENJMIN
Windows
An uncanny liminal space themed walking-simulator.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.7%, Emotional 24.1%, Narration 23.8%, Atmospheric 7.2%, Surreal 4.7%
- #45 Memento Mori
67% matchVery Positive82% of 72 reviews2024
Dev: Shea KellyPub: WolfWare Studios
Windows
A game for the ones we lost on the way. Memento Mori is a surreal walking simulator that combines a minimalistic art style and a show don't tell story, focused on dealing with loss.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 36.8%, Surreal 21.5%, Emotional 18.8%, Atmospheric 6.5%, Indie 5.6%
- #46 ABZU
69% matchVery Positive93% of 27,307 reviews2016
Dev: Giant SquidPub: 505 Games
Windows
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 5.3 hrs≥1hr: 80%
From the art director of Journey®, ABZÛ is a beautiful underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving. Immerse yourself in a vibrant hidden world bursting with color and life as you descend into the heart of the ocean. But beware as you swim deeper as dangers lurk in the depths.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 41.2%, Atmospheric 20.6%, Walking Simulator 12.3%, Adventure 8.1%, Story Rich 7%
- #47 Lost At Sea
71% matchMixed57% of 63 reviews2021
Dev: Studio FizbinPub: Headup
Windows
What are the most important moments in your life? Lost At Sea is a game about life and death, about coming to terms with your past and about family. Set on a beautiful island, this game will force you to face your fears and take stock of your life through imaginative puzzles and a relatable story.
Why similar: Narration 31.6%, Great Soundtrack 18%, Indie 10.9%, Adventure 10.5%, Story Rich 9.5%
- #48 N.E.R.O.: Nothing Ever Remains Obscure
72% matchMixed69% of 196 reviews2016
Dev: Storm in a Teacup
Windows
Median: 4.8 hrsMean: 5.9 hrs≥1hr: 95%
N.E.R.O. is a wonderful journey in a world of incredible beauty, a story driven first-person game with puzzles and intuitive controls where the environment is connected to the characters and their past. The world of N.E.R.O. is magical and varied, making exploring an ongoing challenge.
Why similar: Narration 36.4%, Walking Simulator 22.6%, Story Rich 11.2%, Atmospheric 7.6%, Indie 7.1%
- #49 The Mind of Marlo
70% matchVery Positive92% of 259 reviews2017
Dev: Point Bleep StudiosPub: Baffled Crab
Windows · Linux
Median: 24 minMean: 1.4 hrs≥1hr: 20%
Uniquely presented as an hour long documentary film, The Mind of Marlo is a narrative driven adventure game focusing on love, loss and silly heads. Laugh and cry with Marlo as he gets to the bottom of his life changing condition, known as Spontaneous Silly Head Syndrome.
Why similar: Documentary 60.3% ★, Point & Click 10%, Story Rich 8.9%, Walking Simulator 6.8%, Indie 5.1%
- #50 Shape of the World
70% matchMostly Positive78% of 412 reviews2018
Dev: Hollow Tree GamesPub: Plug In Digital
Windows
Median: 1.1 hrsMean: 11.2 hrs≥1hr: 53%
A serene first person exploration game in a surreal, organic world that reacts to your presence. Journey through a psychedelically colorful ecosystem of flourishing flora, rambling waterfalls, burgeoning mountains, glowing monoliths and graceful creatures. A 1-3 hour escape from work, anxiety and stress.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.3%, Great Soundtrack 20%, Surreal 18.6%, Atmospheric 10.5%, Indie 7.8%
- #51 Atuel
64% matchVery Positive95% of 181 reviews2025
Dev: Matajuegos
Windows
Atuel is an award-winning surrealist documentary game in which you explore beautiful, dreamlike landscapes inspired by the topography and wildlife of the Atuel River Valley in Argentina.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.5%, Emotional 22.9%, Surreal 16.2%, Story Rich 14.1%, Atmospheric 8.7%
- #52 my brother lives in a canyon
68% matchVery Positive93% of 87 reviews2021
Dev: Kenneth Dodrill
Windows · Linux
my brother lives in a canyon is a short adventure game about two brothers reminiscing over short-wave radios.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 42.3%, Adventure 14.5%, Story Rich 11.1%, Atmospheric 9.6%, Drama 8.2%
- #53 Purpose 1951
66% matchMostly Positive75% of 51 reviews2024
Dev: Tonguç Bodur
Windows
"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: Narration 29.3%, Walking Simulator 25.7%, Emotional 13.7%, Drama 8%, Story Rich 7.4%
- #54 Woven
69% matchVery Positive81% of 160 reviews2019
Dev: Alterego GamesPub: StickyLock Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.8 hrsMean: 6.0 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Explore a woollen world where stuffed animals once lived in peace. Search for hidden secrets and customize your character with different animal shapes to solve puzzles. An epic adventure with two very unlikely heroes and a story narrated in rhyme.
Why similar: Narration 38.6%, Story Rich 17.9%, Adventure 9.6%, Indie 8.6%, Atmospheric 8.1%
- #55 The Honours Project
64% matchVery Positive96% of 52 reviews2025
Dev: Scott CambellPub: ScottCambellAudio
Windows
The Honours Project is an autobiographical walking simulator. Enjoy a narrative experience, adventuring through dream-like levels, solving an occasional puzzle and listening to the dark and sometimes comical dialogue that acts as a commentary about being a student and game development.
Why similar: Narration 36.4%, Walking Simulator 23.2%, Story Rich 12.1%, Emotional 7.5%, Adventure 4.3%
- #56 The Wild Eternal
69% matchMostly Positive76% of 173 reviews2017
Dev: Ilsanjo
Windows
Median: 1.1 hrsMean: 5.7 hrs≥1hr: 51%
Get lost beneath the fog in The Wild Eternal, a reflective first-person exploration game. Embark on a meditative journey to heal the scars of your past. Can you escape the cycle of reincarnation?
Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.3%, Great Soundtrack 20.4%, Story Rich 13.5%, Atmospheric 9.5%, Adventure 8.5%
- #57 Cylne
71% matchMixed48% of 73 reviews2015
Dev: Cylne
Windows
Cylne is a first person surreal exploration game having a poetic and philosophical side. Explore and feel unreal worlds filled with environmental enigmas to try to achieve the chapter called "The Choice"...
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 27.8%, Walking Simulator 14.1%, Indie 12.8%, Adventure 12.6%, Atmospheric 12.1%
- #58 Rakuen
66% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 5,912 reviews2017
Dev: Laura Shigihara
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.9 hrsMean: 6.3 hrs≥1hr: 87%
A hospitalized Boy comes to terms with his own story by traveling with his Mom to a beautiful fantasy world; ultimately helping his fellow patients find closure by walking a mile in their shoes.
Why similar: Emotional 34.9%, Walking Simulator 21.7%, Story Rich 18.5%, Point & Click 11.6%, Adventure 5.9%
- #59 Deer Man
68% matchMostly Positive72% of 333 reviews2016
Dev: Red Mount Media
Windows
Median: 42 minMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 28%
Deer Man is a short Interactive Storytelling experience. You play as Jacob's memory, where you will have an incredible encounter with Deer Man & the dark side of his love for the wildlife. If you love animals, this is for you!
Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.8%, Great Soundtrack 25.7%, Story Rich 15.1%, Indie 9.5%, Adventure 7.8%