Games Like That Dragon, Cancer

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.

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 29.7%, Story Rich 16.1%, Emotional 12.1%, Great Soundtrack 10.1%, 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.

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 34.5%, Emotional 25.9%, Story Rich 25%, Indie 7.4%, Adventure 3.7%

Why You'll Like It: A landmark title in emotional storytelling that explores the weight of life, regret, and final goodbyes.

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 29.9%, Story Rich 24.1%, Great Soundtrack 13.9%, Atmospheric 10.7%, Emotional 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: It uses imaginative, varied gameplay vignettes to explore the themes of mortality and family legacy.

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.

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 23.1%, Story Rich 19.8%, Walking Simulator 14.7%, Atmospheric 12.8%, Emotional 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: It centers on the pain of sudden loss and the desperate, emotional desire to change the past.

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 39.2%, Atmospheric 17.2%, Story Rich 10.6%, Surreal 8.5%, Indie 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: A beautiful, wordless exploration of the stages of grief through artistic, metaphorical platforming.

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 13.9%, Great Soundtrack 12.6%, Adventure 11.7%

Why You'll Like It: Uses innovative controller mechanics to convey a profound sense of loss and emotional connection.

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 34.9%, Story Rich 19%, Great Soundtrack 15.4%, 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.

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 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: A poignant and comforting management game that focuses on the act of saying goodbye to those we love.

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 33.4%, Great Soundtrack 19%, Atmospheric 14.5%, Story Rich 13.9%, Adventure 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: It masterfully intertwines a story of animal loss with a human narrative about grief and reconciliation.

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 41.4%, Adventure 17.1%, Story Rich 16.4%, Atmospheric 12.2%, Indie 6%

Why You'll Like It: An autobiographical, poetic journey that uses interactive vignettes to explore a complex mother-daughter relationship.

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%, Great Soundtrack 22.5%, 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.

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 50.6%, Story Rich 23%, Atmospheric 12.8%, Adventure 7.6%, 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.

A short interactive story about love, depression and the corporation.

Why similar: Indie 31.2%, Story Rich 23.7%, Adventure 21.7%, Dark 18.8%, Singleplayer 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: A raw, unflinching, and deeply heavy look at depression and the struggles of everyday life.

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%, Point & Click 17.9%, Great Soundtrack 14.6%, Atmospheric 13.7%, 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.

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 34.1%, Story Rich 25.3%, Atmospheric 10.5%, 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.

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 6.8%, Indie 5.1%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply personal narrative that uncovers family secrets and emotional truths through environmental storytelling.

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 17.7%, Indie 17.1%, Point & Click 14.8%, Adventure 13.3%

Why You'll Like It: A short, impactful interactive story that captures the emotional arc of a relationship from beginning to end.

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 32.8%, Story Rich 21.5%, 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.

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 19.2%, 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.

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 25.4%, Atmospheric 16.5%, Indie 12.7%, Singleplayer 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: Tells a life story through the quiet, emotional act of moving and organizing possessions over several decades.

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 31.3%, 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.

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 15.3%, Atmospheric 14.9%, Dark 12%, Singleplayer 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: Uses surreal, monster-filled metaphors to navigate the protagonist's mental health and loneliness.

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 25.3%, Point & Click 24.3%, Great Soundtrack 13.3%, Indie 10.2%, Adventure 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, narrative-heavy game that explores the intersection of childhood innocence and tragic reality.

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 12.8%, Indie 11.2%, Adventure 10.3%, Atmospheric 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric exploration of the subconscious mind and the nature of personal memory.

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 21.5%, 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.

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 33.6%, Emotional 21.3%, Walking Simulator 18.9%, Story Rich 11.6%, Atmospheric 5.4%

The Longest Walk is a deeply personal biographical walking-simulator game about my father's experience of living with depression.

Why similar: Narration 32.9%, Walking Simulator 32.8%, Emotional 12.4%, Adventure 5.8%, Indie 4.8%

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 28.5%, Walking Simulator 23.1%, Great Soundtrack 20.3%, Indie 20.2%, Adventure 3.9%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on the difficult, messy, and emotional choices that define a human life.

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 21.1%, Story Rich 20.3%, 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.

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 15.6%, Story Rich 13.8%, Atmospheric 9.1%

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 22.5%, Story Rich 16.3%, Adventure 6.6%, Surreal 5.3%

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%

Explore a deeply emotional story about love and sacrifice, and the hope that exists in us all.

Why similar: Narration 29.2%, Great Soundtrack 21.6%, Adventure 12.9%, Indie 12.6%, Story Rich 12.2%

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 23.1%, Great Soundtrack 22.4%, Walking Simulator 21.4%, Story Rich 13%, Atmospheric 7.5%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.1%, Emotional 20.5%, Story Rich 13.7%, Great Soundtrack 13.5%, Atmospheric 8.8%

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 23.5%, Story Rich 16.2%, Adventure 10.5%, Atmospheric 9.2%

Radiant One is art. It makes you think about the meaning of human existence in today's rapidly changing world.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.8%, Great Soundtrack 25.9%, Story Rich 16.6%, Atmospheric 9.9%, Adventure 9.6%

An uncanny liminal space themed walking-simulator.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.6%, Narration 24.1%, Emotional 23.9%, Atmospheric 7.2%, Surreal 4.7%

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 53.8%, Great Soundtrack 11.9%, Indie 11.2%, Atmospheric 5.6%, Surreal 5%

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 31.1%, Great Soundtrack 25.6%, Story Rich 10.4%, Atmospheric 10.1%, Indie 6.8%

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 30.1%, Narration 19.9%, Great Soundtrack 10.5%, Indie 8.4%, Adventure 8.3%

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 36.9%, Surreal 21.5%, Emotional 18.8%, Atmospheric 6.5%, Indie 5.6%

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 60.4% ★, Point & Click 9.9%, Story Rich 8.8%, Walking Simulator 6.8%, Indie 5.1%

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 31.9%, Great Soundtrack 18.1%, Indie 10.8%, Adventure 10.4%, Story Rich 9.4%

my brother lives in a canyon is a short adventure game about two brothers reminiscing over short-wave radios.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 42.2%, Adventure 14.6%, Story Rich 11.1%, Atmospheric 9.6%, Drama 8.3%

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 36.7%, Walking Simulator 22.4%, Story Rich 11.1%, Atmospheric 7.5%, Adventure 7.1%

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 38.9%, Story Rich 17.8%, Adventure 9.5%, Indie 8.5%, Great Soundtrack 8%

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%, Indie 7%

"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 29.6%, Walking Simulator 25.6%, Emotional 13.6%, Drama 8.1%, Story Rich 7.4%

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%

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a Narrative-Adventure game about traveling, sharing stories, and surviving manifest destiny.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 27.1%, Story Rich 16.6%, Walking Simulator 16.4%, Narration 14.8%, Indie 8.3%

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 36.8%, Walking Simulator 23.1%, Story Rich 12%, Emotional 7.4%, Adventure 4.3%

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 28.2%, Great Soundtrack 20.2%, Surreal 18.5%, Atmospheric 10.4%, Indie 7.8%

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 34.8%, Walking Simulator 21.7%, Story Rich 18.5%, Point & Click 11.6%, Adventure 5.9%

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 28%, Walking Simulator 14%, Indie 12.8%, Adventure 12.6%, Atmospheric 12%

Marie's Room is a short story exploration game about an unconventional friendship between two classmates. You play as Kelsey, remembering Marie's room as it was twenty years ago. But something’s off. What happened to Marie?

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.4%, Story Rich 21.4%, Great Soundtrack 18.1%, Atmospheric 9.9%, Indie 6.1%

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 28.7%, Great Soundtrack 25.9%, Story Rich 15.1%, Indie 9.5%, Adventure 7.8%