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 39.7%, Story Rich 17.9%, Walking Simulator 16.7%, Surreal 8.3%, Indie 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: Uses a unique blinking mechanic to control the flow of a life story, mirroring the fleeting nature of time and memory.

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: Narration 23.4%, Walking Simulator 22.8%, Story Rich 12.4%, Emotional 9.3%, Great Soundtrack 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply personal, meta-narrative experience that explores the relationship between a creator and their work.

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 25.4%, Story Rich 20.6%, Narration 13.2%, Great Soundtrack 11.7%, Atmospheric 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: An anthology of short, poignant stories about a family's history and the various ways they faced their mortality.

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 21.3%, Story Rich 18.9%, Walking Simulator 14%, Atmospheric 12.4%, Emotional 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: A heart-wrenching interactive story about loss, grief, and the desperate desire to change the past.

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 34.3%, Emotional 26.8%, Story Rich 25.6%, Indie 7.6%, Adventure 3.7%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-driven RPG that explores the life and memories of a dying man through a poignant, emotional lens.

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 38.5%, Atmospheric 17.4%, Story Rich 10.7%, Surreal 8.6%, Indie 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: A beautiful, wordless platformer that serves as a powerful metaphor for the stages of grief and healing.

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 30.5%, Story Rich 19%, Atmospheric 14%, Great Soundtrack 12.2%, Adventure 11.5%

Why You'll Like It: Uses innovative controller mechanics to create a powerful, wordless narrative about loss and brotherhood.

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 45.2%, Great Soundtrack 22%, Story Rich 9.7%, Atmospheric 9.3%, Indie 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric exploration of a deserted town that pieces together the final moments of its inhabitants.

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 52.9%, Adventure 14.9%, Atmospheric 14.9%, Dark 12%, Singleplayer 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: An emotional journey that uses metaphorical creature designs to represent the struggles of mental health and loneliness.

Embark on an emotional journey of losing the love of one's life. Manipulate time, solve puzzles, reshape surroundings as you push forward into the bittersweet recollections of a past life. This is a story about happiness and hardship, joy and sorrow. A story that all of us will one day experience.

Why similar: Emotional 30.6%, Narration 23.1%, Surreal 16.1%, Story Rich 14.2%, Drama 5.4%

Why You'll Like It: A visual journey through a man's life, using time manipulation to explore moments of joy and profound sorrow.

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%, Story Rich 21.6%, Emotional 11.7%, Walking Simulator 9.2%, Indie 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: A short, experimental narrative that focuses on the emotional bond between a lonely boy and a wounded bird.

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 31.7%, Indie 18.9%, Point & Click 16.1%, Adventure 14.4%, Drama 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: A short, interactive story that captures the emotional highs and lows of a young woman's first love and life experiences.

When the Past was Around is an adventure point-and-click puzzle game about love, moving on, letting go, and the joy and pain of everything in between.

Why similar: Surreal 34.1%, Story Rich 23.3%, Point & Click 22.6%, Atmospheric 13.1%, Singleplayer 4.8%

Why You'll Like It: A point-and-click puzzle game that tells a bittersweet story about love, loss, and letting go.

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 34.2%, Story Rich 18.6%, Great Soundtrack 14.6%, Atmospheric 11.7%, Adventure 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-driven adventure that uses isolation and dialogue to explore the weight of past regrets and personal escape.

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 44.7%, Story Rich 23.6%, Point & Click 14.7%, Adventure 7.4%, Indie 6.4%

Why You'll Like It: A touching story set in a hospital that blends fantasy elements with the emotional reality of patients facing their end.

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 58.3%, Story Rich 9.3%, Atmospheric 6.8%, Great Soundtrack 6.4%, Indie 5%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative exploration game that uncovers the intimate, emotional history of a family through the objects they left behind.

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 34.8%, Point & Click 25.1%, Atmospheric 16.6%, Indie 12.8%, Singleplayer 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: A meditative game that tells a life story through the intimate act of unpacking possessions across different stages of life.

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 27.2%, Narration 17.3%, Great Soundtrack 15%, Atmospheric 11.8%, Story Rich 11.4%

Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric game that parallels a fox's search for her family with a son's search for his estranged father.

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 34.6%, Emotional 31.7%, Atmospheric 10.6%, Indie 8.1%, Adventure 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: A short, impactful exploration of a woman's life as she struggles with the onset of dementia.

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

Why similar: Indie 31.4%, Story Rich 23.7%, Adventure 21.4%, Dark 18.9%, Singleplayer 4.6%

Why You'll Like It: A raw and unflinching look at depression and the struggles of modern life through a heavy, narrative-focused experience.

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: Great Soundtrack 26.9%, Story Rich 17.2%, Point & Click 17.2%, Atmospheric 12.1%, Adventure 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: A visual, puzzle-filled story about life, regret, and the hope of reconciliation in one's final years.

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 19.7%, Great Soundtrack 18.3%, Walking Simulator 17.9%, Narration 16.2%, Story Rich 10.9%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative adventure that explores the psyche of a man suffering from depression through surreal dreamscapes.

I Am Dead is a charming puzzle adventure game from the creators of Hohokum and Wilmot’s Warehouse about exploring the afterlife.

Why similar: Indie 22.8%, Adventure 21.8%, Great Soundtrack 19.1%, Emotional 13.9%, Story Rich 12.1%

Why You'll Like It: A charming yet poignant puzzle game about a deceased museum curator exploring the memories of his town.

The Gardens Between is a surreal puzzle adventure that follows best friends, Arina and Frendt, as they fall into a mysterious world of beautiful garden islands. Manipulate time to solve puzzles and discover the secrets of each island.

Why similar: Emotional 31.1%, Walking Simulator 27.6%, Surreal 17.6%, Story Rich 15.2%, Atmospheric 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal puzzle game that explores the nature of memory and the passage of time between two best friends.

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 36.7%, Narration 24.6%, Emotional 14.1%, Adventure 6.4%, Indie 5.4%

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 25.2%, Emotional 24.3%, Walking Simulator 21.1%, Story Rich 13.1%, Atmospheric 6.1%

A thoughtful and deeply personal title with stripped-down mechanics. The lack of dialogue or text allows you to create your own narrative through your time with four characters. Each short story will allow players to be swept away by the haunting lyrics of over twenty original, nostalgic songs.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.5%, Emotional 26.2%, Point & Click 15.1%, Story Rich 12.2%, Drama 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: A series of short, wordless vignettes that capture the quiet, emotional moments of everyday life.

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 21.5%, Narration 16.3%, Emotional 16%, Story Rich 10.9%, Point & Click 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: An interactive narrative that examines the impact of a sudden death on the people left behind.

From the creators of What Remains of Edith Finch. Enter the surreal world of The Unfinished Swan and explore a mysterious, hidden kingdom by splatting paint to reveal the world around you.

Why similar: Surreal 25.3%, Walking Simulator 23.5%, Story Rich 10.5%, Adventure 9.8%, Indie 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: A whimsical yet poignant tale about a boy chasing a swan through an unfinished, painterly world.

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 11.6%, Indie 11.4%, Atmospheric 5.6%, Surreal 5.1%

Why You'll Like It: An experimental, atmospheric exploration game that focuses on the emotional connection between the player and a changing environment.

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 18.9%, Narration 16.4%, Emotional 16.1%, Great Soundtrack 12.3%, Story Rich 11.2%

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%, Emotional 30.8%, Story Rich 16.6%, Atmospheric 10.1%, Indie 5.2%

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 31.9%, Walking Simulator 21.8%, Story Rich 15.7%, Adventure 6.3%, Drama 6%

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 26.3%, Narration 23.1%, Surreal 16.6%, Story Rich 14.1%, Atmospheric 8.6%

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 20.3%, Narration 17.4%, Emotional 16.9%, Story Rich 11.2%, Great Soundtrack 10.7%

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 25.6%, Great Soundtrack 22.9%, Story Rich 16.3%, Adventure 10.4%, Atmospheric 9.3%

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 21.3%, Point & Click 17.9%, Great Soundtrack 14.3%, Atmospheric 13.8%, Story Rich 12.8%

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

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 23.4%, Narration 21.8%, Adventure 14.2%, Indie 14.2%, Story Rich 13.6%

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 40.8%, Atmospheric 20.8%, Walking Simulator 12.2%, Adventure 8%, Story Rich 7%

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 32.7%, Narration 14.5%, Great Soundtrack 11.1%, Indie 9.2%, Adventure 8.9%

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 58.6% ★, Point & Click 11%, Story Rich 9.4%, Walking Simulator 7.2%, Indie 5.5%

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 27.4%, Narration 18.8%, Walking Simulator 18.1%, Story Rich 13.1%, Atmospheric 7.1%

Hopeguard is a third-person dark fantasy game about loss and acceptance. You have been chosen to eliminate the Dragon Queen, but the confrontation will not go as expected. Journey through caves, ruins, and forests to solve environmental puzzles and fulfill your quest -but with a new perspective.

Why similar: Emotional 26.2%, Narration 25.6%, Walking Simulator 20.4%, Story Rich 13%, Atmospheric 7.6%

An uncanny liminal space themed walking-simulator.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28.7%, Emotional 26.3%, Narration 17.4%, Atmospheric 7.9%, Surreal 5.1%

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 12.5%, Indie 11.4%, Adventure 10.2%, Atmospheric 9.8%

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 27.4%, Great Soundtrack 19.5%, Story Rich 13.1%, Atmospheric 9.3%, Adventure 8.2%

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 36.6%, Surreal 21.5%, Emotional 19%, Atmospheric 6.6%, Indie 5.7%

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 22.7%, Emotional 20%, Narration 16.6%, Surreal 14%, Story Rich 12.2%

One apartment, many stories: Witness turning points in the lives of the inhabitants of an apartment in Berlin over the course of a whole century.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.4%, Narration 22.6%, Story Rich 15.5%, Atmospheric 9.3%, Indie 6.4%

Bottle: Pilgrim is a story of loss, regret and redemption, which reminds us that while we cannot change the things we have done, we can always learn from our mistakes.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 19.6%, Narration 19.2%, Great Soundtrack 16.3%, Emotional 13.5%, Story Rich 7.7%

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 28%, Walking Simulator 25.5%, Story Rich 12.7%, Atmospheric 8.7%, Indie 8.1%

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 19.7%, Surreal 18.7%, Atmospheric 10.5%, Indie 7.9%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 43.4%, Adventure 14.9%, Story Rich 11.5%, Atmospheric 9.9%, First-Person 6.6%

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 24.5%, Great Soundtrack 20.2%, Indie 12.5%, Adventure 11.8%, Story Rich 10.8%

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 34.6%, Story Rich 26.4%, Atmospheric 11%, Surreal 10.8%, Indie 8.1%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 28%, Great Soundtrack 25.3%, Story Rich 16.8%, Atmospheric 10%, Adventure 9.6%

The Last Campfire is an adventure, a story of a lost ember trapped in a puzzling place, searching for meaning and a way home.

Why similar: Emotional 29.7%, Narration 25.8%, Story Rich 14.5%, Atmospheric 9.7%, Adventure 6.9%

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 27.4%, Walking Simulator 14.1%, Indie 13%, Adventure 12.6%, Atmospheric 12.2%

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 28.9%, Great Soundtrack 25.3%, Story Rich 15.2%, Indie 9.6%, Adventure 7.8%