Games Like The Beginner's Guide

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: Walking Simulator 35%, Narration 32.7%, First-Person 9.1%, Story Rich 8.4%, Emotional 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: Created by the same developer, this game shares the same sharp meta-narrative wit and exploration of player agency.

The Stanley Parable is a first person exploration game. You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley. You will follow a story, you will not follow a story. You will have a choice, you will have no choice. The game will end, the game will never end.

Why similar: Narration 34.9%, Walking Simulator 28.2%, Psychological 10.7%, First-Person 8.3%, Story Rich 4.6%

Why You'll Like It: This foundational meta-narrative experience directly mirrors the experimental and self-aware tone of the seed game.

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 31.2%, Story Rich 19.6%, Narration 15.2%, Atmospheric 9.4%, First-Person 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: An essential narrative experience that uses unique, shifting gameplay mechanics to tell a deeply personal and emotional story.

In a creaky old tavern, in a forgotten corner of the video-game universe, a storm is raging. An anonymous caller suggests that there is a murder plot. Six video game protagonists are the only plausible suspects...

Why similar: Story Rich 32.7%, Great Soundtrack 20.3%, Indie 17.2%, Dark 8.9%, Psychological Horror 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: A brilliant meta-narrative game that explores the lives and struggles of game developers through various genre-bending segments.

This surprising first-person story tells the tale of a heist gone wrong. Encounter high-flying schemers, lovelorn criminals, and more stray kittens than you can shake a stick at.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.5%, Experimental 17.8% ★, Experience 14.8% ★, Surreal 9.7%, Story Rich 9%

Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in short-form, experimental narrative that uses environmental storytelling to convey complex emotions without dialogue.

Pony Island is a suspense puzzle game in disguise. You are in limbo, trapped in a malevolent and malfunctioning arcade machine devised by the devil himself. It is not a game about ponies.

Why similar: Experimental 29.5% ★, Great Soundtrack 18.3%, Story Rich 11.8%, Indie 10.5%, Psychological Horror 9%

Why You'll Like It: A psychological meta-game that constantly breaks the fourth wall and challenges the player's understanding of the software they are interacting with.

An immersive, narrative videogame that retells Joel Green’s 4-year fight against cancer through about two hours of poetic, imaginative gameplay that explores themes of faith, hope and love.

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 and emotional narrative game that explores the developer's own life experiences through an interactive medium.

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 66.1%, Story Rich 8.1%, Atmospheric 6.4%, First-Person 5.9%, Indie 3.5%

Why You'll Like It: A quintessential walking simulator that excels at intimate, environmental storytelling within a single, detailed location.

A 15 minute heist game by Crows Crows Crows & Directed by William Pugh (The Stanley Parable). Slip into the soft-soled shoes of the mastermind responsible for the greatest heist- oh god I can’t do this any more, i’m joining the strike. good luck writing the steam description. -tina

Why similar: Narration 35.6%, Walking Simulator 31.4%, First-Person 11.1%, Experimental 7% ★, Story Rich 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: A short, hilarious meta-narrative experience that pulls back the curtain on game development in a way similar to the seed game.

A dark/sad/weird/funny first person exploration game. You play a man on his last night alive as he obsesses over a mysterious painting. More of a story game in that it emphasizes mood and character over gameplay. Takes ten minutes to play and has "next-gen" features like a shrimp tank.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 42.4%, First-Person 12.1%, Dark 10.9%, Indie 8.6%, Psychological Horror 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A short, surreal, and unsettling experience that focuses on psychological depth and abstract storytelling.

Stories Untold is a compilation tape of four experimental adventures, including a remaster of the original hit episode “The House Abandon”.

Why similar: Atmospheric 27.3%, Story Rich 21.8%, Indie 12.9%, Great Soundtrack 12.1%, Psychological Horror 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: An experimental anthology that uses retro aesthetics and meta-narrative elements to create a chilling, psychological experience.

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 42.5%, Story Rich 17.9%, Atmospheric 12.1%, First-Person 9.6%, Great Soundtrack 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: Features a strong, character-driven narrative that relies on dialogue and atmosphere to build a compelling mystery.

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: Narration 35.3%, Surreal 16.6%, Psychological 16.1%, Story Rich 12%, First-Person 11.2%

Why You'll Like It: A perspective-based puzzle game that uses surreal, dream-like environments to explore themes of perception and reality.

Antichamber is a mind-bending psychological exploration game where nothing can be taken for granted. Discover an Escher-like world where hallways wrap around upon each other, spaces reconfigure themselves, and accomplishing the impossible may just be the only way forward.

Why similar: Surreal 28.4%, Abstract 21.8%, First-Person 20.5%, Indie 8.4%, Psychological 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, abstract first-person game that challenges the player's perception of space and logic through non-Euclidean geometry.

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: Walking Simulator 22.1%, Story Rich 18.3%, Emotional 17.9%, First-Person 8.9%, Philosophical 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: An experimental, emotional narrative that uses unique input methods to tell a poignant story about the passage of time.

NaissanceE is an obscure and magical first person exploration game, a philosophical trip and an artistic experience. The adventure takes place in a primitive mysterious structure and the game mainly consists to explore and feel the deep and strong ambiance of this atemporal world.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 32.5%, Abstract 21.1%, Surreal 12.8%, Atmospheric 10.9%, First-Person 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: A highly abstract and atmospheric exploration game that focuses on scale and architecture to create a unique sense of place.

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 55.7%, Great Soundtrack 13%, Atmospheric 9.5%, Story Rich 9.3%, First-Person 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, narrative-driven experience that allows players to piece together a story through environmental clues and ghostly echoes.

Explore the mysterious Hotel Norwood in this surreal first-person adventure. Curious characters, forgotten secrets, and head-nodding music await your arrival.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.5%, Surreal 17.1%, Great Soundtrack 15%, First-Person 11.6%, Atmospheric 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, music-focused exploration game that feels like stepping into a strange, dream-like narrative world.

EPONYMOUS: In Which a Work Is Known by Its Reading is a short-form narrative about unreliable infrastructures.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 24.2%, Abstract 16.3%, Surreal 13.1%, Psychological 12.5%, Atmospheric 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal and abstract psychological experience that mirrors the experimental nature of the seed game.

The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.

Why similar: Story Rich 27.7%, Great Soundtrack 23.1%, Psychological Horror 16.6%, Dark 13.9%, First-Person 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: A psychological meta-narrative that subverts player expectations and genre tropes in a deeply unsettling way.

You wake up, alone, on a strange island full of puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 34.6%, First-Person 18%, Atmospheric 11.1%, Philosophical 9.1%, Surreal 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: An abstract, meditative, and highly intellectual first-person exploration game that rewards curiosity and observation.

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 37.7%, Story Rich 22.1%, Great Soundtrack 11.2%, Atmospheric 11%, First-Person 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: A short, intimate narrative experience that focuses on uncovering the history of a relationship through environmental exploration.

Challenge perception, redefine reality, and reshape the world around you with an instant camera. Viewfinder is a new single player game offering gamers hours of interesting and fun experiences while uncovering the mysteries left behind.

Why similar: Narration 27.3%, Abstract 17.2%, Psychological 12.9%, Surreal 12.6%, First-Person 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: An experimental puzzle game that allows players to reshape reality using photographs, focusing on surreal and creative mechanics.

Rediscover gravity and explore an Escher-esque world of impossible architecture. Witness infinity in first-person and master its rules to solve physics-defying puzzles. Cultivate a garden to open new paths forward, where an eternal expanse awaits.

Why similar: Abstract 22%, Experimental 20.3% ★, Surreal 17%, Philosophical 13.8%, First-Person 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: An abstract, meditative exploration game that features impossible geometry and a focus on perspective.

Inscryption is an inky black card-based odyssey that blends the deckbuilding roguelike, escape-room style puzzles, and psychological horror into a blood-laced smoothie. Darker still are the secrets inscrybed upon the cards...

Why similar: Story Rich 25.3%, Experimental 19.8% ★, Psychological 19.1%, Surreal 15.5%, Dark 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: A genre-bending meta-narrative that hides a deep, dark story beneath the surface of a card game.

Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 40%, Great Soundtrack 29.4%, Indie 15%, Adventure 10.9%, Singleplayer 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: A brief, atmospheric, and heartwarming exploration game that focuses on the joy of discovery and personal journey.

Jazzpunk is a comedy adventure set in an alternate reality Cold War World, plagued with corporate espionage, CyberCrime, and sentient martinis. Gameplay is inspired by spoof comedy films and cartoons of yesteryear, with a focus on weird gadgets, exotic locales, and open-world style exploration.

Why similar: Surreal 38.3%, Walking Simulator 20.2%, First-Person 13%, Indie 11.6%, Adventure 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, comedic, and highly experimental game that prioritizes bizarre interactions and world-building over traditional objectives.

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 49%, Atmospheric 25.1%, Indie 14.3%, Singleplayer 8.2%, Puzzle 3.3%

Why You'll Like It: Uses the simple act of unpacking boxes to tell a subtle, emotional, and intimate life story.

Gorogoa is an elegant evolution of the puzzle genre, told through a beautifully hand-drawn story designed and illustrated by Jason Roberts. Winner of Debut Game at the 2018 BAFTA Games Awards, as well as Best Mobile Game and the Innovation Award at the GDC 2018 Choice Awards.

Why similar: Atmospheric 19%, Story Rich 18.5%, Experimental 16.6% ★, Great Soundtrack 14.5%, Indie 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: An artistic, abstract puzzle game that uses unique panel-shifting mechanics to tell a wordless, evocative story.

When the Darkness comes is a walking simulator whose glitchy and dark tale tries to illustrate the hardships of depression and anxiety through a variety of imaginary digital landscapes.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 33.2%, Narration 21.1%, First-Person 8.4%, Psychological 6.1%, Story Rich 5.7%

Pleh! is a short psychological horror walking simulator that tells the story of a depressed game developer, his intrusive thoughts and his dark mysterious secrets.

Why similar: Narration 26.2%, Walking Simulator 25%, Story Rich 10.3%, Psychological 9.7%, Emotional 7.9%

Dear Esther immerses you in a stunningly realised world, a remote and desolate island somewhere in the outer Hebrides. As you step forwards, a voice begins to read fragments of a letter: 'Dear Esther...' - and so begins a journey through one of the most original first-person games of recent years.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 39.1%, Narration 26.5%, Story Rich 9.5%, First-Person 9%, Atmospheric 6.3%

An uncanny liminal space themed walking-simulator.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.9%, Narration 17.1%, Abstract 12.9%, Psychological 10.6%, Emotional 9.4%

A short narrative and exploration game about Zach, June, and a strange phenomenon. You're Zach and, stuck in your home, you will do everything to keep hearing June's voice messages. What is happening out there?

Why similar: Narration 34.1%, Walking Simulator 27.6%, First-Person 11.5%, Surreal 10.5%, Indie 9.1%

Ether One is a first person adventure that deals with the fragility of the human mind. There are two paths in the world you can choose from. At its core is a story exploration path free from puzzles where you can unfold the story at your own pace.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 49.1%, First-Person 15%, Story Rich 12.3%, Indie 7.9%, Adventure 6.8%

The Old City: Leviathan is an experiment in first person exploration that focuses entirely on story. All that exists is you and the world. Set in a decaying city from a civilization long past, The Old City: Leviathan puts the player in the shoes of a sewer dwelling isolationist.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 44.1%, Atmospheric 11.2%, Surreal 9.6%, Story Rich 8.8%, First-Person 8.2%

The Space Between is a surreal short narrative experience in three acts about the walls we build for us.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.1%, Experimental 19.1% ★, Surreal 12.3%, Psychological 7.7%, Emotional 7.6%

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 32.9%, Experimental 15.9% ★, Story Rich 13.1%, Psychological 12.4%, Emotional 10.8%

INFRA puts you into the boots of a structural analyst on a routine mission. Quickly though, your task turns into a fight for survival, all caused by deep-rooted schemes of the past. Your tools are simple: your camera and the wits to navigate a labyrinth of debris.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 39.8%, Atmospheric 12.9%, Story Rich 12.6%, First-Person 11.8%, Great Soundtrack 10.3%

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 45.5%, Atmospheric 10.1%, First-Person 9.9%, Indie 8.6%, Great Soundtrack 7.4%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 43.8%, Narration 27.7%, First-Person 9.8%, Emotional 5.7%, Story Rich 4.3%

Enter a world that’s utterly surreal and eerily familiar. Escape the mundanity of your existence in an experience that will stay with you. Mosaic is a narrative-driven modern adventure game with a story that lasts about 2-3 hours.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.9%, Experience 25% ★, Indie 17.3%, Adventure 11.9%, Atmospheric 10.3%

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: Walking Simulator 26.5%, Narration 23.6%, Story Rich 10.8%, Psychological 9.9%, Emotional 6.2%

As a young soldier returning to an eerily deserted home, you'll explore enigmatic rooms and uncover a haunting, tragic story. Experience an atmospheric journey filled with suspense, mysterious encounters, and a deep narrative.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.9%, Narration 22.3%, Story Rich 11.6%, Psychological 8.1%, First-Person 7.6%

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 23.1%, Narration 19%, Experimental 14.9% ★, Surreal 10.1%, Story Rich 9.6%

A short and surreal meta-narrative experience. Explore the gallery and find a way to push The Button...

Why similar: Walking Simulator 30.5%, Psychological 14.4%, Surreal 14%, Great Soundtrack 13%, Atmospheric 8.6%

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 51.6%, Experimental 18.1% ★, First-Person 7.8%, Indie 6.7%, Great Soundtrack 5.3%

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 34.4%, Story Rich 16.9%, Great Soundtrack 14.8%, Atmospheric 10.4%, Adventure 6.5%

From the creator of The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide comes Wanderstop, a narrative-centric cozy game about change and tea.

Why similar: Story Rich 48.7%, Adventure 16.7%, Indie 14.1%, Great Soundtrack 7.9%, Singleplayer 6.5%

wandering into the uncanny concept of liminality, captured in DV tape format you explore what seems to be another dimension, lost in an endless space that looks human-made but isn't.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 49.3%, Psychological 19%, First-Person 13.8%, Atmospheric 12.4%, Indie 4.1%

A slow burn walking sim with an interactive soundtrack and horror vibes. You explore abstract locations and create your own unique sound for each of them by moving around and using Monoliths.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 44.2%, Surreal 18.5%, Atmospheric 11%, First-Person 8.7%, Psychological Horror 4.8%

A short find it game that helps you make sense of a tragic accident as you uncover a piece of the story with each item found.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.2%, Narration 21.3%, Psychological 12.9%, Story Rich 10.7%, Emotional 9.5%

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 25.6%, Atmospheric 20%, Story Rich 17.2%, Great Soundtrack 12%, Indie 8.3%

Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.

Why similar: Story Rich 26.9%, Atmospheric 17.3%, Great Soundtrack 17%, Walking Simulator 13.9%, First-Person 9.4%

Explore an abandoned building, encountering puzzles and clues to discover what happened, as you try to escape in both your nightmares and the waking world. Be immersed in the hauntingly beautiful 3D atmosphere in this puzzle exploration mystery game.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 39%, Atmospheric 16.6%, Great Soundtrack 14%, First-Person 12.8%, Indie 5.2%

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 40.7%, Surreal 16.5%, Abstract 14.9%, Emotional 7.2%, Atmospheric 6%

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: Walking Simulator 46.5%, Surreal 15.5%, Atmospheric 12.2%, First-Person 10.9%, Psychological Horror 5.6%

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 39.9%, Narration 16.7%, First-Person 9.8%, Atmospheric 8.2%, Story Rich 7.1%

A small "horror" narrative game about isolation and depression.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 40.5%, Narration 17.2%, Psychological 13.1%, First-Person 10.1%, Dark 5.9%