Games Like The Novelist

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 45.1%, Story Rich 11%, Atmospheric 10.9%, First-Person 10.2%, Exploration 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: Like The Novelist, this game focuses on uncovering the intimate, emotional history of a family through environmental storytelling.

The Invisible Hours is a complex murder mystery in VR, in which players freely explore an intricate web of interwoven stories within a sprawling mansion. This is not a game. This is not a movie. This is a piece of immersive theatre with many tangled threads.

Why similar: Adventure 57.8%, Casual 42.2%

Why You'll Like It: This game perfectly mirrors the 'ghost' perspective of The Novelist, allowing you to observe and influence the lives of characters in a contained environment.

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 22.9%, Story Rich 19.2%, Atmospheric 16.2%, First-Person 13%, Drama 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the same atmospheric, first-person narrative tension as you navigate complex personal relationships in isolation.

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 20.5%, Experimental 18.1% ★, Story Rich 17%, Atmospheric 10.7%, First-Person 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply personal, narrative-heavy experience that explores the relationship between a creator and their work, similar to the protagonist's struggle in The Novelist.

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: Story Rich 26%, Walking Simulator 20.9%, Atmospheric 15.6%, First-Person 11.6%, Drama 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a deeply emotional, narrative-driven experience centered on family legacy and the weight of personal choices.

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: Choices Matter 20%, Story Rich 17.9%, Drama 17.6%, Atmospheric 15.8%, Walking Simulator 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: This emotional puzzle-adventure explores the theme of changing past events to save a loved one, echoing the regret and hope found in The Novelist.

Tacoma is a sci-fi narrative adventure from the creators of Gone Home. Set aboard a high-tech space station in the year 2088, explore every detail of how the station’s crew lived and worked, finding the clues that add up to a gripping story of trust, fear, and resolve in the face of disaster.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 29.4%, Story Rich 21.8%, First-Person 14%, Atmospheric 10.9%, Exploration 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: You explore a space station by observing recorded holographic memories, much like the voyeuristic, ghost-like gameplay in The Novelist.

Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.

Why similar: Choices Matter 33.3%, Story Rich 27%, Multiple Endings 13.9%, Atmospheric 12.7%, Walking Simulator 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: This title excels at the 'choices matter' mechanic, forcing you to deal with the significant consequences of your decisions on those around you.

Experience a Narrative Adventure where your choices and character growth truly matter. As a member of a 1793 secret society, live a tale of intrigue and manipulation on the hunt for your missing mother.

Why similar: Choices Matter 47.7%, Story Rich 22.6%, Multiple Endings 9.8%, Adventure 9.3%, Atmospheric 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: It features a sophisticated choice-and-consequence system where your interactions with characters fundamentally alter the narrative trajectory.

Detroit: Become Human puts the destiny of both mankind and androids in your hands, taking you to a near future where machines have become more intelligent than humans. Every choice you make affects the outcome of the game, with one of the most intricately branching narratives ever created.

Why similar: Choices Matter 36.4%, Multiple Endings 25.3%, Story Rich 20.4%, Emotional 8.5%, Atmospheric 5.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game offers a high-stakes branching narrative where every decision you make ripples through the lives of multiple characters.

In this 3D visual novel, follow failed screenwriter Junon as she attempts to make it through the most pivotal day in her life. Relive the past, alter the present, and embrace the future, or without your help, Junon’s story might end in a wreck.

Why similar: Choices Matter 20.3%, Interactive Fiction 16.6%, Multiple Endings 12.8%, Drama 11.5%, Story Rich 10.9%

Why You'll Like It: A 3D visual novel that focuses on adult themes and the power of choices to reshape one's perspective on past family trauma.

Experience a gripping psychological thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns. The hunt is on for a murderer known only as the Origami Killer. Four characters, each following their own leads, must take part in a desperate attempt to prevent the killer from claiming a new victim.

Why similar: Choices Matter 30.3%, Multiple Endings 21.8%, Story Rich 16.9%, Interactive Fiction 14.1%, Emotional 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: An interactive drama that focuses heavily on the struggle of a parent trying to protect their family, mirroring the core themes of The Novelist.

Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift. You are Alex, and you’ve just brought your new stepbrother Jonas to an overnight island party gone horribly wrong.

Why similar: Choices Matter 24.3%, Story Rich 19.7%, Supernatural 18.2%, Atmospheric 12.1%, Multiple Endings 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: It uses a dialogue-driven system where your choices and relationships with other characters are the primary focus of the experience.

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 40.1%, Atmospheric 17%, Story Rich 13.3%, First-Person 9.5%, Indie 6%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a rich, atmospheric, and melancholic look at the lives of people in a small town, told through echoes of the past.

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 23.7%, Atmospheric 21.1%, Story Rich 15.2%, Drama 11.9%, Exploration 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: It weaves together two parallel stories—one of a fox searching for family and one of a son reconnecting with his father—to create a moving experience.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a first-person story-driven mystery. Purchase this game to get both the original and the Unreal Engine 4 remaster called The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Redux.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.1%, Atmospheric 18.2%, First-Person 14%, Supernatural 13%, Story Rich 12.3%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person atmospheric mystery that uses supernatural perception to piece together a tragic family story.

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 26.6%, First-Person 20.5%, Story Rich 13.3%, Exploration 10.8%, Adventure 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: This game explores the fragile nature of memory and the human condition through a first-person, narrative-heavy lens.

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 25.1%, Atmospheric 15.8%, Emotional 15.4%, First-Person 13.6%, Exploration 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: A short, poignant exploration of memory and identity that captures the same intimate, domestic atmosphere as The Novelist.

South of the Circle is a deep narrative experience of the emerging relationship between Peter and Clara, Cambridge academics involved in a political conflict. The story focuses on promises made in between career and true love, where our choices burdened by our past seem to be illusory.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.4%, Drama 21.8%, Story Rich 15.5%, Atmospheric 10.9%, Emotional 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: A cinematic, choice-driven narrative that explores the intersection of professional ambition and personal relationships.

A unique psychological action thriller delivered by A-list Hollywood performances by Elliot Page and Willem Dafoe, Beyond: Two Souls takes you on a thrilling journey across the globe as you play out the remarkable life of Jodie Holmes.

Why similar: Choices Matter 39.9%, Story Rich 24.1%, Emotional 10.5%, Drama 9.4%, Adventure 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: It features a unique connection between a protagonist and an ethereal entity, blending supernatural elements with deep human drama.

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: Interactive Fiction 20.7%, Walking Simulator 15.5%, Drama 13.8%, Story Rich 12.1%, Atmospheric 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the emotional aftermath of a loss, exploring the lives of those left behind in a very grounded, human way.

Grotto is a mystical, narrative-focused experience. You are the Soothsayer. The one capable of talking with the stars and unveiling their messages. In a time of turmoil, the tribe of the valley turn to your powers of divination and come to you for guidance.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 18.1%, Choices Matter 15.4%, Multiple Endings 12.8%, Psychological 11.4%, Walking Simulator 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: A unique interactive fiction game where your choices as a mystic directly impact the lives of the villagers who come to you for guidance.

Observation is a sci-fi thriller uncovering what happened to Dr. Emma Fisher, and the crew of her mission, through the lens of the station’s artificial intelligence S.A.M.

Why similar: Indie 26%, Adventure 23.2%, Story Rich 18.7%, Atmospheric 16.1%, Walking Simulator 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: You play as an AI observing the crew of a space station, providing a similar detached yet influential perspective to the ghost in The Novelist.

Forgotten Fields is a game about yearning and nostalgia. Play as Sid - a struggling writer who travels back to his childhood home one last time before it's sold off. Visit old friends, relive memories and play through sections of Sid's book in this warm game about the passage of time.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.3%, Walking Simulator 14.7%, Story Rich 12.7%, Drama 12.1%, Multiple Endings 11.8%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-focused game about a writer struggling with his craft and his past, mirroring the central conflict of The Novelist.

A first-person interactive story inspired by real-world anxieties, The Assembly is a long-form game designed for VR. Explore a morally ambiguous organization as two individuals and face tough decisions from contrasting perspectives, that culminate in one of multiple thrilling conclusions.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 18.8%, Drama 14%, Multiple Endings 13.7%, Story Rich 12.3%, Atmospheric 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person mystery that forces you to make difficult moral choices while navigating a secretive organization.

Deep in international waters, Tesla’s Helios stands still. An unbound utopia for scientific research, Rose Archer steps aboard in search of her sister, quickly to discover not all is as it seems. A single word covers the entrance… QUARANTINE!

Why similar: Walking Simulator 37.7%, First-Person 22.2%, Adventure 15%, Indie 15%, Atmospheric 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, narrative-driven first-person game that focuses on personal stakes and family ties within a confined, tense setting.

Unable to sleep, you navigate a quiet condo complex. There's no rush - just you, the building, its inhabitants, and the stories they hold.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 23.5%, Interactive Fiction 16.8%, First-Person 13.8%, Atmospheric 13.6%, Exploration 8.5%

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 13.9%, Drama 13.2%, Story Rich 12.4%, First-Person 10.3%, Interactive Fiction 10.1%

Experience a swirling of emotions in this touching adventure through the lives of three characters of different ages. 10 Experiences, 30 Levels and more than 70 choices. Can you face yourself?

Why similar: Indie 100%

Why You'll Like It: It allows you to experience the same life events through the eyes of three different characters, highlighting how perspective changes the narrative.

7th Chance is a short (20-30 minute) story-based exploration adventure game. Waking up from a night of heavy drinking ... something isn't right.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 20.8%, Walking Simulator 13.1%, Choices Matter 11.9%, Multiple Endings 9.8%, First-Person 8.1%

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: Experimental 30.2% ★, Interactive Fiction 17.8%, Walking Simulator 13%, First-Person 10.2%, Story Rich 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: An experimental, short-form narrative that relies on environmental storytelling to convey a complex, unspoken plot.

There are things that often fail on nothing but themselves. Is there even a way out? Playing Kafka is a narrative adventure full of impenetrable schemes, insidious plot twists and conversations that slip out of hand. Based on Kafka’s life and his work, developed with Kafka experts.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.9%, Story Rich 14.5%, Psychological 13.9%, Choices Matter 11.9%, Atmospheric 10.5%

Driven by a rare neurological affliction plaguing his family, Joshua has to recover his memories by exploring parallel realities through déjà vu. Facing the innermost depths of his past – moments both joyous and painful – seems to be the only way to get his life and family back together.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 19.8%, Drama 14.7%, Walking Simulator 12.3%, Multiple Endings 11.7%, Story Rich 10.6%

“Thing-in-Itself” is a short interactive story about the struggles of understanding another human being. Using Immanuel Kant’s concept as a framework, it leads the player through stages of a relationship, exploring how perceptions may clash and surroundings can alter.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 17.1%, Psychological 13.8%, Drama 12.8%, Walking Simulator 12.7%, Emotional 10%

A short interactive essay on dreams, pressure, and expectations. Take part in an ancient ritual where one shot determines the fate of a generation.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 30%, Story Rich 18.1%, Emotional 15.2%, Atmospheric 12.2%, Multiple Endings 12.2%

The Magnificent Trufflepigs is a first-person, metal-detecting narrative game. It combines laid-back detecting and exploration with a dramatic story, all set in a beautiful English countryside. It’s a game about trying to find something.

Why similar: Story Rich 21.5%, First-Person 18.8%, Atmospheric 16.6%, Interactive Fiction 14.7%, Walking Simulator 10.6%

The End of You is a short, emotional narrative game about love lost, the ghosts of the past, and the painful crawl towards closure.

Why similar: Drama 17.9%, Choices Matter 15.3%, Psychological 15.3%, Story Rich 11.6%, Walking Simulator 10.8%

The Sixth Sorrow is a short, narrative-driven horror game where your choices impact the story. To what lengths can a mother's love drive her?

Why similar: Choices Matter 16%, Interactive Fiction 15.8%, Drama 14.3%, Multiple Endings 13.2%, Walking Simulator 11.4%

Depression The Game is an interactive game simulating major depression. You are joining a young man on one of his really bad days trying to handle his thoughts and survive that day... Will he?

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 18.8%, Choices Matter 13.3%, Psychological 12.9%, Walking Simulator 10.7%, Story Rich 9.8%

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: Experimental 32% ★, Walking Simulator 14.8%, Story Rich 12.2%, Psychological 12.1%, Atmospheric 10%

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 18.1%, Drama 17.2%, Story Rich 15.7%, First-Person 14.6%, Atmospheric 12.7%

Atmospheric first person adventure game focusing on immersion and exploration. Meet strange characters, discover secrets and try to unfold the mystery of the Fragmentation.

Why similar: Choices Matter 20.3%, First-Person 17.4%, Multiple Endings 16.3%, Atmospheric 15.3%, Exploration 10%

You will answer a series of questions that will reveal truths from deep within. These questions may make you uncomfortable, but with great knowledge comes great sacrifice. Can you make it all the way through The Test, and if you do, are you sure you want the answers you seek?

Why similar: Multiple Endings 23.7%, Choices Matter 22.1%, Psychological 18.7%, Story Rich 17.2%, Atmospheric 12%

A first-person, narrative-driven game featuring The Developer, who questions, taunts, and tests you at every turn. You shouldn’t press the button, but you’ll want to. You will have control, and you will have none. Power is in your hands... or is it? Inspired by classic narrative driven games.

Why similar: Choices Matter 20.1%, Walking Simulator 14%, First-Person 13.4%, Multiple Endings 10.2%, Atmospheric 8.8%

A writer has died. His daughter seeks the help of you, Ord Salamon, to find his secret last novel. During the search, questions will emerge. Did her father really kill himself? What is the secret novel all about? What is going on at the island of Fardo?

Why similar: Drama 41.3%, Adventure 34.7%, Indie 24%

A short, twisted tale about a smuggler and a late night encounter in the English Channel. Control the camera and make tough choices, will you escape with your life?

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.2%, Choices Matter 23.4%, Story Rich 16.8%, Multiple Endings 16%, Atmospheric 8.3%

Do you feel good where you are? Some people do, some don't even if they have everything in the world. Does love fix that sort of feeling, even if such feelings feel so hard to grasp and such love could be toxic to yourself? What is a loving muse to the artist who paints them?

Why similar: Choices Matter 23.2%, Drama 20.6%, Multiple Endings 19%, Story Rich 18.3%, Emotional 11%

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: Drama 18.4%, Walking Simulator 17.7%, Story Rich 14.9%, First-Person 13%, Atmospheric 12.9%

A psychological interactive novel about a floppy disk with a mysterious program. Help Elliot cope with his mental issues and uncover the secret of the floppy disk.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 20.5%, Choices Matter 18.9%, Psychological 16.8%, Multiple Endings 12%, Story Rich 10.3%

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: Experimental 25.2% ★, Walking Simulator 15.6%, Psychological 13%, Story Rich 12.4%, Atmospheric 10.2%

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 15.9%, Story Rich 14.5%, Drama 13.3%, Atmospheric 12.9%, Choices Matter 11.2%

Experience the Myth of Frankenstein through the innocent eyes of his creature. Make decisions and change people's view that you will meet on your way. Now, the myth is in your hands, so how are you going to end it?

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 23.4%, Choices Matter 20.6%, Multiple Endings 15.8%, Story Rich 13.9%, Atmospheric 8.7%

My dream is a Lost Memory is a short interactive story about having Déjà vu, realizing that this Déjà vu came to you because of a dream, and then wondering if that dream is actually a memory. It's a story about work, limitations and self-respect.

Why similar: Experimental 33% ★, Interactive Fiction 28.1%, Drama 19.8%, Atmospheric 5.7%, Story Rich 5.6%

Hitchhiker is a mystery game set along lost highways, where your goal is to solve the puzzle of your own backstory.

Why similar: Story Rich 15.7%, Drama 15%, Interactive Fiction 14.5%, First-Person 13%, Atmospheric 12.8%

A first person horror game. Fred is stuck in a dead-end job, haunted by hallucinations. A voice on the radio speaks of a green light. It promises peace and freedom. A tale of self-discovery where Fred is willing to find freedom, even at the cost of his life.

Why similar: Drama 19.6%, Psychological 14.2%, Walking Simulator 13.4%, Story Rich 12.1%, Emotional 10.8%

SELF is a suspenseful Kafkaesque text-based adventure game with simulation and puzzle mechanics. Could you seize the opportunity to find your father and your SELF back in this introspective journey?

Why similar: Experimental 32% ★, Psychological 17.1%, Indie 14.1%, Adventure 13%, Story Rich 11.6%

You've only precious moments before time collapses onto itself to save your family. Warp, jump and rewind through time and space - and pray that whatever lives between it doesn't notice you.

Why similar: Drama 24%, Interactive Fiction 23.9%, Atmospheric 15.7%, First-Person 9.9%, Psychological 8.7%

To make it in Nuevos Aires, one needs nerves of silk and the filthiest of hands.

Why similar: Experimental 19.8% ★, Interactive Fiction 14.6%, Drama 11.5%, First-Person 9%, Walking Simulator 8.6%