Games Like The Painscreek Killings

Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.

Why similar: Detective 42.1%, Mystery 23%, Puzzle 9.1%, Story Rich 8%, Atmospheric 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: This game demands the same level of keen observation and deductive reasoning required to solve the cold case in Painscreek.

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: Detective 25.2%, Mystery 15.4%, Walking Simulator 14.7%, Supernatural 8%, Atmospheric 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: It features a similar atmospheric, exploration-heavy approach to uncovering a dark mystery in a secluded, beautiful setting.

Take on the role of a private investigator in this immersive detective simulator. Solve murders and other crimes in a procedurally generated and persistent city where every NPC lives and breathes their own independent lives. Find the killer quickly… or they will kill again!

Why similar: Detective 56.7%, Open World 15.4%, Puzzle 9.8%, First-Person 7.9%, Atmospheric 5.1%

Why You'll Like It: It offers an unparalleled open-world detective experience where you must manually gather evidence and track suspects without hand-holding.

A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.

Why similar: Investigation 26.3%, Detective 25.9%, Mystery 16%, Thriller 7.9%, Puzzle 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: It excels at presenting complex, interconnected mysteries that require the player to piece together the truth through careful environmental analysis.

Become the most celebrated detective of all time: Sherlock Holmes! Use your impressive talents as a detective to solve six thrilling and varied cases: murders, missing persons, spectacular thefts and numerous investigations that sometimes lead you into the realms of the fantastic.

Why similar: Detective 39.8%, Investigation 21.8%, Mystery 15.1%, Puzzle 5.3%, Story Rich 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a robust detective experience that focuses on gathering clues and making logical deductions to solve various cases.

Paradise Island, a world outside reality. There’s been a murder that only "investigation freak" Lady Love Dies can solve. Gather evidence and interrogate suspects in this open world adventure. You can accuse anyone, but you’ll have to prove your case in trial. It’s up to you to decide who’s guilty.

Why similar: Investigation 24.4%, Detective 23%, Mystery 13.2%, Open World 9.6%, Exploration 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: This open-world investigation game allows you to explore at your own pace and gather evidence to build your own case against suspects.

Coming back to the family hotel after years, a young woman finds herself trapped with the ghosts from her past and an old cellular telephone as the only way to unveil a terrible truth.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 16.7%, Mystery 16.5%, Thriller 10.7%, Open World 8.7%, Exploration 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a tense, atmospheric walking-simulator experience focused on uncovering secrets within a confined, isolated location.

A hardcore deductive reasoning game for fans of the “true crime” genre. Only by unraveling the logic and grasping at the motivations behind each case can the crimes be completely solved. Perfect as a social-style mystery fiction.

Why similar: Investigation 28.5%, Detective 23.1%, Mystery 13.8%, Puzzle 6.7%, Realistic 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: This title strips away the fluff to focus entirely on the core detective work of analyzing crime scenes and deducing what happened.

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 23.1%, Story Rich 17.1%, Mystery 17%, Atmospheric 9.9%, Exploration 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a deeply narrative-driven experience that relies on exploring a house to uncover the tragic history of a family.

MURDERED: SOUL SUSPECT™ takes players into a whole new realm of mystery where the case is personal and the clues just out of reach, challenging gamers to solve the hardest case of all… their own murder.

Why similar: Detective 41.8%, Supernatural 15.1%, Mystery 13.7%, Horror 8%, Atmospheric 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: It combines detective mechanics with a supernatural mystery, tasking you with finding clues to solve your own murder.

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 22.7%, Mystery 17.9%, Story Rich 11.3%, Atmospheric 9.3%, Open World 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: This game captures the feeling of being isolated in a vast environment while slowly uncovering a mystery through environmental storytelling.

Experience a nerve-racking Lovecraftian adventure, rebuilt from the ground up with modern graphics and gameplay. Become Sherlock Holmes, and find yourself at the heart of the terrifying Cthulhu Mythos as you investigate a series of mysterious disappearances in Europe and the US.

Why similar: Detective 21.3%, Investigation 15.9%, Mystery 11.6%, Supernatural 8.6%, Open World 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a more horror-tinged detective experience that maintains the series' focus on gathering evidence and solving complex puzzles.

Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.

Why similar: Mystery 22.5%, Exploration 14.9%, Open World 11.5%, Story Rich 10.9%, Puzzle 9%

Why You'll Like It: It is a masterclass in knowledge-gated exploration where you must piece together a cosmic mystery by investigating ruins and logs.

Northern Canada, 1970. A strange blizzard ravages Atamipek Lake. Step into the shoes of a detective to explore the eerie village, investigate surreal events, and battle the elements to survive. Kona is a chilly interactive tale you won't soon forget.

Why similar: Detective 31%, Walking Simulator 12.1%, Open World 10.8%, Horror 8.3%, Exploration 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game blends survival elements with a detective narrative set in a snowy, atmospheric town that you must explore to find answers.

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 31.3%, Mystery 15.8%, Story Rich 13.9%, Exploration 10.4%, Female Protagonist 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: It uses environmental storytelling to let you piece together the events that occurred on a space station, similar to how you reconstruct the past in Painscreek.

Set in 1944 Italy, Martha Is Dead is an award-winning dark psychological thriller where the lines between truth, superstition, and tragedy blur. Explore a haunting countryside, uncover disturbing memories, and peel back layers of mystery. Every choice shapes the nightmare…are you ready to face it?

Why similar: Mystery 18.3%, Horror 13.8%, Thriller 13.6%, Story Rich 11.8%, Psychological Horror 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: This game offers a dark, psychological mystery that relies on exploration and uncovering hidden truths in a historical setting.

Draugen is a single-player, first-person Fjord Noir mystery set in 1920s Norway. Explore a forgotten coastal village in your search for your missing sister, accompanied by your independent and enigmatic young ward. Norwegian Game of the Year 2019.

Why similar: Detective 21.4%, Mystery 14.9%, Investigation 13.5%, Story Rich 7.5%, Horror 6.4%

Why You'll Like It: It focuses on atmospheric exploration and narrative discovery in a remote, mysterious setting.

Discover the truth about Quern’s past, unfold the mysteries of its present, and be the explorer who shapes its future. Quern introduces reusable puzzle mechanics to the classic genre, making the player think about the game as a whole, and not just as a series of individual challenges.

Why similar: Investigation 21.1%, Mystery 14.9%, Walking Simulator 13.2%, Puzzle 8.2%, Exploration 7%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on deep, complex puzzles and environmental exploration that reward the player for being observant.

What if you could hear every word spoken at the scene of a crime? “Acoustic Detectives” wanted for testing our new device! Return aurally to crime scenes and use the voices you hear to identify potential suspects and solve the mysteries. What is it that’s connecting these seemingly unrelated cases?

Why similar: Detective 49.1%, Mystery 18.1%, Puzzle 10.2%, Investigation 8.4%, Story Rich 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: It is a unique audio-based investigation game where you must listen to conversations to identify suspects and solve crimes.

The original first‑person cyberpunk horror detective tale set in a decaying, neon‑scarred future. As an Observer who invades minds to hunt for clues, you will sift through corrupted memories to track down a mysterious killer and confront your own dark past.

Why similar: Detective 26.6%, Horror 16.9%, Walking Simulator 16.9%, Atmospheric 10.2%, Psychological Horror 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: It features a dark, atmospheric investigation style that tasks you with hacking into minds to find clues in a dystopian setting.

1924. Private Investigator Pierce is sent to look into the tragic death of the Hawkins family. Plunge into a world of creeping madness and cosmic horror. Cryptic clues, shadowy figures, and pure terror bar your way as you fight to retain your sanity and solve an otherworldly mystery.

Why similar: Detective 31.3%, Horror 14.3%, Mystery 13.4%, Story Rich 8.7%, Walking Simulator 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: It blends investigative detective work with Lovecraftian horror, emphasizing the need to search for clues while managing your sanity.

Explore a beautiful and Enigmatic Victorian Manor with a dark secret, In this gothic horror story first person exploration puzzle game filled with fine art, secret passages and mysterious mechanical puzzles playing as the executor of the last will from the enigmatic Railroad Magnate Hadley Strange.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 15.6%, Mystery 15%, Investigation 14%, Horror 9.1%, Exploration 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: It is a classic escape-room style game that focuses on exploring a mansion and solving intricate puzzles to uncover a family secret.

This story-driven adventure follows a mystery of death and despair from reality into the surreal realms of objective memories and subjective experiences. Search the mind, solve puzzles, and unravel the dark truth in this psychological thriller.

Why similar: Investigation 28.7%, Walking Simulator 14.4%, Mystery 12.9%, Thriller 11.5%, Story Rich 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: It involves investigating the memories of the deceased, requiring careful analysis of surreal environments to find the truth.

A mysterious invitation leads to the attic of an abandoned house. In the room is a cast-iron safe laced with strange carvings and on top, a note from your distant companion. It promises something ancient and astonishing concealed in the iron chamber - you need only find a way in.

Why similar: Puzzle 36.5%, Mystery 35.9%, Atmospheric 10.1%, Horror 6.5%, Adventure 3.5%

Why You'll Like It: It is a pure puzzle-focused game that rewards the same tactile curiosity and attention to detail required in Painscreek.

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 19.1%, Mystery 15.8%, Exploration 12%, Puzzle 11.8%, Atmospheric 9%

Why You'll Like It: It emphasizes exploration and environmental puzzle-solving in a realistic, industrial setting that feels grounded and immersive.

A psychological horror short story. Explore the untouched wilderness of rural Wales as you uncover the forgotten remains of a mysterious facility and find the truth behind the missing villagers of Hearth.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 16.7%, Supernatural 15.8%, Mystery 13.3%, Horror 10.6%, Exploration 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: It provides an atmospheric, narrative-driven experience that uses audio cues to help you uncover the mystery of a remote area.

The Séance of Blake Manor is a supernatural detective mystery, set in 1897 Ireland, where you investigate the disappearance of Evelyn Deane in a remote hotel full of secrets and other-worldly occurrences.

Why similar: Detective 21.6%, Investigation 18.7%, Supernatural 15.8%, Mystery 11.6%, Puzzle 6%

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: Detective 42.5%, Mystery 18.3%, Story Rich 13.5%, Puzzle 7.2%, Adventure 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: It is a narrative-heavy mystery game that requires you to investigate and manipulate characters to uncover a hidden conspiracy.

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: Detective 29.9%, Investigation 23.8%, Story Rich 14.4%, Mystery 12.8%, Thriller 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a cinematic detective experience where your choices and investigation efforts directly impact the outcome of the mystery.

The Haunting of Joni Evers is a dark supernatural mystery about a broken family from small-town Oklahoma. Haunted by a specter that's hunted her family for generations, Joni must uncover the mysteries of the Cunningham House, dig through lost memories, and face the past to break the curse.

Why similar: Investigation 21.4%, Supernatural 14.1%, Mystery 13.3%, Walking Simulator 12.6%, Story Rich 6.7%

The Wellmonts Case is a first-person psychological horror game set in 1993, Northern Maine. As a private detective, you explore the abandoned Wellmont farm, search for clues, photograph unsettling evidence, and uncover the truth behind a family's unexplained disappearance.

Why similar: Investigation 17%, Walking Simulator 14.9%, Mystery 12.2%, Thriller 10.6%, Horror 10.1%

Still Life 2 also now available!

Why similar: Detective 32.5%, Mystery 23.8%, Investigation 9.8%, Puzzle 8%, Adventure 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: It is a classic detective mystery that features dual timelines and a strong focus on gathering and analyzing evidence.

Armed with nothing but your camera, investigate the abandoned Gretlow House in this short, atmospheric horror game. Uncover a chilling mystery through a realistic found-footage lens.

Why similar: Investigation 17.9%, Supernatural 15.5%, Walking Simulator 12.3%, Horror 9.4%, Mystery 9.4%

Dead Secret is a first-person horror mystery set in rural Kansas in 1965. A reclusive professor is dead and it’s up to you to crack the case before you become the next victim. Investigate the murder and explore the story Time Magazine called “captivating” and “deeply creepy” .

Why similar: Mystery 23.8%, Horror 14.9%, Story Rich 12.7%, Psychological Horror 9.6%, Puzzle 8.3%

Virginia is a single-player first-person thriller set in a small town with a secret. Experience a missing person investigation through the eyes of graduate FBI agent Anne Tarver.

Why similar: Detective 25.4%, Walking Simulator 15.5%, Mystery 14.4%, Thriller 7.6%, Story Rich 6.3%

A third‑person psychological horror game where you explore both the real world and the spirit realm. As a medium drawn to a deserted resort, you’ll uncover dark secrets, confront echoes of trauma, and face the consequences of seeing more than one truth.

Why similar: Horror 22.9%, Walking Simulator 14.1%, Story Rich 11.7%, Atmospheric 11.4%, Female Protagonist 11.2%

An interactive horror experience of exploring a missing woman’s phone.

Why similar: Detective 32.4%, Mystery 13.7%, Horror 12.6%, Thriller 10.2%, Story Rich 8.3%

True Fear: Forsaken Souls takes the best of the psychological thriller, blending in fun and intuitive gameplay mechanics. Episode 1, the first in a trilogy, will long be remembered.

Why similar: Detective 22.1%, Horror 12.1%, Exploration 11.1%, Puzzle 9.5%, Mystery 7.6%

Killer Frequency is a first-person horror puzzle game set in 1987, that puts you in the role of a late-night radio talk show host in small town America whose callers are being stalked by a mysterious killer.

Why similar: Investigation 27.5%, Walking Simulator 16.9%, Horror 11.6%, Puzzle 9.3%, Exploration 8.5%

An award-winning narrative thriller about a blind woman’s journey to uncover the truth about the mansion from her nightmares, or else become one of its victims.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 27.8%, Horror 26.6%, Atmospheric 10.2%, Female Protagonist 9.7%, Story Rich 8.8%

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: Horror 17.7%, Adventure 14.5%, Mystery 11.9%, Story Rich 9.6%, Thriller 9.3%

Uncover the mysteries of Whitehaven Orphanage in this first-person psychological horror game. Explore the place, collect clues and put the pieces together to find out what happened years ago as you delve deep into your mind.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 17.9%, Horror 14.8%, Thriller 13.4%, Exploration 8.9%, First-Person 8.2%

A psychological horror game where a police officer investigates a cold case in a decaying house, uncovering a strange and haunting tape recorder that reveals a terrible secret.

Why similar: Investigation 18.9%, Walking Simulator 17.7%, Mystery 10.7%, Exploration 8.8%, Realistic 7.9%

Step into the mind of John Morley, a 1940s detective on his final case. Explore shadowed places long forgotten by time, and piece together crime scenes in a narrative adventure steeped in mystery, unexpected twists, and a truth buried for decades.

Why similar: Detective 23.8%, Walking Simulator 13.3%, Mystery 12.6%, Exploration 7.5%, Realistic 6.9%

A young woman died near the White Oak Inn. Now, her spirit is roaming around, and an employee is receiving strange letters. What dark secrets wait to be found? The clock is ticking and you, as Alex Hill, must uncover the truth before it’s too late.

Why similar: Detective 27.5%, Mystery 17.3%, Investigation 14.9%, Exploration 9.5%, Story Rich 7.5%

In Rise of Insanity, as a doctor of psychology you will explore the darkest recesses of the human mind. Overcome your fear to find the truth behind the tragedy that has befallen your family.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 23.1%, Horror 18.8%, Puzzle 10.3%, Psychological Horror 9.4%, Exploration 9.3%

You're a detective. Investigate the haunting events surrounding the murder of Ann Peterson and her boyfriend. Explore an old safehouse for clues, deduce keywords and reveal redacted words as you search Ann's digital journal, and piece together your case report as this unfortunate story unfolds.

Why similar: Detective 27.7%, Investigation 27%, Supernatural 12.1%, Walking Simulator 11.4%, Story Rich 7.2%

Investigate. Interrogate. Descend into a world of intrigue to untangle the Mystery of the Malign.

Why similar: Investigation 27.7%, Mystery 20.5%, Puzzle 9.5%, Story Rich 9%, Exploration 8.4%

Through the Woods is a third-person Norse horror adventure set in a forest on the western shores of Norway that tells the story of a mother and her missing son.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 19.6%, Horror 17.6%, Mystery 12.7%, Atmospheric 8.2%, Story Rich 7.9%

Wander through an interactive nightmare set within the confines of a once-happy household. Piece together the mystery behind a harrowing series of events while struggling to survive encounters with an entity that relentlessly stands in the way of finding absolution.

Why similar: Horror 20.2%, Walking Simulator 19.9%, Psychological Horror 10.7%, Realistic 10.2%, Story Rich 9.7%

Something strange appears in the woods. Lost in a dark and unknown place, survive an unrelenting enemy, solve puzzles, and uncover the ancient mystery that’s befallen this land in this Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror adventure.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 18.1%, Mystery 17.1%, Supernatural 13%, Horror 11.8%, Exploration 9.6%

Embark on a terrifying adventure of a priest accused of murdering an altar boy. Gray Dawn is a psychological thriller infused with religious elements and combines story-driven quests with an artistic experience.

Why similar: Thriller 13.9%, Walking Simulator 12.8%, Horror 11.2%, Story Rich 10.5%, Mystery 10.4%

Silver Chains is a first-person horror game with a strong emphasis on story and exploration. Search for clues within an old abandoned manor to unravel the truth about the terrible events which have happened.

Why similar: Horror 31.1%, Psychological Horror 12.1%, Mystery 9.9%, First-Person 8.2%, Walking Simulator 7.8%

A first-person, story-driven psychological horror game based on the cinematic lore of the Blair Witch. Explore the haunted grounds of the Black Hills Forest in a harrowing investigation that forces you to confront the evil that resides deep in the woods.

Why similar: Investigation 21.9%, Horror 21.6%, Walking Simulator 16.7%, Psychological Horror 10.6%, First-Person 8.1%

Alone with the dead... Embalm corpses, banish demons, save your soul.

Why similar: Supernatural 24%, Horror 22.5%, Mystery 17.2%, Atmospheric 6.4%, Thriller 6.2%

More than ghost hunting—this is about uncovering the truth, deep within the estate. Study the past, gather evidence, and reveal the stories that linger between life and death. A unique investigation every time ensures deep replayability.

Why similar: Investigation 20.7%, Detective 18.5%, Mystery 11.2%, Supernatural 9.4%, Exploration 7.1%

It Happened At Night is a short horror game where the player must complete basic objectives to advance the story and immerse themselves through the eyes of the protagonist.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 16.9%, Mystery 16.4%, Horror 11.4%, Exploration 9%, Atmospheric 7.2%

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a folk horror narrative-driven adventure. Explore the isolated moors of rural Victorian England as you uncover the mysteries of Hob's Barrow. The answers lie in the soil...

Why similar: Investigation 18.8%, Mystery 16.1%, Horror 15.6%, Puzzle 11.6%, Atmospheric 8.4%

„The Lion's Song: Episode 1 – Silence" draws the player into the life of a talented young composer, Wilma, preparing for her breakthrough concert, the defining moment of her career. Searching for inspiration she escapes from the pressure for success to the solitude of the Austrian Alps.

Why similar: Story Rich 42.7%, Adventure 19.6%, Female Protagonist 17.4%, Atmospheric 17%, Singleplayer 3.2%

12 March 1938, Renée, 16, was ripped out of her world, her only fault was that of not knowing her place in the world.

Why similar: Mystery 15.7%, Horror 14%, Walking Simulator 14%, Exploration 13.2%, Female Protagonist 7.9%