Games Like The Red Lantern

You didn’t ask to lead this expedition, but here you are. Stuck in the ice, Captain missing, miles from civilisation. Someone has to take charge. Manage your meagre resources, balance safety and morale, make the hard calls, and head in the only direction you can - through The Pale Beyond.

Why similar: Snow 35.6% ★, Choose Your Own Adventure 15.9%, Interactive Fiction 13.4%, Emotional 12.4%, Choices Matter 9%

Why You'll Like It: Captures the same tense resource-management and survival decision-making in a harsh, freezing environment.

As the last mother fox on Earth, your cubs need all your care to survive in a merciless world that slowly destroys itself. You have to help them, teach them and save them. And you should never forget that extinction is forever – in the real world and in this 2023 BAFTA award winning experience.

Why similar: Emotional 38.5%, Female Protagonist 18.2%, Exploration 13.8%, Choices Matter 8.3%, Walking Simulator 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: Offers an emotional, story-driven survival experience focused on protecting animal companions through perilous wilderness.

Play as a border collie and restore color to your human’s world in an atmospheric journey through the northern isles of Scotland. Explore land and sea, uncover hidden paths, herd animals and free wildlife to bring color back to her world, while revealing an emotional story about saying farewell.

Why similar: Dogs 48.8% ★, Emotional 17.7%, Exploration 8.6%, Relaxing 8.3%, Walking Simulator 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: Features a heartfelt journey alongside a loyal animal companion through scenic, emotional landscapes.

As a rookie musher, foster a dogsledding team whose skills will grow if they're treated right. Week by week, get to know your dogs' unique traits, and carve your story into the trails of the Mount St. Something region.

Why similar: Dogs 94.7% ★, RPG 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: Shares the core mechanic of managing and racing a team of sled dogs through snowy environments.

Spirit of the North is a single-player 3rd-person adventure game inspired by the breathtaking and mysterious landscapes of Iceland. Play as an ordinary red fox whose story becomes entwined with the guardian of the Northern Lights, a female spirit fox.

Why similar: Exploration 29.4%, Relaxing 25.5%, Walking Simulator 21.3%, Story Rich 12.5%, Casual 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: Provides a quiet, atmospheric exploration adventure driven by the perspective of an animal.

Save a puppy and embark on a heartwarming, hand-drawn adventure together. Journey to the heart of an enchanted forest, solving puzzles and avoiding hunters to protect your newfound friend.

Why similar: Dogs 45.4% ★, Emotional 16.6%, Female Protagonist 9.4%, Relaxing 8.6%, Exploration 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: Combines a wholesome, emotional narrative with a deep bond formed alongside a canine companion.

Explore the remains of a fallen world from fascinating perspectives! Slip into the role of different animals to uncover the fate of an ancient world. Dive into deep waters, fly at lofty heights, dig underground as a mole or even climb steep cliffs with a mountain goat, there are lots of ways of getting around.

Why similar: Emotional 29.1%, Female Protagonist 18.8%, Exploration 15.9%, Relaxing 15.6%, Walking Simulator 11.6%

Why You'll Like It: Delivers a relaxing, story-rich exploration experience guided by wildlife through beautiful natural environments.

THE LONG DARK is a thoughtful, exploration-survival experience that challenges solo players to think for themselves as they explore an expansive frozen wilderness in the aftermath of a geomagnetic disaster. There are no zombies -- only you, the cold, and all the threats Mother Nature can muster.

Why similar: Exploration 49.3%, First-Person 30.5%, Walking Simulator 14.1%, Adventure 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: Immerse yourself in a profound and lonely survival struggle against the elements in the frozen Canadian wilderness.

As a powerful Lynx, you will make your way through vast open landscapes. In the harsh tundra, you will raise and strengthen your cubs by mastering your skills for hunting prey. Do everything you can to prepare your little ones for the vicious entities dwelling in the wilderness.

Why similar: Emotional 24.7%, Interactive Fiction 18.4%, Female Protagonist 16.6%, Exploration 11.6%, Choices Matter 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses intensely on motherly survival instincts and protecting vulnerable offspring in a wild, untamed nature setting.

Embark on an unique and unforgettable journey and guide Sable through her Gliding; a rite of passage that will take her across vast deserts and mesmerizing landscapes, capped by the remains of spaceships and ancient wonders.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 28.5%, Female Protagonist 19.7%, Exploration 14%, Relaxing 12.1%, Choices Matter 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on a personal, introspective coming-of-age journey of exploration across vast and hauntingly beautiful landscapes.

Howl is a turn-based tactical folktale set in medieval times. A sinister "howling plague" has ravaged the land, turning all who hear it into feral beasts. You play a deaf heroine plunging into danger in search of a cure.

Why similar: Female Protagonist 90%, Adventure 10%

Why You'll Like It: Combines tactical strategy with a dark, atmospheric folk-tale narrative set in a snowy medieval world.

Face the supernatural dangers of the Olympic Exclusion Zone with a car as your only lifeline in this driving survival adventure! Scavenge resources, load up your trusty station wagon, and drive like hell to make it through alive.

Why similar: Exploration 39.3%, First-Person 24.8%, Story Rich 17.6%, 3D 12.6%, Adventure 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: Shares the core loop of maintaining a sole vehicle/mode of transport while navigating hazardous, unknown territory.

A lost soul and his dog set out on an otherworldly trek through the afterlife in this wholesome, non-linear adventure game. Pass into the world beyond, perform acts of kindness for other souls, and mend mistakes from a forgotten past life - all with a very good boy by your side!

Why similar: Dogs 41.9% ★, Interactive Fiction 16.2%, Emotional 11.9%, Exploration 8.1%, Relaxing 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: Provides a cozy, narrative adventure deeply connected to the comforting presence of dogs and emotional closure.

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 43.3%, Walking Simulator 12.6%, Exploration 12%, Story Rich 9.4%, Female Protagonist 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: Delivers a deeply emotional story-driven adventure centered on themes of belonging and animal companionship.

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: Exploration 24.8%, Relaxing 22.6%, Walking Simulator 21.6%, Colorful 10.4%, Story Rich 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: Tells a touching, atmospheric story about nature, loss, and connection from an animal's perspective.

Explore the known and unknown galaxy with a ragtag crew of eclectic new friends in this narrative management space opera. You are a sentient spaceship, an outlawed commodity, and there's an entire galaxy between you and freedom…not to mention your abusive ex on your tail.

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 34.6%, Interactive Fiction 31.8%, Choices Matter 13.2%, RPG 10.4%, Story Rich 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: Employs a narrative-driven travel and management loop where every choice deeply impacts your crew and journey.

"There is a saying that when you depart from this world, the dog who went ahead will warmly welcome you." While spending time in dog heaven, Bong-gu the Welsh Corgi suddenly catches his dad's scent. Now, he embarks on a journey to meet his dad. Will Bong-gu be able to see his dad again?

Why similar: Dogs 53.2% ★, Emotional 18.8%, Exploration 8.5%, Colorful 5.9%, Story Rich 4.3%

Why You'll Like It: Centers its emotional, story-rich adventure entirely around the heartwarming bond between humans and dogs.

Blanc is an artistic cooperative adventure that follows the journey of a wolf cub and a fawn stranded in a vast, snowy wilderness. They must come together in an unlikely partnership to find their families.

Why similar: Emotional 44.9%, Relaxing 21.4%, Walking Simulator 11.9%, Multiplayer 7.2%, Exploration 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: Features a cooperative, emotional journey through a stark, beautiful snowy world emphasizing gentle companionship.

Build a mobile village and travel with your tribe toward the center of the world, called The Eye. This roguelike turn-based resource-management game is made of procedural situations, natural events, skill-trees and hard choices. Ready to move?

Why similar: 3D 100%

Why You'll Like It: Features a nomadic survival strategy game where you must guide a tribe safely through a constantly shifting environment.

Campfire Cooking is a puzzle game about relaxing moments in nature, as you prepare meals over a warm fire. Follow a family's vacation to beautiful and exotic hiking trails. Listen to stories, toast marshmallows, simmer fondue or play with magnets until each meal is ready to eat.

Why similar: Relaxing 82.4%, Casual 17.6%

Why You'll Like It: Shares the cozy, meditative pacing of tending to fires and basic sustenance during quiet moments of respite.

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 27.3%, Exploration 23.8%, First-Person 18.8%, Story Rich 15.6%, Colorful 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: Delivers an intimate, first-person narrative experience driven by isolation and deep character introspection.

Experience the wild as a badger sheltering your cubs from harm. On your journey, you will be stalked by birds of prey, encounter perils of the night, cross fierce rivers, escape forest fires and face the looming threat of starvation. Food is to be found, but is there enough for everyone?

Why similar: Emotional 35.1%, Female Protagonist 25.3%, Exploration 19.5%, Walking Simulator 13.2%, Casual 3.6%

Why You'll Like It: Immerses you directly into the visceral struggles of a mother animal protecting her young through dangerous wilderness.

Boat, climb, interact and explore in the beautiful ruins of a sunken world.

Why similar: Emotional 21.7%, Female Protagonist 20.5%, Exploration 15.3%, Relaxing 14.5%, Walking Simulator 11.5%

Why You'll Like It: Emphasizes relaxing, combat-free exploration and discovery in a ruined, atmospheric world.

Uncover Grandma Rose’s extraordinary stories along with Amelia, all hidden in multiple cozy puzzles spread around the world. Dive into globetrotter adventures, discover granny’s treasures, and relax along the way.

Why similar: Dogs 46.5% ★, Emotional 17.9%, Interactive Fiction 14.7%, Relaxing 9.7%, Colorful 5.7%

Why You'll Like It: Offers a relaxing, cozy puzzle experience focused on heartwarming family narratives and memories.

Build, repair, refuel and drive a dilapidated old car on a grand journey through the territories of the former Eastern bloc. Explore Germany, CSFR, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria

Why similar: First-Person 31%, Roguelite 23.8%, Exploration 19%, Relaxing 15.3%, Adventure 5.7%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on the meticulous maintenance and care of your sole vehicle as you travel across long distances.

Step into the shoes of Lyric, the humble innkeeper in a quiet mountain village, as she reflects upon a lifetime of poignant memories, heartwarming friendships, and bittersweet choices — proving along the way that you don't have to slay dragons to be the hero of your own story.

Why similar: Emotional 18.4%, Interactive Fiction 17.5%, Choose Your Own Adventure 14%, Female Protagonist 13.5%, Relaxing 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: Presents a choice-driven narrative centered on a quiet life, personal reflections, and emotional resonance.

Take care of a group of travelers on a post-apocalyptic road-trip across the United States in this turn-based survival game.

Why You'll Like It: Presents a turn-based survival road trip across a desolate landscape, managing scarce resources and companions.

"Your place is here." - "Cyan's Snow House" is a dialogue-free, short indie game set in a snowy village, offering a universal, heartwarming experience in just 10 minutes. Enjoy tranquil moments with Cyan and her animal friends, leaving a lasting impression.

Why similar: Snow 66.5% ★, Relaxing 17%, Female Protagonist 9.9%, Casual 4.1%, Adventure 2.5%

Why You'll Like It: Captures a cozy, relaxing aesthetic set squarely within a quiet winter landscape.

Snow Cone Serenade is a short and sweet liminal adventure. Choose your mood and roll the dice to succeed or fail in spicy situations. Enter a cursed snow world to save your sick dog, Jedediah. Unravel a mind-bending mystery to face your innermost fears.

Why similar: Snow 24.1% ★, Dogs 23.7% ★, Interactive Fiction 17.8%, Emotional 15.7%, Exploration 6.2%

"Sneaky Doggie" is a dress-up game. You play as a loyal dog, creating a wide range of outfit combinations. Choose your favorite outfits, complete quests, and become a great doggie! ૮ ・ﻌ・ა Woof!

Why similar: Dogs 48% ★, Interactive Fiction 15.9%, Emotional 12.8%, Relaxing 8.8%, Female Protagonist 7.4%

Escape to an enchanting, living sandbox surrounded by wildlife and nature. Scavenge materials and craft tools to turn your small cabin into a warm, well-supplied home. Survive by fishing, cooking and growing your own food. Be careful though, the forest is as dangerous as it is wonderful.

Why similar: Exploration 31.7%, Relaxing 29.9%, First-Person 17.8%, Colorful 15.8%, Adventure 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: Offers a tranquil, first-person survival and homesteading experience immersed in a quiet woodland setting.

Get ready for a pawsome puppy adventure in Little Friends: Puppy Island! Discover exciting locations, dig up hidden treasures, build and expand your holiday resort, and meet plenty of lovable little friends to care for on your very own un-paw-gettable, tropical island adventure!

Why similar: Dogs 64.5% ★, Exploration 12%, Colorful 8.1%, Relaxing 6%, 3D 4.8%

Guide a herd of mysterious creatures on a stirring and beautiful journey into the mountains… and beyond.

Why similar: Emotional 29.9%, Female Protagonist 22.2%, Exploration 15.4%, Relaxing 14.5%, Story Rich 6.6%

Embark on an adventure through the lands of Northmark and save your homeland from a conspiracy in this original card-based RPG.

Why similar: RPG 70.7%, Casual 16%, Adventure 13.3%

Why You'll Like It: Blends exploration with narrative choices and canine companionship in a harsh northern setting.

Explore the acclaimed animal adventure in never before seen beauty! Slip into the role of different animals to uncover the fate of an ancient world. Dive into deep waters, fly at lofty heights or even climb steep cliffs with a mountain goat, there are lots of ways of getting around.

Why similar: Emotional 26.3%, Female Protagonist 20.3%, Exploration 14.1%, Relaxing 12.3%, Walking Simulator 11.5%

In the heat of deserted lands, a child and their mother weakened by sickness try to survive a harsh world. Through a kid’s perspective, take action and explore the remains of a lost past. Protect yourself from the sun’s deadly intensity and help your family get back on the road.

Why similar: Dogs 34.2% ★, Choose Your Own Adventure 17.6%, Interactive Fiction 16.8%, Exploration 9.4%, Walking Simulator 7.6%

Anxiety Puppy is a 2D interactive narrative game that focuses on anxiety. In the game, anxiety is personified as a little puppy. Players will explore its story and try to coexist with it. Go find its traces and give it a hug.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.7%, Dogs 24.2% ★, Emotional 23.1%, Female Protagonist 17.2%, Casual 3.5%

Heal a scarred island, rebuild habitats, play with your dog, design your sanctuary, and relax by the fire. Turn this broken, trash-filled island into a thriving sanctuary — one clean sweep at a time.

Why similar: Dogs 53.3% ★, Exploration 12.7%, Relaxing 12.3%, First-Person 5.8%, Colorful 5.5%

The Heroes Around Me tells a story of a family of 3: the hard-working and quiet father – Nan, his daughter Lili, and their pet dog Sesame. Players will experience the harshness and warmth in the simpler time of the 1990s, where lots of stories are untold.

Why similar: Dogs 37.7% ★, Interactive Fiction 19%, Emotional 17.3%, Exploration 8.5%, Walking Simulator 6.4%

Humanity Trashed the Earth and left for Mars. Only few remained. EXPLORE the world. Clean the environment, CRAFT with recycled resources. Domesticate animals. Rebuild your village. Restore environment and run your own post-apo FARM as there is No Place Like Home!

Why similar: Dogs 44.4% ★, Female Protagonist 17.7%, Exploration 12.6%, Relaxing 11.5%, RPG 8.8%

A first-person dog sledding horror game. Play as a sled dog musher hired to transport a scientist deep into the unforgiving wastes of the arctic.

Why similar: Dogs 74.9% ★, First-Person 10%, Walking Simulator 9.7%, 3D 3.8%, Adventure 1.6%

A top-down 2D story-driven adventure game inspired by real-life events. Traverse and experience the life of a formerly homeless man through an interview of how he regained his sense of self by telling his past to a stray dog. Set in Bangkok, Thailand 2017.

Why similar: Dogs 43.1% ★, Emotional 20.4%, Interactive Fiction 12.2%, Exploration 9.2%, Walking Simulator 6.2%

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: Female Protagonist 24.9%, Exploration 16.4%, Walking Simulator 13.9%, Relaxing 12.8%, First-Person 12%

Meet Elif, a little girl full of life who needs to find a book for her friend. With the help of her friend Crocus, explore Elif's imagination and discover her world !

Why similar: Dogs 53% ★, Choose Your Own Adventure 19.6%, Female Protagonist 15.6%, 3D 3.9%, Colorful 3.7%

Run your own pet shop in Pet Shop Simulator! Find new homes for pets, thus fulfilling the dreams of your customers. Take care of the needs of animals by selling the right items and get involved in matters related to the pets' home life!

Why similar: Dogs 51.5% ★, Choose Your Own Adventure 16.6%, Emotional 10.9%, First-Person 7.5%, Colorful 5.9%

Explore a hand-crafted winter forest as a big adorable dog and a little kid in tow. A short, free, open source project brought to you by Blender Studio.

Why similar: Dogs 55.7% ★, Exploration 11.1%, Snow 9.3% ★, Walking Simulator 6.7%, Relaxing 6.6%

OPUS: Prism Peak is a narrative adventure where you play as a weary photographer stranded in the Dusklands, traveling with a girl who's lost her memories. Together, you'll uncover the mysteries of this land through your camera and find your way home.

Why similar: Emotional 28.5%, Female Protagonist 15.7%, Exploration 14.8%, Choices Matter 11.8%, Walking Simulator 10.9%

Beacon Pines is a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book. Sneak out late, make new friends, uncover hidden truths, and collect words that will change the course of fate!

Why similar: Emotional 27%, Interactive Fiction 25.5%, Exploration 13.4%, Relaxing 9.6%, Colorful 8.8%

Explore Arctico with your dog sled, kayak, and up to 3 friends! Build and customize your base camp, gather resources and samples, set up labs, and take good care of your dogs in this peaceful island.

Why similar: Dogs 36.4% ★, Snow 30.4% ★, Exploration 10.4%, Relaxing 8.8%, Multiplayer 6%

"MELLOWOLLEM" is an adventure game where you explore maps and find objects to progress. The main character meets a girl on a sunny summer day, and the story unfolds guided by her words. However, detailed story elements remain undisclosed, leaving only the setting of a hot, dreamy summer landscape.

Why similar: Dogs 49.1% ★, Relaxing 10.5%, Exploration 9.8%, First-Person 9.2%, Walking Simulator 7.1%

You have five days to save your husband, who has just been arrested by the Gestapo. Investigate, explore and form allegiances in this story-rich RPG-lite. Who will you trust?

Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 22.4%, Emotional 22.1%, Interactive Fiction 20.2%, Female Protagonist 20.1%, RPG 6.5%

Through lavish but perilous landscapes, assist a mammoth mother and her child escape from their extinction. Discover breathtaking views from 12,000 years ago. Beware of the increasingly hostile environment. Protect your offspring from the hunters tracking you and send them flying!

Why similar: Snow 46.3% ★, Female Protagonist 13.3%, Relaxing 9.3%, Exploration 9%, Walking Simulator 7.8%

Set off on a playful search to track down the wandering pup Polka in this game of exploration and serendipity. Meet charming characters, lend them a hand to make new friends, and explore a cozy world sketched in ballpoint pen. You don't need words on this adventure, just smiles and high-fives!

Why similar: Dogs 54% ★, Relaxing 12.6%, Exploration 11.9%, Female Protagonist 10.7%, Walking Simulator 7.7%

Explore the remains of a fallen world from fascinating perspectives! Slip into the role of different animals to uncover the fate of an ancient world. Dive into deep waters, fly at lofty heights, dig underground as a mole, climb steep cliffs with a mountain goat, and many more!

Why similar: Female Protagonist 24.5%, Exploration 17.8%, Emotional 15.5%, Walking Simulator 14.1%, Relaxing 12.7%

Tails Noir Preludes is a post-noir narrative adventure with branching choices. It is an intertwined series of vignettes about change, circumstance, and consequence. Guide four characters through formative moments in their lives in a dystopian Vancouver inhabited by anthropomorphic animals.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.4%, Emotional 23.9%, Female Protagonist 15.9%, Relaxing 12.8%, Exploration 11.7%

Immerse yourself in a unique narrative experience and explore the thousand summer colors of Dordogne as you revisit your childhood to uncover lost family secrets in this touching formative journey.

Why similar: Emotional 29.9%, Female Protagonist 21.2%, Relaxing 14.6%, Exploration 14.3%, Colorful 8%

Deep Beyond Is a first-person interactive thriller about a sea explorer and the mystery behind her father’s disappearance.

Why similar: Dogs 33.3% ★, Emotional 17.8%, Exploration 11.8%, Walking Simulator 10.3%, First-Person 8.3%

Traverse a vast world as a young lynx cub. Paws – A Shelter 2 Game is a standalone, single player, adventure game with loss and friendship as its central themes. Venture out in the world and make your way home.

Why similar: Emotional 40.4%, Exploration 18.3%, Casual 16.6%, Adventure 15.7%, Story Rich 9%

Take on the role of a brave courier rider in The Legend of Khiimori! Bond with your horse and tame the open wilds of 13th century Mongolia. Breed and train horses with specialized abilities to explore every aspect of this diverse and fascinating landscape.

Why similar: Female Protagonist 44.8%, Exploration 35.5%, 3D 11.1%, Adventure 4.8%, Casual 3.9%

A cozy pet sim where you raise Ember, your magical fox-like companion. Bring her home, care for her, and venture into the Shimmershift together -- deepening your bond one adventure at a time.

Why similar: Dogs 66.3% ★, Relaxing 12.2%, Exploration 12%, First-Person 7.4%, Casual 2.1%