Games Like Thing-in-Itself

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 28.4%, Philosophical 15.9%, Psychological 13.7%, Story Rich 11.2%, Emotional 11.1%

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: Narrative 22.4% ★, Psychological 17.6%, Emotional 15.1%, Dialogue Heavy 13.8%, Walking Simulator 10.9%

A short point & click narrative adventure inspired by the real life experience of a struggling solo indie game developer. A story about everything and hence nothing at all. Discover what truly matters to you.

Why similar: Narrative 27.9% ★, Philosophical 19.6%, Psychological 18.2%, Interactive Fiction 12.8%, Visual Novel 7.4%

Control, I'm Not Coming Back is a short and emotional narrative game about a lost astronaut searching for a reason to keep going forward while facing the emptiness of space. Inspired by the Hopecore aesthetic, it’s a story about positivism, friendship and our human connection with Voyager 1.

Why similar: Philosophical 32.9%, Walking Simulator 19.2%, Psychological 14.4%, Interactive Fiction 11.7%, Story Rich 8.7%

Jung's Labyrinth is a psychological exploration game that uses Jungian psychology, mythology, alchemical and dream symbolism in a series of active imaginations to map the process of individuation. Confront your inner archetypes, collect messages that other travelers left behind and reach your Self.

Why similar: Philosophical 19.1%, Walking Simulator 16.7%, Psychological 12.5%, Dialogue Heavy 12.5%, Emotional 11.3%

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

Why similar: Philosophical 22.9%, Psychological 12%, Emotional 10.8%, Dialogue Heavy 9.4%, Interactive Fiction 8.1%

"From Head to Toe" is a short interactive story about winter, existential guilt and your ex-classmates.

Why similar: Emotional 16.9%, Walking Simulator 15.4%, Dialogue Heavy 13.9%, Interactive Fiction 13.8%, Visual Novel 9.9%

A small game about letting go. Stay up late. Smoke cigarettes. Talk to strangers. Think about what you've lost. Someone you used to love? Or someone you used to be?

Why similar: Philosophical 20.8%, Walking Simulator 18.4%, Psychological 14%, Emotional 12.8%, Immersive Sim 10.7%

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 22.8%, Psychological 21.6%, Emotional 20.9%, Minimalist 9%, Story Rich 8.5%

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: Walking Simulator 22.6%, Interactive Fiction 20%, Philosophical 16.5%, Emotional 13.5%, Psychological 10.6%

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: Philosophical 24.9%, Psychological 20%, Interactive Fiction 17.6%, Emotional 11.9%, Story Rich 8.6%

A story-based exploration game about the very far future. With the help of two Artificial Intelligences, explore a universe conquered by humanity, uncover your purpose in it, and try to stop it from falling apart.

Why similar: Philosophical 34.4%, Walking Simulator 21.4%, Interactive Fiction 13.5%, Minimalist 10.5%, Stylized 5%

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: Narrative 31.6% ★, Emotional 18.4%, Philosophical 11.3%, Walking Simulator 7.9%, Psychological 7.8%

A visual novel about what it means to be human. A story about loneliness, self-identification, and the meaning of existence.

Why similar: Philosophical 34.3%, Emotional 19.1%, Dialogue Heavy 12.8%, Interactive Fiction 12.4%, Visual Novel 11.4%

Glitchhikers is a surreal journey through the spaces between places. A late night drive, a deserted airport lounge, a moonlit walk through an empty park, a quiet carriage on an overnight train. Who will you meet? What will you talk about? Where will the journey take you? Find yourself along the way.

Why similar: Philosophical 28.4%, Dialogue Heavy 14.4%, Emotional 11.9%, Walking Simulator 10.1%, Interactive Fiction 8.5%

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 14.4%, Narrative 14.3% ★, Emotional 13%, Dialogue Heavy 11.6%, Visual Novel 9.3%

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 32.6%, Emotional 28.5%, Atmospheric 8.6%, First-Person 7.6%, Stylized 7.3%

A miniature frozen between the atmosphere of a small room and Castaneda with Lovecraft. The story of radical spiritual practices in the search for truth among panels and stacks.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 18.1%, Psychological 16.1%, Interactive Fiction 15%, Philosophical 12.7%, Visual Novel 11.4%

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: Narrative 23.2% ★, Philosophical 13.4%, Walking Simulator 11%, Dialogue Heavy 10.7%, Interactive Fiction 10.6%

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: Psychological 19.5%, Walking Simulator 14.2%, Emotional 14.1%, Interactive Fiction 13.9%, Visual Novel 9.1%

Unwording is a short but powerful exploration of overcoming negative self-talk. Solve word puzzles, explore the neighborhood through multiple perspectives, and help Tom have a better day through a challenging yet cathartic experience.

Why similar: Philosophical 22.5%, Narrative 20.6% ★, Emotional 13.7%, Psychological 11.8%, Interactive Fiction 9.9%

Alone in the forest glade he shared with his wife, a woodworker struggles to accept her passing. Help him hold on to cherished memories of their life together as he struggles to care for himself and his now empty home. Pine is a single-serving game focused on telling a beautiful, emotional tale.

Why similar: Emotional 26.2%, Narrative 22.6% ★, Interactive Fiction 16.1%, Visual Novel 11.3%, Story Rich 9.4%

The Novelist asks one central question: can you achieve your dreams without pushing away the people you love? The game focuses on Dan Kaplan, a novelist struggling to write the most important book of his career while trying to be the best husband and father he can be.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 19.7%, Psychological 15.6%, Walking Simulator 14.8%, Story Rich 11.5%, Emotional 11.3%

Emporium is a short interactive vignette. Exploring notions of escapism, loss and a fragmented sense of self in the wake of a personal tragedy.

Why similar: Philosophical 32.8%, Interactive Fiction 15.5%, Walking Simulator 13.6%, Minimalist 11.5%, Story Rich 5.7%

An emotional and immersive game about a man named Will and the people close to him. Experience his life through a story about love, memories and hope.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 23%, Interactive Fiction 17.1%, Emotional 16.2%, Visual Novel 14%, Story Rich 8.5%

Far from Noise is a narrative set on the edge of a cliff, where two characters discuss what it means to balance between life and death.

Why similar: Narrative 23.8% ★, Philosophical 21.6%, Dialogue Heavy 14.2%, Emotional 10.7%, Interactive Fiction 9%

A Pizza Delivery is a narrative exploration game with puzzle elements focused on connecting with people. Share pizza with charming characters to uncover their stories—and your own. Drive and explore a strange, meditative world filled with secrets.

Why similar: Narrative 29.9% ★, Philosophical 19.3%, Walking Simulator 16.9%, Emotional 14.6%, Interactive Fiction 7.4%

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: Psychological 29.8%, Emotional 24.3%, Walking Simulator 23.2%, Story Rich 9.2%, First-Person 5.4%

A haiku platformer. It's short and vague.

Why similar: Psychological 30.5%, Emotional 25%, Interactive Fiction 17.5%, Story Rich 9.3%, Atmospheric 7.1%

The first step that you never knew you needed to take to get to wherever you're wanting to go...

Why similar: Philosophical 27.3%, Psychological 19.2%, Emotional 16.9%, Visual Novel 10.6%, Immersive Sim 7.2%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.9%, Emotional 19.5%, Psychological 17.9%, Visual Novel 15.3%, Atmospheric 6.8%

Live the perfect day, break the cycle, and discover the truth about yourself in this short, quirky sci-fi mystery about freedom, choice, and loneliness.

Why similar: Philosophical 40.5%, Walking Simulator 22.6%, Emotional 20.3%, First-Person 6.9%, Atmospheric 4.9%

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

Why similar: Narrative 33.9% ★, Walking Simulator 17.3%, Interactive Fiction 15%, Emotional 14.7%, Visual Novel 7.6%

A short story about what sort of challenges everyday little things can be. Help the girl buy milk, be the first not to disappoint her.

Why similar: Psychological 24.7%, Philosophical 20.1%, Visual Novel 20%, Interactive Fiction 15.2%, Emotional 11.2%

TOMORROW DON'T COME is a contextual puzzle game about depression and how it feels to be stuck.

Why similar: Psychological 28%, Interactive Fiction 19.4%, Minimalist 15.7%, Visual Novel 12.4%, Atmospheric 6.5%

A short, emotional visual novel following a grieving man who relives memories of days long gone. An exploration of loss presented honestly and kinetically.

Why similar: Emotional 27%, Interactive Fiction 16.5%, Visual Novel 16.5%, Psychological 11.6%, Minimalist 11.6%

The Honours Project is an autobiographical walking simulator. Enjoy a narrative experience, adventuring through dream-like levels, solving an occasional puzzle and listening to the dark and sometimes comical dialogue that acts as a commentary about being a student and game development.

Why similar: Narrative 38% ★, Walking Simulator 22%, Story Rich 8.4%, Emotional 6.9%, Stylized 4.6%

Life on the Hook - is a short story about the life of a lonely fisherman named Hrafn, who lives his life in a small house on a lake with a dock and an old boat.

Why similar: Philosophical 29.1%, Walking Simulator 20.9%, Emotional 16.5%, Story Rich 8.3%, First-Person 6.6%

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 28.8%, Emotional 19.9%, Interactive Fiction 17.5%, First-Person 8.2%, Atmospheric 7.5%

No Longer Home is a game about letting go of the life you've built due to circumstances beyond your control. Immerse yourself in the lives of Bo and Ao and learn about their dreams, frustrations and fears. Welcome the magic of the everyday and somewhat extraordinary.

Why similar: Philosophical 18%, Emotional 15.5%, Interactive Fiction 14%, Dialogue Heavy 11.6%, Minimalist 10.8%

What if you lost all your memories? An emotional family drama seen through the eyes of a woman with Alzheimer's disease. As Annie’s life slowly unravels, uncover memories of her deceased brother as her past bleeds into the present.

Why similar: Narrative 28.2% ★, Emotional 24.2%, Walking Simulator 17.1%, Story Rich 9.1%, First-Person 6.7%

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 29.9%, Psychological 27.9%, Story Rich 11.7%, Atmospheric 8.4%, Stylized 8.4%

An uncanny liminal space themed walking-simulator.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 26.3%, Psychological 23.5%, Emotional 23%, Immersive Sim 7.6%, Atmospheric 6.2%

Classic Zork meets Existential Crisis. A modern text adventure that explores themes of control, isolation and mental health while levelling up the genre with beautiful pixel art.

Why similar: Psychological 29.6%, Interactive Fiction 23%, Dialogue Heavy 19.7%, Story Rich 11.8%, Atmospheric 8.4%

A short and mysterious free point and click adventure game, inspired by the feeling of oddness in an everyday situation.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 22.8%, Psychological 20.3%, Interactive Fiction 19.5%, Emotional 19.3%, Story Rich 8.4%

A short atmospheric adventure game about finding meaning in a meaningless world.

Why similar: Philosophical 70.7%, Atmospheric 11.2%, Adventure 10.3%, Indie 5.3%, Singleplayer 2.5%

Event[0] is a sci-fi narrative exploration game where you build a relationship with a lonely spaceship computer to get home to Earth.

Why similar: Psychological 24.9%, Walking Simulator 22.3%, Interactive Fiction 20.5%, Story Rich 9.6%, First-Person 7.3%

Enter the hauntingly beautiful shadow world of In His Time, a 2D puzzle-solving adventure game. There you will meet Olly and join him to solve puzzles throughout each step of his emotional journey of growth and self-discovery.

Why similar: Philosophical 33.1%, Visual Novel 23.7%, Story Rich 14.7%, Atmospheric 10.1%, Adventure 6.4%

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: Dialogue Heavy 36.3%, First-Person 14.3%, Stylized 12.4%, Atmospheric 12.2%, Adventure 8.1%

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

Why similar: Walking Simulator 47.6%, Emotional 17.4%, First-Person 11.5%, Adventure 6.7%, Casual 5.7%

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: Walking Simulator 29.2%, Interactive Fiction 25.3%, Emotional 21.3%, First-Person 13.2%, Indie 11%

Explore and unravel the mall of your mind in this surreal adventure game.

Why similar: Philosophical 55.3%, Walking Simulator 31.7%, Indie 7.1%, Casual 5.9%

A short 10 minute visual novel about being a fragment in the universe and trying to find a way out of the ****.

Why similar: Philosophical 38.1%, Psychological 23.6%, Emotional 20.8%, Stylized 6.2%, Atmospheric 5.5%

A story rich narrative puzzle game in which an artist comes to terms with their grief. Explore an infinitely recursive world of strange fractal beauty and solve mind-bending puzzles. Confront the ineffable and chat with your cat in a search for meaning and hope.

Why similar: Philosophical 42%, Emotional 23%, Story Rich 10.1%, First-Person 9.5%, Atmospheric 6.9%

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 40.6%, Story Rich 18.8%, Adventure 13.5%, Atmospheric 12.7%, Indie 7.9%

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 39.6%, Emotional 19.6%, Minimalist 19.5%, Atmospheric 6.3%, First-Person 5.8%

Home is where the stars are. An interactive bedtime story, for anyone who needs one. Take the bear and the little one on a deeply meaningful journey, as you experience stories of togetherness, of letting go and of finding a place you belong.

Why similar: Philosophical 26.7%, Interactive Fiction 19.2%, Visual Novel 11.6%, Emotional 11.4%, Story Rich 9.7%

Ishmael is a short multimedia-enhanced hypertext story about perpetual cycles of displacement and violence as seen through the lens of a child. Takes about 15 minutes to read/play through.

Why similar: Philosophical 31.4%, Emotional 18%, Interactive Fiction 17.2%, Visual Novel 12.2%, Story Rich 7.5%

Dive into a realistic, single-player, first-person journey through the harsh northern latitudes as you sail endless waters, searching for a way back to your loved ones. Will you follow the light?

Why similar: Philosophical 26.9%, Walking Simulator 20.9%, Emotional 17.1%, Story Rich 8%, First-Person 6.3%

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 23.4%, Psychological 18.5%, Emotional 16.4%, Story Rich 9.9%, Interactive Fiction 9.4%