- #1 The Forgotten City
97% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 13,586 reviews2021
Dev: Modern StorytellerPub: Dear Villagers
Windows
Median: 6.1 hrsMean: 7.7 hrs≥1hr: 75%
The Forgotten City is a narrative-driven time loop adventure in ancient Rome. Discover the ruins of an ancient underground city, travel 2000 years into the past, and unravel the mystery of who destroyed it by cleverly exploiting the power to wind back time. The fate of the city is in your hands.
Why similar: Time Travel 48.2% ★, Mystery 18.2%, Story Rich 8.5%, Adventure 6.1%, Great Soundtrack 5.6%
Why You'll Like It: Like Twelve Minutes, this game centers on a time loop mechanic where players must gather information across repeated cycles to solve a complex mystery.
- #2 Outer Wilds
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 106,959 reviews2020
Dev: Mobius DigitalPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 16.9 hrs≥1hr: 82%
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 28.7%, Story Rich 14.8%, Puzzle 13.9%, Great Soundtrack 12.7%, Adventure 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: This title is the gold standard for time-loop exploration, tasking players with uncovering the secrets of a solar system before time resets.
- #3 The Sexy Brutale
96% matchVery Positive92% of 4,160 reviews2017
Dev: Cavalier Game Studios
Windows
Median: 5.1 hrsMean: 6.2 hrs≥1hr: 87%
The Sexy Brutale — a never-ending masked ball featuring intrigue, murder and the (quite possibly) occult! Relive the same mysterious day where the guests at the casino mansion are being murdered by the staff over and over again...
Why similar: Time Travel 26.5% ★, Time Manipulation 24.1% ★, Mystery 13.5%, Puzzle 9%, Sexual Content 6.4%
Why You'll Like It: This game features a repeating time loop within a mansion, requiring players to observe and intervene to prevent murders, much like the loop in Twelve Minutes.
- #4 Return of the Obra Dinn
95% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 35,035 reviews2018
Dev: Lucas PopePub: 3909
Windows · Mac
Median: 6.7 hrsMean: 8.5 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.
Why similar: Mystery 37.4%, Puzzle 17.8%, Story Rich 13.7%, Great Soundtrack 8%, Atmospheric 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: A brilliant detective game that focuses on piecing together a narrative through observation and deduction, mirroring the investigative feel of Twelve Minutes.
- #5 Three Minutes To Eight
94% matchMostly Positive73% of 200 reviews2023
Dev: Chaosmonger StudioPub: Assemble Entertainment
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.1 hrsMean: 6.9 hrs≥1hr: 66%
Three Minutes To Eight is a mind bending pixel art adventure. A gaming experience threading the edge of consciousness, where everything is possible and yet remains elusive. Players will find themselves in ███ ██ █ ▓ ▒ ░ ¿⊕ξד¶¶¶ Error 0x80070570.
Why similar: Time Travel 35.8% ★, Mystery 17.9%, Point & Click 14.3%, Story Rich 9.1%, Puzzle 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: A narrative-driven mystery game that utilizes a time-loop mechanic where the protagonist must avoid an inevitable death within a short window.
- #6 Eternal Threads
94% matchVery Positive86% of 894 reviews2022
Dev: Cosmonaut StudiosPub: Secret Mode
Windows
Median: 2.0 hrsMean: 8.9 hrs≥1hr: 58%
Eternal Threads is a single-player, first-person story-driven puzzle game of time manipulation, choice and consequence.
Why similar: Time Travel 25.6% ★, Time Manipulation 21.4% ★, Narrative 11.7% ★, Mystery 10.2%, Thriller 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on manipulating time to change the outcomes of past events, offering a similar puzzle-solving approach to narrative consequences.
- #7 What Remains of Edith Finch
92% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 52,461 reviews2017
Dev: Giant SparrowPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 6.3 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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 28.5%, Mystery 26.6%, Atmospheric 10%, Great Soundtrack 9.1%, Adventure 7.1%
Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in environmental storytelling that explores family secrets through short, impactful narrative segments.
- #8 Telling Lies
93% matchMixed63% of 1,323 reviews2019
Dev: Sam BarlowPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.8 hrsMean: 5.3 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Four private lives. One big lie. Search through secretly recorded video conversations to discover the truth. The successor to the acclaimed Her Story.
Why similar: Thriller 22%, Mystery 21%, Point & Click 14.6%, Story Rich 10.3%, Puzzle 10.2%
Why You'll Like It: An FMV-based investigation game that requires you to sift through video clips to piece together a non-linear narrative, similar to the detective work in Twelve Minutes.
- #9 GNOSIA
91% matchVery Positive94% of 5,092 reviews2022
Dev: Petit DepottoPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 7.3 hrsMean: 15.3 hrs≥1hr: 91%
The Gnosia lie. Pretending to be human, they’ll get in close, trick and deceive, and then eliminate one victim at a time...
Why similar: Time Travel 54.1% ★, Mystery 19.7%, Story Rich 11.3%, Adventure 5.8%, Atmospheric 4.2%
Why You'll Like It: A unique blend of social deduction and time loops that forces you to repeat scenarios to uncover the truth behind a mysterious threat.
- #10 Minit
91% matchVery Positive89% of 2,898 reviews2018
Dev: JWPub: Devolver Digital
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 4.1 hrs≥1hr: 76%
Minit is a peculiar little adventure played sixty seconds at a time.
Why similar: Puzzle 27.8%, Adventure 23.4%, Great Soundtrack 19.8%, Indie 16.8%, Singleplayer 5.5%
Why You'll Like It: A minimalist adventure where you only have 60 seconds to act before the loop resets, perfectly capturing the urgency found in Twelve Minutes.
- #11 The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
89% matchVery Positive94% of 36,001 reviews2022
Dev: Crows Crows Crows
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 6.7 hrs≥1hr: 83%
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: Mystery 28%, Story Rich 20.3%, Choices Matter 11.7%, Adventure 10.8%, Exploration 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: A meta-narrative game that plays with player choice and repetition, offering a surreal experience similar to the loop-based nature of Twelve Minutes.
- #12 Late Shift
90% matchVery Positive86% of 9,253 reviews2017
Dev: CtrlMoviePub: Wales Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 7.1 hrs≥1hr: 95%
Late Shift is a high stakes FMV crime thriller. Forced into a brutal London heist, your choices matter in this interactive cinematic experience with adaptable storylines that lead to one of seven conclusions. Your decisions are you.
Why similar: Story Rich 27.6%, Choices Matter 18.4%, Adventure 13.4%, Thriller 11.3%, Sexual Content 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: An interactive cinematic thriller where your choices significantly impact the outcome, mirroring the high-stakes decision-making of Twelve Minutes.
- #13 Elsinore
89% matchVery Positive96% of 377 reviews2019
Dev: Golden Glitch
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 7.2 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Elsinore is a time-looping adventure game set in the world of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Elsinore combines strong social simulation elements, a dynamic story that reacts immediately to player decisions, and a world full of diverse characters with secrets to uncover.
Why similar: Time Travel 38.6% ★, Point & Click 12.5%, Time Manipulation 10.9% ★, Adventure 10.2%, Story Rich 8.1%
Why You'll Like It: A time-loop adventure set in Hamlet's world where you must change the future by gathering information across repeated cycles.
- #14 The Case of the Golden Idol
86% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 10,922 reviews2022
Dev: Color Gray GamesPub: Playstack
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.9 hrsMean: 8.0 hrs≥1hr: 90%
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: Mystery 21.4%, Thriller 16.5%, Narrative 14.5% ★, Point & Click 14.4%, Puzzle 10.7%
Why You'll Like It: A detective game that requires intense observation and logic to solve complex mysteries, rewarding the same analytical mindset as Twelve Minutes.
- #15 Her Story
88% matchVery Positive89% of 10,391 reviews2015
Dev: Sam Barlow
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 4.2 hrs≥1hr: 87%
A woman is interviewed seven times by the police. Search the video database and explore hundreds of authentic clips to discover her story in this groundbreaking and award winning narrative game.
Why similar: Point & Click 36.5%, Puzzle 28%, Story Rich 21%, Exploration 9.4%, Singleplayer 5%
Why You'll Like It: This detective game relies on searching through a database of video clips to solve a mystery, emphasizing the same non-linear storytelling style.
- #16 Last Day of June
87% matchVery Positive87% of 4,695 reviews2017
Dev: OvosonicoPub: 505 Games
Windows
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 5.6 hrs≥1hr: 90%
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: Time Travel 31.8% ★, Story Rich 17.1%, Adventure 11.1%, Great Soundtrack 11%, Atmospheric 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: An emotional puzzle game about changing the past to prevent a tragedy, sharing the time-manipulation and narrative-heavy themes of the seed game.
- #17 Road 96 🛣️
86% matchVery Positive92% of 26,081 reviews2021
Dev: DigixartPub: THQ Nordic
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 7.5 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Hitchhike your way to freedom in this crazy procedurally generated road trip. No one's road is the same!
Why similar: Story Rich 35.2%, Adventure 21.2%, Atmospheric 15%, Choices Matter 11.6%, Exploration 10%
Why You'll Like It: A procedural narrative adventure where your choices shape the world and the story, offering high replayability.
- #18 As Dusk Falls
85% matchVery Positive90% of 4,427 reviews2022
Dev: INTERIOR/NIGHTPub: Xbox Game Studios
Windows
Median: 7.1 hrsMean: 10.3 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Explore the entangled lives of two families across thirty years in an original interactive drama from INTERIOR/NIGHT. Starting in 1998 with a robbery-gone-wrong, the character's lives depend on the choices you make.
Why similar: Mystery 23.8%, Thriller 21.5%, Story Rich 16.7%, Violent 10.9%, Sexual Content 9.8%
Why You'll Like It: A choice-driven interactive drama that focuses on the consequences of your decisions, similar to the branching paths in Twelve Minutes.
- #19 Rue Valley
84% matchMostly Positive71% of 2,147 reviews2025
Dev: Emotion Spark StudioPub: Owlcat Games
Windows
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 6.3 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Rue Valley is a narrative adventure about a man trapped in a time loop, surrounded by a colorful cast with complex emotional stories, each hiding unexpected secrets. Dealing with mental challenges, the main character must delve into the anomaly to uncover its enigmatic origins.
Why similar: Time Travel 33% ★, Narrative 18.8% ★, Mystery 12.6%, Point & Click 12.4%, Story Rich 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: An isometric narrative game that explores psychological themes and character interactions within a confined setting.
- #20 Paradise Killer
84% matchVery Positive93% of 4,509 reviews2020
Dev: Kaizen Game WorksPub: Fellow Traveller
Windows
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 7.3 hrs≥1hr: 86%
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: Mystery 31.5%, Point & Click 26.8%, Story Rich 17.6%, Atmospheric 8.2%, Exploration 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: An open-world investigation game that allows you to solve a mystery at your own pace, focusing on gathering evidence and making accusations.
- #21 Somerville
83% matchMostly Positive70% of 1,884 reviews2022
Dev: Jumpship
Windows
Median: 3.8 hrsMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 75%
In the wake of catastrophe find the means to make your family whole again.
Why similar: Narrative 30.5% ★, Puzzle 16.8%, Story Rich 15.6%, Adventure 9.5%, Atmospheric 9%
Why You'll Like It: A cinematic adventure that relies on environmental storytelling and atmospheric tension to convey its narrative.
- #22 DEATHLOOP
82% matchMostly Positive76% of 30,435 reviews2021
Dev: Arkane StudiosPub: Bethesda Softworks
Windows
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 15.4 hrs≥1hr: 87%
DEATHLOOP is a next-gen FPS from Arkane Lyon, the award-winning studio behind Dishonored. In DEATHLOOP, two rival assassins are trapped in a mysterious timeloop on the island of Blackreef, doomed to repeat the same day for eternity.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 54.3% ★, Story Rich 12.8%, Violent 10.6%, Gore 6.7%, Adventure 6.4%
Why You'll Like It: A high-octane thriller that utilizes a time-loop mechanic to allow players to learn enemy patterns and master the environment over multiple runs.
- #23 Citizen Sleeper
81% matchVery Positive92% of 10,481 reviews2022
Dev: Jump Over The AgePub: Fellow Traveller
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 7.3 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Roleplaying in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism. Live the life of an escaped worker, washed-up on a lawless station at the edge of an interstellar society. Inspired by the flexibility and freedom of TTRPGs, explore the station, choose your friends, escape your past and change your future.
Why similar: Narrative 39.3% ★, Point & Click 19.8%, Story Rich 15.7%, Adventure 7.5%, Atmospheric 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: A narrative-heavy RPG that emphasizes high-stakes choices and survival within a confined, atmospheric space.
- #24 SIGNALIS
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 34,140 reviews2022
Dev: rose-enginePub: Balor Games
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 9.2 hrs≥1hr: 80%
A classic survival horror experience set in a dystopian future where humanity has uncovered a dark secret. Unravel a cosmic mystery, escape terrifying creatures, and scavenge an off-world government facility as Elster, a technician Replika searching for her lost dreams.
Why similar: Mystery 35.3%, Puzzle 20.6%, Violent 18.8%, Atmospheric 12.2%, Adventure 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: A top-down atmospheric horror game that features complex puzzles and a deep, mysterious narrative.
- #25 The Suicide of Rachel Foster
82% matchMixed68% of 6,887 reviews2020
Dev: ONE-O-ONE GAMESPub: Daedalic Entertainment
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 75%
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: Thriller 27.4%, Mystery 26.9%, Story Rich 13.1%, Adventure 8%, Atmospheric 6.8%
Why You'll Like It: A first-person thriller set in a confined location that focuses on uncovering a dark mystery through exploration.
- #26 Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
79% matchVery Positive93% of 130,397 reviews2019
Dev: ZA/UM
Windows · Mac
Median: 7.4 hrsMean: 22.9 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is a groundbreaking role playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.
Why similar: Story Rich 28.5%, Point & Click 22.3%, Choices Matter 8.2%, Sexual Content 8.1%, Atmospheric 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: An incredibly deep investigative RPG that focuses on dialogue and internal narrative, perfect for those who enjoy the story-rich aspect of Twelve Minutes.
- #27 Inscryption
78% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 148,054 reviews2021
Dev: Daniel Mullins GamesPub: Devolver Digital
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 10.1 hrsMean: 16.4 hrs≥1hr: 92%
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 34.9%, Puzzle 31.2%, Point & Click 24.7%, Adventure 6%, 3D 3.2%
Why You'll Like It: A meta-narrative game that blends card mechanics with escape-room style puzzles and a dark, mysterious atmosphere.
- #28 Papers, Please
80% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 80,270 reviews2013
Dev: Lucas PopePub: 3909
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 10.2 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Congratulations. The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled. For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint. An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.
Why similar: Point & Click 33.9%, Indie 16.1%, Puzzle 14.4%, Story Rich 12.4%, Great Soundtrack 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: While a different genre, it captures the intense, confined, and high-pressure decision-making environment that defines the experience of Twelve Minutes.
- #29 Dead Reset
76% matchVery Positive88% of 787 reviews2025
Dev: Dark Rift HorrorPub: Wales Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 4.0 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Trapped in a terrifying death-loop, surgeon Cole Mason is kidnapped and brought to an underwater facility, forced to operate on a patient to extract an evolving parasitic horror. Dead Reset is a blood-soaked interactive horror, where each death brings you closer to the truth.
Why similar: Mystery 27.7%, Violent 18.9%, Story Rich 16.9%, Point & Click 16.2%, Adventure 8.2%
- #30 The Drifter
75% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 4,811 reviews2025
Dev: Powerhoof
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.5 hrsMean: 6.7 hrs≥1hr: 82%
A Pulp Adventure Thriller - A murdered drifter awakens. Alive again, seconds before his death. Hunted and haunted, help him untangle a mad web of conspiracy in this fast-paced point 'n click thrill-ride.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 26.5% ★, Thriller 19.4%, Mystery 18%, Point & Click 16.7%, Story Rich 10.1%
- #31 Hypnospace Outlaw
78% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 5,534 reviews2019
Dev: TendershootPub: No More Robots
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 6.9 hrs≥1hr: 77%
Greetings Enforcer, and thank you for enlisting in the Hypnospace Patrol Department! As the world falls into its slumber, Hypnospace becomes a bustling global village. These virtual streets aren't going to police themselves!
Why similar: Point & Click 29.7%, Mystery 16.6%, Great Soundtrack 12.8%, Puzzle 11.9%, Story Rich 11.4%
Why You'll Like It: An investigation game that requires you to explore a unique digital environment to uncover secrets and solve mysteries.
- #32 Impostor Factory
76% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 12,835 reviews2021
Dev: Freebird Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.8 hrsMean: 8.7 hrs≥1hr: 86%
A bonkers time-loop tragicomedy murder mystery thriller featuring multiple casualties and a suspicious cat, from the creator of To the Moon & Finding Paradise.
Why similar: Narrative 29.5% ★, Mystery 22.8%, Story Rich 15.5%, Top-Down 14.1%, Adventure 8.3%
- #33 Kill The Clock
75% matchVery Positive92% of 85 reviews2025
Dev: Happy Slugs
Windows
Kill the Clock is a narrative time-loop mystery adventure where you relive the same week to solve a murder that keeps changing. Customize your character, roll dice to influence story outcomes, and uncover the truth—before time resets again.
Why similar: Time Travel 35% ★, Mystery 18.9%, Thriller 14.9%, Point & Click 8.8%, Story Rich 7.4%
- #34 Causal Loop
74% matchVery Positive93% of 69 reviews2026
Dev: Mirebound InteractivePub: Headup
Windows
Causal Loop is a narrative puzzler that blends mind-bending mechanics with a rich sci-fi story about time, consequence, and survival. Solve intricate puzzles by using the signature “echo” mechanic to record, replay, and interact with up to three versions of your past self. Can you break the loop?
Why similar: Time Manipulation 29% ★, Mystery 26.1%, Puzzle 13%, Story Rich 11.3%, Adventure 6.7%
- #35 Last Stop
77% matchMostly Positive79% of 369 reviews2021
Dev: Variable StatePub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 5.4 hrsMean: 8.9 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Last Stop is a single-player third-person adventure set in present day London, where you play as three separate characters whose worlds collide in the midst of a supernatural crisis.
Why similar: Adventure 17.8%, Mystery 16.5%, Narrative 14.7% ★, Story Rich 13.9%, Indie 11.7%
- #36 Hexed Time
73% matchVery Positive97% of 115 reviews2025
Dev: Petra Emmer
Windows
Play as a witch living in secret among villagers in this hand-drawn narrative puzzle adventure. An attempt to change fate traps her in a time loop. Help the witch and her cat escape without getting caught by the inquisition. Your choices shape the outcome.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 25.7% ★, Time Travel 20.2% ★, Narrative 15.8% ★, Point & Click 11.9%, Puzzle 9%
- #37 Future Proof
77% matchVery Positive88% of 75 reviews2018
Dev: Silhouette Valley Games
Windows
Median: 36 minMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 44%
Quirky, top-down puzzle adventure game. You’re trapped in a 12-minute time loop. Try to save yourself and a small town from destruction from a meteorite. Solve intuitive puzzles, interact with the people of the town, and discover the secrets of the town. Discover the 15 different endings!
Why similar: Time Travel 48.6% ★, Mystery 17.1%, Time Manipulation 11.2% ★, Puzzle 9.5%, Adventure 6.5%
- #38 Chronoquartz
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 518 reviews2025
Dev: Infinite Stairs
Windows
In Chronoquartz, every move matters! You have 10 turns per loop: explore, solve puzzles, and use your past knowledge to progress. Strategy, critical thinking, and time management will be your allies in this unique temporal adventure. Will you succeed in saving time?
Why similar: Time Travel 40.6% ★, Mystery 16.7%, Puzzle 14%, Top-Down 11.6%, Adventure 4.4%
- #39 The Posthumous Investigation
70% matchVery Positive95% of 682 reviews2026
Dev: Mother Gaia StudioPub: CriticalLeap
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 7.4 hrs≥1hr: 77%
A dead man hired you to solve his own murder. You have one day. Fourteen suspects. And as many attempts as it takes. A hand-drawn noir mystery set in 1937 Rio de Janeiro, where every suspect has a life, a schedule, and something to hide.
Why similar: Time Travel 26.1% ★, Time Manipulation 25.8% ★, Mystery 11.9%, Point & Click 9.9%, Puzzle 6.8%
- #40 IMMORTALITY
73% matchVery Positive84% of 1,987 reviews2022
Dev: Sam BarlowPub: Half Mermaid
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.9 hrsMean: 6.2 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Marissa Marcel was a film star. She made three movies. But none of the movies were ever released. And Marissa Marcel disappeared. An interactive trilogy from Sam Barlow, creator of Her Story.
Why similar: Point & Click 33.1%, Puzzle 24.4%, Story Rich 22.1%, Adventure 12.6%, Exploration 7.8%
- #41 Superliminal
72% matchVery Positive95% of 33,950 reviews2020
Dev: Pillow Castle
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 8.9 hrs≥1hr: 85%
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: Thriller 34.3%, Puzzle 30.6%, Story Rich 16.3%, Adventure 8.7%, Exploration 5.4%
- #42 Firewatch
73% matchVery Positive91% of 99,247 reviews2016
Dev: Campo SantoPub: Panic
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 13.5 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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: Mystery 28.3%, Story Rich 19.1%, Adventure 11.6%, Thriller 9.8%, Atmospheric 9.5%
- #43 The World After
74% matchMostly Positive76% of 80 reviews2021
Dev: Burning Sunset
Windows · Mac
Set during a pandemic lockdown in France, The World After is a FMV adventure game experience that tells the story of a man who tries to uncover the truth behind his strange nightmares and the mystery of the village he's living in.
Why similar: Time Travel 30.4% ★, Time Manipulation 23.1% ★, Mystery 13.4%, Point & Click 12.5%, Puzzle 5.3%
- #44 The Exit 8
70% matchVery Positive93% of 11,464 reviews2023
Dev: KOTAKE CREATEPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 1.1 hrsMean: 1.8 hrs≥1hr: 58%
You are trapped in an endless underground passageway. Observe your surroundings carefully to reach "The Exit 8".
Why similar: Puzzle 37.3%, Mystery 34.6%, Exploration 12.8%, Atmospheric 8.8%, 3D 6.5%
- #45 Fear The Timeloop
69% matchVery Positive86% of 560 reviews2026
Dev: TacoEatersPub: PlayWay S.A.
Windows
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 4.8 hrs≥1hr: 70%
Sheriff James Cooper is slowly bleeding to death in an unfamiliar hospital. But the moment his life ends, everything starts over. He has fifteen minutes to break this endless cycle, uncover the truth, and find a way out before it's too late.
Why similar: Puzzle 28.6%, Story Rich 27.7%, Adventure 17.4%, Atmospheric 10.7%, Exploration 7.7%
- #46 The Red Strings Club
71% matchVery Positive93% of 14,255 reviews2018
Dev: DeconstructeamPub: Devolver Digital
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.0 hrs≥1hr: 85%
The Red Strings Club is a cyberpunk narrative experience about fate and happiness featuring the extensive use of pottery, bartending and impersonating people on the phone to take down a corporate conspiracy.
Why similar: Story Rich 24.4%, Point & Click 19.2%, Great Soundtrack 16.8%, Atmospheric 8.3%, Adventure 7.4%
- #47 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
72% matchMostly Positive77% of 13,895 reviews2019
Dev: Supermassive GamesPub: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 9.0 hrs≥1hr: 91%
The Dark Pictures Anthology is a series of stand-alone, branching cinematic horror games that can also be played online with a friend. In Man of Medan, five friends set sail on a holiday diving trip that soon changes into something much more sinister.
Why similar: Story Rich 22.8%, Adventure 18.3%, Choices Matter 16.8%, Violent 15.7%, Gore 12.2%
- #48 Stray
67% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 177,128 reviews2022
Dev: BlueTwelve StudioPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.9 hrsMean: 15.2 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Lost, alone and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten cybercity and find their way home.
Why similar: Mystery 23.5%, Puzzle 22.6%, Adventure 18%, Atmospheric 13.1%, Exploration 9%
- #49 The Complex
71% matchMostly Positive78% of 3,557 reviews2020
Dev: Wales Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 90%
After a major bio-weapon attack on London, two scientists find themselves in a locked-down laboratory with time, and air, running out. The Complex is an interactive sci-fi thriller movie where your decisions lead to one of eight suspenseful endings.
Why similar: Adventure 20.6%, Sexual Content 19.9%, Thriller 18.8%, Mystery 14.7%, Story Rich 13.6%
- #50 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
70% matchVery Positive93% of 7,340 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 21.7 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Kidnapped and taken to an unfamiliar location, nine people find themselves forced to participate in a diabolical Nonary Game by an enigmatic mastermind called Zero. Why were they there? Why were they chosen to put their lives on the line? And more importantly, who can be trusted?
Why similar: Mystery 23%, Time Travel 15.5% ★, Puzzle 15.3%, Story Rich 13.5%, Point & Click 8.1%
- #51 The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
68% matchVery Positive89% of 10,958 reviews2021
Dev: Supermassive GamesPub: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe
Windows
Median: 5.7 hrsMean: 8.9 hrs≥1hr: 94%
At the close of the Iraq War, Special Forces hunting for weapons of mass destruction unearth something far deadlier – a buried Sumerian temple containing a nest of unearthly creatures. To survive the night below, they must forge a brotherhood with their enemies from the world above.
Why similar: Mystery 36.8%, Story Rich 25.9%, Adventure 11.8%, Choices Matter 11.4%, Atmospheric 10.5%
- #52 Viewfinder
66% matchVery Positive94% of 12,998 reviews2023
Dev: Sad Owl StudiosPub: Thunderful Publishing
Windows
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 75%
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: Puzzle 35.2%, Story Rich 18.9%, Adventure 15.8%, Atmospheric 12.8%, Exploration 9.6%
- #53 COCOON
66% matchVery Positive95% of 8,932 reviews2023
Dev: Geometric InteractivePub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 4.6 hrs≥1hr: 82%
From Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of LIMBO and INSIDE — COCOON takes you on an adventure across worlds within worlds. Master world-leaping mechanics and solve intricate puzzles to unravel a cosmic mystery.
Why similar: Puzzle 38.9%, Adventure 20.5%, Indie 9.1%, Atmospheric 9%, Exploration 8.5%
- #54 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
69% matchMostly Positive74% of 10,736 reviews2020
Dev: Supermassive GamesPub: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe
Windows
Median: 5.3 hrsMean: 8.1 hrs≥1hr: 95%
Trapped and isolated in the abandoned town of Little Hope, 4 college students and their teacher must escape the nightmarish apparitions that relentlessly pursue them through an impenetrable fog.
Why similar: Mystery 36.5%, Story Rich 29.2%, Gore 10.8%, Violent 10.4%, Adventure 5.1%
- #55 Mixtape
64% matchVery Positive88% of 8,422 reviews2026
Dev: Beethoven and DinosaurPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 4.0 hrs≥1hr: 85%
On their last night together, three friends embark on one final adventure. Play through a mixtape of memories, set to the soundtrack of a generation.
Why similar: Narrative 63% ★, Adventure 13.3%, Singleplayer 6.3%, Atmospheric 5.5%, Story Rich 5.4%
- #56 Storyteller
66% matchVery Positive89% of 9,102 reviews2023
Dev: Daniel BenmerguiPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 4.1 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Storyteller is an award-winning puzzle game about building stories. Start with a title, settings and characters and create a story that fits the story’s description. Play with stories of love, intrigue, crime, monsters, betrayal, and more!
Why similar: Point & Click 31.5%, Puzzle 27.4%, Mystery 23.5%, Adventure 9.5%, Choices Matter 4.2%
- #57 Before Your Eyes
66% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 23,717 reviews2021
Dev: GoodbyeWorld GamesPub: Skybound Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.1 hrsMean: 3.5 hrs≥1hr: 84%
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 52.4% ★, Story Rich 19.1%, Mystery 12.6%, Indie 6.4%, Adventure 5.5%
- #58 Dispatch
61% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 182,678 reviews2025
Dev: AdHoc Studio
Windows
Median: 9.6 hrsMean: 12.3 hrs≥1hr: 95%
Dispatch is a superhero workplace comedy where choices matter. Manage a dysfunctional team of misfit heroes and strategize who to send to emergencies around the city, all while balancing office politics, personal relationships, and your own quest to become a hero. All episodes out now!
Why similar: Story Rich 30.6%, Sexual Content 26.6%, Point & Click 15.2%, Choices Matter 11.7%, Singleplayer 5.4%
- #59 The Silent Age
68% matchVery Positive93% of 7,187 reviews2015
Dev: House On Fire
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Experience a post-apocalyptic world like never before in The Silent Age, a thrilling point-and-click adventure game. Use time travel to unravel the mystery behind humanity's disappearance and save the world from extinction. Start your journey now!
Why similar: Time Manipulation 36.4% ★, Point & Click 21.6%, Puzzle 13.1%, Story Rich 11.7%, Adventure 7.2%