Games Like you're just imagining it

Depression Quest is an interactive fiction game where you play as someone living with depression. You are given a series of everyday life events and have to attempt to manage your illness, relationships, job, and possible treatment.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 64.7%, Visual Novel 19.6%, Emotional 6%, Indie 5.6%, Singleplayer 2.3%

Why You'll Like It: A foundational interactive fiction title that explores the nuances of mental health and the difficulty of making choices while struggling with depression.

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: Life Sim 48.9%, Emotional 25.8%, Story Rich 15.9%, Atmospheric 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: This emotional, story-rich game focuses on psychological depth and the complexities of personal relationships during difficult times.

One day your roommate Leaves for no reason. You’re left to face the outside world alone. But this can be both difficult and amazing when you have autism. This game recreates how some people with autism perceive the world. All forms of sound, graphics and interactions are intentional.

Why similar: Simulation 60.7%, Adventure 27%, Indie 12.3%

Why You'll Like It: This game provides a unique simulation of living with autism, mirroring the seed game's focus on navigating daily life with a specific, often misunderstood condition.

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: Visual Novel 42.9%, Interactive Fiction 35.3%, Emotional 9.2%, Adventure 5.4%, Story Rich 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, psychological visual novel that captures the feeling of navigating a difficult mental state through a minimalist, unsettling lens.

DeafBlind offers an immersive sensory deprivation experience, simulating what life might feel like if you were both deaf and blind. This game invites you to navigate a world shrouded in silence and darkness, challenging you to adapt and explore in entirely new ways.

Why similar: Simulation 93.2%, Singleplayer 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: Like the seed game, this title uses simulation mechanics to place the player directly into the lived experience of a specific physical condition.

"Same encounter, different world." Moon is a young woman who lives an ordinary city life as an office worker. However, because she suffers from depression, she reacts and deals with things in a way that is very different from regular city folk.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.5%, Life Sim 17.6%, Emotional 13.2%, Visual Novel 13.1%, Story Rich 8%

Why You'll Like It: A direct thematic match that uses casual, story-rich gameplay to explore the isolating nature of depression.

A short interactive story about love, depression and the corporation.

Why similar: Visual Novel 33.8%, Adventure 26.3%, Story Rich 20.1%, Indie 16.6%, Singleplayer 3.2%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply heavy and realistic narrative experience that tackles themes of depression and the mundane pain of existence.

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: Interactive Fiction 31.4%, Emotional 27.6%, Story Rich 16.1%, Cartoony 9.5%, Cute 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: An emotional, life-focused narrative that uses unique mechanics to reflect on the passage of time and the weight of personal memories.

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

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 26.4%, Life Sim 25.8%, Visual Novel 16.3%, Emotional 9.7%, Simulation 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: This title utilizes atmospheric and interactive fiction elements to simulate the experience of living with mental health challenges.

Florence Yeoh feels a little... stuck. Her life is an endless routine of work, sleep, and spending too much time on social media. Then one day, she meets a cello player named Krish who changes everything about how she sees the world and herself.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 34.5%, Visual Novel 22.2%, Cute 13.8%, Story Rich 13.7%, Adventure 9%

Why You'll Like It: A short, beautifully crafted life-sim that uses interactive vignettes to explore the emotional highs and lows of a human life.

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: Interactive Fiction 26.8%, Visual Novel 25%, Emotional 15.9%, Minimalist 10.1%, Simulation 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: A visual novel that focuses on emotional drama and mystery, providing a similar narrative-heavy experience to the seed game.

‘goth gf’s iPhone’ airdrops you - accept or decline? A love/horror story about life, death, & memes.

Why similar: Visual Novel 50.3%, Emotional 22.5%, Simulation 9.3%, Story Rich 9.2%, Atmospheric 4%

Why You'll Like It: A short, impactful visual novel that deals with themes of mental health, suicide, and the importance of human connection.

"Everything is going to be OK" is a desktop labyrinth of vignettes, poetry, strange fever dream games, and broken digital spaces.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 41.7%, Visual Novel 27.7%, Cartoony 13.2%, Cute 10.5%, Adventure 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal and experimental exploration of trauma and survival that shares the seed game's raw, unfiltered approach to difficult subject matter.

What do you do when you lose someone you love? A Taste of the Past is an emotional sidescroller about reconnecting with your Chinese culture while navigating a train to the afterlife. Featuring a wholesome story, cooking minigames, and hope.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.6%, Life Sim 26.6%, Visual Novel 19.1%, Cartoony 8.5%, Cute 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: This interactive fiction title uses a life-sim approach to explore how personal history and culture shape our current struggles.

You wake up on a floating island with no idea how you got there. Find ways to reach new and strange islands and meet other survivors all while uncovering the story of how you all got there.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 43.3%, Story Rich 13%, Cute 12.2%, Simulation 11.8%, Atmospheric 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, story-rich adventure that focuses on the weight of past events and the difficulty of moving forward.

A visual novel about the ever-changing nature of relationships and the hardships of dealing with loss.

Why similar: Visual Novel 45.8%, Simulation 32.8%, Adventure 14.6%, Indie 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: A simulation-based visual novel that deals with the complexities of interpersonal relationships and personal growth.

Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking.

Why similar: Life Sim 37.4%, Cute 21.6%, Simulation 16.5%, Story Rich 13.4%, Atmospheric 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: While more meditative, this game tells a profound life story through the minimalist act of organizing personal belongings across different stages of life.

Emily is Away is an interactive story. Create a screenname and choose your path through the branching narrative.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 42%, Visual Novel 18.1%, Story Rich 16.6%, Simulation 15.2%, Indie 3.4%

Why You'll Like It: A nostalgic and emotional interactive fiction game that simulates the feeling of past digital conversations and the pain of drifting apart.

memories is a sapphic visual novel dress-up game where clothes are linked to painful memories of a failed relationship.

Why similar: Visual Novel 34.3%, Emotional 20.4%, Cute 12.4%, Story Rich 11.3%, Simulation 6%

Why You'll Like It: A visual novel that focuses on LGBTQ+ themes and the emotional weight of past relationships and choices.

Guilt Free is a visual novel crossed with a point and click made to offer perspective on mental health and eating disorders. Navigate a couple's rocky relationship and encounter "flaws" or "quirks" that may actually be symptomatic behaviors.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 36.7%, Visual Novel 26.1%, Emotional 14.6%, Story Rich 11.9%, Minimalist 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: A visual novel that emphasizes choices and narration, focusing on the internal conflict and guilt often present in difficult life situations.

Coffee Talk is a coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator about listening to fantasy-inspired modern peoples’ problems, and helping them by serving up a warm drink or two.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 31.9%, Visual Novel 26.6%, Emotional 11.8%, Story Rich 10.2%, Simulation 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: A simulation game that focuses on listening to the personal struggles and life stories of others, mirroring the introspective nature of the seed game.

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: Interactive Fiction 53.4%, Visual Novel 28.8%, Adventure 9.4%, Atmospheric 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: A psychological, point-and-click adventure that explores the feeling of apathy and the search for meaning in a difficult world.

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

Why similar: Visual Novel 26.2%, Life Sim 22.7%, Emotional 16.2%, Simulation 15.6%, Story Rich 8%

Why You'll Like It: This choice-driven visual novel mirrors the uncertainty and confusion found in the seed game's narrative.

Led by her new friend, Mr. Voice, Misfortune ventures into the woods, where mysteries are unraveled and a little bad luck unfolds.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 30.8%, Story Rich 23.5%, Cute 19%, Adventure 11.5%, Atmospheric 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, story-rich adventure that uses a whimsical visual style to mask a deeply emotional and tragic narrative.

A dark/sad/weird/funny first person exploration game. You play a man on his last night alive as he obsesses over a mysterious painting. More of a story game in that it emphasizes mood and character over gameplay. Takes ten minutes to play and has "next-gen" features like a shrimp tank.

Why similar: Adventure 42%, Indie 31.3%, Atmospheric 16.8%, Singleplayer 10%

Why You'll Like It: A short, intense psychological experience that captures a sense of dread and personal obsession through a minimalist environment.

Play as a farmer who struggles to manage a failing farm. You come to a point where there is no more hope, and you must do something.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.8%, Visual Novel 30%, Simulation 15.7%, Adventure 7.2%, Story Rich 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: A horror-tinged adventure that uses visual novel elements to explore a dark, psychological landscape.

a short but incredibly touching experience.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.5%, Visual Novel 22.3%, Simulation 13.7%, Minimalist 11.2%, Cute 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A simulation-heavy visual novel that explores social anxiety and the difficulty of reaching out to others.

This small Narrative Point & Click (Puzzle) game is about the mental health struggles of a adolescent high school dropout who's lost at life. Find out what they're struggling with, you might even recognize some things from your own life.

Why similar: Visual Novel 31.1%, Emotional 22.3%, Simulation 15.9%, Story Rich 15.6%, Atmospheric 8.9%

Don't Let Me Fade is an interactive adventure about memory, identity, and loss. Piece together fragments of a life - even if a simple teddy bear is the last symbol of connection to oneself in a world without time.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 41.7%, Visual Novel 24%, Adventure 10.8%, Emotional 10.1%, Story Rich 6.1%

Interacting with the unidentified life form “Kuon”, we move forward with the pain. A surreal, mysterious fancy adventure.

Why similar: Cute 48.8%, Atmospheric 27.9%, Adventure 18.1%, Singleplayer 5.1%

Robin is a short slice of life game that was made to give some visibility to an invisible illness - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Why similar: Simulation 83.6%, Indie 16.4%

You spend a day seeing how many coins you can fit into the hollows above your collarbones. You're losing yourself first in inches, then moments... Will you survive yourself?

Why similar: Visual Novel 83.9%, Indie 11.7%, Singleplayer 4.4%

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: Interactive Fiction 43.4%, Emotional 17.9%, Atmospheric 12.7%, Adventure 12.6%, Story Rich 8.2%

You are trapped in a small house, suffering from psychosis with no memory. Carefully observe your surroundings to distinguish reality from hallucinations, and overcome your illness by taking medication from visitors at the right time.

Why similar: Simulation 59.6%, Adventure 25%, Atmospheric 15.5%

Take the role of a painter struggling to finish his masterpiece in this short Gothic horror visual novel about art, pain and love.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.4%, Visual Novel 30.8%, Emotional 13.4%, Story Rich 12.1%, Atmospheric 6.4%

a hand-drawn mental-health-focused game!

Why similar: Emotional 34.1%, Cartoony 25.5%, Cute 21.4%, Adventure 13.9%, Indie 3.5%

Do you like feeling motion sick? Well, this is the perfect game for you! No? There is a baby mode don't worry! Feel the thrill of testing your parkour skills as you overcome simulated sickness. Are you ready for the challenge?

Why similar: Simulation 55.6%, Story Rich 30.1%, Atmospheric 10.8%, Singleplayer 3.5%

A short visual novel about isolation. You try to search for comfort in the lonesome people around you. Keeping the darkness at bay with small embers of light. Will you let the fear change you?

Why similar: Visual Novel 34.4%, Simulation 21.2%, Emotional 16.1%, Cartoony 15.8%, Atmospheric 6.8%

This game is about a person who kept running through his life, never looking back at the past. Once during a trip, he gets into trouble. Now he's lying on the cold ground, buried beneath his bicycle. Slides of various moments fly through his head.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.7%, Life Sim 24.4%, Visual Novel 18.1%, Minimalist 10.2%, Simulation 9.8%

A visual novel about cute melancholic girls!

Why similar: Visual Novel 39.7%, Interactive Fiction 30.5%, Simulation 20.5%, Emotional 7.2%, Indie 1.5%

Delve into a troubled student's mind as his grip on reality unravels . . .

Why similar: Adventure 68.1%, Indie 31.9%

A short, linear story game of a random demon guy's life.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 47.5%, Visual Novel 27.9%, Cute 8.3%, Atmospheric 6.6%, Story Rich 6.3%

No matter how long you’re gone, there will always be a girl waiting for you in the same place. This is a story about forgetting, and about waiting. After countless restarts and countless memories lost… how long will you stay with her this time?

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 69.8%, Simulation 26.5%, Indie 2.6%, Singleplayer 1.2%

My grandmother went to space—and came back.After that, the world began to spin, round and round...What was this country, this society, meant to be?We simply process the things that come our way.What was the world supposed to be like?I don’t know.SAYONALAIKA is an adventure game.

Why similar: Life Sim 43.7%, Cute 18.9%, Atmospheric 12.7%, Adventure 6.7%, Story Rich 6.6%

A person approaches you with a simple request: "Friend! I have itch, scratch for me?" How can you resist? They seem so nice, so itchy, and oh so scratchable. WARNING: This game is way too short and will leave you dissatisfied. But, hey, it's free. Play at your own risk.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 41.5%, Visual Novel 26.8%, Simulation 17.2%, Emotional 9.9%, Atmospheric 4.7%

In Midnight Ramen, you play as the owner of a late-night ramen stand and his apprentice. You interact with your customers, listen to their troubles, and help them out whenever you can. But as the bowls of ramen are cooked and served, troubles are beginning to brew in your own life as well...

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 28.4%, Visual Novel 22.8%, Emotional 13.7%, Cartoony 10.3%, Story Rich 9.6%

A narrative simulation game where you play as a mother-to-be working as a toll keeper in the fictional country of Janapa, a nation on the brink of chaos. Navigate daily challenges and make difficult moral choices to survive—all for the sake of your unborn child.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 38.6%, Life Sim 36.3%, Simulation 16.8%, Atmospheric 4.7%, Story Rich 2.9%

It’s March of 2020; you were just sent home from college because of the coronavirus, you have a few small regrets, mainly not telling someone how you really feel.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 32.9%, Simulation 23.9%, Emotional 18.5%, Story Rich 10%, Adventure 9%

Go about your normal every day life and meet new friends in this short visual novel!

Why similar: Visual Novel 83.7%, Adventure 9.3%, Indie 4.4%, Singleplayer 2.6%

When the Darkness comes is a walking simulator whose glitchy and dark tale tries to illustrate the hardships of depression and anxiety through a variety of imaginary digital landscapes.

Why similar: Emotional 26.3%, Story Rich 22%, Atmospheric 18.5%, Adventure 17.4%, Indie 12.4%

Don’t Forget is a 3D singleplayer story and exploration game inspired by dementia. Recollect your memories by looking for clues and playing brain-stimulating minigames whilst battling the effects of dementia. Explore three different key events of your life to figure out what has happened.

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 55.4%, Emotional 23.4%, Story Rich 14.6%, Atmospheric 4.4%, Singleplayer 2.2%

Social welfare survival horror based on real events. Endure emotional pain and societal pressure. Stay entertained. Survive the routine and become the hero of your studio apartment—battle inner demons, hide skeletons in the closet, and most importantly… keep the bathroom clean.

Why similar: Life Sim 46.1%, Simulation 19.9%, Story Rich 15.9%, Adventure 6.6%, Atmospheric 5.7%

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: Emotional 35.2%, Story Rich 22.4%, Cartoony 19.9%, Adventure 13%, Atmospheric 4.5%

Welcome to Awkward Valley! Plan your day, tackle strange activities, and unlock bizarre new options as you go. Gym? Therapy? Vending machine snacks? It’s up to you! Featuring Awkward Yeti’s weird and wonderful characters in a totally normal town.

Why similar: Life Sim 44.5%, Simulation 19.5%, Emotional 13.2%, Story Rich 11.1%, Cute 10.2%

A Game About is a free, short, lo-fi point & click adventure that tasks the player with living with their daily routine. Through day to day choices, life changes in imperceptibles and unexpected ways.

Why similar: Indie 100%

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 34.4%, Visual Novel 24.2%, Emotional 14.3%, Cute 13.3%, Adventure 7.5%

The Test: Reality Check is one of multiple installments in an ongoing social experiment that can be classified as an atmospheric, psychological-simulation with horror elements. Dive deep into your own psyche to find answers to questions you've kept locked away, hidden from yourself for far too long.

Why similar: Visual Novel 42.1%, Simulation 24.9%, Cute 18.4%, Story Rich 14.6%

A (really short) free narrative rhythm game by Atiya Nova. Attend family dinners and time your key presses to the flow of conversation. Features lots of familial tension with a dash of misery. And cute bunnies!

Why similar: Interactive Fiction 47.7%, Emotional 19.2%, Cute 15.2%, Story Rich 11.3%, Atmospheric 4.8%

All you wanted was a nice game. But now you find yourself opening Windows apps like Paint & Notepad to solve puzzles, and searching for files on your computers that you didn't put there... Who is she? Why did she appear on your desktop? Let's dive into her memories and find out.

Why similar: Story Rich 29.1%, Emotional 24.6%, Cute 22.4%, Adventure 16.6%, Indie 4.3%