Games Like Yume Nikki

Explore a strange world full of colorful friends and foes. When the time comes, the path you’ve chosen will determine your fate... and perhaps the fate of others as well.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 45.4%, Pixel Graphics 15.9%, Horror 12.9%, Indie 6.9%, Atmospheric 6%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the same blend of surreal, dream-like exploration and deep psychological horror through a distinct pixel-art style.

A 2D exploration adventure game set in a creepy, mysterious art gallery.

Why similar: Surreal 20.2%, Psychological Horror 17.3%, Horror 12.6%, Female Protagonist 10.6%, Pixel Graphics 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: This classic exploration-based horror game mirrors the sense of isolation and discovery found in navigating strange, shifting environments.

OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist.

Why similar: Surreal 19.1%, Pixel Graphics 18.1%, Psychological Horror 12.4%, Cute 12%, Atmospheric 11%

Why You'll Like It: It shares a meta-narrative quality and a focus on intimate, atmospheric exploration within a mysterious world.

A sequel to Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk. Dive into demented and bizarre world once again and help the girl become a little happier.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 36.1%, Psychological 16.6%, Surreal 14.9%, Pixel Graphics 10.2%, Horror 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game excels at portraying a fragile, fragmented psychological state through a surreal and experimental visual-novel format.

Hylics is a recreational program with light JRPG elements.

Why similar: Surreal 67.1%, Indie 9.3%, Atmospheric 8.1%, Pixel Graphics 7.3%, Exploration 2.7%

Why You'll Like It: Its highly abstract, surreal aesthetic and experimental approach to world-building make it a perfect companion for fans of Yume Nikki's weirdness.

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: Experimental 30%, Psychological Horror 24.9%, Psychological 19.5%, Horror 12.6%, Pixel Graphics 4.2%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a raw, uncomfortable look into the protagonist's mind that aligns perfectly with the psychological themes of the seed game.

Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 29.4%, Psychological 13.2%, Horror 12.1%, Surreal 11.6%, Dark 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: The game features a dark, surreal world that shifts between realities, mirroring the dream-hopping mechanics of the seed game.

Meet colorful characters, discover mysterious secrets, and reassemble the fractured remains of an ethereal crystal as you explore a series of abstract worlds based on dreams, nightmares, and the places in between.

Why similar: Surreal 27.4%, Walking Simulator 18.9%, Horror 11.4%, Psychological Horror 10.9%, Exploration 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: It is explicitly designed to evoke the feeling of wandering through strange, dream-like landscapes with a focus on exploration.

Witness the tale of a most foolish family. A remake of the classic horror exploration game makes its way to Steam.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 26.7%, Horror 19.3%, Pixel Graphics 10.9%, Female Protagonist 9.1%, Dark 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: This title focuses on exploration and puzzle-solving within a dark, atmospheric setting that feels like a classic horror RPG.

Delve into the enthralling world of Pocket Mirror ~ GoldenerTraum, the acclaimed RPG Maker gothic horror game that'll take you on a moving journey of self-discovery.

Why similar: Horror 24.6%, Female Protagonist 14.7%, Dark 13.2%, Pixel Graphics 12.9%, Exploration 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a polished, atmospheric horror experience that leans heavily into the surreal and psychological tropes of the genre.

Psychopomp is BACK. The catacombs stretch down farther than ever before. Your entire life has been a lie. Delve into the depths, and discover the horrors that lie below. More realms, more modes, more secrets. An ancient voice calls to you from the center of the earth. Will you answer it?

Why similar: Surreal 26.1%, Psychological Horror 21.5%, Psychological 16.4%, Female Protagonist 12.4%, Atmospheric 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its focus on atmospheric, surreal exploration in a dungeon-crawling context captures the lonely, eerie vibe of the seed game.

Experience the quiet terror of this 1-bit love letter to Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Navigate a hellish roguelite reality with turn-based combat and unforgiving choices. Experiment with your deck of event cards to discover new forms of cosmic horror in every playthrough. The inevitable awaits...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 33.5%, Horror 29%, Pixel Graphics 16.9%, Atmospheric 8.8%, 2D 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: It combines retro pixel aesthetics with a deep sense of dread and cosmic horror that feels spiritually aligned with Yume Nikki.

A eulogy for happiness, and a lament for connection that never was.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 20.6%, Surreal 18.9%, Horror 11.6%, Female Protagonist 9.9%, Dark 9%

Why You'll Like It: The game features a unique, surreal narrative that explores complex psychological themes through a distinct 2D art style.

Get lost in a lucid dream, bending the lines between reality and fiction. Utilize the strange camera to navigate through the ghosts' mysterious residence. Find the purpose of your nocturnal visit in a vivid and dreamlike setting.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 17.1%, Psychological 14.9%, Walking Simulator 14%, Surreal 13.9%, Horror 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: It is a short, atmospheric experience that focuses on the boundary between dreams and reality through a 2D lens.

Paper Lily is an RPG horror game in which you can solve puzzles in different ways. Explore a hidden world, meet strange characters, and guide Lacie as she attempts to find answers about her unusual condition.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 28.7%, Pixel Graphics 14.9%, Horror 11.9%, Female Protagonist 10.2%, Exploration 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: This game features a strong focus on exploration and psychological horror within a beautifully crafted pixel-art world.

Smuggle contraband VHS tapes across the border. Discover the remnants of illicit industry. Prepare for an assassination. This is Paratopic, an atmospheric retro-3D horror adventure through a cursed fever dream.

Why similar: Surreal 25.6%, Experimental 22.2%, Horror 12.7%, Psychological Horror 11.3%, Walking Simulator 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: This game uses fragmented, surreal storytelling and a retro aesthetic to create an unsettling, dream-like experience.

The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 47.2%, Horror 18.7%, Dark 15.9%, Cute 11.4%, Indie 2.5%

Why You'll Like It: It subverts expectations and delves into psychological horror in a way that feels increasingly surreal and unsettling.

Strange Telephone is a 2D adventure game in which the player explores strange worlds created with merely 6 digits, and has multiple endings.

Why similar: Silent Protagonist 30.9% ★, Surreal 14.9%, Psychological 11%, Female Protagonist 7.4%, Pixel Graphics 6.6%

Why You'll Like It: The game relies on surreal exploration and randomized dream-like scenarios to progress, mirroring the seed game's core loop.

Fausts Alptraum is an single player, puzzle game created by LabORat Studio, an indie game team from Taiwan. The story based on Goethe's Faust. Players will play as a troubled girl wandering around in a crayon-drawn world. Players will have to find the relevance between dreams and reality by collecting clues.

Why similar: Horror 33.6%, Psychological Horror 20.2%, Female Protagonist 10.6%, Pixel Graphics 9.8%, Indie 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: This game uses the RPG Maker engine to create a dark, puzzle-filled nightmare that feels very much in the spirit of Yume Nikki.

A 2D action-adventure through a surreal, subconscious world. Explore moody dungeons, buildings, and atmospheric lands, evoked by dreamy music and visuals. Help the human Young awaken from their dream!

Why similar: Surreal 27%, Psychological 23%, Dark 11.4%, Pixel Graphics 9.7%, Exploration 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: It features a surreal, dream-like world that rewards exploration and captures a similar sense of melancholic mystery.

The Cat Lady follows Susan Ashworth, a lonely 40-year old on the verge of suicide. She has no family, no friends and no hope for a better future. One day she discovers that five strangers will come along and change everything...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 17.5%, Surreal 14.3%, Horror 14.3%, Psychological 13.3%, Female Protagonist 11%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, psychological horror game that explores surreal themes and deep emotional trauma through a unique visual style.

Lucid Dream is the story of little Lucy, who goes on an adventure into the world of dreams with the mission to save her mother.

Why similar: Surreal 19.8%, Psychological 17%, Psychological Horror 15.7%, Female Protagonist 11.9%, Dark 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: As the title suggests, it is a direct exploration of surreal dreamscapes filled with puzzles and dark imagery.

Can you survive 1000 rooms of cute terror? Or will you break once the cuteness starts to fade off and you're running for your life from the unspeakable hideous beings that shake and writhe in bowels of this house? They wait for you, they wait and hunger for meeting you.

Why similar: Horror 30.9%, Psychological Horror 20.9%, Walking Simulator 10.9%, Dark 9.6%, Cute 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: Despite its jump-scare focus, the exploration of its increasingly strange and surreal rooms echoes the seed game's structure.

Journey through the psyche… Welcome to the Seaside Hotel, where the final hour of your night shift awaits. Tend to guests, explore their dreams, and lose your sense of Self – time and again. In this dark, labyrinthine adventure, unravel the path to the truth below.

Why similar: Psychological 17.3%, Psychological Horror 17.2%, Dark 10.3%, Horror 10.1%, Female Protagonist 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the feeling of being trapped in a repeating, surreal environment that requires careful exploration to understand.

a small dream explorer.

Why similar: Surreal 25.8%, Walking Simulator 22.6%, Horror 10.7%, Female Protagonist 10.1%, Exploration 9.3%

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: Experimental 21.1%, Psychological 20.4%, Surreal 19.6%, Horror 16.2%, Dark 13.8%

Why You'll Like It: While it features card mechanics, its meta-narrative and surreal, unsettling atmosphere are deeply resonant with the seed game's vibe.

Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.

Why similar: Surreal 48.3%, Walking Simulator 22.7%, Exploration 12.5%, Atmospheric 7.9%, Adventure 5.5%

Walking simulator. Explore cozy liminal spaces that feel unsettlingly familiar and spark your imagination, like a dream you’ve been in before.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.8%, Psychological Horror 20.9%, Surreal 19.7%, Exploration 11.1%, Horror 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: It is a surreal, first-person exploration game that captures the uncanny, liminal space aesthetic found in many dream-like games.

NaissanceE is an obscure and magical first person exploration game, a philosophical trip and an artistic experience. The adventure takes place in a primitive mysterious structure and the game mainly consists to explore and feel the deep and strong ambiance of this atemporal world.

Why similar: Surreal 26.2%, Walking Simulator 26.1%, Exploration 16.4%, Atmospheric 10.6%, Indie 6%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses entirely on atmospheric, abstract exploration in a vast, lonely environment that feels like a lucid dream.

A spooky, freeware RPG where you search the afterlife for your brother. Reap ghosts with your scythe, explore haunted caves, and eat ghostly treats on your journey through death.

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 31.7%, Female Protagonist 15.8%, Cute 14.5%, Indie 10%, Adventure 7.6%

Before you realize it, dreams have become a curse. Wander through a darkened room and descend into the depths of her mind. A story-driven first-person horror game that leads you into an abyss of anguish and despair. Dedicated to those who once pursued their dreams—and to those who still do.

Why similar: Surreal 24.1%, Walking Simulator 17.4%, Female Protagonist 17%, Dark 9.3%, Adventure 7.8%

Dive into the parallel story to UNDERTALE! Fight or spare your way through action-packed battles as you explore a mysterious world alongside an endearing cast of new and familiar characters. Chapters 1-5 are available now, with more planned as free updates!

Why similar: Pixel Graphics 29.8%, Surreal 26.3%, Dark 16.7%, Fantasy 12.4%, 2D 9.2%

Longing for light, a sunless world begins devouring itself. Every step shifts the landscape beneath you as you search for what remains of her.

Why similar: Silent Protagonist 34% ★, Surreal 14.7%, Walking Simulator 12.6%, Psychological Horror 10.8%, Horror 6.4%

As long as I have dreams in my heart, I can never escape. I can never awaken from my dreams. Maybe if I follow the dream just past this doorway, then someday I can wake up again...

Why similar: Surreal 22.4%, Psychological Horror 17.6%, Female Protagonist 11.8%, Horror 11.1%, Dark 10.4%

"I hope that someday, you'll dream of me." -- CINERIS SOMNIA is a 3D adventure through a beautifully strange and mesmerizing world - and a young girl's cruel and forlorn dreams.

Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.8%, Psychological Horror 20.7%, Female Protagonist 14%, Horror 13.5%, Dark 8.5%

A story about dreams. Explore a weird house and find the truth. A short game with mild puzzles and some psychological horror elements.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 48.2%, Pixel Graphics 27.8%, Adventure 9%, Indie 5.8%, Horror 5.8%

Your entire life has been a lie. There are catacombs under every home and building, stretching down for miles. Something calls you deeper into the labyrinth. Delve into the depths, and discover the monstrosities below.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 28.3%, Psychological 17.7%, Surreal 15.9%, Horror 13.6%, Female Protagonist 8.5%

A short psychological adventure about a stressed girl who wants to explore her ceiling.

Why similar: Psychological 31.2%, Psychological Horror 20.5%, Female Protagonist 13.6%, Horror 11.4%, Atmospheric 8.7%

Explore a school plagued by unnatural phenomena in this horror-adventure game revolving around the missing girl Misao. Improving upon 2017's "Definitive Edition" with refreshed graphics and support for HD resolutions, you can now experience the terror in a new form.

Why similar: Surreal 17.9%, Psychological Horror 14.1%, Psychological 13.2%, Horror 9.6%, Female Protagonist 9.3%

Fear & Hunger is a horror dungeon crawler set in the dark and hopeless dungeons of fear and hunger. The game is a hybrid of survival horror and dungeon crawler genres with its influences ranging from Silent Hill to Nethack. There are roguelike elements to the game as well as a heavy foundation of a j-RPG.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 35.8%, Horror 27.4%, Dark 17.3%, Atmospheric 7%, Indie 5.6%

She continues to dream. A first-person dream simulator where you explore a corner of a dream.

Why similar: Surreal 40.4%, Walking Simulator 36.8%, Atmospheric 6.7%, Adventure 4.8%, Psychological Horror 4.1%

Follow a recluse who is the only being left in the world as she struggles with little things in her everyday life. This game was made entirely out of scanned traditional watercolor art.

Why similar: Surreal 24.6%, Psychological Horror 19.3%, Psychological 13.6%, Female Protagonist 10.2%, Horror 9%

USSR, 1986. A girl goes missing in the closed city of Vorkuta-5, yet not a soul seems to be concerned. Uncover the mystery behind her disappearance and transmit your signal to the universe.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 40.3%, Female Protagonist 24.3%, Atmospheric 13.6%, Indie 6.2%, 2D 5.8%

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: Psychological Horror 32.7%, Walking Simulator 25.1%, Horror 11.3%, Psychological 9.9%, Dark 8%

Play as a little girl named 'Luna', and survive from the dark being while discovering the secrets behind her. The more you traverse on her memory, the more you will discover dark truths that lie deep inside.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 24%, Female Protagonist 18.4%, Horror 16%, Pixel Graphics 11.8%, Dark 11.4%

NIGHT IN THE WOODS is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 40.5%, Exploration 19.3%, Atmospheric 16.8%, Adventure 9.5%, 2D 9.3%

F&H 2: Termina is oppressive, relentless and hopeless. A mix of jRPG and Survival Horror. Turn-based combat meets resource management. 3 days to explore the wicked town of Prehevil and find out about its dark secrets. 3 days until the pale and sickly green moon rises at its apex. Termina is upon us!

Why similar: Psychological Horror 40.7%, Horror 30%, Pixel Graphics 12.5%, Atmospheric 10.5%, 2D 6.4%

A redux version of a 2014 Ludum Dare RPG Maker Horror Game. A poor little marshmallow escapes death row into an underground subway system, where they're asked questions by a mysterious game show host. Updated in 2025 with new content.

Why similar: Surreal 19%, Psychological Horror 14.5%, Psychological 13.8%, Walking Simulator 10.4%, Horror 9.6%

A surreal RPG with a unique graphical style and droll scenario.

Why similar: Surreal 74.3%, Pixel Graphics 7.5%, Adventure 6.2%, Psychological Horror 5.9%, Indie 3.8%

If you were given another chance, would you take it? Or leave it in the hands of a little girl? Play as Roh, a young girl stuck in a bizarre nightmare of dark and eerie creatures.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 17.4%, Horror 13.3%, Walking Simulator 12.9%, Dark 11.1%, Pixel Graphics 9.8%

Memories swirl all around you...Or are these memories? Familiar faces and places you think you remember but somehow now seem so different. Why are you here? Where is here?

Why similar: Surreal 17.6%, Psychological 15.6%, Psychological Horror 15.4%, Walking Simulator 13.9%, Dark 10.5%

A horror exploration game that takes place in an underground labyrinth. Avoid malicious creations that are hungry for your soul. Depart from the nightmares that constantly haunt you.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 27.4%, Psychological 17.1%, Dark 15.7%, Horror 10.1%, Cute 8.8%

A summer night consumes the girls... Exploration type horror ADV game

Why similar: Horror 17.9%, Dark 13.9%, Exploration 12.8%, Psychological Horror 12.1%, Pixel Graphics 11.5%

Cat in the Box is a horror adventure game. Help the poor girl explore the mansion and escape from unknown entities that are pursuing her. Use a variety of tools and your wits to overcome any challenges you face. At times, you'll even have to wake yourself from nightmares to survive.

Why similar: Horror 34.4%, Psychological Horror 18%, Pixel Graphics 12.9%, Adventure 7.5%, Female Protagonist 7.4%

“I’ll tell you a scary story. It’s so scary you might not be able to take it. It’s the story of the Sand Man...” This is the second title in the Strange Man series, developed by Uri Games. Unable to sleep and exhausted, Sophie wanders into a town where everything sleeps. That is where the terror begins...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 14.9%, Surreal 14.7%, Horror 12.5%, Female Protagonist 10.4%, Pixel Graphics 9.2%

Dreaming Sarah is an adventure platformer where you play as Sarah, a girl who is in a coma. Explore the world around her and help her wake up!

Why similar: Surreal 21.4%, Walking Simulator 18.4%, Psychological 17.3%, Female Protagonist 10.6%, Pixel Graphics 7.8%

A 1 to 4 player Y2K dream-exploration game. Free your imaginary friends trapped to eternal sleep by the goddess Mama. Collect cursed items and use weapons to face the monsters in Mama's dreams.

Why similar: Surreal 32.4%, Horror 20.1%, Female Protagonist 16.5%, Exploration 12.6%, Dark 11.8%

A short first-person horror game where you wander through an eerie forest using the dials of a microwave.

Why similar: Surreal 21.2%, Psychological Horror 15.1%, Psychological 11.3%, Horror 10.7%, Walking Simulator 10.5%

Experience backrooms like never before. Dreamcore is the ultimate psychological exploration game, set in the largest liminal world ever made. No guides, no path—only intuition. Will you keep your bearings in a world designed to make you lose them?

Why similar: Surreal 22.4%, Walking Simulator 20.2%, Psychological Horror 17.8%, Horror 10.4%, Exploration 8.5%

A memory of madness.

Why similar: Dark 23.3%, Horror 19.5%, Exploration 19.2%, Female Protagonist 14%, Psychological Horror 13.5%