Games Like YUMENIKKI -DREAM DIARY-

This is a game in which you traverse the extremely dark world inside a dream.

Why similar: Surreal 22.4%, Psychological Horror 17.5%, Female Protagonist 11.7%, Horror 11%, Dark 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: As the original inspiration for the series, this game offers the definitive surreal exploration experience that defines the genre.

Take on the role of Six, a lone child lost in a massive metal vessel known as the Maw, surrounded by dangerous, distorted versions of adults. You’ll need to do your best to escape in one piece or your fate will be worse than you ever dared dream.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 16.1%, Horror 13.9%, Stealth 11%, Dark 9.9%, 2.5D 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: This game perfectly mirrors the 2.5D puzzle-platforming mechanics and oppressive, dark atmosphere found in the seed game.

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

Why similar: Surreal 17.5%, Psychological Horror 14.3%, Female Protagonist 12.6%, Horror 12.3%, Story Rich 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: A classic psychological horror game that features a young female protagonist navigating a surreal, puzzle-filled art gallery.

A girl awakens in a castle void of color and time, affixed with the Curse of Thorns upon her back. After meeting a sleeping giant, the two work together to escape. Help them unravel the mystery of the thorns and the history behind the somber castle.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 26.3%, Female Protagonist 19.6%, Anime 13.1%, Horror 11%, Cute 10.4%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-platformer that uses a dark, gothic aesthetic and a female lead to explore themes of isolation and death.

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: Dystopian 16.2%, Surreal 13.9%, Psychological Horror 10.4%, Female Protagonist 9.9%, Horror 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A horror-puzzle game featuring a female protagonist that excels at blending school-life mystery with supernatural dread.

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 25.3%, Horror 12.7%, Puzzle 11%, Dark 10.9%, Story Rich 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: This surreal point-and-click adventure captures the same unsettling psychological horror and 'cute but dark' aesthetic as the seed game.

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: Dystopian 22.8%, Psychological Horror 19.9%, Female Protagonist 17.7%, Dark 11.7%, Atmospheric 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply atmospheric psychological horror game with a strong female lead and a focus on surreal, dream-like narrative progression.

A quiet evening stroll takes a turn for the worse as a tragic accident befalls a little girl and her dog. When her sister goes missing later in the night, the little girl decides to venture out into the eerie darkness to search for her loved ones as evil spirits haunt the alleyways and streets of her once-peaceful town.

Why similar: Horror 33.5%, Female Protagonist 21.6%, Anime 15.6%, Cute 15.4%, Adventure 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: It masterfully contrasts a cute, vulnerable protagonist with a terrifying, atmospheric world filled with hidden horrors.

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 20.1%, Horror 17.5%, Anime 14%, Female Protagonist 9.9%, Dark 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: This title is a hallmark of the horror-puzzle genre, featuring a young girl exploring a mansion filled with dark secrets.

In the depths of a labyrinthine ruin, a young girl named Mion rises from a deep sleep. Lost, alone, and with no memory of how she got here or where her parents are, she is greeted by two fireflies—one composed entirely of light, and another who lurks among the shadows.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 25.6%, Female Protagonist 18.1%, Anime 16.1%, Cute 13.8%, Horror 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: It shares the delicate, cute, yet profoundly dark aesthetic and puzzle-centric gameplay of the seed game.

A young girl, Viola, is drawn inexorably to a mysterious manor that seems to change behind her back. It is a place of pain, turmoil and death. Plumb its detestable depths and abominable history. Untangle riddles that bar your perilous path. And flee the hellish halls of The Witch’s House.

Why similar: Horror 35.4%, Psychological Horror 14.8%, Female Protagonist 10.6%, Anime 7.4%, Dark 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: A quintessential psychological horror game that relies on environmental puzzles and a tense, surreal atmosphere.

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 43.5%, Story Rich 20.4%, Horror 15%, Exploration 7.1%, Atmospheric 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: This game dives deep into psychological trauma and surreal dreamscapes, mirroring the emotional weight of the seed game.

DARQ tells the story of Lloyd, a boy who finds himself in the middle of a lucid nightmare. Unable to wake up, Lloyd has to face his fears and decipher the meaning of the dream.

Why similar: 2.5D 14.5%, Puzzle Platformer 13.6%, Stealth 12.7%, Psychological Horror 10.3%, Dark 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: This puzzle-platformer focuses on navigating surreal, dream-based environments that shift and change in unsettling ways.

Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project. INSIDE is a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has been critically acclaimed for its moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere.

Why similar: 2.5D 20.8%, Puzzle Platformer 17%, Dark 10.2%, Platformer 9.8%, Horror 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in atmospheric puzzle-platforming that conveys a dark, wordless story through environmental exploration.

Clea is a jump scare free, skill-based survival horror adventure.

Why similar: Stealth 23.2%, Psychological Horror 14.6%, Female Protagonist 14.3%, Anime 12.8%, Horror 11.2%

Why You'll Like It: A survival-horror game that emphasizes stealth and puzzle-solving with a female protagonist in a tense, claustrophobic setting.

Experience true psychological horror as you explore nightmares inspired by the creator's struggles with depression and OCD. The defenseless protagonist must avoid monstrous manifestations of what haunts his subconscious in his quest to wake up into reality.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 37.6%, Horror 34.1%, Atmospheric 12%, Dark 6%, Adventure 4.6%

Why You'll Like It: This game is explicitly designed to simulate the experience of a recurring nightmare, making it a perfect thematic match.

"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: Female Protagonist 19.8%, Psychological Horror 19.6%, Horror 15.9%, Anime 12.6%, Dark 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal walking simulator that focuses heavily on dreamlike imagery and psychological exploration.

Delve into a dark adventure following the boy with a prosthetic face and a tragic past. Unravel the sinister mysteries of Sally's world to find the truth that lies hidden beneath the shadows.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 25%, Dark 17.2%, Horror 16%, Story Rich 14.3%, Puzzle 11.6%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, narrative-driven game that explores surreal themes and psychological horror through a unique, stylized lens.

The dark is no place to be alone. After a beautiful show of summer fireworks, two young girls begin to make their way home. However, a mysterious attacker separates them, and both must brave the haunting night filled with unspeakable terrors and survive the darkness.

Why similar: Horror 41.2%, Female Protagonist 18.9%, Anime 15.8%, Cute 14.6%, Adventure 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: The sequel to Night Alone, it expands on the exploration of dark, supernatural urban environments through a child's perspective.

Detention is an atmospheric horror game set in 1960s Taiwan under martial law. Incorporated religious elements based in Taiwanese/Chinese culture and mythology, the game provided players with unique graphics and gaming experience.

Why similar: Horror 21%, Psychological Horror 18.2%, Dark 9.4%, Female Protagonist 9.3%, Surreal 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: A haunting psychological horror game that uses puzzle-solving to uncover dark, historical, and supernatural truths.

Experience the altered memories of a dying man, reliving his entire life as a little boy while lying on his deathbed. Explore the profound depths of his subconscious as you assist Griffin to shed the remains of his miserable life before his impending demise.

Why similar: 2.5D 11.7%, Puzzle Platformer 11.7%, Stealth 10.1%, Surreal 8.8%, Psychological Horror 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-platformer that focuses on emotional storytelling and navigating a surreal world with a young protagonist.

Immersed in her nightmares, in a chaotic reality, confused and all alone. The only safe place is her room, but not forever... She wanders through an empty city and strange places while fleeing from creatures lurking in the darkness to find out what's going on. You are in the skin of Ana Lúcia.

Why similar: Stealth 18.4%, Psychological Horror 14%, Female Protagonist 12.6%, Dark 11%, Horror 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: A pixel-art psychological horror game that directly explores the boundary between reality and nightmare.

Alice: Madness Returns is a third-person, single-player, action adventure platformer. Visit the grim reality of Victorian London and travel to the beautiful yet ghastly Wonderland to uncover the root of Alice's madness.

Why similar: Surreal 20.8%, Female Protagonist 16.2%, Platformer 13.8%, Horror 13.8%, Action-Adventure 10%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, surreal platformer that reimagines a classic tale through a lens of psychological trauma and horror.

Get pulled into the nightmares of reality as you play as an abducted girl from the ger district of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Uncover a secret organization that deals in human trafficking and other horrendous activities. Try to escape from the scariest place on earth!

Why similar: Stealth 13.1%, Surreal 12.1%, Dark 11.8%, Horror 10.7%, Female Protagonist 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: An indie horror adventure that emphasizes a dark, atmospheric journey through a mysterious and hostile environment.

Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters LIMBO

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 36.1%, Platformer 14.4%, Dark 13%, Puzzle 9.9%, Horror 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A foundational puzzle-platformer that relies on a stark, monochromatic atmosphere to convey a sense of dread and mystery.

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: Horror 33.6%, Psychological Horror 31.8%, Anime 17.1%, Atmospheric 10.4%, Adventure 4.6%

Why You'll Like It: A retro-styled cosmic horror game that focuses on surreal, turn-based exploration and puzzle-like investigation.

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: Surreal 23.3%, Horror 22.8%, Dark 20.4%, Story Rich 16.9%, Puzzle 14.3%

Why You'll Like It: While a card game, its meta-horror elements and surreal, shifting environments provide a similar sense of unease.

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: Horror 15.4%, Psychological Horror 15.3%, Female Protagonist 13.9%, Surreal 12.9%, Dark 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: A mature psychological horror game that excels at surreal storytelling and exploring the darker side of the human psyche.

Among the Sleep: Enhanced Edition is a new and improved version of the award winning first person horror adventure. In the game you play as a small child trapped in a weird nightmare where you go looking for your mom.

Why similar: Horror 40.5%, Atmospheric 10.2%, Psychological Horror 8.5%, Dark 8.4%, Stealth 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: This game captures the vulnerability of a child navigating a terrifying, distorted world, much like the seed game.

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: Psychological Horror 21.8%, Surreal 15.4%, Horror 15.2%, Female Protagonist 14.9%, Anime 8%

The little she had was taken away, but Lorelai refuses to give up, she will fight. And not even death will stop her from getting it all back...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 17.6%, Female Protagonist 16.2%, Horror 13.7%, Dark 13.5%, Puzzle 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, narrative-heavy psychological horror game that deals with trauma and surreal, otherworldly encounters.

A fractured dream of a girl who tried to make something beautiful, and was silenced before she could finish it. Now, her voice resurfaces. A quiet story of memory, loss, and reclaimed authorship—told through fragmented exploration and stark, fragile spaces.

Why similar: Dystopian 19.5%, Surreal 16.1%, Psychological Horror 13.4%, Female Protagonist 11.7%, Anime 9.5%

High School Dirty Secrets is a horror/puzzle adventure where Kasuga wakes up locked inside her high school with no memory of how she got there. As she searches for a way out, strange and unsettling events unfold, leading her to uncover dark secrets hidden within the school's walls.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 14.7%, Female Protagonist 12.6%, Dark 12.1%, Horror 11.2%, Anime 11%

A dark tale of survival and conscience, blending platforming, puzzles, and haunting beauty. Journey through surreal lands where every choice shapes the fate of a world on the edge of ruin will you restore the light or embrace the darkness?

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 13%, 2.5D 12.9%, Stealth 12.7%, Psychological Horror 8.4%, Dark 7.8%

💀🧩🕹️ Beyond The Darkness is a horror adventure game with puzzles where you help little girl Milly battle nightmares in the darkness to find her missing family. You will find yourself in bizarre worlds of memories, distorted by fears, and your only weapon will be the light of a small lamp...

Why similar: Horror 17.7%, Puzzle Platformer 15%, 2.5D 14.2%, Dark 8.8%, Platformer 8.6%

Bunn awakens in a surreal world with no memories of what happened. Bunny Hop through this colorful surreal landscape, explore hidden locations, and uncover the troubling truth about your identity in this 3D platformer.

Why similar: Surreal 22.6%, Psychological Horror 15.7%, Female Protagonist 14.2%, Platformer 11%, Exploration 8.9%

On the edge of the abyss, having lost someone dear, the hero searches for meaning—until fate leads him to a mysterious wanderer whose silent presence brings hope.

Why similar: 2.5D 15.9%, Puzzle Platformer 12.1%, Horror 9.4%, Psychological Horror 9.1%, Female Protagonist 9%

"シシテナオ-Even in Death-" is stealth horror action game that requires trial and error. It tells the story of a young girl who wakes up in a strange and unsettling world, where eerie creatures known as "Ochibito" roam.

Why similar: Stealth 25.1%, Psychological Horror 15.7%, Horror 14.5%, Female Protagonist 13.6%, Dark 12.7%

Wander a castle built of bitter memories in LOVE ETERNAL, a psychological horror platformer with devious trials and an unsettling, experimental narrative. Find a way out - or live in Shelter forever more.

Why similar: Surreal 14.8%, Puzzle Platformer 14.6%, Female Protagonist 12.3%, Dark 10.8%, Platformer 10.4%

You awaken in a cold unfamiliar building crawling with grotesque creatures. Stave off terror using your wits and anything you can find, then try to make it out alive in this highly atmospheric environmental horror game.

Why similar: Stealth 18.3%, Surreal 16.3%, Psychological Horror 13%, Dark 10.9%, Horror 10.4%

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: Puzzle Platformer 21.6%, Surreal 20.4%, Female Protagonist 13.9%, Platformer 13.8%, Exploration 9.3%

Before The Night is a horror action adventure game based on a macabre twist to a fable. Survive in the tiny, cute animal village! Your animal friends will literally turn rabid at night! Uncover the secrets of the world where animals keep human pets. Join the cute pet human "Lisa" on her adventure!

Why similar: Horror 11.3%, Psychological Horror 11.2%, Stealth 10.8%, Action-Adventure 9.8%, Puzzle 9.4%

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 26.4%, Platformer 16.6%, Horror 13.1%, Exploration 11.3%, Psychological Horror 10.3%

You find yourself in a room you know nothing of. As you examine the objects around you, your awareness rises and the room slowly comes into focus. Can you find your way out?

Why similar: Female Protagonist 19.8%, Surreal 15.9%, Anime 14.4%, Puzzle 14%, Cute 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 36.7%, Psychological Horror 15.9%, Female Protagonist 9.2%, Adventure 8.6%, Dark 7%

The wolves are watching! Venture through a captivating but brutal dystopia where our young adventurer Ravengirl will travel through this huge city’s brightest highs and delve to its darkest depths on her perilous journey of discovery and finding her destiny where hope seems in short supply.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 13%, Stealth 12%, Dystopian 10.9%, Platformer 10.3%, Horror 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 20.8%, Horror 15.7%, Female Protagonist 15%, Platformer 12.3%, Exploration 10.5%

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 22.7%, Surreal 18.8%, Horror 16.8%, Female Protagonist 15.6%, Atmospheric 9.7%

Waking up in the beautiful night, maiden with cat’s ears whose name is Nyarutoru finds her friends nowhere. What are they waiting her ahead?

Why similar: Horror 23.6%, Anime 19.8%, Female Protagonist 19.5%, Cute 17.5%, Puzzle 12.8%

Where do you run to when your demons reside within you? Decarnation is a pixel art adventure/action puzzle game with a horrific story inspired by some of the most influential films and novels in the genre. Dive into a breathtaking thriller where nightmares and dreams intertwine…

Why similar: Surreal 25%, Psychological Horror 11.8%, Puzzle 10.5%, Dark 10.2%, Horror 9.6%

While the Great Stargazer is deeply sleeping, the Celestial Guardians protect the equilibrium of the forgotten world…

Why similar: Dystopian 14%, 2.5D 12.6%, Stealth 11.9%, Puzzle Platformer 11.1%, Psychological Horror 8.1%

You wake up in an unknown city. A city without people, a city completely deserted. But you’re not alone. There's something out there, something strange, something terrifying. Somehow, you know your only way out is to figure out why you're the only one left when everyone else is gone.

Why similar: 2.5D 21.3%, Surreal 16.7%, Psychological Horror 11.7%, Horror 11.4%, Action-Adventure 8.6%

Experience a meta horror pixel platformer retro game haunted by a mysterious yandere.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 18.1%, Surreal 14.1%, Platformer 12.3%, Horror 10.9%, Psychological Horror 10.4%

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

Why similar: Psychological Horror 19.9%, Female Protagonist 18.6%, Anime 16.2%, Horror 13.6%, Atmospheric 10.5%

"I can't sleep." A cute and possibly just a little bit scary puzzle platformer game. Move stickers to the right positions in order to get rid of the monsters and complete the sticker book.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 21.6%, Female Protagonist 18.9%, Puzzle Platformer 14.8%, Puzzle 13.7%, Cute 12.7%

Alice's World is a story-driven 2D adventure puzzle game. Amidst desolate ruins and deserted cities in a world filled with death, the young girl Alice hears "your" voice from in front of the screen. You must guide her forward, solve the mysteries, and reach the top of the tower.

Why similar: Horror 13.7%, Psychological Horror 12.6%, Anime 12.6%, Female Protagonist 11.7%, Cute 9.8%

Let's fall together.

Why similar: Stealth 17.7%, Puzzle Platformer 16.3%, Surreal 12.7%, Psychological Horror 11.5%, Exploration 7.7%

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 20.2%, Female Protagonist 16.8%, Psychological Horror 15.8%, Dark 13.1%, Horror 9.5%