Games Like Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

Play as detective Kaname Date on the case of an elusive serial killer in this thrilling, sci-fi murder mystery.

Why similar: Visual Novel 21.3%, Mystery 14.8%, Story Rich 10%, Anime 8.7%, Detective 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: Directed by the same creator as Zero Escape, this game features a complex mystery with surreal dream-diving puzzles and branching paths.

Investigate murders, search for clues and talk to your classmates to prepare for trial. There, you'll engage in deadly wordplay, going back and forth with suspects. Dissect their statements and fire their words back at them to expose their lies! There's only one way to survive—pull the trigger.

Why similar: Visual Novel 22.9%, Mystery 16.9%, Great Soundtrack 11.3%, Anime 10.7%, Story Rich 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: This iconic death game title forces students to participate in a killing game where they must solve murders through intense class trials.

Jabberwock Island—You and your classmates were ready for fun in the sun until Monokuma returned to restart his murderous game! Trapped in a kill-or-be-killed situation, your only hope rests in solving the island’s mysteries.

Why similar: Visual Novel 22.4%, Mystery 16.2%, Great Soundtrack 11.7%, Anime 11.5%, Story Rich 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: The sequel expands on the death game formula with improved mechanics and an even more elaborate, mystery-filled island setting.

Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority- is a multi-ending horror adventure game. Sara Chidouin returns home from school late one night to discover that something's gone terribly wrong. When she comes to, she finds herself, her friend Joe, and 9 other people trapped in a mysterious place.

Why similar: Multiple Endings 23.2%, Mystery 22%, Psychological Horror 16.3%, Story Rich 11.7%, Point & Click 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: A gripping death game visual novel where characters must vote on who lives and who dies, perfectly capturing the tension of the Nonary Games.

A new cast of 16 characters find themselves kidnapped and imprisoned in a school. Inside, some will kill, some will die, and some will be punished. Reimagine what you thought high-stakes, fast-paced investigation was as you investigate twisted murder cases and condemn your new friends to death.

Why similar: Visual Novel 24.3%, Mystery 16%, Story Rich 11.5%, Great Soundtrack 11.2%, Anime 10%

Why You'll Like It: This entry pushes the series' meta-narrative and psychological themes to their limit within a high-stakes killing game environment.

Special Agents Mizuki and Ryuki, along with their AI partners Aiba and Tama, are tasked to solve the bizarre Half Body serial killings in this sequel to the critically acclaimed AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES.

Why similar: Visual Novel 32.9%, Mystery 26.2%, Anime 14.5%, Detective 11.9%, Sci-fi 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: A direct sequel that continues the series' unique blend of detective work, sci-fi mystery, and character-driven narrative.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, the classic puzzle-solving mystery adventure directed by Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi, is back! This long-awaited HD remaster features upgraded visuals and sound and new gallery content.

Why similar: Mystery 22.2%, Puzzle 16.1%, Story Rich 14%, Visual Novel 13.7%, Detective 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-adventure game that requires players to manipulate objects and time to solve a murder mystery, sharing the clever puzzle design of Zero Escape.

A mystery adventure set at the collapse site of a live survival audition show. Trapped contestants communicate with each other—and the outside world through social media—as they wait for rescue. But as unexpected events unfold, trust begins to crack, and survival becomes far more complicated.

Why similar: Visual Novel 28.7%, Mystery 22.7%, Choices Matter 18.8%, Story Rich 14.5%, Anime 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: A survival mystery game set within a collapsed building where contestants of a reality show must solve puzzles and manage trust to survive.

The feast has begun, can you escape the village alive?

Why similar: Visual Novel 31.5%, Mystery 17.7%, Psychological Horror 13.4%, Story Rich 10.4%, Detective 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror visual novel that uses a time-loop mechanic to uncover the truth behind a series of ritualistic murders.

Become Phoenix Wright and experience the thrill of battle as you fight to save your innocent clients in a court of law. Play all 14 episodes, spanning the first three games, in one gorgeous collection.

Why similar: Visual Novel 24.3%, Mystery 16.6%, Great Soundtrack 13.4%, Story Rich 12%, Detective 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: The gold standard for courtroom mystery games, offering satisfying deduction mechanics and a cast of memorable, eccentric characters.

A kidnapping on the streets of Shibuya brings together a hot-blooded detective, hard-hitting journalist, former gang leader, the head researcher of a big pharma manufacturer and a part-timer stuck in cat costume for a series of events each more unexpected and outrageous than the last.

Why similar: Visual Novel 38%, Mystery 21.2%, Story Rich 12.6%, Choices Matter 9%, Great Soundtrack 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: A unique visual novel that uses a multi-perspective branching narrative to weave together a complex mystery in real-time.

Immerse yourself in a dramatic yet charming and witty world of evidence-gathering, deduction and courtroom battles with this double-pack of the adventures of rookie lawyer Ryunosuke.

Why similar: Visual Novel 28.1%, Mystery 18.4%, Anime 10.8%, Story Rich 10.3%, Detective 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: A refined detective experience that focuses on historical mystery and intricate logic puzzles in a courtroom setting.

How far would you go to bring someone back from the dead? Discover the depths that some will go to in this horror-adventure game.

Why similar: Visual Novel 27.8%, Mystery 17.4%, Multiple Endings 15.6%, Anime 11.5%, Story Rich 11.4%

Why You'll Like It: A supernatural mystery visual novel that utilizes branching paths and clever narrative tricks to keep players guessing.

Developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus, STEINS;GATE was awarded Famitsu magazine's coveted annual Game of Excellence award and was voted one of the most emotionally charged “tear-inducing games” ever made, in a Famitsu poll. It is a gripping and moving Visual Novel, which has already spawned manga and anime adaptations.

Why similar: Visual Novel 25.2%, Time Travel 11.4% ★, Story Rich 11%, Multiple Endings 9.6%, Great Soundtrack 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: A definitive sci-fi visual novel that masterfully handles time-travel paradoxes and character-driven stakes.

Shishimai Rinka was a high schooler who ran a small café named Lion House in place of her grandmother. She lived her life much like any other person her age, but one day, she was caught up in an explosion while returning home on the train alongside her friend, Hitsuji Naomi.

Why similar: Visual Novel 28.4%, Multiple Endings 15.9%, Mystery 14.4%, Story Rich 12.2%, Anime 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: A death game visual novel where twelve people are forced to compete in a battle royale to determine who will be granted a wish.

From the creators of the critically acclaimed STEINS;GATE comes a sensational new visual novel: CHAOS;CHILD. Set in Shibuya in 2015, a group of high school students who survived an earthquake six years ago find themselves at the center of a new series of bizarre murders in the city.

Why similar: Visual Novel 25.7%, Mystery 14.7%, Psychological Horror 9.2%, Story Rich 9.1%, Anime 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, psychological mystery visual novel that explores the aftermath of a series of bizarre murders through a unique perspective system.

Legend tells of a door deep below Tokyo's sewers. All who enter are lost forever. Detective Ito's partner is missing. Explore Tokyo & uncover the darkness that lays beneath the streets in this Point & Click - meets Visual Novel - narrative adventure that questions the very core of Ito's sanity.

Why similar: Visual Novel 19.1%, Mystery 11.7%, Psychological Horror 10%, Anime 9.7%, Choices Matter 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A point-and-click mystery that features a 'S.P.we.N.' system where choices significantly impact the protagonist's sanity and the story's outcome.

A mystery adventure game and visual novel set on solitary Shironagasu Island. Discover its secrets, solve its mysteries, and escape from the ominous island!

Why similar: Visual Novel 28.1%, Mystery 19.1%, Psychological Horror 8.4%, Choices Matter 8%, Anime 7%

Why You'll Like It: An adventure-mystery game that focuses on investigation and puzzle-solving in a tense, isolated environment.

A gothic suspense tale set in a cursed mansion. "The House in Fata Morgana" is a full-length visual novel spanning nearly a millennium that deals in tragedy, human nature, and insanity.

Why similar: Visual Novel 19.9%, Mystery 13.5%, Psychological Horror 10.9%, Multiple Endings 10.1%, Great Soundtrack 10%

Why You'll Like It: A gothic mystery visual novel that excels at psychological storytelling and slowly unraveling a complex, multi-layered plot.

A group of friends unknowingly perform an occult ritual that traps them in an otherworldly elementary school. Here, the vengeful spirits of young children threaten their lives and their sanity, and the only hope of survival is to uncover the chilling details behind the murders of those trapped before them...

Why similar: Visual Novel 20.3%, Psychological Horror 15.4%, Anime 14.3%, Horror 10.3%, Multiple Endings 10%

Why You'll Like It: A classic horror visual novel that traps students in a haunted school, forcing them to survive through choices and exploration.

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 26.2%, Puzzle 14.4%, Choices Matter 14.3%, Story Rich 13.8%, Detective 12.5%

Why You'll Like It: A brilliant deduction game that requires players to piece together the truth of gruesome scenes, appealing to the puzzle-solving side of Zero Escape.

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: Visual Novel 21.5%, Mystery 14.9%, Time Travel 12.3% ★, Psychological Horror 11.8%, Story Rich 11%

Why You'll Like It: A social deduction game that uses a time-loop mechanic to force players to identify the 'Gnosia' among them in a space-faring setting.

Umineko When They Cry is the 2nd series of Sound Novel released by 07th Expansion. The steam version features renewed character sprites which is swappable from the classic art.

Why similar: Visual Novel 25.1%, Mystery 19.9%, Great Soundtrack 18.8%, Story Rich 12.1%, Psychological Horror 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A legendary mystery visual novel that challenges the player to solve impossible murders through logic and lateral thinking.

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: Psychological Horror 28.8%, Mystery 23.2%, Puzzle 14.7%, Sci-fi 13.3%, Atmospheric 8%

Why You'll Like It: A psychological sci-fi horror game that features complex inventory puzzles and a deeply mysterious, surreal narrative.

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 24.2%, Great Soundtrack 17.7%, Story Rich 16%, Puzzle 12.7%, Psychological Horror 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: While not a visual novel, this game captures the essence of a 'knowledge-based' mystery where the player must piece together a cosmic puzzle through exploration.

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 38.8%, Puzzle 29.8%, Horror 16%, Point & Click 12.5%, Adventure 2.9%

Why You'll Like It: A meta-narrative game that begins as a card game but evolves into an escape-room-style mystery filled with secrets and dark twists.

If you can't save the one you love… How can you save humanity? Sequel to the visual novel cult classic. Experience an alternate worldline of STEINS;GATE.

Why similar: Visual Novel 25.9%, Story Rich 12.8%, Time Travel 11.3% ★, Great Soundtrack 10.5%, Multiple Endings 9.9%

CHAOS;HEAD NOAH is now available on Steam!

Why similar: Visual Novel 29.8%, Mystery 15.5%, Story Rich 11.2%, Psychological Horror 11%, Anime 8.9%

Nine participants awaken, trapped in an underground facility. To escape, they must play a game with deadly consequences. Who will live, and who will die? The choice is yours. Let the Decision Game begin…

Why similar: Visual Novel 17.8%, Mystery 12.2%, Psychological Horror 10.5%, Puzzle 10.1%, Choices Matter 10%

Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi join forces for the first time to deliver the ULTIMATE adventure game! 15 students are tasked with defending a school from grotesque monsters for 100 days. Can they make it to the end? And will they survive long enough to uncover the truth?

Why similar: Visual Novel 24.2%, Multiple Endings 20.7%, Psychological Horror 14.5%, Story Rich 13.6%, Anime 11.1%

Komaru Naegi has been imprisoned inside a mysterious apartment for over a year. Her rescue is derailed when hundreds of Monokumas suddenly attack. She teams up with Toko Fukawa to survive the rampaging Monokumas, escape the crafty Monokuma Kids, and uncover the secrets of the city.

Why similar: Anime 19.4%, Visual Novel 18.4%, Great Soundtrack 13.9%, Story Rich 13.5%, Psychological Horror 8.6%

Iris has been abducted by aliens?! Finding herself on board a mysterious UFO and tasked with completing a bizarre escape game, Iris knows there's one person who she can always count on for help: Kaname Date, Psyncer!

Why similar: Visual Novel 38.3%, Mystery 20.4%, Anime 16.1%, Sci-fi 10.3%, Detective 8.9%

When seven people fall prey to a vicious curse, they will discover that horror rests not from the shadows lurking about, but within themselves. To what ends will one go in order to survive?

Why similar: Visual Novel 29.1%, Choices Matter 13.2%, Mystery 9.9%, Multiple Endings 9.2%, Psychological Horror 9.1%

Rescue squad captain Watase Kasasagi wakes up without his memories in the middle of his most critical mission yet-- a nuclear meltdown at a research facility. In an unfamiliar place and without his years of training, he must rescue the survivors and escape...

Why similar: Visual Novel 31.5%, Multiple Endings 12.6%, Mystery 12.4%, Story Rich 10.4%, Anime 9.4%

In the bayside area of Kanto, a murder with unknown motivations sets off a series of seemingly random events bringing together peculiar individuals, one of whom is detective Tokio Morishima. When their ambitions begin to collide, a truly shocking pattern emerges…

Why similar: Visual Novel 35.2%, Mystery 18.8%, Great Soundtrack 15.2%, Story Rich 8.9%, Violent 8.6%

The first entry of the Abime Series. Eight captives must cooperate or compete to escape an underground subway under the manipulation of a dangerous psychopath. Can you really trust anyone? What about yourself? And what is the meaning of a good ending? Is reaching one even possible?

Why similar: Visual Novel 18.5%, Mystery 16%, Multiple Endings 14.3%, Choices Matter 11.6%, Story Rich 10.6%

Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo is a multi-ending mystery adventure game. A group of boys and girls who have lost their memories gather in a “Tokyo” that is both familiar and unfamiliar. They must trace their lost memories to escape the bizarre labyrinths. Are they prepared to confront their “true selves”?

Why similar: Visual Novel 20.6%, Multiple Endings 12.7%, Mystery 10.3%, Story Rich 9.8%, Anime 9%

Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.

Why similar: Visual Novel 28.2%, Mystery 16.5%, Psychological Horror 12.8%, Anime 10.3%, Story Rich 9.8%

You wake up in a house, alone with two beautiful girls... But no one is allowed to leave until one of you DIES. Why is this happening? What is the purpose of this “killing game”? But most importantly...WHO SHOULD DIE?!

Why similar: Visual Novel 19.3%, Mystery 15.6%, Multiple Endings 14.3%, Psychological Horror 12.6%, Time Travel 10.8% ★

This is the 2nd half of the Umineko When They Cry sound novel series, featuring episodes 5 through 8. This steam version features multi-language options, swap-able renewed character sprites, as well as the original BGMs and un-cut content.

Why similar: Visual Novel 26%, Mystery 20.1%, Great Soundtrack 19.4%, Story Rich 12.1%, Anime 6.1%

Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.

Why similar: Visual Novel 24.7%, Mystery 17.8%, Psychological Horror 14.7%, Anime 11.5%, Story Rich 11.2%

Explore the ruins, dungeons, and islands in this post-apocalyptic world through the POV of eight protagonists as they fight for survival and search for meaning in their never-ending cycles of life and death.

Why similar: Visual Novel 35.7%, Psychological Horror 20.8%, Anime 19.3%, Story Rich 12.4%, Horror 4.9%

Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.

Why similar: Visual Novel 26.9%, Mystery 16.8%, Story Rich 10.5%, Great Soundtrack 10.5%, Anime 10.1%

Unravel a string of gruesome murders terrorizing Tokyo in this mystery-thriller visual novel. The secrets of a case from six years prior may just be the key to the current unending cycle of tragedy—and the thing that cracks this woeful world’s shell may be one girl’s smile.

Why similar: Visual Novel 23.2%, Mystery 16.4%, Choices Matter 13.1%, Psychological Horror 12.3%, Multiple Endings 9.6%

Join forces with the psychic Director of the Urban Myth Dissolution Center and solve a variety of cases involving cursed relics, rental properties with shady histories, and dimensional anomalies. Monstrous oddities and otherworldly planes abound in this occult mystery adventure game!

Why similar: Visual Novel 27%, Mystery 17.8%, Psychological Horror 15.7%, Story Rich 11.3%, Detective 5.8%

STEINS;GATE ELITE follows a rag-tag band of tech-savvy young students who discover the means of changing the past via e-mail using a modified microwave.

Why similar: Visual Novel 32%, Time Travel 14.5% ★, Anime 11.9%, Story Rich 9.8%, Great Soundtrack 7.2%

A story for every lab member. Discover a new side of each STEINS;GATE character and get a glimpse of their inner thoughts through 10 new stories.

Why similar: Visual Novel 34.2%, Time Travel 15.5% ★, Story Rich 13.3%, Anime 11.3%, Great Soundtrack 9.3%

The second entry of the Abime Series. Play as the mastermind in a death game where you must find the traitor while concealing your identity. Six hours, one school, six deaths. Nine participants fight for survival: it's kill or be killed, trust or deceive, escape or die.

Why similar: Visual Novel 16.2%, Mystery 14%, Choices Matter 10.4%, Psychological Horror 10.2%, Multiple Endings 10%

Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.

Why similar: Visual Novel 29%, Mystery 16.4%, Psychological Horror 13.5%, Anime 9.7%, Story Rich 9.4%

Join rookie attorney Apollo Justice and his mentor, the legendary Phoenix Wright, in this collection of 3 games! This title features 16 episodes (including previously DLC-only episodes) and supports English, French, German, Japanese Korean, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese.

Why similar: Visual Novel 32.2%, Mystery 17.5%, Story Rich 10.8%, Anime 10.7%, Detective 10.1%

Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.

Why similar: Visual Novel 22.7%, Mystery 14.9%, Psychological Horror 13.3%, Great Soundtrack 12.9%, Anime 9.7%

The Silver Case – the debut title from world-renowned developer SUDA51 has been fully remastered and localized to English for the first time ever!

Why similar: Visual Novel 21.6%, Mystery 18.1%, Story Rich 11.2%, Psychological Horror 10.7%, Puzzle 10.1%

Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.

Why similar: Visual Novel 26.2%, Mystery 16.1%, Psychological Horror 12.5%, Great Soundtrack 11.3%, Story Rich 10.5%

Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.

Why similar: Visual Novel 35.9%, Psychological Horror 21.2%, Great Soundtrack 11.8%, Story Rich 9.9%, Anime 8.4%

Miles Edgeworth's dramatic turnabouts take center stage! Experience both Ace Attorney Investigations games in one gorgeous collection! Investigate crime scenes and solve tough, intriguing cases through logic and deduction. When Edgeworth's past and present collide, his future begins!

Why similar: Visual Novel 27.6%, Mystery 22.4%, Story Rich 13.8%, Detective 10%, Great Soundtrack 9.9%

Five girls meet in an isolated underground city. As they slay and betray each other, what fate awaits them at the end of their journey? Hope? Or despair? Enjoy an immersive story, fully voiced and boasting multiple endings!

Why similar: Visual Novel 29%, Mystery 13.5%, Story Rich 12.9%, Puzzle 12.8%, Anime 12%

Sci-Fi Mystery Visual Novel. Nine people are trapped in an underground research facility, forced to play a game of life and death. Check your log to find the truth that connects those apparent strangers - if you even want to, that is.

Why similar: Visual Novel 32.1%, Mystery 25%, Story Rich 15.5%, Anime 12%, Sci-fi 10.4%

An intricate mystery visual novel. Search text, piece together clues, and jump around the story to unravel the tangled events within the sealed tower.

Why similar: Visual Novel 27.3%, Mystery 23.1%, Story Rich 14%, Anime 10.9%, Detective 10.6%

Lucid9 is a visual novel focused on a web of intricate mysteries set in the fictional 2018 metropolis of Isamu. Lucid9: Inciting Incident is the first part of the story, focused on a string of disappearances that occur at a prestigious, uppity boarding academy.

Why similar: Visual Novel 33.8%, Mystery 18.5%, Anime 12.6%, Story Rich 10.2%, Psychological Horror 6.4%

In a world where psychological states can be quantified, every choice has consequences, victims can become criminals, and the very nature of truth can warp and shift. Can detectives Nadeshiko Kugatachi and Takuma Tsurugi remain on the path of justice as they face the ugly truths of humanity?

Why similar: Visual Novel 53.9%, Anime 25.7%, Adventure 7.6%, Detective 7%, Sci-fi 4.7%