Games like Dear Esther
Looking for games like Dear Esther? Here are top simulation recommendations with a fantasy focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with The Old City: Leviathan, Kentucky Route Zero or The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.
- 70%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability70% User Score 800 reviewsCritic Score 65%1 reviews
The Old City: Leviathan is an experiment in first person exploration that focuses entirely on story. All that exists is you and the world. Set in a decaying city from a civilization long past, The Old City: Leviathan puts the player in the shoes of a sewer dwelling isolationist. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Old City: Leviathan.
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- 84%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, character development81% User Score 3,395 reviewsCritic Score 87%6 reviews
Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it. Gameplay is inspired by point-and-click adventure games (like the classic Monkey Island or King's Quest series, or more recently Telltale's Walking Dead series), but focused on characterization, atmosphere and storytelling rather than clever puzzles … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Kentucky Route Zero.
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- 79%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, stability87% User Score 5,138 reviewsCritic Score 69%8 reviews
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a first-person story-driven mystery game focused on exploration and discovery. As occult-minded private detective Paul Prospero communicate with the dead to discover the fate of a missing boy and the mystery behind a dark ancient force lurking in Red Creek Valley. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.
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- 82%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, optimization77% User Score 20,826 reviewsCritic Score 82%14 reviews
A first-person exploratory game taking place in 1995 in which Katie, a university student back from Europe, arrives at her family's newly inherited mansion only to find nobody there, with a note from her younger sister Sam suggesting that she's left home. Katie must explore the mansion to put together the stories of where her parents have gone and why Sam has decided to leave. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Gone Home.
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- 94%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding94% User Score 18,415 reviewsCritic Score 90%1 reviews
What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of short stories about a cursed family in Washington State. Each story offers a chance to experience the life of a different family member with stories ranging from the early 1900s to the present day. The gameplay and tone of the stories are as varied as the family members themselves. The only constants are that each is played from a first-person perspe… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to What Remains of Edith Finch.
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- 79%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphereMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding79% User Score 1,462 reviews
The Moon Sliver is a short narrative-focused non-linear exploration game, with elements of horror. It features a unique narrative mechanic that blurs the line between story and exploration, where interacting with objects and even simply moving around will reveal fragments of narration. As you piece these fragments together, a story of guilt, loneliness, and faith begins to take shape. And it becom… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Moon Sliver.
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- 71%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, optimization68% User Score 1,466 reviewsCritic Score 73%28 reviews
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture™ tells the story of the inhabitants of a remote English valley who are caught up in world-shattering events beyond their control or understanding. Made by The Chinese Room – the studio responsible for the hauntingly beautiful Dear Esther – this tale of how people respond in the face of grave adversity is a non-linear, open-world experience that pushes innovative int… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.
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- 88%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, stability94% User Score 16,215 reviewsCritic Score 82%18 reviews
This is one journey you will never forget... If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.
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- 74%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:music, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:story, stability76% User Score 2,249 reviewsCritic Score 70%4 reviews
Proteus is a game about exploration and immersion in a dream-like island world where the soundtrack to your play is created by your surroundings. Played in first-person, the primary means of interaction is simply your presence in the world and how you observe it. The procedurally generated islands are home to creatures natural and imagined, tranquil valleys and ruins with magical properties. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Proteus.
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- 78%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:optimization, replayability88% User Score 2,285 reviewsCritic Score 70%22 reviews
A third-person exploratory action/adventure title in which a boy ends up on a mysterious island and makes his way through its highly stylized environments, containing puzzles and slight navigation challenges, to get to the bottom of why he's ended up there and to reach the end of the road he's inadvertently begun to travel. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to RiME.
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- 86%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability87% User Score 2,906 reviewsCritic Score 40%3 reviews
Inmost is an atmospheric, story-driven puzzle platformer, following three playable characters within one dark, interconnecting story. In an old abandoned castle, you’ll need to explore every nook and cranny, avoid detection, slice your way through enemies and spring deadly traps in order to escape the evil that lurks within… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to INMOST.
View Game - 95%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphereMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding96% User Score 25,819 reviewsCritic Score 100%1 reviews
Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to INSIDE.
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- 77%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphereMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding77% User Score 4,318 reviews
Serena is a freeware horror adventure game developed by several video game development companies, including Senscape, CBE Software, Infamous Quests, Digital Media Workshop and Guys from Andromeda. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Serena.
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- 68%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphereMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, optimization71% User Score 2,152 reviewsCritic Score 50%1 reviews
Set in a creepy amusement park hiding a dark and sinister secret, The Park is a first-person psychological horror experience focused on exploration and storytelling. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Park.
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- 90%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:music, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability96% User Score 20,942 reviewsCritic Score 85%48 reviews
Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to GRIS.
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- 77%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability76% User Score 2,013 reviewsCritic Score 79%7 reviews
A beautiful, 3rd-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a young couple dealing with a tragedy in their own. Uncover artifacts from the young couple’s life as they too become intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The First Tree.
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- 85%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:atmosphere, storyMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding92% User Score 20,194 reviewsCritic Score 75%7 reviews
Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters LIMBO If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Limbo.
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- 70%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphereMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, character development70% User Score 1,736 reviews
Follow us About the GameHome is a unique horror adventure set in a beautifully-realized pixel world. It’s a murder mystery with a twist—because you decide what ultimately happens. Awakened by an oncoming storm, you open your eyes to discover yourself in a strange, dark room—tucked away in a house that’s not yours. As you play the game, it changes—subtly, almost imperceptibly—to reflect your pe… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Home.
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- 65%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding61% User Score 2,270 reviewsCritic Score 66%1 reviews
VIRGINIA is a first person interactive drama. It is the story of a recently graduated FBI agent and her partner as they seek to uncover the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young boy. In the birthplace of America nothing is quite what it seems. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Virginia.
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- 76%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:optimization, grinding82% User Score 724 reviewsCritic Score 70%18 reviews
"Dive into this nautic adventure as curiosity will guide you through a space ship wreck on an unknown planet made up of water. When one of the lead scientists still on board tries to unriddle the possibility of a relaunch young Janitor Harold is around to assist her. Join Harold in his clumsy undertakings to stir up the ark-like ship’s stale day-to-day life and find the secrets that lie behind… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Harold Halibut.
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- 69%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding73% User Score 2,174 reviewsCritic Score 60%4 reviews
Lifeless Planet was inspired by Cold War era science fiction stories, posing questions about humankind's desire for space travel. What if you journeyed across the galaxy to another planet, only to find humans had already been there? What kind of person would sign up for a one-way mission, leaving behind planet Earth and everyone they've ever known and love... to go in search of an Earth-like plane… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Lifeless Planet Premier Edition.
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- 73%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, replayability72% User Score 1,090 reviewsCritic Score 80%2 reviews
Draugen is a first-person psychological horror adventure, set amongst the deep fjords and towering mountains of Norway’s awe-inspiring west coast. The game is a dark and disturbing journey into the pitch black heart of Norwegian national romanticism, as seen through the eyes of an American nature photographer, botanist and entomologist. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Draugen.
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- 87%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:music, storyMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability93% User Score 17,870 reviewsCritic Score 82%42 reviews
Abzu is an exploration game where you are a lone diver in a lush ocean world. The diver descends deeper and deeper into the depths, where she will encounter majestic creatures, discover ancient secrets, and search for her true purpose. Abzu roughly translates to "The Ocean of Wisdom" from ancient Sumerian. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to ABZÛ.
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- 76%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:optimization, replayability91% User Score 3,881 reviewsCritic Score 57%8 reviews
Inspired by Gone Home and Dear Esther, Scanner Sombre is a cave exploration experience. With stunning visuals and a terrifying theme, it is the 6th major video game released by Introversion Software. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Scanner Sombre.
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- 76%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:music, storyMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability77% User Score 1,964 reviewsCritic Score 70%1 reviews
Traverse a mythic little realm, use a sword to do battle & evoke sworcery to solve mystical musical mysteries. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.
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- 84%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, stability89% User Score 57,262 reviewsCritic Score 79%47 reviews
Firewatch is a single-player first-person video game where you, as a man named Henry, explore the Wyoming wilderness after taking a summer job as a fire lookout. What is supposed to be a peaceful respite from your complicated life takes a turn when you start to question some of the things that are happening to you. Your only human connection is over a handheld radio, which you’ll use to speak wit… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Firewatch.
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- 83%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability87% User Score 3,167 reviewsCritic Score 75%4 reviews
Call of the Sea is a first-person adventure puzzle game set in the 1930's that tells the story of Norah, a woman on the trail of her missing husband's expedition. The search takes place on a strange but beautiful island in the South Pacific, filled with secrets waiting to be unearthed. It’s an otherworldly tale of mystery, adventure, and self-discovery. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Call of the Sea.
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- 86%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:music, storyMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding94% User Score 9,141 reviewsCritic Score 78%17 reviews
Far: Lone Sails is a vehicle adventure game. The player needs to maintain and upgrade their unique vessel to traverse a dried-out sea, with the remains of a decaying civilization scattered out on the seabed. Keep your unique vessel going, overcome numerous obstacles and withstand the hazardous weather conditions. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to FAR: Lone Sails.
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- 67%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:optimization, gameplay67% User Score 519 reviews
Caligo is the darkness everyone descends into one way or another, and to each of us it's something different. For some it's a short but exciting adventure, some will see it as a place to relax. Yet others will be reminded of their worst nightmare, while for a few, it might come as a revelation. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Caligo.
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- 87%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding88% User Score 18,116 reviewsCritic Score 80%1 reviews
The Beginner's Guide is a narrative video game from Davey Wreden, the creator of The Stanley Parable. It lasts about an hour and a half and has no traditional mechanics, no goals or objectives. Instead, it tells the story of a person struggling to deal with something they do not understand. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Beginner's Guide.
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- 86%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphereMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding93% User Score 1,785 reviewsCritic Score 74%7 reviews
In the old days man tried to catch a glimpse of the future in the strangest of ways. Experience the ancient Swedish phenomena of year walking through a different kind of first person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions, as well as reality and the supernatural. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Year Walk.
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- 54%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding60% User Score 916 reviewsCritic Score 70%2 reviews
MIND: Path to Thalamus is a First Person Puzzler that throws you into a fantastic and surreal environment. You will bend the natural elements to your will in order to progress in this emotive, mind-bending tale. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to MIND: Path to Thalamus.
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- 66%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, optimization72% User Score 1,546 reviewsCritic Score 55%23 reviews
The Town of Light is a psychological adventure told in the first person. The story is set in Italy in the first half of the 20th Century in a place which really existed and has been meticulously reconstructed. Exploring and interacting with the environment you will relive the history of the main character through her confused viewpoint and on the basis of your choices, the story will develop in di… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Town of Light.
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- 75%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding78% User Score 482 reviewsCritic Score 50%12 reviews
Explore strange and wonderful islands and dark labyrinths below in this narrative puzzle platformer. Guide young mechanic Mo on her quest to repair a world on the brink of collapse. The powerful Omni Switch at your disposal may not be enough to fix the damage that hides beneath the surface... If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Minute of Islands.
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- View Game71%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability75% User Score 10,416 reviewsCritic Score 40%43 reviews
Scorn is an atmospheric first person horror adventure game set in a nightmarish universe of odd forms and somber tapestry. It is designed around an idea of "being thrown into the world". Isolated and lost inside this dream-like world you will explore different interconnected regions in a non-linear fashion. The unsettling environment is a character itself. Every location contains its own theme (st… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Scorn.
- 71%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, stability67% User Score 2,030 reviewsCritic Score 90%1 reviews
Explore the world of Thirty Flights of Loving through a first-person short story. In this sequel to Gravity Bone, take a deep dive with high-flying schemers, lovelorn criminals, and more stray kittens than you can shake a stick at. Saddle up, gunslinger. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Thirty Flights of Loving.
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- 85%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:optimization, replayability87% User Score 5,680 reviewsCritic Score 77%2 reviews
This edition includes the game and the following: • Original Soundtrack Deliver Us The Moon is a Sci-Fi thriller set in an apocalyptic near future, where Earth's natural resources are depleted. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Deliver Us The Moon.
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- 80%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, stability85% User Score 1,266 reviewsCritic Score 69%5 reviews
The Station is a first-person sci-fi mystery set on a space station sent to study a sentient alien civilization. Assuming the role of a recon specialist, players must unravel a mystery which will decide the fate of two civilizations. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Station.
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- 76%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability84% User Score 3,779 reviewsCritic Score 69%11 reviews
From the creator of To the Moon: A simple, wordless 1-hour short about a boy who found an injured bird, told through a blur between reality and imagination. A Bird Story is an interactive pixel animation with the sole purpose of telling a simple story. It is a standalone narrative, with its own beginning and ending. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Bird Story.
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- 80%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:stability, optimization87% User Score 2,711 reviewsCritic Score 73%23 reviews
Explore the remains of a fallen world from fascinating perspectives! Slip into the role of different animals to uncover the fate of an ancient world. Dive into deep waters, fly at lofty heights, dig underground as a mole, climb steep cliffs with a mountain goat, and many more! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to LOST EMBER.
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- 92%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, storyMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability92% User Score 5,517 reviewsCritic Score 93%2 reviews
Single Player, HD (High Definition). Manipulate the flow of time. Rescue the Princess. Contemplate the world; save yourself. The full version of Braid allows you to visit all the worlds, and thus use all the time-manipulation powers. Perhaps you will find the Princess and rescue her. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Braid.
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- 74%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability76% User Score 948 reviewsCritic Score 72%20 reviews
A noir adventure set before, during and after the Big Bang. Explore black holes, primordial Earth, and jazz cafes. Witness the birth and history of mankind. Find comfort in a glass of gin. Search for a way to destroy creation. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Genesis Noir.
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- 89%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding96% User Score 8,836 reviewsCritic Score 82%11 reviews
Gorogoa is an elegant evolution of the puzzle genre. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Gorogoa.
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- 90%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding96% User Score 35,756 reviewsCritic Score 83%8 reviews
"Then we can always regroup on the moon, silly! " If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to To the Moon.
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- 63%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:music, storyMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability63% User Score 528 reviews
Time is relative. Sometimes 10 seconds can feel like an eternity... In TIMEframe you will discover a world in slow motion. Explore the remnants of a mysterious civilization on the brink of destruction. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to TIMEframe.
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- 75%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:atmosphere, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding75% User Score 2,018 reviewsCritic Score 80%1 reviews
Enter the lost world of Kairo. Explore vast abandoned monuments. Bring strange and ancient machinery back to life. Slowly uncover the true purpose of Kairo and fulfil a great destiny. Kairo is an atmospheric 3D exploration and puzzle solving game. Developed by Richard Perrin the creator of the white chamber with music by Wounds (Bartosz Szturgiewicz). If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Kairo.
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- 72%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:graphics, replayability72% User Score 338 reviewsCritic Score 70%4 reviews
Richard & Alice is a riveting mystery story about family, desperation and the weather – all set to the beat of an indie adventure game. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Richard & Alice.
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- 88%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding97% User Score 135,040 reviewsCritic Score 79%83 reviews
Buy Stray on PlayStation Store. Lost, alone and injured, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten city. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Stray.
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- 86%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability93% User Score 2,968 reviewsCritic Score 77%8 reviews
Based on Ken Follett's world-bestseller, ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ retells the story of the village of Kingsbridge in a whole new interactive way. Play as Jack, Aliena and Philip and change the events of the book through exploration, decision-making and dialogues. 12th century, England: In a time of great poverty and war, a small town begins the construction of a cathedral to claim wealth and… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth.
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- 74%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding74% User Score 1,392 reviews
Homesick is an adventurous first person 3D puzzle game developed by indie game company Lucky Pause. Explore an abandoned building, encountering puzzles and clues as the story unfolds. You seem to have been there so long that direct sunlight is blindingly bright, at home in the serene but foreboding atmosphere. But when you sleep, you are plagued by nightmares, frantically running down hallways ch… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Homesick.
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