Games like ESSENCE

76%Game Brain Score

story, music

stability, grinding

87% User Score Based on 1,194 reviews

Critic Score 65%Based on 22 reviews

Spirit of the North is a single-player 3rd-person adventure game inspired by the breathtaking and mysterious landscapes of Iceland. The story takes root from various pieces of Nordic folklore. The game is unique in that it purposefully has no dialog or narrative. Players must breathe in their surroundings to solve various puzzles and speculate the meaning of a lost ancient civilization. Play as an… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Spirit of the North.

53%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

stability, grinding

56% User Score Based on 379 reviews

Critic Score 48%Based on 30 reviews

Vane is an atmospheric adventure about unraveling the secrets of an unknown land, finding your place in it, and pulling at the threads of the world to make a change. The shifting sands glimmer with meaning, ancient ruins resonate with power, but in the distance a billowing threat looms. Find your way. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Vane.

75%Game Brain Score

atmosphere, graphics

story, grinding

75% User Score Based on 2,018 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 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.

69%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

stability, grinding

73% User Score Based on 2,174 reviews

Critic Score 60%Based on 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.

54%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

stability, grinding

54% User Score Based on 1,172 reviews

Dream’s gameplay is strongly based around exploration with games such as Yume Nikki and LSD being the initial inspiration for the concept. On top of this we have been inspired by the narrative elements in Dear Esther and Deus Ex’s non-linear story telling and environments, the resulting gameplay maintains aspects of all 4 games. There will be many puzzles to solve, horror sections and some more na… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dream.

77%Game Brain Score

story, music

grinding, stability

76% User Score Based on 2,013 reviews

Critic Score 79%Based on 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.

74%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

optimization, stability

83% User Score Based on 510 reviews

Critic Score 77%Based on 6 reviews

Aporia: Beyond The Valley brings a unique approach to the art of storytelling, by not using text or dialogue. It offers new, interesting puzzle mechanics, and elaborate environmental storytelling within an immersive world. Aporia: Beyond The Valley is a first-person puzzle game set in the world of Ez’rat Qin. Explore a world filled with strange nature, ancient technology, and haunted by a spirit … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Aporia: Beyond The Valley.

90%Game Brain Score

graphics, story

optimization, stability

94% User Score Based on 3,060 reviews

Critic Score 86%Based on 12 reviews

The 1997 Riven: The Sequel to Myst remade from the ground up. The remake features a fully traversable 3D space in both Standard First-Person or in VR. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Riven.

70%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

grinding, replayability

70% User Score Based on 800 reviews

Critic Score 65%Based on 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.

69%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

stability, grinding

69% User Score Based on 575 reviews

"From Cyan, the indie studio that brought you Myst and Obduction, comes a new steampunk adventure.The game of Firmament is a resplendent, magical, journey — a monumental voyage through four diverse and curious realms, working in concert with an ever-present, clockwork companion, and the support and instruction of a long-dead, ethereal mentor.Everything is not as it seems." If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Firmament.