Games like Freshman Year

"Depression Quest" is a text-based game that simulates living with depression, presenting players with everyday challenges to manage while dealing with the illness. The game offers multiple endings and features over 150 unique encounters, with available choices and generated content based on the player's depression levels. The audio and visuals also adjust to reflect the player's emotional state, enhancing the immersive experience.

"Actual Sunlight" is a critically acclaimed visual novel that explores depression, hopelessness, and social anxieties in a raw and unfiltered way. The game follows the life of Evan Winter, a 30-something office worker, as he navigates through his mundane existence and grapples with his inner demons. Its deep and thought-provoking narrative challenges players to confront the harsh realities of mental health issues.

Wednesdays is a highly emotional single-player drama point-and-click game that explores the impact of child sexual abuse through an intriguing, fragmented narrative. Players rebuild memories in Orco Park by stepping into the perspectives of Tim and his relatives, uncovering a heartfelt story told with stunning graphics and a moving soundtrack.

"Cibele" is a single-player Role Playing game that tells a wholesome and intriguing story of a 19-year-old girl named Nina's online relationship. The game unfolds in three acts, featuring multiple short films and an interactive desktop that offers an intimate glimpse into Nina's life. With amazing visuals, a beautiful soundtrack, and a richly illustrated online game world to explore, "Cibele" provides a dense and unique gaming experience, though it is not very replayable.

"Always Sometimes Monsters" is a narrative-driven RPG where your choices significantly impact the story. As a down-and-out writer, you must make difficult decisions to reconcile with a former love, all while dealing with life's harsh realities. The game features a unique perspective system, where your character's gender and race are determined by the player you choose at the start.

"Lydia" is a horror point-and-click game with an intriguing story dealing with adult substance abuse from a child's perspective. The game boasts wonderful visuals, awesome music, and an outstanding atmosphere, telling the story of a little girl and her beloved teddy bear as they confront the monster hiding in the shadows, based on the developers' own experiences. The game is similar to "To the Moon" and emphasizes atmosphere and emotion.

You must stay in your apartment as the city around you falls to an Eldritch horror.

"The Beginner's Guide" is a unique narrative-driven game that explores the mind of a fictional game developer through a series of unfinished games. The player delves into the developer's thoughts and feelings as they navigate through a variety of experimental game designs, shedding light on the creative process and the struggles that come with it. The game serves as a thoughtful commentary on game development and the relationship between creators and their work.

"Missed Messages" is a narrative-driven horror game with romance elements, lasting 15-30 minutes per playthrough. The game features original art and story, with themes surrounding life, death, and memes. It contains mature content warnings and offers 4 different endings. Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux systems.

Vinty has been getting nowhere with her calligraphy. Her confidence has sunk to an all time low. As life pressures her toward giving up, will she forget why she pursued this craft in the first place?