Games like Once There Was, Once There Wasn't

Zero Sum Game A Craftswoman needs help: More than a year of her memories have been erased, and she fears she was involved with something untoward. As a new graduate of the Hidden Schools, you have been assigned to the case.  Explore colorful locations, from a magical lawyer's tower, to a gambling club seething with trickery and desperation, to the not-so-dry records of a city ruled by gods of … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Zero Sum Game.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:atmosphere

84% User Score Based on 172 reviews

Oblivious Garden: Carmina Burana is a romance fantasy visual novel. Our protagonist Irell Reis was once a famous general who led thousands of soldiers to expand the land of the Magic Empire on Latoy. However the defeat in Garyalburg, Vaustiya three years ago cost him everything and he was stripped of his rank and forced to live life as a lowly peasant from then on. Finally, the time has come for I… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Oblivious Garden ~Carmina Burana.

78%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, replayability

78% User Score Based on 154 reviews

Discover the truth behind the myth and save the children! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Fairy Tale Mysteries: The Puppet Thief.

90%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability

90% User Score Based on 149 reviews

Find clues to your father's whereabouts in a Victorian mansion! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Scarlett Mysteries: Cursed Child.

79%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, monetization

79% User Score Based on 100 reviews

Let’s play hide-and-seek with serial killers. Jawbreaker is a psychological horror game that will have you running, hiding, and fighting to survive a terrifying gang-infested society on the verge of collapse. Though that’s not all, once the sun goes down the true fear will begin... If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Jawbreaker.

64%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, optimization

64% User Score Based on 236 reviews

"Leviathan: The Last Day of the Decade" is a detective story told by a dweller of a cruel dark fantasy world affected by the pandemic. The world ruled by a five noble-born kins under the suzerainty of the undead Plague King. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Leviathan: The Last Day of the Decade.

85%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, optimization

95% User Score Based on 608 reviews

Critic Score 40%Based on 1 reviews

Roui, a resilient city dandy, a decipherer, a half-educated jeweler and the author of scientific magic articles, was met with a colossal failure AND must return to his gypsy homeland: Latori. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Crown of Leaves.

87%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability

89% User Score Based on 1,163 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure is a comedy point 'n click love letter to classic-era Lucas adventures, HP Lovecraft, Hitchcock and many, many others. A lighthearted spoof of the Cthulhu Mythos, Gibbous will have you controlling 3 protagonists, dealing with strange cultists, ancient voodoo, and Dead Cthulhu himself. Well, "dead" is just a matter of opinion... Everything revolves around the dreaded N… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure.

68%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, stability

68% User Score Based on 133 reviews

Malus Code is the story of a graduate student studying abroad at a Japanese university, and the three people he meets in the laboratory there. In this unfamiliar environment, can you earn their friendship? For those who don't want a lonely, sad life. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Malus Code.

68%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding

68% User Score Based on 522 reviews

Vlad is an interactive graphic-novel with RPG elements where your decisions shape the outcome of your story. Each playthrough offers a different experience and immersive story totalling two hours of content. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Vlad the Impaler.

91%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:music, grinding

91% User Score Based on 456 reviews

This is a text-based, auditory nightmare. #1: Three red blots mark liars. #2: Food means depravity and death. #3: Tellers of time are sped up by-- #4: Holes in suspicious places may lead to the Undergoing. #5: Don't trust the wolf. #6: The train is the only escape. The Dark Place finds us all. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Welcome To The Dark Place.

DETECTIVE Minerva Case is a crime deduction and solving game, with an adult and original story. Visit the crime scene, look for all the evidence and understand what happened. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to DETECTIVE - Minerva case.

93%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability

97% User Score Based on 78 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Featuring a blend of 2D adventure and visual novel, The Mildew Children is a grim tale about a village inhabited only by children who follow savage pagan traditions. A young witch named Kyrphel, along with her sisters, are bound to perform a macabre Ritual in order to save their village. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Mildew Children.

91%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability

91% User Score Based on 161 reviews

Psychroma is a narrative-driven side-scroller where you play as a digital medium. Confront the past by piecing together the broken memories of a cybernetic house, and exorcise the ghosts in the machine. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Psychroma.

68%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, stability

65% User Score Based on 2,640 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 26 reviews

Unfold the mysteries of a dystopic animal society inhabiting retrofuturistic Vancouver in a noir stealth adventure coming in 2019. Backbone is a pixel art cinematic adventure with stealth and action elements. As a private investigator Howard Lotor you are set to solve detective cases, interrogate witnesses, explore the intriguing retrofuturistic Vancouver, and sneak your way to safety using smell… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Backbone.

80%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, character development

80% User Score Based on 60 reviews

Amplitude is a story-centric visual novel. You play as either Adam or Eve, a murder victim who made a dubious deal to seek revenge. With the help of your new vessel, Katy or Jon, will you uncover the mystery or will you take more than you bargained for? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to AMPLITUDE: A Visual Novel.

95%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding

95% User Score Based on 592 reviews

Embark on a dangerous quest through mysterious ruins and magical woods in the second chapter of Grim Legends series. Save the young queen from a mortal danger and change the faith of the entire kingdom. When a mysterious illness befalls the queen of the Eagle Kingdom, a famous healer is summoned to Eagle Castle to examine her. The Healer’s quest takes a sudden turn when the infant prince vanishe… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan.

95%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization, graphics

95% User Score Based on 988 reviews

Step into the shoes of a telepath turned villain and explore the dark side. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Fallen Hero: Rebirth.

71%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphere

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, optimization

71% User Score Based on 2,152 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.

56%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding

56% User Score Based on 537 reviews

Nephise Begins tells the player what happened at the time before Nephise was an orb collector. The main setting is forest again, but this time without snow, instead a more sunny and foggy weather. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Nephise Begins.

85%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability

94% User Score Based on 3,325 reviews

Critic Score 75%Based on 9 reviews

Get Wytchwood for PS4 and PS5. Wytchwood is a crafting adventure game set in a land of mythical fables and fairy tales. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Wytchwood.

82%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, replayability

82% User Score Based on 391 reviews

It's rumored that those who play 'Bad End'- a Visual Novel will die in real life if they make the wrong decision in the game itself. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to BAD END.

94%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, replayability

94% User Score Based on 670 reviews

A middle-aged man has an encounter with a cute catgirl in the dead of night - but all is not as it seems. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sweetest Monster.

89%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, graphics

89% User Score Based on 498 reviews

Includes: Base Game Breakout 13 : Fight Complete Edition includes base game Gratitude section (Prologue to Chapter 5) and DLC FIGHT section（Chapter 6 to the ending chapters). Breakout 13 is a thrilling narrative game with interactive cinematic experience. Based on true stories. Breakout 13 takes you on a revealing journey as you attempt to escape from a negligent correctional institute and achieve… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Breakout 13.

51%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:humor, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, replayability

83% User Score Based on 12 reviews

When the Golden Sneeze is stolen from the Museum of Ancient History, it’s up to you, Detective Hank, to catch the thief. That will not be easy, as the culprit changes every new game. Puzzle your way through this steampunk themed, interactive whodunnit visual novel and bring the thief to justice! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Detective Hank and the Golden Sneeze.

74%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, replayability

74% User Score Based on 787 reviews

CAT Interstellar is a short story-driven science fiction game about humanity's attempt to terraform Mars. Pilot a DOG V4 unit on an alien world and uncover the past of a seemingly barren planet. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to CAT Interstellar.

92%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, replayability

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay

92% User Score Based on 143 reviews

Will you infiltrate the gods, or turn double agent and join their Elite Courte? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to VERSUS: The Elite Trials.

78%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability

74% User Score Based on 336 reviews

Critic Score 90%Based on 3 reviews

Ether One is a first person adventure that deals with the fragility of the human mind. There are two paths in the world you can choose from. At its core is a story exploration path free from puzzles where you can unfold the story at your own pace. There is also a deeper, more adventurous path in which you can complete complex puzzles to restore life changing events of the patient's histo… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ether One.

62%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, optimization

62% User Score Based on 97 reviews

An Interactive graphic novel and a Kinetic Graphic novel to enjoy, Set within a cyber punk dystopian future. With full professional voice acting for every line and steam achievements. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Echo Tokyo: Intro.

71%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, stability

71% User Score Based on 486 reviews

Take on the last case of Benedict Fox and dive into a twisted world of secret organizations, forbidden rituals, and cold-blooded murders. Explore the memories of deceased victims as you search for clues and fight demons in this fantastical Lovecraftian Metroidvania. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Last Case of Benedict Fox.

70%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphere

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, character development

70% User Score Based on 1,736 reviews

Home 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 perspective. It's a horror game … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Home.

91%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:atmosphere, gameplay

91% User Score Based on 190 reviews

When your eldritch existence is threatened by another unthinkable creature, you find yourself jumping dimensions to escape your ghastly fate. Safe for now, your moment of respite is short-lived as you realize you're stuck on Earth, trapped inside a dumb human larva, and with no clue of how much energy you'll need to leave this horrible place behind. Twenty-six years later you're still stranded on… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Passenger.

77%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

77% User Score Based on 122 reviews

Plunge into court politics and change the course of history, or pursue a love affair that rocks the kingdom to its foundations! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Affairs of the Court: Choice of Romance.

75%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:atmosphere

100% User Score Based on 30 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 13 reviews

Turn-based narrative experience about two housemates with different time cycles. A contemporary take on the classic novels of Frankenstein and Dracula. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Frank and Drake.

88%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability

88% User Score Based on 983 reviews

"Love is both poison and cure, both knife and remedy." Set in 18th Century France, this is a gothic romance tale about loss, revenge and the different faces of love. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Cupid.

94%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

96% User Score Based on 49 reviews

Play as a fairytale hero and help him garden, since saving the princess didn't go that well. A fantasy gardening visual novel and clicker game. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A HERO AND A GARDEN.

98%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, graphics

98% User Score Based on 85 reviews

You are reading something that makes you want to play this. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Wooden Ocean.

87%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphere

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, replayability

87% User Score Based on 596 reviews

Immerse yourself in the obscure and mysterious autumnal forest, where every wrong step could be your last. As you travel uncover the dark story behind this place, where beauty and danger have become as one. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Cursed Forest.

72%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, grinding

85% User Score Based on 189 reviews

Critic Score 45%Based on 4 reviews

Alt-Frequencies takes players on an audio-based journey where interactive investigation meets podcasting, and players are tasked with unravelling a mystery taking place between multiple radio stations among a disparate group of people. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Alt-Frequencies.

51%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, optimization

51% User Score Based on 175 reviews

Find the philosopher's stone and save your mentor! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dark Heritage: Guardians of Hope.

67%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:music, stability

67% User Score Based on 115 reviews

Special Offer About the Game The curse of the ancient Trantons family forces young Miss Susan leave for a deadly journey, where she is about to face many inhabitants of the world of the dead, find both friends and enemies, and get answers to the most important questions on who is the true killer of her entire family. "Castle of Secrets is a beautiful and enthralling visual novel feat… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Castle Of Secrets: Prologue.

47%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, monetization

47% User Score Based on 78 reviews

Melrose is trapped in a life of hardship. Her parents are mean to her and she gets bullied at school. She can find no one who understands her. To cope with her sorrow, Melrose turns to her imagination. She dreams up a world of unimaginable beauty and happiness, but sadly -- like all dreams -- it ends, and Melrose must return to real life. Today is different, however. Melrose is about to meet he… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Whisper of a Rose.

86%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, character development

86% User Score Based on 268 reviews

Critic Score 85%Based on 1 reviews

Save your family from an ominous undersea facility! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Emerald Maiden: Symphony of Dreams.

"Woodsalt" is an adventure game set on the planet of Nu-Terra, 1000 years after Earth was evacuated during chaotic natural disasters and an attack by giant creatures. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Woodsalt.

71%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics

100% User Score Based on 22 reviews

True Love's Curse is a fantasy curse-casting simulator and visual novel. Play as the owner of a magic shop and cast curses that can only be undone by true love's kiss. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to TRUE LOVE'S CURSE.

85%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphere

Most mentioned negative aspects:optimization, stability

85% User Score Based on 141 reviews

Enter a world of Slavic myth and medieval adventure. As a young bogatyr, journey to the Thrice-Nine Kingdom, challenge Koschei the Deathless, and save your immortal soul in Bylina – an epic action-adventure rooted in Slavic folklore, with a heavy focus on skill-based combat. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Bylina.

51%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, replayability

55% User Score Based on 44 reviews

After a rough breakup, you do what any reasonable person would: escape to a remote tropical island full of beautiful strangers. There, you’ll meet many captivating women, each with her own charm, secrets, and questionable taste in men. Your choices decide who you love, lose, or accidentally ghost. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Island of Hearts.

58%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:atmosphere, story

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, optimization

88% User Score Based on 17 reviews

The Protagonist is a narrative-driven psychological horror game set 635 years after the sun died. You play as Varon, a man searching the underground ruins of humanity for his missing daughter. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Protagonist.

68%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, character development

100% User Score Based on 19 reviews

Immerse yourself in the world of intrigue and art scandals with Arts&Hearts Academy. You'll shiver but beg for more! A girl from a provincial architecture college dreams of winning a prestigious competition. But everything seems to be against her: hostile competitors, disagreements inside her team, and secrets hidden within the walls of the Architecture Academy. She must uncover the long-forgo… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Arts & Hearts Academy.

72%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding

82% User Score Based on 212 reviews

Critic Score 62%Based on 18 reviews

Someday You'll Return is a story-driven psychological horror game about a desperate search for a missing daughter deep in the woods where you swore you'd never return, brought to you by the creative duo behind J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Someday You'll Return.