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.

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.

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.

97%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability

100% User Score Based on 56 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

1986, Tornado Alley, USA… Go undercover as Boulder, an agent infiltrating the notorious religious cult known as the Bahnsen Knights. Face off against occultists, biblical storms, and an enigmatic car salesman turned preacher as you investigate the disappearance of a fellow agent and close friend. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Bahnsen Knights.

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.

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.

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.

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.

99%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:atmosphere, grinding

99% User Score Based on 76 reviews

This is Interesting is a psychological horror narrative based game with roguelite elements. You are being watched, and you aren't really sure why. Delve through the depths of memory to uncover the mystery behind the gray purgatory you find yourself in. Knowledge-based progression While each run of the game will differ, the true progression of the story comes from knowledge gained in previo… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to This is Interesting.

Year 2068, Lupa Corps, a company specialized in creating domestic artificial intelligence, is about to revolutionize the world with its new creation, Minerva. You are a detective and you receive a call to investigate a murder. Upon arrival, you realize that the victim was a well-known hacker wanted by justice. At that moment a story begins where nothing is what it seems. DETECTIVE Minerva Case i… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to DETECTIVE - Minerva case.

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.

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.

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.

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.

67%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, stability

69% User Score Based on 109 reviews

Critic Score 63%Based on 3 reviews

The Earthworms is independent, artistic, point & click game placed in surrealist world of science-fiction. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Earthworms.

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.

78%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, music

78% User Score Based on 250 reviews

What's scarier: the principal, your psychic powers, or finding a date for prom? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Psy High.

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.

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.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, replayability

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization, character development

84% User Score Based on 268 reviews

Plunder ghost ships for cursed treasure! Will ye rival the Pirate King himself? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Choice of the Pirate.

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.

96%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding

97% User Score Based on 125 reviews

Critic Score 90%Based on 1 reviews

The Remainder is a dark fantasy story made of psychological puzzles, romance, and the unexpected. The Complete Edition contains acts 1 to 4! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Chronicles of Taldun: The Remainder.

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.

75%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, stability

80% User Score Based on 690 reviews

Critic Score 50%Based on 1 reviews

After captivating players from all around the world with the mythic Runaway trilogy, Pendulo Studios presents a new adventure gaming masterpiece! This thrilling mystery, presenting a unique, dark and somber style, will not leave you indifferent! With an incredible story, superb environments, perplexing and shady characters, Yesterday throws you into an unforgettable adventure from which you will n… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Yesterday.

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.

63%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:graphics, atmosphere

Most mentioned negative aspects:story, music

90% User Score Based on 21 reviews

A 3D surreal horror game that combines fixed camera angles with 2.5D elements. The game is mostly focused on its dark world that is occasionally littered with a strange threat or puzzle. Things start off a bit slow but gradually escalate, all while being mindful to pace itself and balance a level of intrigue, involvement and introspection. Travel between several strange locations, varying from a … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Feast Your Eyes.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

90%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding

90% User Score Based on 263 reviews

Out of Hands is a card-based thriller that blends card battles, video collage and psychological horror. With nightmarish roguelike elements and live-action visuals made out of the real hands of the developer, the game provides an intriguing and spine-chilling experience that leads you to combat the mental struggles and retrieve the lost memory. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Out Of Hands.

86%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay

95% User Score Based on 41 reviews

Wake up lovely, you've got things to do! First, find your lost flock of faer. Then find your wife, she'd look so cute wearing that flower you found. And if you have time, attack and dethrone god. Ok? Don't worry about that portal. I'm sure it's nothing. Now be careful. Every choice matters. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Quantum Witch.

67%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphere

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability

86% User Score Based on 29 reviews

1953. North East Scotland. A research student travels to the small coastal village of Kellas Bay to study it's unique and strange ecology. They embark on a surreal journey from the lush forests and ancient cave systems surrounding the village, to the freezing depths of the North Sea in order to comprehend the primordial natural forces responsible for the area's curious phenomena. It Sleeps Belo… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to It Sleeps Below the Haar.

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.

98%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:atmosphere, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability

98% User Score Based on 1,908 reviews

UNSORTED HORROR is a collection of 5 short first-person horror games, that revolve around detailed machinery in a dark dystopian setting. The majority of the games have a playtime of roughly 10-15 minutes and can be played through in one sitting. Choose a CD case, read the backside, and go on a small adventure. THE GAMES: 1. Tartarus Engine - A group of plucky technicians exploit an ancient machi… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Unsorted Horror.

81%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, atmosphere

81% User Score Based on 145 reviews

You wake up to find yourself on the Babel - a cruise ship sailing into the afterlife. On this journey, uncover secrets and solve quests by rewriting the past to change destinies...where will it lead you? Perhaps reincarnation? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Guidebook of Babel.