Games like Thing-in-Itself
Looking for games like Thing-in-Itself? Here are top casual simulation recommendations with a romance and drama focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with Gone In November, Actual Sunlight or The Beginner's Guide.
- 52%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:graphics, gameplay52% User Score 221 reviews
Coming home after visiting your doctor for the last time, you are told that you only have three more days to live. A sequence of short memory fragments flashing through as you try to run away from what you have done. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Gone In November.
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- 69%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, replayability74% User Score 463 reviewsCritic Score 57%3 reviews
Actual Sunlight is a short interactive story about love, depression and the corporation. The game puts you in the role of Evan Winter, a young professional in Toronto, as he moves through three distinct periods of his life. The story is linear, unavoidable and (hopefully) thought-provoking. You experience his perceptions, fall under the consequences of his decisions, and meet everyone who didn’t … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Actual Sunlight.
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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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- 73%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability79% User Score 2,364 reviewsCritic Score 67%15 reviews
Out of money and out of luck you find yourself heart broken and on the verge of collapse. Your landlord's taken the key back, you can't finish your manuscript, and your beloved is marrying someone else. With no choice but to handle whatever life throws at you, you set out on the open road on a mission to win back the love of your life. The story from there is up to you. Can your life be salvaged, … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Always Sometimes Monsters.
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- 56%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, atmosphere58% User Score 133 reviewsCritic Score 52%5 reviews
Using a unique narrative choice mechanic, players craft sentences in response to the in-game characters in We should talk. Through this careful choice of words, players express themselves as they discuss ongoing problems about life and romance with their in-game partner over text messages, while also chatting with friends and strangers at their favorite local bar about what’s on their mind. The co… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to We Should Talk.
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- 92%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding94% User Score 4,336 reviewsCritic Score 90%2 reviews
Florence is the story of the highs and lows of a young woman’s very first love. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Florence.
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- 92%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:optimization, grinding92% User Score 1,402 reviews
Summerland is a first-person narrative game about morality and the afterlife. You take control of Matthew, a detective reliving the events of his past, being questioned on his morals along the way. In every door lies another memory, and every memory unlocks another door. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Summerland.
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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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- 89%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, character development96% User Score 1,070 reviewsCritic Score 71%3 reviews
You are Price, a man who sold his humanity to get a partnership from a leading company: McDade, Bruton & Moore. Distraint 2 follows on from the events of the first game. It's a sinister tale about restoring hope and finding your purpose. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to DISTRAINT 2.
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- 96%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, optimization96% User Score 3,492 reviews
Your Creation, Her Eternity If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The NOexistenceN of you AND me.
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- 90%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:music, stability95% User Score 1,880 reviewsCritic Score 73%1 reviews
A pig farmer decides he no longer wants to dispose of bodies for the mob. What follows is a discussion between him and his would-be killer. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Adios.
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- View Game95%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:monetization, music95% User Score 2,849 reviews
A philosophical lunar romance with game designers. What defines a "good" ending? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Creatures Such as We.
- 86%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, atmosphere86% User Score 178 reviews
You spend a day seeing how many coins you can fit into the hollows above your collarbones. You're losing yourself first in inches, then moments... Will you survive yourself? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Shrinking Pains.
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- 81%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability92% User Score 434 reviewsCritic Score 69%8 reviews
A story-focused adventure game about a little girl in the world of adults. How can you find a monster you can’t see? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Lydia.
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- View Game61%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:music, grinding61% User Score 3,444 reviews
Depression Quest is an interactive fiction game where you play as someone living with depression. You are given a series of everyday life events and have to attempt to manage your illness, relationships, job, and possible treatment. This game aims to show other sufferers of depression that they are not alone in their feelings, and to illustrate to people who may not understand the illness the dept… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Depression Quest.
- 76%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding76% User Score 684 reviews
Home is Where One Starts... is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, hope, and the miracle of memory. You play as a little girl from a broken home somewhere in the American South. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Home is Where One Starts....
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- 81%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, character development81% User Score 259 reviews
Enter the pages of the hand painted world of Journal. A journey through the life of a young and troubled girl as she tries to face up to the choices and responsibilities that come with childhood. An experience that questions the reliability of how we choose to remember events and explores the truths hidden within our dreams. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Journal.
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- 91%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability91% User Score 1,454 reviews
All players approach games in varied ways, making different choices. No one ever plays in exactly the same way. Indeed, how a person plays can be an indicator of their personality... And Refind Self is a game where you can learn all about that personality. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Refind Self: The Personality Test Game.
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- 74%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding76% User Score 322 reviewsCritic Score 72%17 reviews
Mosaic is a mysterious narrative game, where you follow the repetitive and lonely life of an average commuter.... Until one day, when strange things start happening. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mosaic.
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- 90%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding93% User Score 1,407 reviewsCritic Score 82%4 reviews
Eliza is a visual novel about an AI counseling program, the people who develop it, and the people who use it. Follow Evelyn Ishino-Aubrey as she reconnects with people from her past, gets to know the people of Seattle who use Eliza for counseling, and decides the course of her future. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Eliza.
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- 90%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:emotional, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:optimization, grinding90% User Score 1,379 reviews
Home is a feel-good walking simulator experience in which you create your own poem and music. Embark on a poetic and musical heartwarming journey about what home means to you. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to HOME.
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- 86%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding90% User Score 4,168 reviewsCritic Score 76%1 reviews
Amy Ferrier's first day on Lunar Transfer Station Tacoma is not exactly what she expected. Discover the story of a remote space facility and the crew that lived there in Tacoma, the new game from the creators of Gone Home. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Tacoma.
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- 84%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:humor, storyMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding84% User Score 2,587 reviews
Run, hit, switch, fall, love, plug, pull. And push. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Plug & Play.
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- 84%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, atmosphereMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding84% User Score 237 reviews
You are a monster under someone's house. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to I live under your house..
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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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- 89%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding91% User Score 2,498 reviewsCritic Score 85%6 reviews
This Bed We Made is a third-person mystery game in which you play as a maid in a 1950s hotel and snoop around strangers' rooms to uncover their deadly secrets. Discover what links the clients together in this tale of love, heartbreak and murder! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to This Bed We Made.
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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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- 69%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, music69% User Score 115 reviews
The Fan is an interactive photo fiction with real locations and actors. The game is a first person thriller with a unique twist. Driven by a creepy and unsettling atmosphere, it will take you deep within the darkest places of Paris underground. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Fan.
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- 92%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability92% User Score 1,980 reviews
You must stay in your apartment as the city around you falls to an Eldritch horror. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to You Will (Not) Remain.
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- 92%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability92% User Score 3,133 reviews
Explore the last monuments of humanity, as one of the only people alive, while coming to terms with the bleak reality that lies ahead. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Cloud Climber.
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- 94%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding94% User Score 2,773 reviews
In the near future, androids have become the way of the norm. Emotionless husks of metal have become a part of human society, much to the dismay of the boy. The robot he found at the dumpsite though, this one was different. It laughed, it cried, it smiled, it has dreams, just like a human… Lucy The eternity she wished for is a Visual Novel, about a boy and an android. You play as the boy, who fac… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Lucy: The Eternity She Wished For.
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- 80%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability91% User Score 5,896 reviewsCritic Score 69%28 reviews
"The Red Strings Club is a cyberpunk narrative experience about fate and happiness featuring the extensive use of pottery, bartending and impersonating people on the phone to take down a corporate conspiracy." If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Red Strings Club.
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- 96%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability96% User Score 11,075 reviews
‘goth gf’s iPhone’ airdrops you - accept or decline? A romance/horror story about life, death, and memes. A shift in perspective can change everything. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Missed Messages.
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- View Game93%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability93% User Score 4,361 reviews
Marie's Room is a short-story exploration game about an unconventional friendship between two classmates, told through memories. You play as Kelsey, remembering Marie's room as it was 20 years ago. What happened to Marie and Kelsey all those years ago? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Marie's Room.
- 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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- 88%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:atmosphere, replayability88% User Score 3,282 reviews
In this very short kinetic novel, you will play as Jung who's meeting up and hanging out with a girl named Ai. Spend your time wisely. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Carpe Diem.
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- 86%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability91% User Score 2,286 reviewsCritic Score 69%2 reviews
Do you know what love is? This game is trying to give our answer. This game encourages people to have a sensitive and gentle heart. Enjoy! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to LoveChoice.
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- 76%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability80% User Score 1,027 reviewsCritic Score 72%8 reviews
When humans get too lonely, they turn into monsters… Sea of Solitude takes you on a personal journey of a young woman’s loneliness. Set sail across a beautiful and evolving world where nothing is quite what it seems. Meet fantastical creatures and monsters, learn their stories, and solve challenges. Explore a flooded city by boat, on foot, or by swimming through the water itself. Dare to look wha… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sea of Solitude.
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- 83%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding90% User Score 2,614 reviewsCritic Score 76%16 reviews
Ask and you shall be deceived If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to INDIKA.
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- 88%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding90% User Score 5,173 reviewsCritic Score 75%1 reviews
A story about taking things apart and putting ourselves back together. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Assemble with Care.
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- 70%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, character development79% User Score 886 reviewsCritic Score 61%10 reviews
The Novelist asks one central question: can you achieve your dreams without pushing away the people you love? The game focuses on Dan Kaplan, a novelist struggling to write the most important book of his career while trying to be the best husband and father he can be. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Novelist.
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- 90%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding90% User Score 639 reviews
A Game About is a free, short, lo-fi point & click adventure that tasks the player with living with their daily routine. Through day to day choices, life changes in imperceptibles and unexpected ways. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Game About.
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- 69%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplayMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding71% User Score 112 reviewsCritic Score 65%8 reviews
Stay is a nail-biting tale of abduction and isolation, where every single second counts. A pixel-art adventure game with multiple routes and endings, your computer is tethered to a PC inside an abandoned house... where an abducted man finds himself trapped and in desperate need of help. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to STAY.
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- 75%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, stability76% User Score 887 reviewsCritic Score 70%1 reviews
State of Mind is a futuristic thriller game delving into transhumanism. The game explores themes of separation, disjuncture and reunification, in a world that is torn between a dystopian material reality and a utopian virtual future. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to State of Mind.
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- 89%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, emotionalMost mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability95% User Score 466 reviewsCritic Score 76%4 reviews
Lost Words is a 2D narrative adventure game where players move words to solve puzzles. The game features a story written by Rhianna Pratchett and ties the narrative into the gameplay in an unusual way, by having the player running on and interacting with words to solve puzzles. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Lost Words: Beyond the Page.
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- 93%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:optimization, stability93% User Score 4,698 reviews
The Cat Lady follows Susan Ashworth, a lonely 40-year old on the verge of suicide. She has no family, no friends and no hope for a better future. One day she discovers that five strangers will come along and change everything... By author Remigiusz Michalski (Harvester Games) this suspenseful psychological horror game features stylized artwork, a simple keyboard control method and English voic… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Cat Lady.
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- View Game78%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:replayability, grinding78% User Score 246 reviews
Labyrinthine Dreams is a short puzzle game about Beth, a young woman who is standing at Death’s Door. After a traumatic childhood and a tough entry into the world of adulthood, she was just starting to take control of her life. However, she is now up against an insidious enemy who threatens to take everything away from her. During what may be her final hours, Beth wanders through important moments… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Labyrinthine Dreams.
- 78%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, musicMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, stability84% User Score 466 reviewsCritic Score 67%6 reviews
Buy Erica for PS4, an innovative live-action interactive thriller, where your decisions shape the narrative. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Erica.
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- 90%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:character development, replayability90% User Score 813 reviews
Lorelai, a brand new emotional horror ride from the maker of The Cat Lady and Downfall, tells a coming of age story of a young girl trying to escape the hell of her toxic family home. But adulthood is like waking up from a long dream. There will be times you will wish you were asleep again... But you can never go back to the same dream. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Lorelai.
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- 70%Game Brain ScoreMost mentioned positive aspects:story, graphicsMost mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding67% User Score 215 reviewsCritic Score 71%6 reviews
"No Longer Home" is a semi-auto-biographical point and click game, about two recent graduates preparing to move out of their flat. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to No Longer Home.
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