Summary
- The rise of the gaming industry has led to advanced character models, skilled voice actors, and immersive storytelling in games like Life is Strange.
- Road 96 offers players an interactive indie adventure with unique procedural generation, life sim elements, and a politically charged narrative.
- Nobody Wants to Die presents a narratively driven detective drama set in 2329, featuring a futuristic noir detective story with a powerful narrative.
The prominent rise of the gaming industry over the last few years has enabled game studios to create meticulously detailed character models with impressive motion capture. It has also left them able to afford skilled voice actors and scriptwriters. This has resulted in games telling more immersive and captivating stories, exemplified by titles like Life is Strange.
Life is Strange was developed by Dontnod Entertainment and tells one of modern gaming's most well-constructed stories. Life is Strange fans looking for something else to play in the same genre can look into numerous other titles that offer similarly impressive and encapsulating narrative experiences.
Updated February 10, 2025 by Michael Llewellyn: Life is Strange is the kind of series that can hook its players like a good mystery drama/thriller series on Netflix or Prime. It is enhanced by the level of interaction and the way it takes its players on a journey that feels personal to them. This list has been updated to include two additional games that fans of Life is Strange should add to their playlist. It also features updated tags and information.
1 Road 96
An Innovative Take On The Adventure Genre
Road 96
- Released
- August 16, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes, Drug Reference, Violence, Language, Use of Alcohol And Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- DigixArt
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Road 96 is an interactive indie adventure game similar to Life is Strange but lets players take part in what is essentially their own road trip. It uses procedural generation to make every journey feel unique. It's innovative, ambitious, and tells a powerful and politically charged story. Road 96 puts players in the shoes of teenagers as they're trying to escape a dictatorial regime in a fictional South American country called Petria.
There are multiple choices based on the many characters the teenagers meet, their political allegiances, and more that will change the outcome of the story. There is also a life sim element where players must ensure the protagonists' energy is maintained with food and drink. This ensures they can continue their journey to the border via hitchhiking, buses, and cabs.
2 Still Wakes The Deep
A Compelling Interactive Horror Adventure
Still Wakes the Deep
- Released
- June 18, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of Tobacco, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- The Chinese Room
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Still Wakes the Deep is an adventure horror game that is set on an oil rig during the 1970s. Players take on the role of Caz, an electrician for the rig who's on the verge of getting fired from his job. Fans who loved Life is Strange's realistic characters will enjoy the authenticity of the game's lead character and the NPCs Caz interacts with before things take a turn for the worse on the oil rig.
It's effectively a linear walking simulator with more than a few nods to John Carpenter's The Thing, but the dialogue tension makes Still Wakes the Deep an easy recommendation to fans of adventure games. Still Wakes the Deep is a visually stunning achievement, showcasing realistic environments and detailed characters. The sound design and voice acting are exceptional, evoking a gritty, realistic drama reminiscent of Amazon Prime's The Rig.
3 Nobody Wants To Die
A Narratively Driven Detective Drama
Nobody Wants to Die
- Released
- July 17, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Mystery, Puzzle, Noir
Nobody Wants to Die is the debut title from Critical Hit Games. It's a narratively driven adventure detective game set in 2329. The dystopian New York setting is a beautifully crafted world that merges 1930s style and decor with a cyberpunk backdrop, reminiscent of the Altered Carbon Netflix series and Richard K. Morgan's novels.
Like Altered Carbon, Nobody Wants to Die features a world where immortality is achieved by transferring a person's consciousness into a new body for a price. The game resembles a point-and-click adventure and is more linear than the Life is Strange games. However, it features a futuristic noir detective story where players take on the role of James Karra. The narrative is just as thought-provoking as the Life is Strange series, showcasing a great script and narrative that will keep players engaged from the opening cinematics.
4 Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One
A Prequel That's Arguably The Best In The Series
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One
- Released
- November 16, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Frogwares
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is both a prequel and a soft reboot of the series developed by Frogwares. It features a younger but no less clever Sherlock Holmes going back to his childhood home on the island of Cordona. While fans might long for the gritty Victorian ambiance of Whitechapel and its environs, the island provides a refreshing change of pace.
It isn't as polished or as cinematic as Life is Strange, but those who enjoy the murder-solving aspects will love playing the most well-known detective in the world. The detective mechanics are more in-depth and there are lots of cases to solve as the young SherlockThe game further explores the protagonist's psyche, grappling with his mother's death and the loss of his companion, Jon.
5 Broken Sword: Shadow Of The Templars
A Globe-Trotting Adventure With Amazing Characters
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
- Released
- October 14, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Revolution Software
- Genre(s)
- Graphic Adventure, Puzzle, Indie Games
The Broken Sword series is among the most popular point-and-click games of all time. It pulls players into a globe-trotting murder mystery through the eyes of George Stobbard an American tourist and Nicole Collard a journalist from Paris. The two uncover a plot connected to a cult of modern-day Knights Templar taking them across Europe and the Middle East. It boasts timeless, hand-drawn visuals, beautiful music, challenging puzzles, and well-written characters.
The sequel, Broken Sword 2: The Sleeping Dragon, was released a year later, featuring the same visual style. It brought George and Nicole together again for another mystery adventure reminiscent of Indiana Jones, this time with a narrative linked to the Ancient Mayans. The next two games Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon and Broken Sword 4: The Angel of Death dropped the hand-drawn style in favor of a 3D style adventure, but they still felt like Broken Sword gamed with excellent writing and great characters. However, it was Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse that felt, looked, and played like the first two games with its modernized 3D characters prerendered and saved 2D frames. There's a lot to play, but thankfully, the series doesn't drag and Life is Strange fans will fall in love with the leads, George and Nico, along with the brilliant cast of characters they encounter throughout their adventures. The classic adventure title was remastered as Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templars Reforged and launched on modern consoles with updated graphics and quality-of-life improvements. Fans can even switch between the old and new character and environment designs.
6 Blade Runner Remastered
A Side Story Connected To The Blade Runner Series
Blade Runner
- Released
- November 13, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
Blade Runner puts players in the shoes of Ray McCoy, a Blade Runner/detective tasked with hunting down dangerous Replicants. His role is similar to that of Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford in the 1982 movie) with the events of the game taking place after the end of the Blade Runner film. The movie features returning characters portrayed by the original actors, such as Sean Young, James Hong, and the late Brion James, among others, reprising their roles.
There are some minor action sequences, but Blade Runner is a point-and-click mystery adventure game with an incredible atmosphere and several mysteries to solve. Life is Strange fans will love the multiple endings that reflect their choices, providing plenty of incentive to dive back into the game for another playthrough in one of the greatest realizations of cyberpunk ever created.
7 Beyond A Steel Sky
A Futuristic Telltale-Style Adventure Game
Beyond A Steel Sky
- Released
- June 25, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Indie Games, Action, Adventure
Beyond a Steel Sky is a sequel to the classic 1994 point-and-click adventure game Beneath a Steel Sky from the same team that created the Broken Sword series. It immerses players into a fully 3D futuristic world and there are enough allusions to the original classic that new players can dive in without prior knowledge of the original game. However, there is no reason why players shouldn't grab Beneath the Steel Sky as it was released as freeware on the Steam platform.
It's the perfect marriage of old-school point-and-click gameplay with modern Telltale and Life is Strange- style storytelling with a greater emphasis on exploring the wonderfully realized Union City. There are mysteries to unravel and puzzles to solve as the protagonist, Robert Foster tries to locate a missing child. Beyond a Steel Sky's Union City is packed with NPCs and side missions to complete as Foster discovers its citizens are forced to live under a strict regime where their life is determined by their social status score.
8 Twin Mirror
A Mystery Drama From The Creators Of Life Is Strange
Twin Mirror
- Released
- December 1, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Dontnod Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Twin Mirror is a mystery drama that places the player in the shoes of an investigative journalist named Sam who returns to his hometown and attends the funeral of an old friend. In typical Don't Nod fashion, the town holds dark secrets that reveal themselves as Sam investigates his friend's death and encounters old acquaintances and enemies alike.
The detective mechanics will be familiar to fans of Life is Strange and the Sherlock Holmes games. Twin Mirror is one of the studio's more cinematic outings and feels like a big-budget detective miniseries where the player controls the story's direction based on their choices.
9 Oxenfree
Unique Visuals And An Intriguing Coming-Of-Age Saga
Oxenfree
- Released
- January 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Night School Studio
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Oxenfree is a graphic adventure game originally launched in January 2016 for OS X, Windows, and Xbox One with other platforms getting their version the following year. The game puts players in the shoes of a teenager named Alex, who accidentally lets a paranormal force loose on an island and must find a way to stop it.
Oxenfree turned heads upon launch with its unique visuals. The players have to guide Alex and his friends as they explore a mysterious island and discover how to contain the mysterious dark power, and their discoveries form the basis of the story.
10 Broken Age
Modern Point And Click With A Compelling Story
Broken Age
- Released
- April 28, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
The first episode of Broken Age was one of 2014's most highly-anticipated launches, as the game was the first point-and-click adventure to be worked on by Tim Schafer since Grim Fandango. The hype for Broken Age was reflected in the game's crowdfunding performance, at the time, it became one of the highest-funded video games on Kickstarter.
The game didn't reach the heights of the classic Grim Fandango. However, it's still a tremendous modern point-and-click game like Life Is Strange that is well worth playing for anyone interested in the genre.