- The Wolf Among Us
- Heavy Rain
- Until Dawn
- Gone Home
- Detroit: Become Human
- Oxenfree
- Tell Me Why
- Beyond: Two Souls
Story-heavy games have always been all the rage, and Life Is Strange is no stranger to that concept. A very lovingly crafted masterpiece, the game tells you the story of Maxine “Max” Caulfield returning to her hometown of Arcadia Bay, Oregon, and helping people with her newfound powers of precognition.
Despite being slated to be a middle market release back when middle market releases were basically the laughing stock of the industry, Life Is Strange took the market, the year, and the industry by storm by launching to universal praise and acclaim.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at more games similar to Life Is Strange, and see if any of them live up to the lofty standards of the original!
Best Games Like Life Is Strange to Play in 2023
The Wolf Among Us
Talking about story-driven interactive graphic novels and not talking about Telltale Games? Not possible.
In fact, The Wolf Among Us is one of the few releases that led to the establishment of superstar indie devs as one of the pioneers of the genre and the industry, in general.
We follow the adventures of the Fables, who are characters pulled from the world of stories and myths (such as Snow White), especially spending time with the protagonist of the game, Bigby Wolf. Bigby plays a gruff, tough-as-nails detective with the ability to turn into his Fable self, a werewolf.
Don’t miss out on this one.
Get The Wolf Among Us
Heavy Rain
Oftentimes, when we talk about interactive movie-style games, we forget that they are not always going to have payoffs for the main characters. We are so used to our heroic characters getting everything they wanted and settling down with the sun on the horizon, that we forget the world we live in.
Even though video games were built to promote that escapism, Heavy Rain is not one such game. Quantic Dream’s seminal offering was horribly underappreciated but successfully told the story of a father and the length he would go to protect his child.
Settle down, brew that cup of coffee, because you are going to have a long night after this one.
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Until Dawn
Supermassive Entertainment, much like Telltale Games, made its name on the success of its interactive movie games. And we got the first glimpse of what they would make their genre in the form of a massive hit called Until Dawn.
Played by thousands of gamers and streamers alike at the height of its popularity, Until Dawn gave us a group that goes to a lodge on vacation, only to find the horrors of their life and try to survive them.
What made Until Dawn’s mechanic prowess show was the choice system they established. And this was not a gimmick. Every choice you made in the game reflected further down in your playthrough, as your actions decided who lived and died.
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Gone Home
When I put my hands on my very first copy of Gone Home, I thought that this was going to be another round of the psychological horror at night that my brain so fervently craved.
I never found any of that in Gone Home. Instead, what I found was one of the best games like Life Is Strange on the Nintendo Switch.
And the reason why this game even makes the list is that it doesn’t tell you anything about anything. No hand holding, no quest markers, no objectives. Just explore and find out for yourselves where your family is.
In the tranquil moments of you exploring the huge mansion, you might find one or two disturbing occurrences, but the point of Gone Home is not to provide horror. The point then, you ask? Well, why not find out for yourself?
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Detroit: Become Human
You know how much a studio cares about the genre they are in and the stories they are trying to tell when two of their games make it onto a list dedicated to the genre.
Quantic Dream’s Detroit: Become Human very carefully assesses, parodies and shows a mirror to our world and the amount of class and racial divide we live in IRL.
This world is the distant future, the conflict is between Humans and Androids. But we all know the subject at hand. Or is it? You find out for yourself, would be the developers’ answer, we’re sure.
Detroit is a must-play for the story if not for anything else, as it does come with its own shortcomings and lapses in mechanical solidity.
Get Detroit: Become Human
Oxenfree
Developed by a new-age studio and boasting style and substance unlikely to ever be seen again, Oxenfree was a step in the right direction for indie games trying to make their mark on the industry at large.
Alex is our protagonist, and the story is one of paranormal entities and the journey of life and death. The rest of Oxenfree, as with other entries on this list, we will leave for you to explore and find out on your own.
And should you find yourself reluctant, just get past the entry stage of the game. We promise you’ll be hooked.
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Tell Me Why
If you are specifically looking for a game that scratches the same delicate, particular itch that Life Is Strange did look no further than a spiritual sequel from the same developer.
Dontnod Entertainment have cut their teeth on designing and helping out with the franchise, and it shows with the care that they put into Tell Me Why.
Another episodic game similar to the likes of Life Is Strange and the Telltale games, Tell Me Why instead opts for a more mature tone, working with themes of child abuse and murder.
If you are into more adult-oriented stories in your games, Tell Me Why is a story you must experience.
Get Tell Me Why
Beyond: Two Souls
Man, Quantic Dream just own this genre, don’t they? The third game in this list from the veteran developer, Beyond: Two Souls is a psychological thriller the likes of which we had never seen before, and takes the genre to another level entirely.
From the star casting of Elliot Page (credited as Ellen Page) and Willem Dafoe to the riveting and original story about a telepath and a mysterious connection she shares with an otherworldly entity, do we need to say more?
Yes, yes we do. Check it out for yourself, Beyond is one you shouldn’t miss.
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So that wraps it up. These are the best games like Life Is Strange you can play right now. For more things video games, keep it right here on The Lost Gamer!
