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One of the greatest joys of gaming is the ability to tell fascinating stories about almost unreal characters and bring them to the interactive plane without missing a beat. And when the story is put front and center, it becomes all the more a subject of fascination unlike any other.
A simple teaser at a PlayStation event and a simple trailer that showcased exactly what the game would look and feel like, and despite all of that, nobody could have prepared us for the thrill ride that was Until Dawn.
One of, if not the best-performing game for developer Supermassive Games, Until Dawn was an instant hit for both the critics and the masses, and put paid to all of the money and effort put behind it quadruple fold. Also, did we mention that they managed to get Rami Malek in it?
So, let’s take a look at more such games, and what they achieved for the industry, narratives in video games, and more.
Here are the best games like Until Dawn..
Best Games Like Until Dawn to Play in 2024
- Man of Medan
- House Of Ashes
- Firewatch
- Silent Hill 2
- The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter
- SOMA
- Alan Wake
Man of Medan
The universal acclaim for Until Dawn did not go unnoticed, as Supermassive went straight back to work with The Dark Pictures Anthology. With a few tweaks to the same winning formula, Man of Medan is one of the few times a formulaic approach for a sequel can be both forgiven and acclaimed.
Trapped amid treacherous waters, Man of Medan tells the story of 4 stranded adults who are captured by pirates and forced to set course in search of something called Manchuria Gold.
What happens after that on the ghost ship they encounter is entirely left to the player, as decisions you make determine the future of your characters. This one is a must-play with the capable Shawn Ashmore leading the line.
House Of Ashes
Continuing with The Dark Pictures, the 3rd installment in this series takes place during a conflict between the US forces and Iraqi soldiers.
As a result of an earthquake, our central characters land inside what seems like an archaeological ground of a site lost to time, and find something that will send chills down your spine.
Although House of Ashes wasn’t considered as impactful as some of the other games on our list, it is still a genuinely terrifying horror game to experience. When our characters land in a mausoleum supposed to hold ancient vampires, oof, do we need to say more?
Regardless, fun explained is not fun had. So go check out House of Ashes, and we promise that you are going to have a good time.
Firewatch
Firewatch is more than just an interactive movie designed in 3D. It is a story that goes to unexpected places. A story that hits hard. A story that hits home.
You play as a Forest Ranger atop a tower, descending down with your map and radio as you listen to various stories and discover as much about the world as you do about yourself.
And believe me when I say this, you will not see the twist coming. Firewatch tries to bring out themes that are rarely expected to be fleshed out in a game of this art style, but style and substance can be in different directions and still be impactful.
If you haven’t tried Firewatch yet, do yourself a favor. This is an experience you will not forget.
Silent Hill 2
Ah, if you instantly recognize the Silent Hill series from Team Silent from the box art, you know your story-driven games similar to Until Dawn. But this is much more than just a similar game.
If there is a place above the Platinum category when it comes to gaming experience, Silent Hill 2 deserves to be on the podium there. James Sunderland is one of the finest protagonists to ever be written into existence on the 3D platform, and Silent Hill 2 remains horror’s greatest story ever told.
Nowadays, with the series fading in and out of the news, people forget how good it was at its peak. Why not go refresh your memory?
The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter
Considered one of the best indie titles of the early 2010s, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter from Astronaut Games tells the story of a paranormal investigator who gets a strange letter from a ‘huge fan’, asking him to visit the former’s a small mining town.
Set against the backdrop of a 70s countryside, this game has layers to unravel for you before you really get to the meat of the story; the things that you find upon visiting Ethan’s house. And it is open-world, so you may explore the town to your heart’s content to find out more.
Unforgettable and extremely emotional, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a joy to play.
Get The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter on Steam
SOMA
What can be said about SOMA that hasn’t been said yet? Well, the fact that it still holds up as one of the best sci-fi horror games to date. SOMA is a breathtakingly well-made game, with the story of a utopian society fallen to ruins following along the lines of the Dead Space series.
Considered the true spiritual sequel to the acclaimed System Shock series and by the creators of Amnesia, SOMA’s protagonist wakes up an amnesiac, alone and stranded. Uncovering the mysteries of your environment is then mixed in with surviving the vicious creatures that now inhabit your environment.
SOMA’s underwater research facility is beautifully realized and built, and Simon is the perfect protagonist for this kind of game.
Alan Wake
The decision by Sam Lake and the rest of Remedy Entertainment to move away from Max Payne, the series that put them on the map, was bloody good. And as a direct result of them switching to a story-focused game, we got Alan Wake.
Alan Wake is a dark, disturbing, paranormal ride through the thoughts of a writer, which will leave you feeling doubtful about everything you experience after the game is finished. Stuck in a remote town with his wife missing, Alan Wake realizes that every story he ever wrote is slowly coming to life.
As amazing as it ever was, the game is also getting a sequel shortly, confirmed by Remedy!
And there we have it. These are the best games similar to Until Dawn, which will leave you gasping for air after the end of a playthrough. Make sure to check out other such lists that we have, and we will see you in the next one.
