15 Best Games Like Life is Strange
Here's our list of games similar to Life is Strange - for your playing pleasure!
UPDATE: This early list of games like Life is Strange focuses on recommending games with choice-and-consequence mechanics (not limited in genre). For those keen on specifically searching for more games like Life is Strange that are similar in emotional tone, we recommend you check out our newer list here. This second list revolves around Firewatch but, as LiS fans, we feel many of the games we included share a similar heart-rendering ‘feel’ to Max and Chloe’s touching story.
Developed by Dontnod, Life is Strange is an episodic action drama adventure game which has won over the hearts of many gamers the world over. Featuring aspiring teenage photographer Max Caulfield with her punk-chick sidekick Chloe Price, Life is Strange takes place in the ageing seaside town of Arcadia Bay where intriguing dark mysteries abound and things are not what they first appear to be. The most prominent game mechanic of Life is Strange centers on Max’s mysterious ability to rewind time which she uses in her attempts to change dramatic events which unfold. Gamers looking for more games like Life is Strange have praised the game for its emotional themes of friendship and loyalty, fascinating characters with unique life stories and situations, incredible choice-and-consequence storytelling crafted with great intimacy and sentimentality, all accompanied with a gentle folk-pop soundtrack.
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Scroll down for our curated list of 15 other games like Life is Strange. All the suggested games similar to Life is Strange have been selected based on the following criteria:
- Each selected game like Life is Strange features a choice-and-consequence gameplay mechanic.
- Players’ moral choices marginally or significantly impact the unfolding storyline in a variety of ways.
- All listed similar games to Life is Strange feature a range of interesting characters, multifaceted storylines, and a decent to incredible amount of replay value for gamers looking to see all possible choice-driven outcomes and endings.
With the above in mind, gamers in search for other games like Life is Strange will surely be entertained by the following selected titles!
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. We earn a small commission should you purchase any items through them, at no extra cost to you. All reviews & recommendations are based on 100% honest opinions.
Our List of Best Games Like Life is Strange
1. Until Dawn
Until Dawn is an action-adventure game centered on eight teenagers fighting to survive (an) unknown serial killer(s) attempting to mercilessly slaughter them. The storyline involves numerous shocking plot twists and a decent amount of frights and gore. This Playstation 4 exclusive game is primarily focused on letting players explore their environments for hidden clues, hitting all the right buttons in quick-time events, and making key life-or-death choices which can lead to different branching events and endings. This is one of a few games like Life is Strange which has inspired many gamers to replay the game multiple times trying to see the outcome of their choices. Numerous critics have commended Until Dawn for its amazing graphics, haunting environments, and high-end motion-capture animations.
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Read more honest game reviews for Until Dawn.
2. Heavy Rain
Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain is a Life is Strange like action-adventure game revolving around attempting to solve the mysterious identity of a serial killer known only as The Origami Killer. Akin to other games like Life is Strange, Heavy Rain showcases a wide branching storyline where players’ choices can lead all playable characters to either stay alive or die. Heavy Rain also features a lot of extremely tense one-chance quick-time moments guaranteed to keep players on the very edge of their seats!
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Read more honest gamer reviews for Heavy Rain.
3. Dragon Age: Inquisition
Bioware’s Dragon Age: Inquisition is an expansive RPG epic which has won legions of fans. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a game similar to Life is Strange as it gives players the power to drastically change main and side storylines throughout a series of tough choice-and-consequence moral choices entrenched in a dense political landscape. Dragon Age: Inquisition also has an exceedingly addictive fighting system and tons of great voice-acting. Gamers who enjoy games like Life is Strange are definitely encouraged to play through this excellent title more than once to discover a treasure trove of new content!
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Read more honest gamer reviews for Dragon Age: Inquisition.
4. Mass Effect
Mass Effect is an epic sci-fi RPG trilogy featuring a great number of carry-over moral choices and various branching outcomes like Life is Strange. This hugely successful award-winning series showcases a fantastic blend of adrenaline-pumping fighting, an addictive leveling up system, and tons of profoundly engaging dialogue. All lines are especially well voice acted (especially if you choose to play as a female character!) and there are a ton of heavy moral and philosophical musings thrown in. Grade A production values ensure Mass Effect has earned a well-deserved spot as as one of the best choice-and-consequence games on the market, perfect for gamers looking for more games likes Life is Strange.
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Read more honest gamer reviews for Mass Effect.
5. The Walking Dead (Seasons 1 & 2)
The Walking Dead (Season 1 & 2) is an episodic interactive action-adventure game most well-known for its intense zombie-infested atmosphere, deviating storylines, and rich character dialogue. A game similar to Life is Strange, The Walking Dead gives the player a large variety of hard moral choices, some of which may bring about the death of key in-game characters. This game series won 80+ Game of the Year awards – all of which are well-deserved! Players looking for plenty of choice-and-consequence action like Life is Strange will not be disappointed with this excellent title.
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Read more honest gamer reviews for The Walking Dead Season 1 & 2.
6. Spec Ops: The Line
As the most underplayed game on this list, Spec Ops: The Line is a stunning military shooter like no other. This third-person action-packed shooter has an avalanche of intense combat sequences accompanied by a surprisingly nuanced and thought-provoking storyline. There are also tons of challenging moral choices to be made, all of which build towards a (branching) crescendo of an ending! Critics have lauded Spec Ops: The Line for its ability to handle extremely controversial subject matters in ways which smartly blur the grey moral lines of good and bad. Gamers looking for games like Life is Strange will no doubt adore this gem of a title!
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Read more honest gamer reviews for Spec Ops: The Line.
7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a stunning hybrid of first-person action with RPG elements coupled with rich choice-and-consequence gameplay. Fans of the game have waxed lyrical about its engaging dialogue, multidimensional NPCs, open-ended level designs, and allowance for various styles of play (e.g. one-man hero, stealth, etc.). As one of few games similar to Life is Strange, players are invited to make key moral decisions with very real storyline consequences. There’s also plenty of tech upgrades, collectible items, and alternate mission routes to explore throughout the game. Deus Ex: Human Revolution also features a breathtaking orchestral score that serves as the perfect soundscape to an already intense sci-fi techie thriller.
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Read more honest gamer reviews for Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
8. Alpha Protocol
Whilst initially hated by critics upon first release, Alpha Protocol has endured the test of time and developed a small but very loyal following of fans who have come to love the game for its truly authentic choice-and-consequence storyline. The game has been labelled as an ‘espionage RPG’ which features a loosely-structured series of action / stealth missions that give players the opportunity to decide where their patriotic spirits truly lie: self-satisfying capitalists, a morally questionable American government, or religious extremists from the Middle-East. Each choice creates vastly deviating narratives offering even more unique dialogue options, thus making Alpha Protocol truly worthy of multiple playthroughs. Whilst different in focus and genre, gamers looking for more choice-and-consequence games like Life is Strange will be treated with a surprisingly fun – albeit unpolished – spy thriller of the ages.
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Read more honest game reviews for Alpha Protocol.
9. Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is a massive and supremely engrossing action-adventure RPG that draws you into its intricate story set against a shambled post-nuclear Boston. Players and critics alike have lauded the game for its incredible world-depth, open-world freedom, bounties of gaming content, highly customizable item and weapon crafting systems, complex and unique characters, and perfectly accompanying soundtrack. A stunning array of choice-and-consequence moral decisions elevates Fallout 4 as the perfect title for players looking for more games like Life is Strange – albeit with the added perk of a truly open-ended adventure with countless hours of exploration and side-questing.
https://youtu.be/k3IlHBBGCIw
Read more honest gamer reviews for Fallout 4.
10. Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is an episodic fantasy drama graphic adventure game inspired by George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novels and the now supremely popular TV series. Similar to other Telltale Games productions, Game of Thrones enables players to make key moral choices which have an impact throughout the unfolding storyline, affecting the kinds of personal and political relationships they keep. The game is similar to Life is Strange as it features a host of richly-detailed main characters and plenty of plot twists guaranteed to keep gamers guessing the ultimate outcome of their difficult decisions.
https://youtu.be/nfohvHENZFk
Read more honest gamer reviews for Game of Thrones.
11. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3 is a sprawling action RPG set in a stunning dark fantasy world offering countless hours of gameplay, exploration, engaging battles, and epic main and side storylines. Best of all, there is no cookie-cutter moral choices in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as players are put in tough political situations that greatly impact the world, its characters, and enemy types and locations. Players looking for more games like Life is Strange will find themselves hooked by this deserving multiple Game of the Year award-winning game.
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Read more honest gamer reviews for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
12. inFAMOUS: Second Son
InFAMOUS: Second Son is an open-world third-person action adventure game focusing on letting players experience what it feels like to be an ‘everyday superhero’. This Playstation 4 exclusive showcases highly detailed destructable environments, morally-dependent superhero powers and ability upgrades, and a deep and conspiracy-laden storyline. InFAMOUS: Second Son is one of a few PS4 games like Life is Strange which enables players to make important ‘good / bad’ moral choices which significantly impact in-game environments, interactions with characters, and unfolding campaign storyline..
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Read more honest game reviews of inFAMOUS: Second Son.
13. The Wolf Among Us
Inspired by the popular comic book series ‘Fables’, The Wolf Among Us is another Telltale Games episodic adventure game with a mystical twist. Players control Bigby Wolf who was in the past the most feared creature among Fables but is now the Sheriff in town designated to protect the characters he once upon a time hunted. Like other games similar to Life is Strange, The Wolf Among Us is filled with plenty of choice-and-consequence decisions which carry over from the past to impact future unfolding storylines. There’s also a great cast of intriguing characters, shocking plot twists, and highly emotive moments to love.
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Read more honest game reviews for The Wolf Among Us.
14. Beyond: Two Souls
From the makers of Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls has been described as one of the closest approximations to Life is Strange in terms of gameplay and ’emotional feel’. This game follows the journey of Jodie, voiced by Academy award nominee Ellen Page, and her psychic connection to a mysterious entity named Aiden. Beyond: Two Souls features plenty of incredible voice-acting, tons of choice-and-consequence gameplay, and a story focused on complex characters and highly emotive situations. Gamers looking for other games like Life is Strange will find a great affinity with this title.
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Read more honest game reviews for Beyond: Two Souls.
15. Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit)
Yet another title from Quantic Dream (notice a pattern here?), Indigo Prophecy may look a little rough around the edges from age – but don’t be fooled! This interactive drama action-adventure game has been hailed a cult classic by many for its intriguing plot centered on the fulfillment of a strange prophecy. As a game similar to Life is Strange, Indigo Prophecy features a good assortment of branching storylines, tough moral choices, time-sensitive responses, and interesting (if not somewhat oddball) characters. Fans of Life is Strange will not be disappointed by what is now considered a pioneering game in the choice-and-consequence genre of gaming.
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Read more honest game reviews for Indigo Prophecy.
What do you think of our list of 15 Games Like Life is Strange? Did we leave out any other games similar to Life is Strange? Share your thoughts below!
Ana Rico
Good list! But I had some hope there was a game here I hadn’t played :p
Awesome games 🙂
Alfie Lee Atton
I will be adding Beyond Two Souls and Indigo Prophecy in as well. What do you think? 🙂
Chris
Yay, glad to see Indigo Prophecy on the list 😀 Often when people talk about interactive films and games with multi-faceted stories, Fahrenheit is unfairly left out, even though it was one of the first such interactive films, in my opinion.
Overall great list!
I’m looking forward to playing Alpha Protocol one day — I’ve heard a lot of good things about the dialogue options and moral alignment system in it, which makes it a pretty unique game.
I can only think of one other game at the moment that might fit this list: Sherlock Holmes – Crimes and Punishments. It’s like a combination of LA Noire and the typical Frogware Sherlock Holmes game, with the distinction that you can actually follow up on red-herrings and choose whom you want to acuse, arrest or frame. It’s a pretty innovative mystery game, with a hidden moral alignment and relationship system that only becomes obvious at the very end.
Alfie Lee Atton
I just played that game last week and loved it!!! It surprised me because I didn’t expect much but was pleasantly treated to a solid game (at a bargain too!). Alpha Protocol is definitely worth a try! It has its issues (as even fans will admit) but it truly does offer players a lot of branching storylines — in fact, perhaps even more ‘truly’ divergent than Life is Strange. If you can get over the bugs it’s definitely worth a buy (and it’s a bargain price now anyway).
Abby
Shadow of Memories on the PS2 was th first step that led me on to these types of games. It was brilliant and I think you should all play it! ?
Alfie Lee Atton
Great recommendation! I admit I haven’t had the pleasure of playing it. I still have my PS2 so I think I might just purchase that for Christmas! Thanks for the suggestion!!
Brody
Good list! Minor typo(?) is that Spec Ops is a 3rd person shooter, not a fps.
Alfie Lee Atton
Oh yes you are right!! Thanks for pointing that out! Appreciate it 🙂
Rosie
I might be missing the point here, but why did you essentially post the same article twice, albeit with two more games added? This list is EXACTLY the same as the “13 games like Until Dawn” list.
Alfie Lee Atton
Hey there!
That’s a fair enough conclusion Rosie. 🙂 To be honest, because the site is new, I wanted to gather feedback on which kind of games list fans would respond more to. 🙂 Just so I could get a better idea of what potential readers might prefer.
But not to worry! I have 3-4 new lists coming out within this week and ALL of them are unique and very different. 🙂 Still in the early stages so I’m still gathering my bearings and testing things out!
Rosie
Oh, okay, that makes a lot of sense! Good luck with everything, dude. C:
Alfie Lee Atton
Thanks so much Rosie! I just posted a brand new list of fresh content (all content won’t be revised from now on :))
Here it is! http://www.gameslikezone.com/9-post-apocalyptic-games-like-fallout-4/
I really appreciate your support in my early days of developing this humble page. It’s small but I will keep working hard to make it better and full of useful content for gamers looking for other similar styles of games to the ones they love. 🙂 Still tweaking and improving! Appreciate the kind words, Rosie.
Alfie Lee Atton
Hey there Rosie! Just thought I’d check back in. 🙂 It’s been almost one year since you left this comment, and I’m happy to say we’ve been working very hard on improving the quality of our lists. You can check out some of our newer stuff 🙂 It’s all original, never repeated, and well-researched by our now team of eight writers. How things have grown!
Just wanted to thank you for your days of early support and kind words and patience. 🙂 I never forgot! 🙂
John
Perhaps Firewatch?
Alfie Lee Atton
Yes – definitely can see the relation there (both games have good levels of emotion, though told from different perspectives)
We actually did a Games Like Firewatch article (a newer one than this one) where we mentioned Life Is Strange!
http://www.gameslikezone.com/games-like-firewatch/
Easy-E
This is a great list of games, however I think if fails as a “games like LiS” list. I believe the criteria should be more along the lines of “an interactive story game that focuses on character arc and moral decision branches that significantly effect the story line with a central goal of achieving high emotional involvement from the player. ” I don’t think games where the majority of game play time is spent in action sequences are like LiS at all. The “games like Firewatch” list (which includes LiS) hits the mark better. Suggest anyone looking for similar games to LiS go there instead: http://www.gameslikezone.com/games-like-firewatch
Alfie Lee Atton
Hey there Easy E!
Thanks for your feedback! In all honesty, we totally agree with you. This LiS list was written at the very start of this blog (about 2 articles in) so it’s pretty unrefined — and you’re totally right: apart from decision-making mechanics, the games listed here don’t have the same emotive, story-arching vibe as LiS. 🙂 Kudos for linking to the Firewatch article which we do agree reflects the general ‘feel’ of LiS better (even though it’s about Firewatch – but there is a similar emotional affinity).
We’re definitely striving to tweak and improve our lists to be more laser honed. You’ll find that most of our recent lists serve a tighter niche, particularly the No Man’s Sky and Pokemon GO ones.
Appreciate the feedback!!!! 🙂
dsare
you should also add game called To the moon
dsare
To the moon and La Noire
Alfie Lee Atton
Good suggestion! That was a fabulous game — so haunting and beautiful.
To be honest, this list is a bit dated. You might want to check out the more suitable Games Like Firewatch list (where Life is Strange is also included!) We’ll add To The Moon there although it’s not really a ‘walking simulator’ at all — but the game is too emotionally solid not to be mentioned!
Val
No, most of the games on this list are shooters or action games. Yes, they have great stories, but they are not similar to Life Is Strange, neither in style, nor in gameplay.
The one game which comes closest to Lis is The Last Express. Yes, it’s almost 20 years old, but regarding gameplay, atmosphere and NPCs I would dare say that LiS is a spiritual successor to The Last Express.
Alfie Lee Atton
You’re right. This was a very old article (the first actually) produced for this site. If you want games closer to Life is Strange, consider the titles on this list — http://www.gameslikezone.com/games-like-firewatch/ 🙂
Val
Yes, that other article is closer to Life is Strange.
A pity even that one doesn’t mention The Last Express. Maybe its old enough so the writers of the article didn’t know about it?
Alfie Lee Atton
We’ll look into adding that in!! Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions. We might also create a point-and-click adventure list of classics — like The Longest Journey, the original King’s Quest, Syberia, etc. Still golden by today’s standards!
dsare
I will add some games with interesting stories which is probably worth a try : BioShosk Infinite , Syberia 1 and Syberia 2 , Cat Lady , Talos Principle , System Shock 2 , Valiant Hearts , Bastion ..
Alfie Lee Atton
Good suggestions! We will look into adding them. Loved the Syberia series (happy to see some people remember it!) Great point and click adventure, though the ending did kinda ‘drag on’ a bit — but the main character had a very April Ryan-ish vibe to her. Did you play The Longest Journey? Now that’s an excellent game too!
Alfie Lee Atton
Hello everyone!
As many of you have noted, this super old list (one of the first ever for this site) does contain similar games to LiS in terms of ‘choice and consequence’ gameplay. But many do NOT capture the emotional feel of the game. For those keen on playing games with similar vibes, I invite you to check out this list:
http://www.gameslikezone.com/games-like-firewatch/
There are some games we truly love there!
Also, in response to reader feedback, we will also be creating a new list of point-and-click adventure games like The Longest Journey, Syberia, and so on. Basically, a homage to the classics that either directly or indirectly inspired LiS. 🙂 Stay tuned!
Almost a year has passed since we first posted this list. Since then, we have worked very hard to improve our lists and content. We thank you for your patience in watching our grow. 🙂
Joey
Oxenfree is a great suggestion for this list. Its even made by former Telltale members.
Alfie Lee Atton
Thanks Joey!
We totally agree with you. This was an earlier list (when the site first started) 🙂
We recommend you check out our later Firewatch list that has Life is Strange in it and which actually also includes Oxenfree! 🙂 It’s a great little indie game, as you said. 🙂
http://www.gameslikezone.com/games-like-firewatch/
To be honest, that list better captures games with a similar ’emotive’ tone to Life is Strange that fans will probably like more. 🙂
Hope that helps!
Hannah
Most of these games are for PlayStation only, could you do a list of games available on the Xbox like Life is Strange, please and thank you?
Alfie Lee Atton
Sure thing Hannah! This has turned out to be a very popular list, so we’ll definitely do an update.
Also, you might want to check out our Firewatch article. It’s not Life is Strange, but some of the suggestions made there do match up with the ’emotional tone’ of LiS a bit better! http://www.gameslikezone.com/games-like-firewatch/
Appreciate the comment and the suggestion! Will get to work on this!