Life Is Strange is a masterclass in storytelling and world-building. It offers various relatable characters, a fun gameplay loop, and a plot that will stick with you for a long time after finishing the game.
If you’re still not over the emotional rollercoaster of Life Is Strange, and Life is Strange 2, you’ve come to the right place. We have curated a list of 10 games like Life Is Strange to satisfy your itch for role-playing games with choice-based storytelling and immersive atmospheres.
Top 10 Story Games Like Life Is Strange
10. Oxenfree
Developers: Night School Studio
Release Date: Jan 14, 2016
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
We start our list with Oxenfree, a Supernatural Horror Graphic Adventure game set on a grim and dark Edwards Island. You play as Alex, exploring the island with her friends and uncovering its mysteries. While playing Oxenfree, you get the same coming-of-age teenager vibes as Life Is Stange.
Alex is reminiscent of Max Caulfield, with a kind, caring nature, and time-reversal supernatural abilities. With the “walk-and-talk” gameplay mechanic, dialogue options that impact the world around you, and a setting as perplexing as Arcadia Bay, you don’t want to miss out on Oxenfree.
09. Firewatch
Developers: Campo Santo
Release Date: Feb 9, 2016
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Next up on our list is Firewatch, an Action-Adventure game that takes place in Wyoming, US, in 1989. You play as Henry, a middle-aged man who works as a fire lookout at Shoshone National Forest after his wife is diagnosed with early-onset Dementia.
Firewatch offers the same eerie environment as Life Is Strange, in which Henry unravels the mysteries of strange occurrences in the forest. Throughout the game, Henry communicates with his supervisor Delilah via various dialogue options that directly impact their relationship.
Firewatch’s art style, gameplay choice, and secrets perfectly replicate the Life Is Strange atmosphere.
08. Telltale’s The Walking Dead
Developers: Telltale Games
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
This point-and-click Interactive Drama/Graphic Adventure game is based on The Walking Dead comic series.
The Walking Dead is a 5-part video game series based on award-winning comic book series. Players get to play as Lee Everett, a condemned felon given a second shot at life in a world ravaged by the undead. With corpses resurrected and survivors going to any length to ensure their own safety, guarding an orphaned child called Clementine may offer him atonement in a world gone wrong.
The Walking Dead is similar to Life is Strange, as your choices will affect the story’s outcome and the fate of these characters. Players have to make sure they commit to the decisions they make.
07. The Wolf Among Us
Developers: Telltale Games
Release Date: Oct 11, 2013
Platforms: Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, macOS, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Microsoft Windows
The Wolf Among Us is a visual adventure game played in the third-person. You play as Bigby Wolf, who investigates a sequence of unexplained killings. The player explores numerous three-dimensional settings throughout the game, such as residential complexes and bars.
The player can also converse with NPCs in the form of dialogue trees. The dialogue options made during conversations will impact how other characters see Bigby, and their impressions will influence future events in the plot.
All this makes for highly engaging storytelling, where all your actions will lead to consequences for the characters and story.
06. Mass Effect 2
Developers: BioWare
Release Date: Jan 26, 2010
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Mass Effect 2 is another fantastic game, and ME2 outperformed its predecessor in every aspect.
The game depicts a future in which all life is in danger. An intelligent extraterrestrial species known as the Reapers want to shatter the Earth, and your job as the iconic Commander Shephard is to recruit fighters to defeat this threat.
This is where the game shines, as every single playable character in the game is well-written and fleshed out, making for engaging and immersive storylines.
The game follows various dialogue options, which was unusual for its time. It is years ahead of its time, which is why it is still a fantastic game.
05. Night In The Woods
Developers: Infinite Fall, Secret Lab
Release Date: Feb 21, 2017
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One
Night in the Woods is a feel-good game that will make you sad as soon as you complete it. It’s a slow-paced game, so it’s ideal for folks who want to take a break from competitive gaming and play something more relaxing.
The game is a 2D platformer, so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not a difficult game; most of the time, you’ll be looking for undiscovered spots and doing parkour on roofs and power lines.
The plot is the finest aspect of the game, with the power to make you happy and giddy one second and sad the next. It is an excellent story about maturity and responsibilities, enhanced by the stunning artwork.
04. Beyond: Two Souls
Developers: Quantic Dream
Release Date: Oct 8, 2013
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows
Beyond Two Souls is a cinematic story-driven adventure by Quantic Dream that focuses heavily on the decisions you make.
You play as Jodie, a young foster girl who has an odd relationship with a supernatural entity or soul she names Aiden. As Jodie attempts to live a regular life, she becomes entangled in tough decisions that are all up to the player, impacting her life and leading to various endings.
Those in the know have even asked did Stranger Things copy beyond two souls but that’s a bit far-fetched although I can see where they’re coming from. BTS, this game, is a must-play either way if you’re into this genre.
03. What Remains Of Edith Finch
Developers: Giant Sparrow
Release Date: April 24, 2017
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, iOS
What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of tales about life and death created by Giant Sparrow and published by Annapurna Interactive. These stories follow the life of a cursed family, recounting each member’s tragic yet uplifting story until their final breath.
You are placed in the shoes of the family’s last living member as she attempts to unearth her family’s buried mysteries.
Although the game is just three hours long, completing it will give you a sense of accomplishment. Playing through the entire thing without stopping has players engrossed in the family and its mysteries like a great movie.
02. Detroit: Become Human
Developers: Quantic Dream
Release Date: May 25, 2018
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Detroit Become Human is a fan favorite in the storytelling RPG genre as it has up to 1000 endings. You have complete control over the 3 playable characters and their lives after they are free of the AI that bound them to slavery.
Every choice you make from the game’s start will impact the whole plot and the finale. This decision-making component elevates it to the top of the list of games like Life is Strange.
If you found some of the other games on this list too sluggish, you’ll really like Detroit: Become Human, as the game features an engaging plot that will keep you on your toes.
01. Until Dawn
Developers: Supermassive Games
Release Date: Aug 25, 2015
Platforms: PlayStation 4
The horror themes in Until Dawn show that the game’s makers are enthusiastic about the genre. Every minor decision you make affects the outcome in the future, and there are multiple endings for you to discover.
Although Until Dawn’s atmosphere is limited to a single cabin, the creators did an excellent job of making it rich. The cabin is rather large and comes with its own secrets and even enemies for you to unearth.
We also have a great list of games like Until Dawn for the ultimate horror lovers.
At the end though, perhaps this best games like Life Is Strange list should end with Life Is Strange 2 on top? Fan reviews are mixed but that’s expected since part 1 is a sleeper hit. Stay tuned to GamingGadgets!
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