Today, we’re going to explore games that are like Until Dawn in terms of either gameplay, horror, or both. Before we talk about games like Until Dawn, let’s talk about Until Dawn as a game.
What Is Until Dawn?
Until Dawn is an interactive Drama horror created by Supermassive Games and released by Sony Computer Entertainment. The story is about a group of friends who decided it’ll be a good idea to go to a ski resort on a remote mountaintop with almost no way to communicate with the outside world. Yeah, that’s a horror movie-worthy place to die right there. Anyhow, they’re then beset by various monsters that want to kill them all. Thus, it’s up to the player to make sure to do all the right decisions to get them out alive. Or, you know, just kill them all off one by one in increasingly brutal ways. Play Until Dawn today!
20 Games Like Until Dawn
Here are 20 games like Until Dawn if you wish to experience great storytelling and horror. These games like Until Dawn share similar elements while seen on different POVs or are from another genre.
1. Dark Pictures Anthology
The first set of games like Until Dawn we need to talk about is the Dark Pictures saga. The Dark Pictures are a series of interactive horror games each with its own unique stories and sequence of events. Alone they’re not as huge as Until Dawn, with its over 150 endings. However, it compensates for this because there are supposed to be 8 of them in total. Of those 8, 3 have already been released, with a 4th one underway. The ones released are Man of Medan, Little Hope, and House of Ashes. The Devil in Me, the last game for the first “season” is slated to release this 2022. One thing to note though, is that the Dark Pictures Anthology is usually released yearly, specifically during Autumn. Half a year before that will be teasers of the newest installments. All of the installments in the Anthology have their unique settings. However, they’re all linked and are in the same universe with The Curator guiding the players in all the installments.
Man of Medan
The first of the 3 released games in The Dark Pictures Anthology is the Man of Medan, with the game taking place in the South Pacific within spitting distance of French Polynesia. In this case, a group of friends goes on a pretty standard adventure in their eyes to salvage a shipwreck. Unfortunately for them, other people want to do the same thing, and they’re accosted by pirates. Unfortunately for everyone, the shipwreck is not as it seems and there’s something sinister in the wings. Overall, it’s a pretty good entry into the Dark Pictures Anthology and follows after the Until Dawn formula of Interactive Drama. All 3 of the games in the Dark Pictures Anthology follow after it. The one thing that didn’t attract the players to Man of Medan however, is the fact that (spoilers) the monsters in the shipwreck aren’t real and are just hallucinations. Not a cool way to start an anthology, yeah? Still, it’s a decent entry on this list and the Anthology does get better in the next entries.
Little Hope
Next on the Dark Pictures Anthology is Little Hope, and this one is a bit more on the horror vibe. Players control 5 characters, 4 college students, and their professor as they go on a trip. However, they go to an abandoned town and are trapped in it, unable to escape. It also doesn’t help that the town is crawling with monsters trying to kill them. Pretty much a similar to Man of Medan with different characters. There are a few new twists on Little Hope that can be pretty interesting. However, if you’re looking for something unique, then it’s not a good one to get. There are new deaths though, so that’s good.
House of Ashes
Last but not least is House of Ashes, the 3rd installment to the Dark Pictures Anthology. This one is the recent release, with the last game of the 1st season, The Devil in Me coming out this year. House of Ashes is a pretty unique tale, however. House of Ashes is set in Iraq after a team of US marines and a few Iraqi soldiers discover a giant mausoleum. This mausoleum isn’t supposed to be found at all, as not only is it chock full of near-unkillable vampires, but there are loads of cocoons that can hatch into even more vampires. Yeah, it’s not gonna be a good time with those marines. Their job now is to survive the onslaught of vampires trying to claim their blood and their bodies. Hopefully, they get out, though if the player isn’t careful, that’s not gonna happen. All in all, a pretty unique entry to the Dark Pictures Anthology.
2. Life is Strange 1 and 2
Next on the list of games like Until Dawn is Dontnod Entertainment’s Life is Strange series. This one is kinda similar to the Dark Pictures Anthology in that it was released in episodes. Both the 1st and 2nd Life is Strange games have 5 episodes each and they are all released a few months after the previous entry. Both, however, focus on pretty emotional storylines but come with the addition of unique psychic powers for both protagonists. In the 1st game of the Life is Strange franchise, the player takes the role of Max Caulfield, a returning resident of Arcadia Bay Once there, she finds out that she can rewind time from a few moments up to a few hours. Thanks to this, she was able to save the life of her childhood friend, Chloe Price. Chloe was supposed to die due to being shot in the stomach by a drug dealer she tried to blackmail. Thanks to Max, this didn’t happen. The two then reconnect and mend their friendship, though unknown to them, Max’s time rewind powers will have consequences. The 2nd game follows 2 brothers, Sean and his younger brother Daniel. The two of them love each other, though there are a few disagreements between them. However, a tragic accident involving a racist neighbor, a jumpy cop, and their dad being shot leads to very bad things happening. Sean awakens his telekinesis and uses it to push a car that killed said the cop and puts the neighbor in a coma. This forces the siblings on a journey to the Mexico-American border to escape the scrutiny of the cops. In short, try out both Life is Strange 1 and 2.
3. Oxenfree
Next is Oxenfree, which is similar to Life is Strange in that it focuses on teenagers. However, it puts more emphasis on finally moving on after difficult stages in life. Oxenfree was the first game created by Night School Studio, an indie game developer. And boy, what a debut game release. It’s a pretty surprising release that came out of nowhere in 2016 and there are a lot of fans that want a sequel. Although, given the various narrative ties that the game has, it’s pretty doubtful that this would happen. A man can hope though. Oxenfree follows after Alex, a teenage girl who, after several tragedies in her life, is a bit in a depressed mood. Her beloved older brother died, her parents divorced, and her dad married another woman. Who comes with another older brother, Jonas. She, her stepbrother, and a few of her friends decide to go to Edwards Island, to get to know each other, party for a bit, and in general have a good time. However, Edwards Island has a sinister secret, and when it was released after playing with an old radio, Alex must make sure that her friends are saved. In addition to sending whatever it is they released it back to whatever hell it came from. Gameplay-wise, think of Oxenfree as 2D Until Dawn. There are a lot of narrative choices to make, a metric ton of puzzles, and a pretty gripping storyline. A surprising twist to Oxenfree is that there are things you can undo in Alex’s past. However, be careful what you wish for. Overall, Oxenfree is a great game, and a highly recommended pick-up if you’re a fan of Until Dawn.
4. Telltale Games’ The Wolf Among Us
Next on the list of games that feel like Until Dawn is The Wolf Among Us, one of Telltale Games’ best titles. The game was going to be dead due to Telltale Games closing down, but given the studio’s resurgence, we’re adding this to the article. The reason for this is because The Wolf Among Us ended in a pretty cliffhanger position on some parts of its storyline. And hopefully, we’ll figure out the motivations of more of its characters. The Wolf Among Us is a game of Mafia masquerading as an interactive drama combined with Film Noir. The player plays Bigby Wolf, the Sheriff of Fabletown who was tasked to investigate a murder. Sad for Bigby though, that first murder ain’t the only one happening in Fabletown. Thus, it’s up to him to find out what’s happening and to catch the Murderer. Overall, a great game exploring the various motivations of a person as well as what could drive them into doing horrible things. Pick this game up to get caught up in the story as the sequel is coming out very soon.
5. Detroit: Become Human
The next game is going to be the first of 3 Quantic Dream games on this list, which is Detroit: Become Human. Quantic Dream’s been on a pretty good roll on their games lately. Yes, they only have 5 games on their repertoire, with Detroit: Become Human being the latest. However, all of them are pretty great interactive dramas if we’re being honest. The game starts pretty standard, as it’s set shortly, in the nation of the USA, Detroit, Michigan. Players can then interact with the world through the eyes of 3 different characters, but they’re not human. Oh no. All 3 are androids, and each has different occupations in the world of Detroit: Become Human. This is because androids are mostly seen as tools by the majority of the populace, though some don’t see it this way and want them out. After all, what’s better? Someone, that you need to pay a salary for in addition to other benefits? Or an android that doesn’t need payment and only needs the occasional maintenance? 9 times out of 10 the latter’s going to be chosen, and some people don’t like that. Because of this, the player has to navigate the 3 android characters into some pretty charged situations. Humans, after all, can be pretty illogical at times, and the current atmosphere in Detroit: Become Human is pretty charged with riots and other conflicts between humans, androids, and the government. All in all, a really good drama about what it means to have a soul, the progress of technology, and whether or not androids have a right to be happy.
6. Firewatch
Next on our list of the best games like Until Dawn is yet another game from Quantum Dream, Firewatch. Which is surprisingly pretty chill when compared to their other games. Firewatch is an atmospheric interactive adventure set in the 1980s with a character called Henry. He’s a fire lookout on a national forest and is the new hire. Alongside his boss Delilah, he wanders the woods, though eventually, he finds that things aren’t exactly as quiet as they could’ve been. If you’re looking for a more chill interactive game, then try out Firewatch. It might be a bit too chill, though there are a few mysteries to solve in the game for those that want some excitement.
7. Silent Hill Series
Up next on our list of the best games like Until Dawn is the Silent Hill series. This is the first entry on this list that isn’t interactive, yes. However, the sheer horror that the games entail gives them a spot on the list. The protagonist of the game is going to change depending on which entry the player’s going for. However, the venue is still pretty much the same: the sleepy town of Silent Hill, which isn’t sleepy and is filled with things that prey on a person’s insecurities, regrets, and deepest secrets. Each character in this game has a unique circumstance that led them to this town. And depending on choices the player makes throughout the game, can influence who gets out and who doesn’t. If you haven’t played any of the Silent Hill games you’re seriously missing out. Do note that you should go for Silent Hill 1, 2, 3, and 4. You can go for Shattered Memories as well as it has a pretty interesting storyline, but other than those 5, ignore the rest of the series. It’s also a bit sad that we wouldn’t be able to get another game in this series due to Konami shenanigans as well (There are rumors that Kojima would make a Silent Hill game but take it with a grain of salt). But the sheer terror the games elicit puts them on this list nonetheless.
8. Alien: Isolation
One of the games that share elements like the ones seen in Until Dawn o is Alien: Isolation, and if you’re familiar with the Alien franchise, this one’s a must-have. It’s not an interactive drama game like Until Dawn, but its horror can be a whole lot better due to its 1st-person perspective. Alien: Isolation follows after Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley of Alien fame, who is another survival horror game that might be of interest. If you’re familiar with the movie franchise, Alien Isolation follows Amanda Ripley the daughter of Ellen Ripley and is set 15 years after the original film. After her mother’s disappearance, Amanda joins the Weyland-Yutani Corporation as an engineer to try and find out what happened to her. As we all know though, Weyland-Yutani tends to be a bit like catnip for aliens, due to how much this corporation stumbles with stuff like this. Amanda manages to find out a clue to her mother’s disappearance and goes to Sevastapol, a space station on the outer fringes of the frontier for answers. Unfortunately for her, everyone in Sevastapol is dead due to a fatal case of Xenomorph attack. Now trapped with the alien alone in the space station, Amanda must use her limited tools, and her wits, to survive and escape. And maybe, just maybe, find out what happened to Sevastapol, and find clues related to her mother. All in all, Alien: Isolation is an incredibly atmospheric game, with Sevastapol being a very suspenseful area with a lot of hiding places and terrifying sequences. It also doesn’t help that the Xenomorph cannot be killed, and Amanda’s only way to survive is to sneak around and hide. It’s a terrifying game of Hide And Go Seek every time you’re in Sevastapol.
9. Heavy Rain
Another Quantic Dream game that makes it on this list is Heavy Rain. It’s not an exaggeration that Quantic Dream knows what they’re doing when making various interactive drama games. Anyhow, Heavy Rain stars Ethan Mars, an architect who’s in pretty hard times after the death of his son Jason 2 years ago. However, he kinda needs to get his head in gear, as the Origami Killer has kidnapped his one remaining son Shaun, and plans to kill him by drowning the child in rising rainwater. The Origami Killer’s named this way because he always leaves an origami figure on the people he’s killed. If Ethan doesn’t want this to happen to his son, he best hustles up and finds the killer first. In addition to Ethan Mars, players also get to see the motivations and plans of 3 other characters. These are Madison Paige, Scott Shelby, and Norman Jayden. All 3 of these individuals will have an important role to play in this story, and depending on the player’s choices, will live and die on several outcomes. A lot of people consider Heavy Rain to be one of Quantic Dream’s best games due to its themes and interesting plot. It delivers on this in spade. If you haven’t played Heavy Rain yet, do yourself a favor and do so, you won’t regret it.
10. Outlast 1 and 2
Next on the list of games like Until Dawn are Outlast 1 and 2, which is about nosy journalists trying to investigate things that they really shouldn’t. Seriously, why are journalists almost always the ones getting into the horrifying stuff? Anyhow, Outlast 1 centers around Miles Upshur, who thought it was a smashing idea to try and go inside the Mount Massive Asylum for the Criminally Insane. I mean, yeah, they didn’t answer any of his calls and all, but given the name of the place, he’d think to give it up as a bad job and walk away? Nope, he summons his journalistic integrity (What shreds that remain within all journalists) and decides to break in. That was a mistake, as he’s now trying to escape the various monsters and insane people inside the Asylum, who now consider it their playground. Not fun. Meanwhile, the 2nd entry into the Outlast games centers around Blake Langermann and his wife/journalist Lynn. Blake is the cameraman this time, though it doesn’t save him and his wife after they tried to investigate the murder of a pregnant woman. This led them to be trapped at Temple Gate, a town filled with homicidal cultists. And well, you can guess where this leads us. Both games put a lot of emphasis on stealth and staying alive. There’s no way to fight back in Outlast, and the main way to ensure survival is to continue the story until the very end.
11. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Next on the list is Resident Evil 7, one of the 2 latest entries to the Resident Evil series. The 2nd one, Resident Evil 8, is another entry on this list and we’ll talk about why later. However, both games take the series back to its roots of horror, though both games add a bit of action in them as well. Resident Evil 7 takes place in Louisiana and follows after Ethan Winters, a guy who searches for his missing wife, Mia. He eventually finds a clue about her whereabouts due to a video sent to him, which caused him to go to Louisiana, to the Baker Family Plantation. However, not all is as it seems, and the Bakers seem to be… odd, very odd, and very mad. Anyhow, once there, The player has to control Ethan to find Mia in the Baker household, scavenging supplies and finding weapons along the way. While doing this, he’ll find out the story of the Baker Family, why this happened, and where Mia currently is. Overall, it’s a really good callback to the main reason why Resident Evil used to be one of the best horror games out there. There are the terrifying monsters, a decent story, and some pretty good voice acting. Combine this with an action survivor family man and you have a banger of a game in your hands.
12. Resident Evil 8: Village
Next on this list is Resident Evil 8, which is the sequel to the above Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The game still puts you in the shoes of Ethan Winters, who, after saving his wife’s life, now lives with her and her daughter happily. And then Chris Redfield appears, kills Mia for some reason, and then takes his daughter. Not all is as it seems though, as Ethan’s soon put in the middle of Europe somewhere near a mysterious village. He then finds out that his daughter’s there, and he proceeds to go on a rampage like Liam Neeson in Taken. In short, if you’ve played Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, then you already know what to expect in Resident Evil 8: Village. Expect more Ethan being the badass action survivor that he is, some pretty cool plot points, terrifying, if fun boss fights, and Chris Redfield doing Chris Redfield things. All in all, a pretty great sequel to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and a worthy addition to a lot of game libraries. It also helps that it has DLC like Biohazard, so that’s cool too.
13. The Evil Within 1 and 2
Next on this list is The Evil Within 1 and 2, a series created by Tango Gameworks and renowned horror enthusiast Shinji Mikami. If his name sounds familiar, you’ll know him from the Resident Evil series, as he’s the guy that created the first games in the series. Overall, his style of horror is pretty evident in the 2 Evil Within games even though they haven’t been received with critical acclaim. He’s the director of the first game, while on the 2nd, he’s the producer, with the director seat given to John Johanas. Anyhow, both games follow Detective Sebastian Castellanos, who’s dragged into a waking nightmare in both games. In the first, Sebastian and his team are investigating Beacon Mental Hospital after a mass suicide happened in their halls. This didn’t end well, as they’re dragged into a nightmare of reality-altering proportions. Think Silent Hill, but less personal guilt and more waking nightmares. Meanwhile, the 2nd game follows a few years after the events of Beacon Mental Hospital and Sebastian is now investigating the people behind the incident. He then finds a clue to his missing daughter and is forced to go back into a similar, but different nightmare that started in Beacon Mental Hospital to find her. Of course, everything eventually went to hell after a few moments inside the nightmare. And Sebastian needs to find a way to get himself out.
14. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
We then come into The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, an Open-World Environmental Narrative Game set in an abandoned 1973 mining town. The player controls Paul Prospero, a paranormal investigator who gets a letter from Ethan Carter, who’s a huge fan. When he got to Red Creek Valley, Wisconsin, the town where Ethan lives, he finds out that it’s been abandoned for 10 years now. In addition to this, Ethan and his family are all dead. Seeing this, he decides to go around to try and find out what happened, as well as solve a few things along the way. As already stated, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is set in an open-world area, where players can choose wherever they want to go. Each place in Red Creek Valley has its mysteries for Paul to solve and try to figure out what happened in Red Creek Valley. The game isn’t that long, around 2 to 3 hours tops. However, it has a lot of cool story beats to it in addition to a metric ton of supernatural shenanigans, well worth the addition to this list.
15. Alan Wake
Next on this list is Alan Wake, which is a 3rd-person psychological action thriller. If you’re not sold on Alan Wake, think of it as a bowl with a few dashes of Lovecraft, a metric ton of Stephen King, a bit of Twin Peaks, and a pinch of House of Leaves. Yeah, that’s a lot of references to several influential authors and series, but the analogy is pretty apt. Alan’s main weapon in combatting the various enemies around him is his flashlight and various light sources throughout the world. This is because the game’s enemies abhor light of any form, and will flinch, recoil, and even burn when a light is shone at them. Alan does get several guns to use against his enemies, but those are more or less just to finish them off. Anyhow, in terms of plot, the game’s pretty stellar and is focused around Bright Falls, with the titular Alan Wake and his wife Alice. Alan, is a writer, a damn good one too, making a lot of great thriller books in-game. However, he’s been suffering from writer’s block for a while now. Thus, they made a trip to Bright Falls, hoping that a few days there would help Alan’s creative juices flow. Sadly for them, that’s not gonna happen. Alice is kidnapped, and Alan somehow loses memory of an entire week of his life. Upon waking up, he finds several pages of a new book that he allegedly wrote, but is somehow describing events that are currently happening right now. The whole town of Bright Falls is possessed by a supernatural force trying to kill him, and it’s up to him to stop it, while also finding his wife.
16. Quantum Break
Next is Quantum Break, a Sci-Fi Action-adventure that is one of the games that truly feel and play like Until Dawn. The main reason why Quantum Break makes this list is because of the various choices a player makes throughout the game that have really big consequences. Quantum Break is about Jack Joyce, who went to Riverport University to help his friend Paul Serene with a few things. Said ‘few things’ happened to be a time machine, which is pretty cool, but when they activate it, it starts to malfunction. Jack’s brother, Will, then appears and attempts to warn them to stop the time machine, which they tried, but failed. This caused an explosion that bathed Paul and Jack with Chronon Radiation, causing the two of them to develop Time manipulation powers. Quantum Break’s gameplay divides itself between several game action sequences as well as a surprisingly interesting TV show segment with actual actors and actresses. Yes, this is a thing, it’s also pretty cool to see, as the TV show segments emphasize character motivations and events behind the scenes. Combine this with the ability to choose how Jack, and Paul react to certain events? Well, you have an interesting game on your lap. When it was released people were pretty divided about Quantum Break, but overall, it’s a pretty good game with a lot of big ideas.
17. The Inpatient
The next game on this list is The Inpatient, yet another entry created by Supermassive Games. This one is a PS4 exclusive in addition to needing VR, so it’s kind of sad that there’s not gonna be a PC release. However, this survival horror game is just pretty terrifying, which is helped by the fact that it’s on VR. In addition, it’s also set in the Until Dawn universe, specifically, 60 years before the events of that game. The player is an amnesiac patient in the Blackwood Sanatorium hoping to recover their memories. Sadly for him though, he’s gonna be stuck in a pretty bad time as everything seems to try and kill him. With a few smart decisions, he can probably make it out alive. The Inpatient is only a 2 hours long game, and if you have the time, you can pretty much get all the endings within a day. If you’re looking for a terrifying romp in VR, get The Inpatient for the PlayStation consoles.
18. Beyond: Two Souls
Another entry on the games like Until Dawn list from Quantic Dream is Beyond: Two Souls. Another interactive drama talk about the nature of death and what comes after it. Players follow Jodie Holmes, a young woman who’s followed by a supernatural entity, a poltergeist named Aiden. Aiden is connected to Jodie spiritually and protects her from various threats both obvious and perceived. Together, they have to go through several events that test their relationship and find out why Aiden is in twine with Jodie. In addition to the two of them, there are also other characters, like Nathan Dawkins, who serves as Jodie’s surrogate father. The game is pretty good actually, with a lot of drama and narrative beats throughout its storyline. In general, the story’s pretty linear, but each choice has narrative effects that can change the outcome of the story. Some characters might die, others live, the end of the world might happen (Yes, that’s a thing. It’s either a Class 2 or a Class X on the Apocalypse How scale), and more. Other than choices though, there’s also a variety of Quick Time Events that can also affect the outcome of the game, as failing these events usually have negative consequences. Overall, Beyond: Two Souls is a pretty cool interactive drama game. If you want an interesting game that talks about what comes after we bite it and move to the great beyond, then try this game out.
19. Bloodborne
Up next on the games like Until Dawn countdown Bloodborne, which is here due to the sheer cosmic horror of the setting. The game puts the players on a sickly individual, who goes to the town of Yharnam due to the rumor that their blood ministration can cure anything. Sadly for them though, they came in the night of a Hunt, and are pretty much screwed. To survive, they made a contract: Seek Paleblood, and transcend the Hunt, and thus, their journey begins. If a player’s familiar with the Dark Souls series, then they already know a bit about how Bloodborne works. However, Bloodborne focuses more on speed and aggression rather than slow, methodical combat. There are no viable shields in Bloodborne, only guns that allow players to parry and combo into damaging visceral attacks. Players also have several powerful and unique weapons to work with, each with an alternate form to do a lot of damage to their enemies. Overall, it’s not a horror game in the literal sense. However, the sheer horrifying implications of the game’s lore make Bloodborne a game to go for.
20. SOMA
Last on our list of games like Until Dawn is SOMA, another atmospheric horror game that should’ve had more spotlight. The game is from by Frictional Games, these are the guys that created Amnesia. The game’s all about the journey to rediscover the memories lost after a freak accident. The player’s character, Simon, is currently in therapy. He is hoping that the nightmares and injuries from the accident can be cured. However, said therapy goes wrong, and he awakens in a facility with various machines that act as if they’re humans. When playing the game properly, stealth is the name of the game. Players need to make sure that they’re not discovered by a few of the machines due to them being pretty homicidal and inclined to kill Simon. In addition to this, there are also a few puzzles that Simon needs to solve to progress the game’s story and to find out what happened to him. The sheer amount of suspense that SOMA gives to the player is almost enough to give them a heart attack at points, making it a great fit for this list.
Why Should You Play Games Like Until Dawn?
Well, the main reason why games like Until Dawn are so good is because of the storytelling. Until Dawn has a lot of cool story beats that branch out into their unique endings depending on player decisions. Some of these games that feel and play like Until Dawn. have multiple endings based on player actions. As well as other unknown variables. This kind of thing is most apparent in games like The Wolf Among Us, Life is Strange, and Heavy Rain. On the other side of the spectrum, there’s also the horror aspect of the bunch. Horror thrives in shocking the person watching. Horrifying them with oftentimes brutal depictions of terrible monsters and other things of a similar nature. This is often the most seen aspect of horror. However, there’s the more insidious kind. This horror doesn’t play its hand too early but holds them until the opportune moment. Examples of this are SOMA, Alien: Isolation, and The Inpatient. Either way, play the games on this list of games that feel and play lie Until Dawn due to their great stories, nice gameplay, and horror. Can’t forget the horror.
