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Dear Esther: Landmark Edition

50 Games like Dear Esther: Landmark Edition that you should try

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Dear Esther: Landmark Edition is hard to replace: few games combine adventure storytelling, strong narrative focus and linear, story-driven structure in quite the same way. We compared Dear Esther: Landmark Edition against over 6,700 titles across 14 gameplay attributes and found 50 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Refunct, The Exit 8 and Pilgrims lead the list, with Refunct reaching a 94/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Dear Esther: Landmark Edition special.

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GenreAdventureSubgenreOpen World Action-Adventure
Tags
NarrativeCasualSolo
Year 2016Dev Rob Briscoe

Quick answer

The closest game to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition is Refunct — scoring 94/100 on our similarity scale. The Exit 8 and Pilgrims follow close behind.

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Top games similar to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition

50 similar games foundUpdated July 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition. Each one has been evaluated across 14 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

Refunct
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloRelaxingCasualNarrativeOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person
Steam👍 96%· 17KRAWG👍 66%· 152
Year 2015Dev Dominique GrieshoferPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are open-world adventures — sharing adventure storytelling, puzzle design and vibe relaxing

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming and cozy, relaxing feel, while skipping horror tension

The Exit 8
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloNarrativeOpen WorldLinearHorrorExplorationFirst Person
Steam👍 93%· 11KIGDB93· 2
Year 2023Dev KOTAKE CREATE · PLAYISMOn Xbox · PS4 · Switch

✓ Same family of open-world adventures: adventure storytelling, horror tension and puzzle design

≠ Stands apart with deep simulation, dark, oppressive atmosphere and setting modern, while skipping vibe casual

Pilgrims
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloRelaxingCasualNarrativeOpen WorldFantasyExploration
Steam👍 96%· 6.1K
Year 2019Dev Amanita DesignOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ Same family of open-world adventures: adventure storytelling, puzzle design and vibe relaxing

≠ Its own twist: card game strategy, cozy, relaxing feel and setting cartoon, while skipping horror tension

Super Mario 64
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloOpen WorldFantasyExplorationThird Person
IGDB89· 1
Year 1996Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Nintendo

✓ Same family of open-world adventures: adventure storytelling, open world exploration and fantasy world

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming and visual third person, while skipping puzzle design

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloOpen WorldFantasyExplorationRanged
IGDB95· 6OC95· 164
Year 2023Dev Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 3 · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Same family of open-world adventures: adventure storytelling, puzzle design and open world exploration

≠ Its own twist: sandbox freedom, sandbox world and ranged combat, while skipping horror tension

Fatum Betula
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloCasualNarrativeOpen WorldHorrorExplorationFirst Person
Steam👍 96%· 1.1KIGDB80· 1
Year 2020Dev Bryce BucherPlaytime ~1hOn PC

✓ Fits the open-world adventures cluster, with adventure storytelling, puzzle design and horror tension

≠ Its own twist: dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping vibe relaxing

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloOpen WorldFantasyExplorationRanged
IGDB93· 7
Year 2011Dev Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.3 · Nintendo

✓ Both are open-world adventures — sharing adventure storytelling, puzzle design and open world exploration

≠ Where it differs: brings ranged combat, historical setting and setting medieval, while skipping horror tension

Abzu
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloRelaxingNarrativeCasualOpen WorldFantasyExploration
Steam👍 93%· 27KIGDB81· 27OC80· 122
Year 2016Dev Giant Squid · 505 GamesOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Fits the open-world adventures cluster, with adventure storytelling, puzzle design and vibe relaxing

≠ Stands apart with deep simulation and visual third person, while skipping horror tension

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloOpen WorldFantasyExplorationRanged
IGDB98· 27OC96· 167
Year 2017Dev Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 3 · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Same family of open-world adventures: adventure storytelling, puzzle design and open world exploration

≠ Its own twist: sandbox freedom, sandbox world and ranged combat, while skipping horror tension

A Short Hike
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloRelaxingCasualNarrativeOpen WorldFantasyExploration
Steam👍 99%· 22KRAWG👍 91%· 469MC84IGDB78· 2OC87· 32
Year 2019Dev adamgryuPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the open-world adventures cluster, with adventure storytelling, vibe relaxing and vibe casual

≠ Where it differs: brings cozy, relaxing feel, skill tree progression and visual pixel, while skipping puzzle design

Firewatch
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloNarrativeCasualOpen WorldHorrorExplorationFirst Person
Steam👍 91%· 97KIGDB79· 18OC80· 134
Year 2016Dev Campo Santo · PanicOn PS4 · Linux · PC

✓ Both are open-world adventures — sharing adventure storytelling, horror tension and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping puzzle design

Shadow of the Colossus
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloNarrativeOpen WorldExplorationThird Person
OC92· 136
Year 2012Dev Team Ico · Sony Computer EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3

✓ Fits the open-world adventures cluster, with adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming and visual third person, while skipping horror tension

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloOpen WorldFantasyExplorationMagic
IGDB92· 15OC90· 71
Year 2013Dev Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.3 · Nintendo

✓ Fits the open-world adventures cluster, with adventure storytelling, puzzle design and open world exploration

≠ Its own twist: sandbox freedom, sandbox world and combat magic, while skipping horror tension

SpaceEngine
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloCasualRelaxingNarrativeOpen WorldExploration
Steam👍 96%· 16KRAWG👍 89%· 36
Year 2019Dev Vladimir RomanyukPlaytime ~1hOn PC

✓ Fits the open-world adventures cluster, with vibe casual, vibe relaxing and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with deep simulation, sandbox freedom and sandbox world, while skipping adventure storytelling

Thief Gold
AdventureOpen World Action-Adventure
SoloNarrativeOpen WorldHorrorFantasyExplorationFirst Person
Steam👍 92%· 4.1KIGDB90· 1
Year 1999Dev Looking Glass Studios · Eidos InteractiveOn PC

✓ Both are open-world adventures — sharing adventure storytelling, horror tension and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings deep simulation, dark, oppressive atmosphere and stealth mechanics, while skipping puzzle design

Complete list of Dear Esther: Landmark Edition alternatives

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Dear Esther: Landmark Edition, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition?
The closest game to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition is Refunct, scoring 94/100 on our similarity scale. They share 9 gameplay attributes, including adventure storytelling, puzzle design and single-player focus. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Dear Esther: Landmark Edition?
The three closest games to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition are: 1. Refunct (94/100, 9 shared attributes) 2. The Exit 8 (90/100, 10 shared attributes) 3. Pilgrims (89/100, 9 shared attributes). All share Dear Esther: Landmark Edition's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 14 dimensions.
Is The Exit 8 similar to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition?
Yes, very much so — The Exit 8 scores 90/100 similarity to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition. They share 10 attributes, including adventure storytelling and horror tension. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Adventure games are similar to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition?
The best Adventure games similar to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition are Refunct, The Exit 8, Pilgrims and Super Mario 64. All share the Adventure genre alongside other key Dear Esther: Landmark Edition attributes like adventure storytelling, puzzle design and single-player focus.
How is similarity to Dear Esther: Landmark Edition calculated?
We compare Dear Esther: Landmark Edition against every game in our catalog using 14 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Dear Esther: Landmark Edition experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.