The Drifter

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The Drifter is hard to replace: few games combine puzzle design, strong narrative focus and setting scifi in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 6 gameplay attributes and found 43 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar, Sam & Max Hit the Road and Blackwell Unbound lead the list, with I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar reaching a 96/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes The Drifter special.

iRank87/ 100

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GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

Tags

NarrativeSolo

Year 2025Dev Powerhoof

Stores

Steam ↗GOG ↗

Quick answer

The closest game to The Drifter is I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar — scoring 96/100 on our similarity scale. Sam & Max Hit the Road and Blackwell Unbound follow close behind.

#1I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar96 #2Sam & Max Hit the Road97 #3Blackwell Unbound96 #4Nancy Drew: The Deadly Device95 #5Syberia II96

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Games like The Drifter

43 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

#1I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar

96

I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeFirst Person

Steam👍 96%· 1.3K

Year 2021Dev Schell GamesPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS

✓ Like The Drifter, it's known for puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with visual first person, while skipping setting scifi

#2Sam & Max Hit the Road

97

Sam & Max Hit the Road

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeSci-Fi2DPixel Art

Steam👍 95%· 1.0KRAWG👍 88%· 85IGDB83· 3

Year 1993Dev Lucasfilm · Disney InteractivePlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Shared with The Drifter: puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: visual pixel

#3Blackwell Unbound

96

Blackwell Unbound

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrative2DDarkPixel Art

Steam👍 94%· 774

Year 2007Dev Wadjet Eye GamesOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ If you enjoyed The Drifter, expect puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere and visual pixel, while skipping setting scifi

#4Nancy Drew: The Deadly Device

95

Nancy Drew: The Deadly Device

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeCasualExploration

Steam👍 91%· 92

Year 2012Dev HeR InteractivePlaytime ~6hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ If you enjoyed The Drifter, expect puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual and exploration and discovery, while skipping setting scifi

96

Syberia II

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeSci-FiThird Person

Steam👍 86%· 3.0K

Year 2004Dev Microïds Canada · 1C CompanyOn PC · PlayStation 3 · Linux

✓ Like The Drifter, it's known for puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings visual third person, while skipping visual 2d

Steam GOG Nintendo

#6Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon

95

Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeCasualExploration

Steam👍 96%· 397RAWG👍 86%· 22MC77

Year 2005Dev HeR InteractivePlaytime ~5hOn PC

✓ If you enjoyed The Drifter, expect puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual and exploration and discovery, while skipping setting scifi

#7The Talos Principle

95

The Talos Principle

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeSci-FiHardcoreExploration

Steam👍 95%· 33KIGDB87· 12OC87· 58

Year 2014Dev Croteam · Devolver DigitalOn PS4 · Linux · Android

✓ Like The Drifter, it's known for puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with punishing difficulty, exploration and discovery and visual first person, while skipping visual 2d

Steam Epic Xbox

#8Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!

96

Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrative2DDark

Steam👍 86%· 252

Year 1996Dev Sierra On-LineOn Linux · PC · Mac

✓ Like The Drifter, it's known for puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping setting scifi

#9Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds

93

Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrative2DCasual

Steam👍 97%· 723RAWG👍 93%· 41

Year 1994Dev Humongous Entertainment · Nightdive StudiosPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Android · Apple Macintosh

✓ Shared with The Drifter: puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings vibe casual, while skipping setting scifi

#10Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull

95

Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeCasualExploration

Steam👍 91%· 213MC79

Year 2007Dev HeR InteractivePlaytime ~7hOn PC

✓ If you enjoyed The Drifter, expect puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: vibe casual and exploration and discovery, while skipping setting scifi

#11Spy Fox in "Dry Cereal"

93

Spy Fox in "Dry Cereal"

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrative2DCasual

Steam👍 95%· 698

Year 1997Dev Humongous Entertainment · Nightdive StudiosPlaytime ~4hOn PC · iOS · Android

✓ Like The Drifter, it's known for puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual, while skipping setting scifi

#12Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand

95

Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeCasualLinearExploration

Steam👍 89%· 199

Year 2002Dev HeR InteractivePlaytime ~3hOn PC

✓ If you enjoyed The Drifter, expect puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual, linear, story-driven structure and exploration and discovery, while skipping setting scifi

97

Deponia

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeSci-Fi2D

Steam👍 87%· 14KRAWG👍 76%· 727MC74IGDB78· 2

Year 2012Dev Daedalic EntertainmentPlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Nearly identical: puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus.

#14Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice

96

Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeCasualExploration

Steam👍 91%· 205RAWG👍 91%· 23MC69

Year 2008Dev HeR InteractivePlaytime ~8hOn PC

✓ If you enjoyed The Drifter, expect puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: vibe casual and exploration and discovery, while skipping setting scifi

#15The Room Three

93

The Room Three

GenrePuzzleSubgenreLogic Puzzle

SoloNarrativeSci-FiDarkFantasy

Steam👍 95%· 13K

Year 2015Dev Fireproof GamesOn Android · PC · iOS

✓ Shared with The Drifter: puzzle design, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: horror tension, dark, oppressive atmosphere and fantasy world, while skipping visual 2d

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Full Throttle

Full Throttle

Puzzle · Adventure

Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes

Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes

Puzzle · Adventure

Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside

Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside

Puzzle · Adventure

The Sexy Brutale

The Sexy Brutale

Puzzle · Adventure

Nancy Drew: Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake

Nancy Drew: Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake

Puzzle · Adventure

Runaway: A Road Adventure

Runaway: A Road Adventure

Puzzle · Adventure

The Blackwell Legacy

The Blackwell Legacy

Puzzle · Adventure

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

Puzzle · Adventure

Kathy Rain

Kathy Rain

Puzzle · Adventure

Neighbours from Hell

Neighbours from Hell

Puzzle · Adventure

Rankings in the same genre

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to The Drifter?: The closest game to The Drifter is I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar, scoring 96/100 on our similarity scale. They share 4 gameplay attributes, including puzzle design, adventure storytelling and single-player focus. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like The Drifter?: The three closest games to The Drifter are: 1. I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar (96/100, 4 shared attributes) 2. Sam & Max Hit the Road (97/100, 6 shared attributes) 3. Blackwell Unbound (96/100, 5 shared attributes). All share The Drifter's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 43 candidates across 6 dimensions.
Is Sam & Max Hit the Road similar to The Drifter?: Yes, very much so — Sam & Max Hit the Road scores 97/100 similarity to The Drifter. They share 6 attributes, including puzzle design and adventure storytelling. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Puzzle games are similar to The Drifter?: The best Puzzle games similar to The Drifter are I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Blackwell Unbound and Nancy Drew: The Deadly Device. All share the Puzzle genre alongside other key The Drifter attributes like puzzle design, adventure storytelling and single-player focus.
How is similarity to The Drifter calculated?: We compare The Drifter against every game in our catalog using 6 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 The Drifter experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.