32 Puzzle games like The Rise of the Golden Idol that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentUpdated May 19, 2026How this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

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We filtered the 49 games similar to The Rise of the Golden Idol down to the 32 that fit the “Puzzle” category. The Case of the Golden Idol, Maniac Mansion and The Council top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to The Rise of the Golden Idol.

iRank89/ 100

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GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

The best puzzle games like The Rise of the Golden Idol

32 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to The Rise of the Golden Idol. Each one has been evaluated across 9 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.

#1The Case of the Golden IdolClosest overall match

iRank90

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkHistoricalExploration2DPixel Art

Steam👍 98%· 10KRAWG👍 82%· 92IGDB89· 3OC88· 32

Year 2022Dev Color Gray Games · PlayStackPlaytime ~6hOn PC

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

A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.

Same studio: Color Gray Games.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting100Progression100Visuals100

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkExploration2DPixel Art

Steam👍 88%· 221IGDB90· 1

Year 1987Dev Lucasfilm GamesOn PC · Mac

✓ Same family of narrative adventures: adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with horror setting, fantasy world and setting scifi, while skipping historical setting

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: setting.

It predates The Rise of the Golden Idol by 37 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Progression100Visuals100Setting0

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkHistoricalHorror

Steam👍 84%· 5.6KIGDB70· 5

Year 2018Dev Big Bad Wolf · Focus EntertainmentOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

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

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, horror tension and horror setting, while skipping exploration and discovery

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: visuals.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting86Visuals0

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Steam GOG PS

#4The Stanley Parable

iRank90

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkExplorationFirst Person

Steam👍 92%· 45KRAWG👍 89%· 2.0KMC88

Year 2013Dev Galactic CafePlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Both are narrative adventures — sharing adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: visual first person, while skipping historical setting

The Stanley Parable is a first-person interactive story game. Being initially released in 2011 as a modification for Half-Live 2, it was entirely remade in 2013, featuring updated graphics and more content.

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: visuals.

It predates The Rise of the Golden Idol by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Progression100Visuals0

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkExplorationIsometric

Steam👍 73%· 7.9KIGDB79· 8

Year 2021Dev Luis Antonio · Annapurna InteractiveOn Xbox · PS4 · Android

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

≠ Its own twist: visual isometric, visual topdown and visual 3d, while skipping historical setting

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: visuals.

On reception: its Steam reviews are mostly positive, against very positive for The Rise of the Golden Idol.

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Steam Xbox PS

#6Return of the Obra Dinn

iRank91

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkHistoricalHardcore

Steam👍 97%· 34KRAWG👍 85%· 759MC88IGDB95· 7OC89· 56

Year 2018Dev Lucas Pope · 3909Playtime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of narrative adventures: adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with horror tension, punishing difficulty and fantasy world, while skipping exploration and discovery

In 1802, the merchant ship "Obra Dinn" set out from London for the Orient with over 200 tons of trade goods. Six months later it hadn't met its rendezvous point at the Cape of Good Hope and was declared lost at sea.

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: visuals.

Genre100Game mode100Tone87Setting68Visuals0

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Steam GOG Xbox

#7A Plague Tale: Innocence

iRank87

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkHistoricalStealth

Steam👍 93%· 67KIGDB81· 15OC82· 171

Year 2019Dev Asobo Studio · Focus EntertainmentOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Both are narrative adventures — sharing adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with horror tension, survival mechanics and stealth mechanics, while skipping exploration and discovery

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: visuals and setting.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting43Visuals0

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Steam GOG Epic

#8Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series

iRank76

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkHistoricalRanged

Steam👍 76%· 11KIGDB75· 52

Year 2014Dev Telltale Games · HBOOn PlayStation 3 · PS4 · Android

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

≠ Its own twist: ranged combat, fantasy world and setting medieval, while skipping exploration and discovery

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: progression and visuals.

On reception: its Steam reviews are mostly positive, against very positive for The Rise of the Golden Idol.

It predates The Rise of the Golden Idol by 10 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Setting52Progression0Visuals0

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeHistorical2DSci-Fi

Steam👍 52%· 4.7KIGDB44· 8OC51· 54

Year 2017Dev Anuman Interactive · MicroidsOn PS4 · Android · PC

✓ Same family of narrative adventures: adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: setting scifi and visual third person, while skipping dark, oppressive atmosphere

On reception: its Steam reviews are mixed, against very positive for The Rise of the Golden Idol.

Genre100Game mode100Setting84Visuals72Tone68

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrative2DPixel Art

Steam👍 93%· 4.2KIGDB83· 13OC83· 101

Year 2017Dev Terrible ToyboxOn PS4 · Linux · Android

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

≠ Missing: dark, oppressive atmosphere.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100Tone70

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Steam GOG Epic

#11Batman: The Enemy Within

iRank87

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkMeleeThird Person

Steam👍 92%· 10KIGDB76· 2

Year 2017Dev Telltale GamesOn PS4 · Android · PC

✓ Same family of narrative adventures: adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings visual novel storytelling, melee combat and visual third person, while skipping historical setting

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: visuals.

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Steam Xbox Nintendo

#12Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series

iRank80

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkMeleeThird Person

Steam👍 88%· 18KRAWG👍 72%· 432MC79IGDB75· 13

Year 2016Dev Telltale GamesPlaytime ~9hOn PC · PS · Xbox

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

≠ Where it differs: brings visual novel storytelling, melee combat and visual third person, while skipping historical setting

Batman: The Enemy Within, 2017, is an episodic point-and-click graphic adventure video game, a sequel to 2016's Batman: The Telltale Series.

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: visuals.

It predates The Rise of the Golden Idol by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

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Steam Xbox PS

#13Nancy Drew: Ghost of Thornton Hall

iRank90

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeExploration2DCasual

Steam👍 93%· 315RAWG👍 86%· 21

Year 2013Dev HeR InteractivePlaytime ~6hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

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

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

Jessalyn Thornton’s fateful sleepover at the abandoned Thornton estate was supposed to be a pre-wedding celebration, but the fun ended when she disappeared. While her family searches for clues, others refuse to speak about the estate’s dark past.

It predates The Rise of the Golden Idol by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Visuals69Tone61

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Steam

#14Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED

iRank74

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeExploration2DCasual

Steam👍 78%· 327RAWG👍 68%· 22

Year 2011Dev HeR InteractivePlaytime ~4hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

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

≠ Where it differs: brings vibe casual, while skipping dark, oppressive atmosphere

Nancy Drew®: Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED is a first-person perspective, point-and-click adventure game. The player is Nancy Drew and has to solve a mystery. Explore rich environments for clues, interrogate suspects, and solve puzzles and mini-games.

On reception: its Steam reviews are mostly positive, against very positive for The Rise of the Golden Idol.

It predates The Rise of the Golden Idol by 13 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression100Visuals77Tone59

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Steam

#15Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

iRank89

GenreAdventureSubgenreNarrative Adventure

SoloNarrativeDarkPixel ArtHorror

Steam👍 89%· 192

Year 1993Dev Sierra On-LineOn PC · Mac

✓ Both are narrative adventures — sharing adventure storytelling, puzzle design and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with horror tension, horror setting and fantasy world, while skipping historical setting

Where it drifts furthest from The Rise of the Golden Idol: setting and visuals.

It predates The Rise of the Golden Idol by 31 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Visuals42Setting0

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Steam GOG

Complete list of puzzle games like The Rise of the Golden Idol

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with The Rise of the Golden Idol, 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.