10 games like Life is Strange that are hella good

Here, we've brought together a selection of games like Life is Strange for any of you who are looking to tuck into something similar.

The original Life is Strange first landed over 10 years ago back in 2015. Following Max's memorable journey at Blackwell Academy, other new games have followed that explore various themes and issues from the perspective of different characters. From a prequel to Life is Strange, right up until the latest releases with the arrival of Life is Strange: Double Exposure and Life is Strange: Reunion, there's certainly plenty to explore within the series alone.

But there's also happily lots of fantastic experiences out there that might appeal to you if you're a fan of Don't Nod and Deck Nine's adventures. Infused with supernatural elements, the series spins some of the best game stories that are made all the more impactful thanks to the way you can influence them through your choices. And below, you'll find a variety of games like Life is Strange that have similar features or elements.

10. Beyond Two Souls

Developer: Quantic Dream
Platform(s): PS4, PC

Beyond Two Souls is a cinematic story-driven adventure with supernatural elements from Quantic Dream that also puts a lot of focus on the choices you make. Every decision shapes the story's narrative throughout, so you can see multiple endings and outcomes, just like Life is Strange. You play as Jodie who starts out as a young child in foster care who has a strange connection with a soul she calls Aiden.

You also assume the role of Aiden throughout the story as a separate entity who can aid or hinder Jodie's journey. As Jodie tries to lead a normal life, she gets caught up in a tangled web of difficult choices that are all left up to you. Elliot Page and Willem Defoe play the two main roles in the interactive adventure that gives you control of how the story will end. For more on this one, read our Beyond: Two Souls review.

9. Gone Home

Developer: Fullbright
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

If you enjoy a story that focuses on exploration and discovery, Fullbright Company's first-person adventure will be right up your alley. Focused entirely on one meticulously detailed and beautifully rendered house, you take the role of Katie, who returns home after going abroad. When you reach the front door, you quickly realize your family isn't there, and after being away for quite some time, there are plenty of questions about your family that need answering.

By checking draws, listening to tapes, and finding letters and notes, you set out to uncover your family's secrets and the troubles they faced while you were away. As well as exploring the house, you'll explore themes of family, relationships, growth, and so much more. If you have an eye for detail and enjoy uncovering a good mystery with an interesting storyline, Gone Home is the one for you.

8. The Wolf Among Us

Developer: Telltale
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4

Another adventure that puts decision-making and storytelling at its forefront, Wolf Among Us is one of the most entertaining offerings from Telltale. As a prequel to Bill Willingham's brilliant graphic novel Fables, The Wolf Among Us follows the story of Bigby Wolf, the acting sheriff of Fabletown. In its fictional world, Fables are fairytale characters who take on glamors and guises to hide within normal society. Bigby, who was once known as the Big Bad Wolf, finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation that takes him on one heck of a journey.

It's up to you to decide how to handle the events that unfold and how you interact with your fellow fables and the world around you. It has a fantastic story and engaging characters who fully realize Willingham’s vision in Telltale's signature style. If you're a fan of the fantasy and detective genres, you're sure to love this, and just like Life is Strange it has plenty of mystery to keep you hooked throughout its episodic format.

7. Until Dawn

Developer: Supermassive Games
Platform(s): PS5, PS4, PC

If you're after choices with weighty consequences (and tougher decisions than whether you should have pancakes or eggs and bacon), you'll be glad to know Until Dawn takes it to the next level. Not a million miles away from playing out your own horror movie, Until Dawn presents you with choices and quick-time events that could very well mean life or death for the characters you meet. You follow the story of eight friends who get stuck in a remote mountain retreat and soon find they're not exactly alone.

Something sinister lurks among them, and as tensions run high, your choices can make or break the group. It captures the spirit of horror movies perfectly by playing on certain slasher horror tropes, but it still does enough to keep you guessing. You really do have to think about your decisions and keep your wits about you because you never know who or what is right around the corner. With lots of familiar faces forming the line-up of characters, from Bohemian Rhapsody's Rami Malek, to Heroes' Hayden Panettiere, the realistic atmospheric look of Until Dawn makes it all the more intense. For more information on one of the best horror games to play if you like Life is Strange, check out our Until Dawn review.

6. Closer the Distance

Developer: Osmotic Studios
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4

While it shares some similarities with games like The Sims thanks to the way you manage the needs and aspirations of various characters, Closer the Distance is a story-driven experience that's shaped by your choices unlike Life is Strange. Set in the town of Yesterby, you follow a small tight knit community who are all dealing with the sudden loss of a local teenage girl who died in a car crash.

Navigating the lives of different characters in the wake of tragedy, from the teen's sister to her boyfriend and neighbors, you can try to influence their actions and help them during their day-to-day routine. The voice acting and characters will draw you right into the small town, and the writing will capture your heart through its meaningful exploration of grief, family, and relationships.

5. Firewatch

Developer: Campto Santo
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

The element of mystery in Life is Strange keeps you invested throughout, and just like a good TV cliffhanger, each episode leaves you wanting to know more. While it's not episodic in format, Firewatch's exploratory mechanics and investigative storytelling will feed that same desire. From a first-person perspective, you control Henry, a man who begins a new job out in the Wyoming wilderness to watch out for smoke and fires.

The narrative is formed through a series of conversations between Henry and his supervisor, Delilah, over a handheld radio. It soon becomes clear that there's so much more to Henry's story, and as the days and months pass in-game, his story - and the story of the mountainous landscapes he traverses through - begins to unravel. Gorgeously stylized with fully realized characters, Firewatch is a short, atmospheric, story-focused experience that’s hard to forget. Read our near-perfect Firewatch review to learn more.

4. Telltale's The Walking Dead

Developer: Telltale
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4

Love memorable protagonists and plenty of different story outcomes? Telltale's The Walking Dead might just be what you're looking for. Episodic in format just like Life is Strange, the entire Walking Dead series - from the first right through to the recent finale - are all worth a look, but it makes sense to start at the beginning. As the Walker epidemic starts to break out, you assume control of Lee Everett, who’s in the back of a cop car, just as things start to take a turn for the worst.

After a fortuitous car accident, you escape away from the law only to find yourself facing zombies. Eventually, you meet Clementine, the then very young girl who's alone and separated from her parents. With your guidance and protection, you influence Clementine's personality and perspective, and as the series progresses, you'll play as Clem. With endless difficult choices to make and no cut-and-dry moral answers to help you decide, Telltale's dive into the Walking Dead series takes you on a wild, emotional ride that will keep you invested from start to finish. And the characters are sure to stay with you.

3. Night in the Woods

Developer: Infinite Fall
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch

Infinite Fall's Night in the Woods is another story-driven adventure that puts more of a focus on the characters in its fictional setting of Possum Springs. As protagonist Mae Borowski, you return to the dwindling mining town she once called home to reconnect with old friends and escape her troubles. Night in the Woods tells an impactful tale about a town of residents and friends who are just trying to navigate their way through life and deal with all of the challenges it presents them with.

And the 2D platformer explores themes of mental health, friendship and healing to give it so much more depth than you might initially think. Some psychological horror elements that hinge on Mae's mental well-being also come into play, which adds a touch of mystery to the plot and makes for one very unforgettable experience. With its exploration of some very important topics, this is one for anyone who's after an engaging tale with plenty of humor and heart.

2. Oxenfree

Developer: Night School Studio
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android

In the shoes of Alex, you play a teenager who takes her stepbrother to a weekend party on Edwards Island along with three of her friends. Just as Life is Strange shakes things up with its time-bending mechanic, the story in Oxenfree takes an unexpected turn thanks to a supernatural party crasher that comes in the form of a ghostly rift. The mysterious rift breaks the group apart and forces Alex to confront her troubles, as well as face some dark truths about herself and her friends.

Despite the other-worldly story arc, at its core, Night School Studio's adventure is a touching, coming-of-age story about five people who are all working through their own relatable problems. And just like you can with Max or any of the Life is Strange protagonists you control in the series, the dialogue options let you decide Alex's personality and how to want to navigate the story. With an attention-grabbing art style, fleshed-out characters, top-notch voice acting, and an engaging plot, Oxenfree is right up your alley if you love a story-driven narrative experience with plenty of mystery.

1. Lost Records: Bloom and Rage

Developer: Don't Nod
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5

One of the closest experiences to Life is Strange is Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. With some of the developers behind the original Life is Strange bringing to life this narrative adventure, Bloom and Rage follows a group of women who finally agree to meet up after a mysterious incident led them not to speak to one another for 27 years.

Switching between two timelines, you follow protagonist Swann during her teen years in 1995, and look at the world through the lends of her camcorder. The choices you make in the past have an effect on the present timeline in 2022, and shape the way the story concludes. Spinning up a tale of growing pains, sisterhood, friendship, and self-discovery, there's also a curious supernatural edge to Bloom and Rage that will keep you guessing not unlike Life is Strange. If you're keen to learn more about this one, head on over to our Lost Records: Bloom and Rage Tape 1 review.

Read our Life is Strange Double Exposure review for more.