Games like Life is Strange draw you into memorable adventures that often allow you to shape how events play out. The Life is Strange series is home to some of the best game stories around, so our picks here's also focus on the strength of their storytelling, or share similar elements - such as supernatural powers, choice-based narratives, or coming-of-age themes.
Since Max's memorable experiences at Blackwell Academy, we've seen a host of games to follow that explore different issues and themes through various relatable characters. From Chloe's prequel which sets up the events of the first game in Before the Storm, to the moving journey of Sean and Daniel in Life is Strange 2, and Alex's emotional investigations in Life is Strange True Colors, the series has brought us a host of engrossing storylines.
10. Beyond Two Souls
Developer: Quantic Dream
Available on: PS4, PC
Beyond Two Souls is a cinematic story-driven adventure 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 gem, read our Beyond: Two Souls review.
9. Gone Home
Developer: Fullbright
Available on: 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.
If you want to hear more about the positives of stories weaved with exploration, read our Life is Strange review.
8. Last Day of June
Developer: Ovosonico
Available on: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch
The human side of Life is Strange, and the relationships it depicts are what give it so much heart. If you're looking for a touching story focusing on relationships and human connections, Last Day of June's tale of love and loss will capture your heart and make your eyes leak. Its unique art style and gorgeous soundtrack set the scene for an interactive story that follows the tale of couple Carl and June.
After a tragic car accident, you play as Carl, who has to navigate his way through a series of puzzles and choices to try and bring back the loved one he lost. Incredibly moving and memorable, Ovosonico's story-driven adventure will tick all the right boxes for you if you’re after something short and sweet that’s packed with heaps of emotion.
We love this game, and honestly, it's also one of the best games on Switch to play right now.
7. The Wolf Among Us
Developer: Telltale
Available on: 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 glamours 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 Telltell'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.
Read our The Wolf Among Us review for more details!
6. Until Dawn
Developer: Supermassive Games
Available on: 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, Until Dawn review.
5. Quantum Break
Available on: PC, Xbox One
As Max will attest, having supernatural abilities is no picnic. Sure, it can help reverse important decisions to see different outcomes, but being responsible for changing fate is pretty heavy... Especially when you’re in your awkward teen years. Quantum Break throws time-bending supernatural powers into the mix in a more action-packed way but still puts an emphasis on narrative choices and story.
As a cinematic adventure (that’s very similar to playing out your very own sci-fi TV show), through a series of choices, you can choose to follow the story of hero Jack Joyce or his nemesis Paul Serene - who both happened to have gained extraordinary time-bending abilities. X-Men's Shawn Ashmore and Games of Throne’s very own Littlefinger Aidan Gillen performed the roles using motion capture to deliver incredibly realistic-looking in-game characters. As a blend of action games meets interactive TV shows, Remedy Entertainment's offering is sure to appeal to you if you are after a more adult, action-packed mystery.
Check out our Quantum Break review for more insights.
4. Firewatch
Developer: Campto Santo
Available on: 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.
3. Telltale's The Walking Dead
Developer: Telltale
Available on: 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, but you’ll soon find zombies are a lot worse than any copper. 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.
This game is a must-play, and if you need more convincing, check out our five-star The Walking Dead game review.
2. Night in the Woods
Developer: Infinite Fall
Available on: PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo 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.
Still unsure about this one? Check out our handy guide breaking down Night in the Woods.
1. Oxenfree
Developer: Night School Studio
Available on: 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 that will tug at your heartstrings and continue to surprise you.
For more details on our top pick for Life is Strange fans, read our Oxenfree review.
After the latest on Life is Strange? Read our Life is Strange Double Exposure review. Or, for more future titles, you can head over to our list of all the new games heading our way.
