We discuss ten games like Firewatch you must play. Add these well-recommended games to your gaming library.
Firewatch is a narrative game developed by Campo Santo and published in partnership with Panic. It’s a 2016 game set in the Wyoming wilderness and follows fire lookout Henry as he connects with another fire lookout called Delilah over a walkie-talkie, as she asks him to investigate what’s going on in the area.
Firewatch is more relaxing than most games and prioritizes its narrative over deep systems and mechanics. It asks players to help unravel its mystery and develops its story as it goes. Here are ten games like Firewatch that you must play.
10 Games like Firewatch
What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)
What Remains of Edith Finch is a game where players take control of the titular character Edith Finch, as she tries to figure out what has happened to her family. It takes place at her ancestral home in Washington state, where she uncovers the collection of strange stories from her family’s history as she comes to terms with why she’s the last one left alive.
Similar to Firewatch, players are given a large mystery and have to uncover it piece by piece.
The Witness (2016)
The Witness is an open-world puzzle game, where the player must complete many challenging puzzles to get knowledge about how to progress further on the island. It’s a relaxing game that will get players thinking, all while finding surprises about the location they’re on and their character’s past.
Oxenfree (2016)
Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller that follows Alex and her stepbrother. During an overnight party with a group of friends, the duo accidentally opens a ghostly rift and must go on an adventure to stop it. Dialogue appears during gameplay in thought bubbles, giving the players an opportunity to pick options for Alex.
Life is Strange (2015)
A collection of narrative episodes, Life is Strange follows Maxine ‘Max’ Caulfield and her newfound ability to rewind time, something that she uses to save her best friend Chloe and help her find Rachel Amber, a popular student who’s gone missing. Thematically, the episodes explore the butterfly effect, and how it manifests in people’s lives.
A Short Hike (2019)
A Short Hike is a relaxing title without violence or conflict and simply revolves around a bird hiking, climbing and soaring their way up the peaceful mountainside of Hawk Peak Provincial Park. The park is full of other animal characters that will give the player side missions, such as fishing, finding lost items, or playing a volleyball-like game called beachstickball.
Outer Wilds (2019)
An explorative game, the Outer Wilds has players explore the cosmos in an attempt to find the answer to why the world is stuck in a time loop. This loop comes in handy for the player though, as each death will reset time, and also the world that’s moving on without any input. There’s very little violence in the game, making it a relaxing jaunt through the galaxy.
The Council (2018)
Another narrative game split into episodes, The Council is set in 1793 and follows Louis de Richet as he stumbles upon a secret society as he searches for his mother, Sarah. It turns out she’s the head of the French branch of this secret society, which is known as the Golden Order.
As Louis arrives on an island just off the coast of England, he finds many influential political figures from Europe and the United States are gathering for a nefarious purpose.
The Occupation (2019)
Set in a dystopian England in 1987, The Occupation confines its players to a single government building and takes place over the course of four real-life hours. The gameplay itself is an investigative thriller, where the player has to gain knowledge and figure out the mystery at the heart of the game.
Tacoma (2017)
Tacoma is a narrative adventure game, which has players explore a high-tech space station in the year 2088, finding every single detail of how the station’s crew lived and worked, collecting clues that build a picture of trust, fear, and resolve in the face of a horrible disaster.
Additional information is given to the player in the form of an in-game email, making sure players don’t get stuck.
The Long Dark (2014)
The Long Dark is a survival game set in the wintery wasteland of the Canadian wilderness, after the player character Will Mackenzie crashes. Now, he must brave the elements, making sure to keep factors like body temperature, caloric intake, hunger, thirst, fatigue, wind-chill, wildlife, and a host of other environmental factors in check else he will perish.
Do you have any other recommendations for games like Firewatch Let us know in the comments below.
