Games like Home is Where One Starts...
by David Wehle
Home is Where One Starts... is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, hope, and the miracle of memory. You play as a little girl from a broken home somewhere in the American South.
View on Steam · $2.99 →
Ranked by how similar the games actually are, not by sales. Released and Price are remembered for next time.
Closest matches
-50%$7.49Gone Home
Aug 15 · Fullbright
Both: Walking Simulator · Short · Exploration
June 7th, 1995. 1:15 AM. You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something's not right. Where is everyone? And what's happened here? Unravel the mystery for yourself in Gone Home, a story exploration game from The Fullbright Company.
Walking SimulatorShortIndieExplorationAtmosphericFirst-PersonStory RichNarrativeLGBTQ+Female Protagonist👍 13,621
$9.99The First Tree
Sep 14 · David Wehle
Both: Walking Simulator · Exploration
A beautiful, 3rd-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Uncover artifacts from the son's life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.
AtmosphericAdventureWalking SimulatorIndieExplorationRelaxingSingleplayerStory RichOpen WorldColorful👍 4,765
$3.99Leaving Lyndow
Feb 8 · Eastshade Studios
Both: Walking Simulator · First-Person · Female Protagonist
It's Clara's last day on the island where she grew up. She needs to complete preparations, visit her favorite places, and say her goodbyes before leaving on a journey she may not return from.
AdventureIndieWalking SimulatorAtmosphericFirst-PersonFemale ProtagonistGreat SoundtrackSingleplayerShort👍 1,117
$9.99Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
Feb 14 · The Chinese Room, Robert Briscoe
Both: Walking Simulator · Exploration · First-Person
Dear Esther immerses you in a stunningly realised world, a remote and desolate island somewhere in the outer Hebrides. As you step forwards, a voice begins to read fragments of a letter: 'Dear Esther...' - and so begins a journey through one of the most original first-person games of recent years.
Walking SimulatorExplorationInteractive FictionPuzzleFirst-PersonPsychological HorrorRelaxingHorrorLinearAtmospheric👍 2,457
$5.99TIMEframe
Jul 7 · Random Seed Games
Both: Walking Simulator · Exploration · First-Person
Time is relative. Sometimes 10 seconds can feel like an eternity... In TIMEframe you will discover a world in slow motion. Explore the remnants of a mysterious civilization on the brink of destruction.
IndieCasualWalking SimulatorAtmosphericGreat SoundtrackExplorationFirst-PersonAdventureStylizedShort👍 269
$0.99Wooden House
Sep 5 · GDNomaD
Both: Walking Simulator · Short · First-Person
What could be better than relaxing in nature? Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the city in a small cottage. Spending time reading books by the fireplace. But one night, strange voices began to echo from deep within the basement.
Walking SimulatorShortIndieDarkSurvival HorrorAdventureFirst-PersonSingleplayerPvENature👍 158
$14.99Homesick
May 28 · Lucky Pause
Both: Exploration · First-Person · Walking Simulator
Explore an abandoned building, encountering puzzles and clues to discover what happened, as you try to escape in both your nightmares and the waking world. Be immersed in the hauntingly beautiful 3D atmosphere in this puzzle exploration mystery game.
AtmosphericPuzzleExplorationFirst-PersonIndieWalking SimulatorAdventureHorrorMysteryGreat Soundtrack👍 1,282
$5.99Coma: Mortuary
May 12 · Naga Entertainment
Both: Walking Simulator · First-Person · Short
Coma:Mortuary is the introduction part of a trilogy about events in the world of the dead. The game`s genre is Adventure-Ambient with Horror-quest element.
HorrorIndieAdventureAtmosphericWalking SimulatorFirst-PersonShort👍 694
$19.99Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
Apr 14 · The Chinese Room
Both: Walking Simulator · Exploration · First-Person
Featuring a beautiful, detailed open-world and a haunting soundtrack, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is non-linear storytelling at its best.
Walking SimulatorAtmosphericIndieGreat SoundtrackAdventureStory RichExplorationFirst-PersonCasualOpen World👍 1,852
FreeAnswer Knot
May 31 · Naraven
Both: First-Person · Short · Walking Simulator
A short narrative and exploration game about Zach, June, and a strange phenomenon. You're Zach and, stuck in your home, you will do everything to keep hearing June's voice messages. What is happening out there?
IndieFirst-PersonShortInteractive FictionWalking SimulatorFree to PlayHorrorSurrealEmotionalSingleplayer
-15%$2.54下校怪奇譚
4 days ago · THE FOOL CREATE
Both: Walking Simulator · Exploration · First-Person
Walk home from school — and step into a different story every time. Talk to the people you pass in town, or take a closer look at the things around you, and a new tale begins.
AdventureCasualWalking SimulatorExploration3DFirst-Person1990'sRetroAtmosphericMultiple Endings
$1.99House of Caravan
Apr 16 · Rosebud Games
Both: First-Person · Exploration · Walking Simulator
Taking place in a single mansion in Candlewood, northeast USA, in the early 20th Century, House of Caravan is a sinister adventure filled with dark secrets and vexing puzzles.
IndieHorrorAdventureFirst-PersonPuzzleSingleplayerExplorationAtmosphericWalking SimulatorStory Rich👍 708
$29.99Obduction
Aug 24 · Cyan, Inc.
Both: Exploration · First-Person · Walking Simulator
A new sci-fi adventure from Cyan, the creators of Myst. Abducted far across the universe, you find yourself on a broken alien landscape with odd pieces of Earth. Explore, uncover, solve, and find a way to make it home.
AdventurePuzzleExplorationIndieFirst-PersonMysterySurrealVRWalking SimulatorAtmospheric👍 3,032
$9.99The Path
Mar 18 · Tale of Tales
Both: Walking Simulator · Female Protagonist · Exploration
There is one rule in the game. And it needs to be broken. There is one goal. And when you attain it, you die.
Walking SimulatorHorrorIndieFemale ProtagonistExplorationAdventureSurrealExperimentalAtmosphericGothic👍 881
$4.99Home
Aug 31 · BancyCo
Both: Short
Home is a unique horror adventure set in a beautifully-realized pixel world. It’s a murder mystery with a twist—because you decide what ultimately happens.
IndieAdventureHorrorPixel GraphicsShortMultiple EndingsMysteryAtmosphericInteractive FictionSingleplayer👍 1,136
$6.99Left Alone
Apr 28 · SpeedTutor
Both: Exploration · Walking Simulator · First-Person
Left Alone plunges you into a first-person psychological horror journey, where darkness and memories intertwine. As secrets emerge from shadows, use your wits to solve puzzles and explore haunting, forgotten locations. Every step echoes with the past; can you face the truths that await?
ExplorationPuzzleWalking SimulatorFirst-Person3DHorrorStory RichPsychological HorrorActionLogic👍 592
$19.99Ether One
Mar 25 · White Paper Games
Both: First-Person · Walking Simulator · Exploration
Ether One is a first person adventure that deals with the fragility of the human mind. There are two paths in the world you can choose from. At its core is a story exploration path free from puzzles where you can unfold the story at your own pace.
AdventureIndieFirst-PersonPuzzleWalking SimulatorExplorationStory RichAtmosphericHorrorVR👍 320
FreeThe Way of Life Free Edition
May 31 · CyberCoconut, Fabio Ferrara
Both: Walking Simulator · First-Person · Short
The Way of Life makes the player relive the same life's experiences from the point of view of three characters of different ages: an adult, an old man and a child.
Free to PlayWalking SimulatorIndieFirst-PersonSingleplayerMultiplayerAdventureSimulationShortOpen World
$4.99Oracle
Feb 28 · Watercolor Games
Both: Walking Simulator · First-Person
ORACLE is a single player, open world experience with dozens of locations to explore, great soundtrack and an awesome story ready to be unraveled.
AdventureIndieWalking SimulatorCasualSimulationOpen WorldAtmosphericSingleplayerStory RichFirst-Person👍 236
$4.99Daylight
Apr 29 · Zombie Studios
Both: First-Person · Female Protagonist · Walking Simulator
You awake, trapped in an abandoned hospital. Your only source of light is your phone. You hit a dead-end and must turn around, but behind you lurks an eerie presence and strange noises... Experience Daylight, a procedurally generated psychological thriller for your PC.
HorrorAdventureFirst-PersonIndieFemale ProtagonistActionSurvivalWalking SimulatorSingleplayerSurvival Horror👍 1,038
$12.99Shape of the World
Jun 5 · Hollow Tree Games
Both: Walking Simulator · Exploration · First-Person
A serene first person exploration game in a surreal, organic world that reacts to your presence. Journey through a psychedelically colorful ecosystem of flourishing flora, rambling waterfalls, burgeoning mountains, glowing monoliths and graceful creatures. A 1-3 hour escape from work, anxiety and stress.
CasualNatureIndieAtmosphericSurrealWalking SimulatorExplorationFirst-PersonRelaxingAdventure👍 263
$14.99THE LONGING
Mar 5 · Studio Seufz
Both: Walking Simulator · Exploration
An unusual mix of adventure and idle game. In utter loneliness deep below the surface, it's your task to wait for the awakening of your king... for 400 days.
Point & ClickWalking SimulatorChoose Your Own AdventureIdler2DUndergroundMultiple EndingsExplorationAtmosphericChoices Matter👍 6,979
$19.99Silence
Nov 15 · Daedalic Entertainment
Both: Female Protagonist · Exploration · Short
Can you save Silence, the grim, but also serene world between life and death? Can you help Noah find his little sister Renie in this suffering world? Can you bring her home? Explore Silence and join the siblings on their adventurous journey.
AdventurePoint & ClickStory RichGreat SoundtrackIndiePuzzleSingleplayerFemale ProtagonistExplorationShort👍 1,846
$4.990°N 0°W
Mar 1 · Colorfiction
Both: Exploration · Walking Simulator · First-Person
Ready for a wild trip of psychedelic sights and sounds? 0°N 0°W is a chill, first-person walking sim for everyone, where each run is a fresh adventure!
ColorfulSurrealExplorationPsychedelicOpen WorldPlatformerWalking SimulatorFirst-Person3DRelaxing👍 363
Also worth a look
Share some of the same DNA, but further from the original.
FreeOff-Peak
Oct 21 · Cosmo D
Both: Walking Simulator · First-Person · Short
You're stranded at a cathedral-like train station in the near future, searching for a ticket out of town. Explore the secret passageways, interact with strangers, dig for records, and get hypnotized by the soundtrack – a batch of original music courtesy of the band, Archie Pelago.
Free to PlaySurrealIndieWalking SimulatorAdventureGreat SoundtrackFirst-PersonHorrorAtmosphericShort
$3.99A Bird Story
Nov 7 · Freebird Games
Both: Short
An experimental short from the creator of To the Moon & Finding Paradise: A simple & surreal 1-hour interactive animation about a boy and an injured bird, told without dialogues.If you're looking for To the Moon-like experience, I'd suggest playing Finding Paradise first.
IndieStory RichGreat SoundtrackPixel GraphicsShortAdventureSingleplayerInteractive Fiction2DRPG👍 8,206
FreePort of Call
Aug 28 · Underdog Games
Both: Short · First-Person · Walking Simulator
Imagine waking up on a small dock with no recollection of who you are or how you got there. The first person you find is a grumpy, old man who enlists you to work on his ferry boat which seems to have materialized behind you.
IndieAdventureFree to PlayShortExperimentalHorrorAtmosphericFirst-PersonWalking SimulatorSingleplayer
FreeHOME
May 11 · Fantasync
Both: Exploration · Walking Simulator
HOME is a feel-good walking simulator experience in which you create your own poem and music. Embark on a poetic and musical heartwarming journey about what home means to you.
PhilosophicalRelaxingAtmosphericExplorationEmotionalCatsAdventureWalking Simulator3DMinimalist
-78%$0.87Star Sky
Oct 23 · JMJ Interactive, Mårten Jonsson
Both: Walking Simulator · Exploration
Star Sky is a game about a man taking a midnight stroll. You take the same road as many times as you want, each time hopefully unlocking new encounters. Can you unlock the mysteries of the night?
CasualIndieAdventureWalking SimulatorAtmospheric2DSingleplayerSimulationSide ScrollerExploration👍 295
$14.99Journey
Jun 11 · thatgamecompany
Both: Exploration · Walking Simulator
Explore the ancient, mysterious world of Journey as you soar above ruins and glide across sands to discover its secrets.
BeautifulAtmosphericAdventureIndieExplorationRelaxingGreat SoundtrackWalking SimulatorCo-opMultiplayer👍 34,817
$2.99The Quiet Apocalypse
Nov 11 · Little Denis Games
Both: Walking Simulator · Exploration · First-Person
'The Quiet Apocalypse' is a first-person story adventure set in a beautiful open world. Join your father on a dangerous trek through 400 km² of pristine wilderness, as you race to save the life of a very special child.
AdventureWalking SimulatorOpen WorldExplorationFirst-PersonPost-apocalypticStory RichMysteryPsychologicalSingleplayer
$0.99Gone In November
Aug 18 · Florastamine
Both: Walking Simulator · First-Person
Coming home after visiting your doctor for the last time, you are told that you only have three more days to live. A sequence of short memory fragments flashing through as you try to run away from what you have done.
IndieAdventureWalking SimulatorFirst-Person👍 192
$9.99Qbeh-1: The Atlas Cube
May 15 · Liquid Flower
Both: First-Person · Exploration · Walking Simulator
A serene first-person puzzle platformer set across strikingly beautiful worlds. Place and remove cubes to solve handcrafted puzzles, discover hidden secrets, and lose yourself in an atmosphere unlike anything else. Includes a full level editor and Steam Workshop support.
PuzzleFirst-PersonAtmosphericRelaxingPuzzle PlatformerPlatformerExplorationCozyWalking SimulatorLevel Editor👍 608


