10 Best Games Like Inside That You Should Know Update 04/2024

Games Like Inside

This is something that we’ve all experienced at one time or another. You eagerly await the release of a long-awaited game, and it turns out to be just as good as you expected. Sadly, it comes to an end all too quickly, and you’re left wanting more! Inside, a dark and dreamy adventure from Playdead, evokes that feeling more than any other recent game. Despite its widespread acclaim since its release only a few weeks ago, it is a relatively short game. You’ll want to go on to something else after a few replays, which we encourage. If you’re looking for something to satisfy a similar craving, here are 10 fantastic options.

1. Limbo Developer: Playdead

LimboDeveloper Playdead

You should definitely get your hands on Limbo if you haven’t played any of Playdead’s prior games. In many aspects, Inside is a continuation of the studio’s prior game’s gameplay, visual, and audio elements. Limbo’s stark black-and-white aesthetics, unique puzzle design, and sympathetic lead character make it an obvious pick for fans of the developer’s previous title, despite the fact that many of the themes are distinct.

2. BraidDeveloper: Number None

Many independent games have been inspired by Jonathan Blow’s brilliant puzzle/platformer. Using familiar video game tropes like Mario saving the princess and minimalist puzzle design, Braid is a contemplative but ultimately painful look at the nature of life and love in its post-modern repackaging. And, as with Inside, the film’s final moments are a surprise.

3. FezDeveloper: Polytron

FezDeveloper Polytron

Despite the sharp contrast between its brightly colored graphics and lush atmosphere and those of Inside, there are many similarities between the two games. Both games take great pleasure in upsetting players’ expectations and forcing them to consider fresh possibilities. The second layer of puzzles in Fez, like Inside, extends beyond what appears to be the game’s conclusion and into a new level of critical analysis and discovery.

4. Kentucky Route ZeroDeveloper: Cardboard Computer

The smart puzzles in Inside are only a small part of the game’s overall appeal, which also includes its insightful thematic concepts and evocative atmosphere. That’s why we recommend Kentucky Route Zero, a point-and-click adventure that’s as much about self-discovery as it is about forwarding the story. Kentucky Route Zero, with its slow and deliberate pace, and the mystery of figuring out what’s really going on, will tap into the same emotion of surprise and bewilderment that Inside hits so brilliantly.

5. The SwapperDeveloper: Facepalm Games

The SwapperDeveloper

The spooky and unnervingly silent environment of Inside contributes to the film’s dramatic and unsettling tone. Due to the lack of distractions, the minor sounds and remarkable images that you meet while your character goes forward are often amplified. The Swapper, set aboard a destroyed space station, has a similarly gloomy and silent atmosphere. With The Swapper, you’re encouraged to control others, but in Facepalm, the game is all about clones of your own self-control.

6. Year WalkDeveloper: Simogo

First-person narration can be deceiving, so don’t be deceived. While Inside explores the concept of loneliness and the nature of existence, Year Walk strikes many of the same emotional chords that make Inside so powerful.. In this game, you take control of a person who is facing a complicated ritual of fasting, and your interactions with creatures from Swedish folklore are both disturbing and wonderful.

7. BadlandDeveloper: Frogmind

Badland Developer

You can close your eyes and listen to the music at nearly every point in your playing of Inside. It creates an image in your head when you listen to the sound design. As soon as you open your eyes, the sights match the sound. Despite the fact that Badland’s gameplay is different from Playdead’s in that it relies on screen taps to guide your odd animals through increasingly difficult obstacle courses, the game’s soundtrack and visual design are very similar. Badland and Inside go hand in hand for a master class in how sound and visual design may function together. Both the original and Badland 2 are amazing, so don’t hesitate to check them out.

8. The WitnessDeveloper: Thekla, Inc.

In addition to Jonathan Blow’s previous game on this list (Inside), we think Jonathan Blow’s most recent work is also deserving of a mention, especially for players who loved the game’s emphasis on lateral thinking and “aha” moments. Drawing a line from one location to another is the key to solving all of the puzzles in The Witness. The game’s various variants on that concept are what make it so engrossing. If the game’s most perplexing puzzles were the highlight of your time with Inside, we recommend diving right into this puzzling masterpiece.

9. The Stanley ParableDeveloper: Galactic Cafe

The Stanley Parable

Thematically, Inside is a game about a person who refuses to accept the world as it is presented and the ideals of conformity. In Davey Wreden’s interactive narrative, these same themes are confronted via the eyes of an office worker who discovers that his job (and life) are more complicated and bizarre than they look at first. Although knowing too much about the Stanley Parable can ruin the experience, suffice it to say that the many diverse pathways you can travel are what make this game exciting. It is true that both The Stanley Parable and Inside confront you with some painful ideas about society and your place in it, but they do so through quite distinct means.

10. Monument ValleyDeveloper: Ustwo

“Dreamlike” is one of the most commonly used terms to describe Inside. It’s easy to get spooked by the bizarre and disorienting visuals. You may want to check out Monument Valley if you enjoyed Inside’s trance-inducing presentation but want to see a more upbeat side of the dreamscape. Inside, on the other hand, has a more spooky and disquieting feel to it because of its Escher-esque levels and thoughtful tone.