Games Like Firewatch: 15 Story-Rich Adventures in 2025
In today’s world of triple-A blockbusters, games like Firewatch are a great alternative for those who aren’t after cheap thrills. And I get it – sometimes you don’t need explosive action sequences or stretched-out open worlds to drown hundreds of hours.
What you’re really after is a tightly crafted story that sticks with you long after the credits roll. A game where every conversation matters and the world itself tells an immersive story.
This Campo Santo’s first-person exploration game showed us exactly how powerful these short intimate adventures can be. Firewatch was released in 2016 and even grabbed BAFTA nominations and IGF awards for its outstanding narrative and visual design. Who knew a story about two people talking over a handheld radio could be so gripping?
Nevertheless, if you fell in love with Firewatch’s mystery, its emotional depth, or its captivating exploration, I’ve got some recommendations you must check out. Each game on this list brings something different – from unraveling family secrets to investigating supernatural occurrences and even something spookier.
Our Top Picks for Games Like Firewatch
Before diving deeper into the details, here are my top picks for incredible story-focused games like Firewatch:
- What Remains of Edith Finch (2017) – an atmospheric journey through a tragic family history, told through deeply moving vignettes
- Gone Home (2013) – a true masterclass in environmental storytelling and unrelenting intrigue
- The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014) – a supernatural investigation with a haunting atmosphere
- Oxenfree (2016) – a teenage adventure with unexpected turns and top-class dialogues
- Life is Strange (2015) – a coming-of-age story with a supernatural twist and meaningful choices
Of course, a short snippet will never do justice to the stories these games tell, so let’s take an in-depth look at these fantastic options that’ll give you that same emotional punch Firewatch is best known for.
15 Best Games Like Firewatch for Immersive Adventures
What made Firewatch so special, wasn’t just the gorgeous art style or the ever-growing mystery at its heart. It was the way it made us feel – alone but connected, curious yet also apprehensive, always pushing forward to uncover the next story beat. These 15 games pack just as tight and impactful stories each with their own spice.
1. What Remains of Edith Finch
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2017 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, iOS | Giant Sparrow | 2-3 hours |
What Remains of Edith Finch isn’t just one of the most fire indie games out there – it’s an actual masterpiece of interactive storytelling. Like Firewatch, it uses an isolated setting to tell a deeply personal story, but instead of a fire lookout tower, you’ll explore a massive family mansion filled with tragic tales and hidden passages.
Each room tells the story of a different family member’s death, and what makes this game truly special is how each tale uses unique gameplay mechanics. One moment you’re controlling a child on a swing set, the next you’re a cat chasing birds, and then you’re working in a fish cannery. The creativity on display here is something you have to experience yourself.
And to be frank, the emotional impact hits even harder than Firewatch or other similar games, and that’s saying something. While Henry’s story touched our hearts, Edith Finch will absolutely break yours – in a good way. The writing is sharp, the voice acting is stellar, and the way the stories weave together creates a one-of-a-kind experience.
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2. Gone Home
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2017 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, iOS | Fullbright | 2-3 hours |
If you’re a fan of top adventure games that let you piece together a story through exploration, Gone Home will feel like coming home (pun intended). Its strong suit – the simple art of telling a story through small details and discovered artifacts or mementos.
You play as Katie, a young woman returning home from a year abroad to find your family’s house empty. Through notes, cassette tapes, and environmental clues, you can uncover what happened to your sister Sam and the rest of your family. The attention to detail is incredible – every drawer you open, every note you read can shuffle all the cards.
What makes Gone Home interesting is its dedication to authenticity. Set in 1995, everything from the classic X-Files posters to the riot grrrl music captures the era perfectly. The mystery unfolds at your own pace, and like Firewatch, it keeps you guessing until the very end.
3. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2014 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | The Astronauts | 5 hours |
If the Firewatch mystery kept you constantly wondering, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter will keep you up at night. As paranormal investigator Paul Prospero, you have to explore the hauntingly beautiful Red Creek Valley to uncover what happened to a missing boy.
The game nails that same sense of isolation that made Firewatch so atmospheric. The key difference? This time there’s no Delilah on the other end of a radio – you’re completely alone with only your thoughts and all the valley’s dark secrets. That said, the visuals are simply stunning, making every panorama worth a screenshot.
What really sets this game apart is its unique investigation mechanics. You’ll have to reconstruct crime scenes using supernatural powers, piecing together tragic events that happened in the valley. However, it respects the player’s intelligence, never holding your hand as you unravel its mysteries.
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4. Oxenfree
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2016 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Mobile | Night School Studio | 4-5 hours |
As a fan of creepy horror games with a supernatural twist, I can’t recommend Oxenfree enough. While it might look colorful and fun at first glance, it’s far from chill and cozy. This 2D sidescroller captures that same sense of mystery and thrill that made Firewatch so captivating.
The story follows Alex and her friends during an overnight trip to Edwards Island that goes terribly wrong. The dialogue system is the star of the show – conversations feel natural and continue even as you explore. It reminds me of talks with Delilah in Firewatch, except here it’s not just set dressing and your choices have far-reaching consequences.
Nonetheless, don’t let the teen protagonists fool you. This game tackles some heavy themes. The way Oxenfree blends coming-of-age drama with supernatural horror creates an atmosphere that’s both familiar and deeply unsettling. And, by the way, the sound design deserves special mention – you’ll want to play this one with headphones.
Grab your copy of Oxenfree here >
5. Life Is Strange
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2015 | PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Mobile | Dontnod Entertainment | 14-16 hours |
Ranking among the greatest story games of the last decade, Life is Strange is a behemoth for its raw emotional power. For my first playthrough, I wasn’t ready for a fairly innocent beginning with an intriguing hook that quickly spirals into one of the stories that shook me like no game before.
You play as Max Caulfield, a photography student who discovers she can rewind time. But this isn’t just another time-travel story – it’s a deeply personal tale about friendship, growing up, and the consequences of trying to change the past. The relationship between Max and her childhood friend Chloe is just as compelling as Henry and Delilah’s duo, if not more so.
What makes this game so special is how it uses its supernatural element to explore very human themes. Every little choice matters, but unlike Firewatch, some decisions have major consequences even your time rewinds won’t undo if you’re too far gone.
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6. Journey
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2012 | PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, iOS | Thatgamecompany | 3-4 hours |
For fans of creative single-player games that prioritize atmosphere over dialogue, Journey offers an experience that’s vastly different from Firewatch yet ticks many of the same emotional boxes. This might seem like an odd addition to the list, since Journey has absolutely no dialogue, but bear with me.
Like Firewatch, Journey is built on a sense of solitude and wonder. Your voyage across the desert, its rolling dunes and ancient ruins, captures that same feeling of being alone in nature that made Firewatch’s Wyoming wilderness so authentic. The key difference? Instead of Delilah’s voice keeping you company, you might occasionally encounter another silent traveler on the same journey.
The way this game tells its story only through stunning visuals and music is nothing short of masterful. Every frame could be a painting, and Austin Wintory’s Grammy-nominated soundtrack will undoubtedly strike an awe before you know it.
7. Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2012 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Mobile | The Chinese Room | 2-3 hours |
Dear Esther is the game that helped pioneer the first-person exploration game genre, which Firewatch later mastered. Set on a desolate Hebridean island, it tells a haunting tale of loss, grief, and acceptance through fragments of letters read aloud as you explore.
Now, its abstract way of storytelling may look unconventional, to say the least, but it’s an unforgettable journey nonetheless. While Firewatch leads you towards a clear mystery to unravel, Dear Esther presents its captivating narrative in poetic fragments that you have to piece together yourself. Fortunately, the gorgeous, yet dark environments help a lot to set the whole tone and tell their own story, from windswept cliffs to luminous caves.
If you loved how Firewatch made you feel like an active participant in uncovering its story, Dear Esther takes a different but equally effective approach – guiding you through an atmospheric journey by uncovering a beautiful poem one verse at a time.
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8. The Long Dark: Survival Edition
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2017 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | Hinterland Studio | 20-25 hours |
If an isolated wilderness setting captivates you, The Long Dark takes that concept and adds intense survival mechanics into the mix. Firewatch doesn’t shy away from showing you the beauty and possible dangers of the great outdoors, but here, nature itself is your biggest threat.
The story mode, called Wintermute, follows a bush pilot surviving in the Canadian wilderness after a mysterious geomagnetic disaster. While there’s no Delilah to chat with, the environmental storytelling is nothing but top-notch. Each abandoned building, each discovered note adds to the story of the people who lived here before the disaster.
The game’s minimalistic art style isn’t exactly Picasso, but the grand environments and vistas surely make it one of the most visually distinctive survival games out there. The sound design also deserves kudos, as the crunch of snow under your feet and the howl of wolves in the distance create unmatched immersion.
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9. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2015 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Mobile | The Chinese Room | 4-5 hours |
While Firewatch isolates you in the wilderness, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture places you in an abandoned English village where the mystery isn’t just about what happened, but what happened to everybody. And like many great indie games, it proves that a small scope can tell a massive story.
The game mostly shines in its attention to world detail. Every house, every garden, every pub tells a story about the people who lived there. You’ll piece together the lives of the villagers with the help of the floating orbs of light that replay conversations from before the mysterious event that left the village empty.
The orchestral score by Jessica Curry is simply breathtaking, filling in the void left by buzzing village life. If you enjoyed how Firewatch built its mystery through environmental storytelling, you’ll definitely enjoy how this light horror game gradually reveals its secrets.
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10. The Witness
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2016 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS | Thekla, Inc. | 17-18 hours |
The Witness might seem like an odd recommendation for Firewatch fans. But hear me out: both games share a deep respect for player intelligence and the joy of discovering things for yourself. This way, just like the fire lookout tower, the mysterious island of The Witness becomes a character in itself.
What sets this game apart is how it teaches you its language through exploration and observation. There’s no tutorial, no hand-holding. The Witness trusts you to understand its increasingly complex puzzle mechanics with a very natural difficulty curve.
The art direction is lovely and intuitive, with each area of the island sporting its own distinct visual identity. On the other hand, while there’s no direct narrative like in Firewatch, the environmental storytelling is rich with philosophical undertones that’ll keep you thinking not just inside the game.
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11. Soma
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2015 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Frictional Games | 9-11 hours |
For those who loved how Firewatch made you question your own perceptions, Soma takes that concept to fascinating new depths – literally. As nearly the best horror game of the last decade, it combines psychological horror with deep philosophical questions about consciousness, identity, and what it means to be human.
In this decaying underwater facility you’ll uncover what happened to its inhabitants while grappling with existential questions that’ll haunt you long after you finish the game. The story is quite heavy and the stakes are much higher, so don’t expect a walk in a park. The sound design is particularly noteworthy – the creaks and groans of the underwater station create an atmosphere of constant tension.
Gameplay-wise, as expected from the creators of critically acclaimed Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Soma also includes blood-chilling stealth sections. While it’s obviously scarier than Firewatch, both games share a commitment to methodical and mature storytelling that resonated with many game connoisseurs.
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12. Return of the Obra Dinn
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2018 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | Lucas Pope | 8-9 hours |
Enjoyed playing detective in Firewatch? Return of the Obra Dinn investigations may be right up your alley. This unique adventure game puts you in the shoes of an insurance investigator trying to determine what happened to the crew of a mysterious merchant ship.
Yes, the game’s distinctive 1-bit graphics might seem like a far cry from Firewatch’s colorful wilderness, but this fascinating puzzle game has a charm of its own once you dig into it. Using a magical pocket watch, you’ll witness frozen moments of death, using logic and deduction to determine the fate of each crew member.
My favorite part of the game is how it treats you like an actual detective. There are no pointers and you’ll need to take notes, make connections, and think carefully about every detail. To no surprise, the satisfaction of solving each mystery is quite unmatched.
13. Kentucky Route Zero
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2020 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Mobile | Cardboard Computer | 9-10 hours |
Kentucky Route Zero shares Firewatch’s American setting but takes an unexpected turn down a spooky highway that exists somewhere between reality and dreams. It’s one of the most overlooked story games of the past decade, delivering a tale that’s both dearly familiar and wonderfully strange.
Following delivery driver Conway and a diverse cast of characters, you’ll explore a version of Kentucky that’s quite frankly surreal. The game’s unique art style and theatrical presentation create an atmosphere that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Yet, it captures that same sense of mystery that made Henry’s time in the woods so compelling.
What really sets this game apart is its writing. The dialogue is poetic, profound even, touching on themes of debt, art, and the decay of rural America. While it’s way more abstract than Firewatch, both games focus on the deep message of human nature and loss.
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14. Outer Wilds
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2019 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | Mobius Digital | 18-19 hours |
Don’t let the cosmic setting fool you – Outer Wilds has more in common with Firewatch than you might think. As one of the best space games probably ever, it masterfully combines exploration and storytelling in a way few similar games have matched to date.
You’re an astronaut exploring a miniature solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop. Similar to Firewatch, the joy comes from gradually uncovering the truth behind the unknown, but here the scale is cosmic rather than strictly personal. Each discovery feels earned and each revelation – more meaningful.
The game’s clockwork solar system is the true marvel of design, with each planet hiding its own secrets and stories. While you won’t find a colleague yapping on a handheld radio, you’ll encounter other travelers around the solar system who will help piece together the grand mystery at the heart of this mini-universe.
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15. A Short Hike
| Release Year | Platforms | Developer | Avg. playtime |
| 2019 | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | Adam Robinson-Yu | 2 hours |
A Short Hike might look innocently childish with its cute, low-poly style, but this game understands the simple and pure joy of exploring nature in a calm and relaxed setting. As Claire, a young bird trying to reach the summit of a mountain, you’ll discover that the journey matters more than the destination.
While there’s no mystery to solve here, the game grasps that same feeling of peaceful solitude that made Firewatch’s quiet moments so serene. Along the way, you’ll also meet charming and well-written characters, each with their own little stories to share.
Even the freedom of movement – gliding, climbing, and soaring – makes exploration a joy to chase. The best part is the game respects your time and lets you set your own pace, creating a remarkably comfy experience that still manages to tell a touching story.
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FAQs
How many hours is Firewatch?
Firewatch story takes 4-6 hours to complete. The game is designed to be completed in one or two sittings, making it perfect for a weekend playthrough.
Does Firewatch have endings?
No, Firewatch has one main ending. However, your dialogue choices with Delilah affect the emotional tone of your final conversation and relationship.
Is Firewatch based on real life?
No, but it’s inspired by real fire lookout towers in Wyoming. The developers consulted with former fire lookouts to create an authentic experience.
