A horror game that features several endings, which depend on the actions and decisions of the player, Until Dawn was quite successful. While the brand of horror wasn’t anything new, what made Until Dawn so appealing was the leeway that the game provided. The gameplay is a bit different, too.
Developed by Suppermassive Games, Until Dawn was released in 2015. It’s a survival-horror game and the gameplay was kind of like an interactive drama.
If you finished playing this game, enjoyed it, and want to find something similar to play next, or you’re looking for something that’s a bit more appropriate for younger players – not quite as scary, perhaps – than keep on reading. Below, you’ll find a round-up of 15 titles that are similar to Until Dawn.
Until Dawn Game Features
 Release Date: | 25 August 2015 |
 Developer: | Supermassive Games |
 Publisher: | Sony Computer Entertainment |
 Platforms: | PlayStation 4 |
 Genre: | Interactive drama |
 Setting: | Real World |
 Game Modes: | Single-player |
1. Life is Strange 1 & 2
From Dontnond Entertainment, the Life is Strange Series, which includes two games, is the Life is Strange series. The first and second series of this game feature each have 5 episodes, and all of them were released a few months after the initial story.
That said, however, both Life is Strange games have emotional storylines, and both of the protagonists have unique psychic powers.In the first game of the Life is Strange series, you’ll play as Max Caulfield, a resident of Arcadia Bay who returns to her hometown.
Once she arrives, she discovers that she has the ability to rewind time from a few moments ago up to a few hours ago. Because of this ability, Max is able to save the life of Chloe Price, her childhood best friend. Chloe was shot in the stomach by a drug dealer she attempted to blackmail, and the wound was supposed to take her life.
Thanks to Max’s ability to rewind time, the pair reconnect and repair their relationship; however, while Max is able to save Chloe’s life, they aren’t aware – yet discover – that her power rewinding abilities do have consequences.
The second game in the Life is Strange series follows brothers Sean and Daniel. Though they love one another, as brothers do, they have some disagreements. A tragic accident that involves a prejudice neighbor, a cop that’s on-edge, and the father of the brother’s being shot, results in bad things happening.
Sean awakens his telekinesis abilities and uses these powers to push a car that killed the cop and puts the neighbor in a coma. These events force the brothers to embark on a journey to the border of the United States and Mexico in an attempt to avoid the scrutiny of the police.
Both Life is Strange 1 and 2 are similar to Until Dawn in that they feature an engaging storyline that develops throughout the game. Both also involve a lot of decision-making, and the decisions that are made affect the outcome of the game.
2. House of Ashes
Released in October of 2021, House of Ashes is Supermassive Games’ most recent entry. It’s the third part of an 8-party anthology series, The Dark Pictures anthology, too.
As such, it’s part of a stand-alone interactive horror game, and it game onto the scene after Until Dawn appeared. That said, House of Ashes adheres to the same formula used in the older game.
Similar to its predecessors, Until Dawn incorporates horror and drama. The game is set during the Iraq War in 2003, and you’ll control five characters, soldiers, and operatives as you play.
The cast of characters get lost in a connection of underground caves, where they find a new danger: a demon that is lurking in ancient Sumerian ruins.
You’ll play the “movie” out by selecting characters. In addition to selecting characters, you’ll also need to complete fast actions.
The decisions you make and the actions you take determine the direction the story will go, which will lead you to different paths and endings. Furthermore, the perspective of the story changes, and any of the characters can die at any given moment.
3. The Inpatient
Another title by Supermassive games, the Inpatient is a psychological terror game and we have to say – it really is quite scary, so if you’re going to play it, get ready to hold onto your pants.
In the Inpatient, you play the role of a patient who is suffering from amnesia, where you’re being held inside an historic and a highly controversial mental institution in the 1950s.
Backstories, cinematics, and interactivity with the setting are major focuses of the game. With that said, however, in regard to gameplay, there isn’t a whole lot to do. Similar to other titles that are like Until Dawn, you’ll make decisions that impact the outcome of the story.
The decisions you make will also trigger unique responses from the characters and will open various inter-webbed paths.
Finally, The Inpatient delivers lots of clever twists and several jump scares. There’s a voice recognition system that works through a PSVR headset, which makes the game even more immersive and scary.
4. The Wolf Among Us
Another great alternative to Until Dawn is The Wolf Among Us. Made by Telltale Games’, it’s one of the developer’s best titles.
A mafia game that’s masquerading as an interactive drama blended with Film Noir, while there are some similarities between The Wolf Among Us and Until Dawn, the former title does have some unique features. You’ll play as the main character, Bigby Wolf, the Sheriff of Fabletown.
Wolf’s job is to investigate a murder, and as he sets out to investigate one murder, Wolf quickly learns that several other murders have occurred in his hometown of Fabletown. As such, he’s tasked with finding out what happening and solving the “Who-done-it-“ mystery.
Overall, The Wolf Among Us does a great job of exploring different things that might motivate a person, and things that might drive someone to do terrible things, like kill.
5. Firewatch
Next up on our list of alternatives to Until Dawn is Firewatch. Developed by Quantum Dream, Firewatch is a chill game when compared to other games on this list – including Until Dawn – which, we have to say, is quite surprising.
An atmospheric interactive adventure, Firewatch takes place in the 1980s. The main character, Henry, is a new hire for a fire lookout team at a national forest. Upon taking the position as a fire lookout, Henry’s life becomes unveiled to Delilah, his supervisor, who is stationed at a nearby watchtower and communicates with Henry via radio.
As the game progresses, the pair discovers that they aren’t alone in the national forest. This discovery prompts Henry and Delilah to start exploring their surroundings more in-depth. That said, Firewatch is an adventure-like game, so the gameplay is centered more on exploration.
6. Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation is another game that shares a lot of elements that are similar to Until Dawn. If you’re familiar with the Alien franchise and you liked it – and if you liked Until Dawn – then you’re definitely going to want to check out this game.
While Alien: Isolation isn’t an interactive game like Until Dawn is, because of the first-person perspective, the horror it presents may be a lot better. The story follows Amanda Ripley, the main character who is the daughter of Ellen Ripley – the main character of the Alien movie franchise. Alien: Isolation takes place 15 years after the original film.
After her mom (Ellen) disappears, Amanda joins forces with Weyland-Yutani Corporation, where she works as an engineer, in an attempt to learn what happened to her mother.
Unfortunately, Weyland-Yutani attracts aliens, and has lots of interactions with them. Throughout the course of the game, Amanda finds clues about her mother’s disappearance and she heads to Sevastapol, a space station on the outer edges of the frontier, in an attempt to find answers.
Sadly, everyone on the space station is dead as a result of an alien attack and now that Amanda is trapped alone in the space station, she must use the limited tools at her disposal, as well as her wisdom and survival skills, to escape with her life.
7. Dying Light 2: Stay Human
An open-world first-person action-adventure game, Dying Light 2 is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where a zombie outbreak took over humanity.
Like the first game, in Dying Light 2, traversing the map requires parkour, and aside from this, there are some smooth first-person combat and branching trails that you can go down.
Due to the haunted setting, there are jump scares galore in Dying Light 2, and there’s lots of horror, too; hence why it’s similar to Until Dawn.
Furthermore, you’ll make a lot of big decisions for the main character, Wanderer, and your decisions will shape the world, unearth secrets, and will even put a faction into power.
Another cool aspect of Dying Light 2 is a day and night cycle. During the nighttime, the zombies, referred to as “The Infected”, become a lot more vicious and visible, and during the day, they’re less visible and active.
Finally, it has a co-op feature, so you can play with as many as four friends online. You can either host games that others can join, or you can join other parties.
8. Vampyr
As the title of this game clearly indicates, Vampyr is about, well, a vampire. It blends RPG systems, choices, branching paths, and first-person combat into a horror theme, setting, and story; all factors that lends to the appeal of Vampyr. It’s because of these elements that Vampyr has amassed a cult-like following.
The story takes place in London during World War I. The protagonist is a doctor named Jonathon Reid, who is on the frontlines as a flu sweeps over the city.
While Dr. Reid wants desperately to help people, there’s a problem, and it’s kind of a big one: he’s a vampire, and as such, he has a very hard time quelling his desire for blood.
As a vampire, Dr. Reid learned to master his powers and battles the conflicts within himself. You are tasked with assisting him with making big decisions that will ultimately affect the plot and determine whether he will retain his humanity or if he will become a blood-thirsty killer.
In addition to the exciting adventure-horror setting, Vampyr features a fantastic combat system. Dr. Reid has a mixture of ranged and melee weapons, as well as skills that he unlocks as the game proceeds.
The streets are full of horrors, though, so make sure that you are ready to encounter some pretty frightening jump scares.
9. Steins Gate
If you’re looking for an alternative to Until Dawn and you’re a fan of anime, then chances are that you’ll appreciate Steins Gate.
This game was a visual novel when it first came onto the scene, and then it became a manga, and then it finally ended up an anime. All versions feature the same sci-fi premise that’s based on time travel. In addition to the plot, the colorful cast of characters and limited interaction will likely help to pull you in.
A lot of players consider Steins Gate the best visual novel ever. If you’re trying to picture what kind of gameplay this would mean, to put it simply, it can be equated to reading a manga or a comic, but there’s a soundtrack, full color, and animation.
There are times that you are going to need to make decisions, too, and it’s important to note that these decisions will direct you to branch paths that become increasingly more complex as you progress through the game.
You’ll follow a band of techy, yet outcast students. The group discovers that they can change the past by sending emails back in time.
Eventually, their experiments spiral out of control and they become a part of the conspiracy that surrounds CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. To add to the mystery, John Titor proclaims that his is a visitor from a “dystopian future”.
Your interaction with the game occurs with a phone trigger, a system that enables players to receive calls and text messages.
Players have to determine whether or not they will reply to the messages they receive, and their decision alters the outcome of the plot.
10. The Walking Dead: Telltales Definitive Series
What’s really cool about The Walking Dead: Telltales Definitive Series is that it complies with every single episode and season that’s available.
An interactive horror title, there are a total of four seasons, and there are 23 episodes in each season. You’ll play through each episode of the series by following one of the original characters in The Walking Dead franchise, such as Michonne, Glen, or Morgan.
The journey is directed toward a single ending for each episode and season for each character. You might affect any other character with the decisions you make. Furthermore, you’re forced to make hard decisions while you’re up against awful odds.
Starvation, thirst, disease, and of course, zombies, are just some of the life-threatening dangers that you’ll face. The basic premise of the game is finding the balance between the individual rights and the good of the group.
Overall, The Walking Dead features a powerful narrative with lots of choices to make. The spin-off content coincides perfect with the franchise.
11. Hidden Agenda
An action-adventure crime thriller that is highly interaction, Hidden Agenda is exclusive to PS4. It uses the PlayLink feature, as it enables players to use a smartphone as their controller.
The game delivers plenty of jump scares, branching paths, and interconnected stories. The premise of the story is solving a specific case while playing as a variety of characters.
Each of the characters has his or her own personal secret that could put the investigation into the case in danger, as each of the protagonists are connected to the criminal that they are trying to find.
Similar to Until Dawn, the setting results in the development of questionable alliances, and as a result, there are a lot of accusations, which tests relationships. Should one of the characters do something suspicious, it could end up impacting the final decisions.
Your decisions will also lead to different paths and endings, too. All of that said, you’ll play the game in the third-person as Beck Marnet, a detective. You’re objective is to capture a serial killer, known as The Trapper.
Finally, via PlayLink, as many as six players can join in on your campaign. Other players can play using their iOS or Android devices to cast their votes on decisions.
The gameplay is quite unique, which many may find uneasy; similar to the multiplayer game Among Us.
12. Phasmophobia
Next up on our list of the best alternatives to Until Dawn is the 4-player psychological horror co-operate, Phasmophobia. You can either play with your friends or you can join parties online, but either way, you and your teammates assume the role of paranormal investigators who are hunting for – and trying to find the source of – paranormal activity.
Before you start playing, however, we want to issue a fair warning, because this game is really quite horrifying – even more so if you play it in virtual reality.
The objective of Phasmophobia is, as mentioned, to find proof of inexplicable paranormal activity utilizing the ghost hunting equipment that you will be supplied.
Once you’ve collected enough proof, you will then send a ghost removal team (think Ghostbusters) in to clean up the area and rid it of the paranormal forces.
While it sounds – and it actually is – super-cool, it’s important to note that you won’t be able to take part in the action of eliminating the ghosts, demons, or whatever other spirits you find, because as soon as you order the mission, your job ends.
The setting of Phasmophobia explains the gameplay. You and your crew explore dark spaces, looking in scare spots to find clues. You’ll pick up any evidence you find and use your tools to examine it.
When you’ve compiled enough evidence, you’ll finish out the location and move onto the next one. If any mistakes are made, however, a spirit can escape and corner and catch you, making for a chilling game over.
This team-style ghost hunting game involves lots of problem solving skills and decision making. It’s a frighteningly fun game.
13. Man of Medan
The first in a series of episodes in The Dark Pictures Anthology, Man of Medan aims to keep fear and horror anthologies alive and well but in a gaming-style format.
The game is centered on four young adults who are trapped inside a ghost ship, and the gameplay is similar to Until Dawn (hence why it’s on our list of Until Dawn alternatives). Perspectives between characters are swapped, so you have no other choice but to make decisions that will chance the trajectory of the story.
Furthermore, Man of Medan incorporates a cool multiplayer mode that’s modeled after a movie night, so to speak; similar to House of Ashes.
Up to five people can play, passing the controller between one another to decide which character they control. That said, however, the fact that any character can die at any point doesn’t change.
As a matter of fact, this game features six different endings, and the one you end up with largely depends on which characters make it to the end.
14. Heavy Rain
The star of Heavy Rain is Ethan Mars, an architect who falls on hard times after his son passed away. Ethan has no other choice but to snap back into reality, however, when he discovers that his surviving son, Shaun, has been kidnapped by the Origami Killer, who intends on using rising rainwater (hence the name) to drown and kill him.
He’s dubbed the Origami Killer because his calling card is an origami figure, which he leaves behind on each of his victims.
Ethan rises to the occasion to find the killer and his son. As the game unfolds, you’ll get to see what motivates him and three other characters. These characters play a vital role in the story and the outcome of the game.
15. Resident Evil 8: Village
Rounding out our list of the best alternatives to Until Dawn is Resident Evil 8: Village. The sequel to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, you play as the same character, Ethan Winters. After saving his wife, she is murdered by Chris Redfield, who also takes his daughter.
A dismayed Ethan finds himself somewhere in Europe near an unknown, mysterious village. He finds that his daughter is there and goes hog-wild to find her (think Liam Neeson in the film Taken).
Conclusion
Whether you’re a fan of Until Dawn and you’ve finished playing it and you want to find something similar to play, or you’re looking for something that’s more age-appropriate for a younger sibling or a child, you’ll be sure to find an alternative in the list provided above.
Just keep in mind that if you’re seeking a more age-appropriate game that isn’t as scary as Until Dawn, be sure to carefully read the descriptions, as some of the titles listed here are actually scarier than Until Dawn.
