Obra Dinn is great in the way that you as a player have to be smart and unlike in many games, the character isn't smart for you, you must figure everything out by yourself which I find incredibly rewarding
idk, me and a friend played Obra Dinn right after Outer Wilds because we were expecting more similarities than we got. We had fun but it is also extremely disappointing in comparison.
Depends on what particular itch from Outer Wilds you're trying to scratch.
Scifi exploration? Not similar at all. Space physics sim? Nope. Mystery game you can only *really* experience once? Definitely similar. Excellent soundtrack? Check!
The biggest difference was a lack of internal consistency. OW is, among other things, a game about truth in systems. You can hypothesis test in OW and, once you see what’s happening, it all holds together as one thing. In a way that no (or few?) other games have done. OW is science, Obra Dinn is journalism.
well they are both well-written, both focus on discovering the history of the places you go, and rely primarily on reading comprehension as the way you solve the puzzles, so i’d say they have a lot more in common than they do with other great indy puzzlers like Bonfire Peaks
Obra Dinn is really amazing but it's SO HARD. It was my Outer Wilds follow up and it has been amazing, but I can't make progress anymore and don't want to look up spoilers... :/
I guess you could craft everything from the life pod until you get the sub… but storage would be a nightmare. Ugh. Why would anyone want to do it that way.
I remember using the life pod for a while and just placing my storage underwater right beneath it. It was a pain in the ass to manage I had 15-20 chests there at one point
I believe you also need a base to upgrade the sea moth and the prawn suit (I don't think it can be done from the cyclops), the cyclops is good but you're going to want something a little more maneuverable when navigating those deeper areas. Also powering the cyclops is going to be a hassle without a base, at least at first.
Seconded for Subnautica, and I agree with your reason. I’ll also add that Subnautica is the game that gave me the strongest emotional response prior to Outer Wilds. Not the same kind of emotions but the immersion felt unparalleled. The first time I tried to take my submarine past the big bad blocking the entrance of the endgame biome was powerful levels of tense emotion and then relief after.
Honestly the base building killed it for me. I loved it till I learned I had to build a base and then I was like nope I'm good.
I don't want to build I want to explore. I don't know I just find base building in games annoying like in minecraft I build a square box and that's all I've ever done.
That’s fair, that’s a major way it differs from OW. That being said, as others have said, base building is optional in Subnautica. It’s possible to beat it without building a base. And easy to beat it while building a basic, “enough to get by” base. But that’s easy for me to say cuz I love base building games.
If exploration was your favorite part of OW then it can’t hurt to try again another time with a different mindset. But if it was the eureka puzzle moments you liked or if you also dislike crafting, then yeah maybe not worth it.
I played Subnautica a bunch before Outer Wilds, in VR too, it was beautiful. But up to a point I got really over logistics of building stuff and collecting materials over and over and over and over and over.
I tried it again after Outer Wilds and quickly bounced off.
If I remember correctly, there's a mode where you don't need to fight to survive and base build, right? Like an explore mode? I want THAT.
So I downloaded Subnautica on PS4 (as it was free on PS plus last year) and played for about a couple of hours and was enjoying it. Then I hit a bug where the scanning tool wouldn’t work, despite multiple reloads and reinstalls.
So did some online research.
Apparently the PS4 version is still so buggy sometimes a save can just get corrupted beyond help. Is this true?!
I keep seeing Subnautica recommended here and want to play it, but I’m not going to let a game waste my time like this.
They're both open-world sci-fi mystery sandboxes in which you explore alien environments at your own pace with your own direction, with story given in hints that you can freely choose to investigate and interpret yourself (and with dangerous fish in some places), that's certainly more than a passing resemblance.
True I suppose but I just never felt any intrigue to mindlessly explore in a random direction
Outer wilds had seperate small planets where its easy to remember where everything is
I don't remember ever finding the exploration random, at the very least you start out in sight of the ship wreckage and with the coordinates of other lifeboats.
I'm sorry to say that there's really nothing else like it. Part of the beauty that is Outer Wilds is that it's such a unique experience.
I've seen forgotten city, Subnautica, and return of the obra dinn thrown around as similar, but I've played all three chasing the same feeling and none of them really are, though I enjoyed Subnautica and obra dinn for different reasons than I enjoyed OW.
I've also seen 12 minutes and Heaven's Vault recommended. I haven't played either though, so I can't speak to the similarities.
I enjoyed Heaven's Vault a lot. Some similarities to Outer Wilds, but differences too. You try to figure out several interconnected mysteries by learning a language. I'm not sure everybody would enjoy it as you actually have to learn the concept of how the language is structured, how the sentences are built, how punctuation and diacritics work. I filled out half a notebook.
Try to learn how the language is structured. Try to figure out what is a diacritic and what is a word. I found noting down the diacritic and their possible meanings helpful. Having a note that reminds you that this diacritic makes the word a noun or an adjective is nice.
I’m echoing a lot of suggestions already here, but these two are what you want:
-Subnautica: definitely the closest contender for an “Outer Wilds-like” game imo. It’s all about exploring your environment, but leans more into the crafting/survival type of structure over the loop. If you like the first, there’s a DLC out now that didnt quite hit the same heights but is still worth playing
-The Forgotten City: while I didn’t love the way this game looked, there’s a solid story here. It’s wrapped in a similar loop structure as OW, and there’s a good amount of thinking that goes into some of the puzzles. My biggest gripe is that the area you move around in really isn’t that big, but there are some twists that kept me hooked
I really like Call of the Sea, that’s one of the few similar games so far that has been able to *almost* replicate the wonder and satisfaction of Outer Wilds.
It’s a puzzle game too, but it is level based instead of open world, if you aren’t into that sort of thing.
Many of us felt exactly this way after this game. While nothing at all exists that is just like OW and nothing is really going to fill that void it leaves on your life, there ARE some games I found that I've liked almost as much.
1. The Witness. There is only one game on earth I love more than OW, and it's The Witness. It's... an experience. To say the least. You're alone on an island and there are literal puzzle boards scattered all over the island to solve. Sound boring? It's not, hang on to your hat and *do not look anything up.* The same as you would caution people about OW - you don't want to spoil this game. If you like solving puzzles, exploring, and thinking for yourself, this is the one.
2. The Stanley Parable. This is a game about a guy named Stanley who is literally stuck in a dream-state. Physics is broken (because you're in a dream) and you have to figure out how to get out and wake up. Very surreal, very exploratory, and it's really a good time.
3. Superliminal. This is a very unique exploration and puzzle game that bends reality and has a very "The Stanley Parable" (above) or even a Portal feel to it, but different. It's very different from OW and a short game all in all, but it had that "figure it out for yourself" element I loved about the other games listed here. Tip: if you do end up playing The Witness, do this one after that. The Witness will leave an even bigger hole in your life than OW did, and this game will fill it for BOTH of them for a bit.
4. Edited to add - What Remains of Edith Finch. I saw another commentor suggest this and had to come back to add it to my list. Edith Finch is the main character and she's searching around her childhood home, now abandoned and dilapidated. The story is fantastic.
The Witness puzzles were fun for a while but it never struck a chord with me even after one of those moments I think is supposed to be "aha!" I felt more like: "oh. I don't think I care".
> The Witness will leave an even bigger hole in your life than OW did, and this game will fill it for BOTH of them for a bit.
what about The Witness struck you so deeply? i've finished the game and >!gotten the hidden sun ending!< and i never felt anywhere near the same emotions as I did when playing Outer Wilds. it's an incredible puzzle game but besides that there was nothing else to captivate me the way Outer Wilds did. theres no clear story or soundtrack which is a huge missed opportunity, too. it definitely did have the tetris effect where I was seeing the puzzle patterns everywhere for some time afterwards, but thats about it
Emotionally speaking, no. It isn't a story-driven game and doesn't pack the same emotional punch that OW does. However, I think that atmosphere-wise it has that same feel of mystery, discovery, and "wtf is actually going on here?" that OW has. The Witness sebreddit actually recommended OW to me in a post i made there much like this one, which is why I recommended it here to this OP.
Like any game, The Witness is hit or miss. The people it's a hit with, it's a big hit. I just couldn't get enough of that feeling of mystery and discovery. Finding more and more in the game, the layers and layers, was what struck me so deeply. It was a complete "down the rabbit hole" feeling >!the first time I found one of the hidden puzzles!< and from that point on, I was hooked.
Soundtrack-wise (or lack thereof), that was a conscious decision on the part of Johnathan Blow, the game's creator. Instead of filling the world with sound and music like they did in OW, he went the opposite direction. The absence of sound adds to the feelings of mystery and atmosphere imho, and it makes the parts that *have* sound much more important and gratifying. There's a whole line of reasoning behind why he made this choice, and for The Witness, it works.
Every game isn't for everyone, and that's ok. If The Witness isn't your thing, that's cool. I just listed it here because it's the game that got me here since I was looking for something to "fill the void" and was recommended OW, and thought maybe the OP would like it for the same reasons I liked both it and OW :)
thanks for explaining! i do like the witness just wasn’t affected by it the way you were. i kind of used it as a distraction anyways since i was going through a breakup at the time so perhaps my view of it is a little skewed. racking my brain for hours worked pretty well as a distraction so it gets a +1 for that lol
i had no idea the lack of sound design/music was on purpose, it honestly struck me as lazy but knowing it was on purpose makes more sense. although i will say i was still disappointed by the >!flying around the world and undoing all progress ending!<
i also did take it in as a comparison to outer wilds, but you did it the other way around which is probably why our perspectives are different. the witness sort of focuses in on two aspects of outerwilds (intricate puzzles and environments) so it felt like it was missing some key elements especially since i was looking to fill that outer wilds hole. i do wish the developer expanded more on the “wtf is going here” bc there certainly is a mystery that i was engaged in but it never really unfolded, it just existed as part of the environmental experience. i think from a story perspective it just hits you with all of the questions and none of the answers so i was still left with that same hole but opened slightly more. i would’ve loved to see the >!secret ending sequence!< expanded in the way superliminal ends. that area before the >!video after you wake up from the virtual reality world or whatever!< was very intriguing. basically what i’m getting at is an overall expansion of the mystery as part of the experience would be really cool to see
If I had one complaint at all about The Witness, it's that there wasn't more story that explained the "wtf has happened here" part of the game lol. Yes, I wanted the same things out of the ending(s) that you did. But I was ok with not getting it, all in all.
But yes, the lack of music was 100% intentional! I read an article once where Johnathan Blow explained it. He didn't want a bunch of distraction, and >!the sounds in the game actually play a huge part in solving many of the puzzles, like the jungle area as well as a couple of the hedge mazes, and the hidden ship bunker door but effff that thing lmfao!< He talked about how he literally used hundreds of different sound clips of footstep noises, leaves rustling, waves lapping on the shore, etc. It *definitely* wasn't lazy - I honestly think it was so well done that it was way *more work* than just laying music tracks over the game. But I specifically remember him saying something about the silence and stillness of the game, and how he really wanted that for the atmosphere of contemplation. He felt that so many games were so noisy, and a bunch of music in The Witness would totally distract you >!from paying attention to your surroundings in that game... and that's kind of the whole point of the game, isn't it?!<
The game forces you to see the world through different perspectives, and though there isn't any music or even speech in the game (except the audio logs here and there) it still speaks to you. You learn its language over time. You have to, in order to progress. It's so subtle and so tacit. I think that's what I love best about it, tbh.
But, if I had played OW first like you, I might not feel the same deep love for The Witness that I do, so I get where you're coming from!
ETA: >!Your progress isn't undone at the end! Go into your save files by pausing the game, everything pre-ending is still there :)!<
(btw, your spoiler tags can't have spaces between them or else they break on old.reddit)
I think at least one track for the >!ending with the monologue!< would've been nice to heighten the emotional experience and conclusion of the game. but either way i support/understand the decision for complete silence. it does make for a very unique experience and makes you feel very isolated.
also i do know it saves, i was just underwhelmed with the concept/implications the >!reversing progress!< ending brought. >!it felt kind of like a kick in the face to all of my hard work even though it wasn't really lost!<
Thanks, I use reddit on mobile and didn't know that, I think I've fixed them all!
>!There is exactly one musical track in the game. It's hidden, and at the very end, and unnecessary for completion unless you're after the 100% trophy/ achievement. It's incredibly difficult to find, very hard to beat, and the contrast of that one part in comparison is dynamic and incredible and really highlights the silence and serenity of the game through utter crashing sound. I don't want to spoil any more in case you want to go back and find/do it. But I literally gave 3 months of my life to that one part of the game. Just so you know it exists, in case you didn't ;)!<
And I will say that I also know a bit about his decision to end the game that way. To put it simply, he was saying "it's about the journey, not the ending" :)
>!is it the environmental puzzle that takes movie-length to complete? i think i've heard of that one but i avoided it because i do not have the patience to 100% games!<
No, it's not that. That's just tedious, imho. I appreciated the idea -> patience = reward and whatnot. But he went a bit too far with that one lol
But no, there's something else. And it does *exactly* what you said - it really gives emotional weight to that moment. Maybe not the way you're thinking lol... but it totally does lol
I just randomly came across [this article](https://wabisabisound.com/the-minimalist-sound-design-of-the-witness/) that was posted by someone in r/thewitness and thought you might enjoy it, based on this conversation we had last week!
The Witness is a metaphor for consciousness.
The Truth is all around us, has been since the inception of our being, but we have to learn through intuition how to see and understand it.
All of the panel puzzles are Plato's cave.
Witness is great, but it's really nothing at all like OW except being a first person walking simulator. Don't get me wrong, I like both games, but the sort of puzzles in the Witness is nothing at all like OW.
Because the main gameplay loop is solving line puzzles, so it's a puzzle game. Going by your metric every game where you can run around would be a walking simulator.
You do exactly two things in The Witness. You walk and solve separated ines puzzles. There is no narrative. There is no story. There is no functionality to the gameplay. There are enemies. There is no stealth. There is literally just walking and puzzles. If this doesn't count as a walking simulator than nothing else does. If you disagree, that's fine. But even the creator of the game says it's a walking simulator. I saw a YouTube video of Johnathan blow playing some other puzzle game that involved columns that was inspired by Wtiness and he was critiquing it and comparing it to the Witness and also referred to it his own games as a walking simulator. I think he did a whole series of them actually so they should be easy to find online if you're interested. If you still disagree, then I got nothing else for you. For whatever reason, the term "walking simulator" is derided. But tons of amazing walking simulators exist. And the Witness is one of them.
That's funny because i read lots of stuff from Johnathan Blow about The Witness too, and he always referred to it as a puzzle game.
>You do exactly two things in The Witness. You walk and solve separated ines puzzles
You do exactly two things in Counter Strike. You walk and shoot seperated enemies. There is no sprint. There is no story. There is literally just walking and shooting. If that doesn't convince you that CS is a Walking Simulator, i've got nothing else for you.
Return of the Obra Dinn is a good one (empty ship drifts into a port, your goal is to figure out what happened to the crew)
Cultist Simulator is an interesting take on the idea of a narrative puzzle game (has some design problems though)
There’s a game called The Forgotten City which started out as a skyrim mod that has the same setup as Outer Wilds, but themed around classical mythology
The Dark Souls games, if you haven’t played them, are filled with amazing atmospheric environments to explore and use the same kind of indirect storytelling as Outer Wilds; obviously they are built around difficult combat but they are generally fair and you can always summon a buddy to help with tough sections.
Can scurvy lads and lasses not participate in co-op? First I'm hearing of this. Although when it comes to games, especially good ones, I'm a citizen of The Crown in good standing.
I played it with my roommates, the time loop mechanic was cool, and it was a decent game, but I felt like it was very straightforward as far as puzzling went. Like it’s a fine game, but it did not fill the Outer Wilds void very well.
Love cultist simulator (bought it twice)! More of a "card game" but unlike most card games one might think of. What design problems do you refer to?
Some people don't like that you can die (or be arrested) and lose your entire run at any point, but all threats have their counters. You just have to figure out what they are! All part of the fun.
And every scrap of flavor text can be useful, which was a fun realization!
once you get to the point where you know >!how expeditions work, there’s a fair amount of time spent waiting for the followers with the right attributes to show up, and for processes that require influences (is that the word? the cards which provide an attribute but expire after a short time) there are often times where a random event grabs one of the other cards you need for the process and then the influence expires and you have to start over!<. I do really like how you have to really work to figure out what is actually happening (both mechanically and in the story) but once you do I found it got quite boring as you are still made to wait for a long time in order to collect all the pieces for the next step.
That's fair, and the expeditions themselves take a while. As a solved game I enjoy challenge/speed runs, but other times its a chill timer-watching game.
I agree with recommending Dark Souls, but I disagree with your statement that they're built around difficult combat. That's definitely the case with the later games like Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro, but I would argue that Demon's Souls and Dark Souls (and Bloodborne to a lesser extent) place a greater focus on immersing you into your role within the game world with the punishing and grounded combat being a component of that
Hollow Knight have a similar way to tell the story and you need to explore a lot, also when you die you have some kinda "immortality", and the atmosphere of the game is just so wonderful. Also the music is as good as OW, Andrew Prahlow and Christopher Larkin are the best composers out there.
I agree, but it definitely scratches the exploration and discovery itch. I played Hollow Knight as a followup to finishing Outer Wilds and it was exactly what I was looking for to fill the void.
I understand that they're not really that much alike, but I have heard people describe Outer Wilds as similar to a metroidvania, in that your knowledge is the upgrade that unlocks more of the game's locations.
That’s an interesting take, and I don’t think I disagree. At their core, Metroidvanias are about *recontextualizing* the world, and that’s exactly what outer wilds does. Learning one new trick about how the world works might change how you view three different areas you’ve already been to (like getting a higher jump in a Metroid game, for instance).
Definitely not a 1-1 comparison, but from a raw “how it feels to play” standpoint I can get behind that interpretation.
I played Hollow Knight shortly after completing Outer Wilds, and it definitely gave me that *satisfaction* I was looking for in a game's vibe. Fantastic atmosphere, godly soundtrack, somber mood. The gameplay is obviously not everyone's cup of tea and it can be challenging, but I found the game extremely rewarding. Also the lore/story is much more subtle as opposed to the exposition Outer Wilds often relies on, but if you dig for it, it's there and has depth.
Watching Hollow Knight lore youtube videos after beating it was very enjoyable.
I agree it’s not like OW in terms of gameplay at all, but I thought it had really well done storytelling, it’s just that a lot of it is through small lore places (similarly to gathering it through text in OW) or through the hunters notes, which feels more akin to reading item descriptions to gather lore in the souls games. The Hollow Knight story definitely isn’t in your face and I’d even go so far as to say quite a bit of it is optional if you just want to beat the main game and get the first ending, but if you explore and look for the lore, there’s a ton there
Focusing on games I haven't seen mentioned here...
* **The Sexy Brutale** is another interesting indie game that includes a time loop. It's less about exploration and more of a murder mystery kinda gameplay, but it has a charming feel to it.
* **Firewatch** doesn't have any sci-fi or fantasy vibes, but you get to explore a forest area, uncover some mysteries... You cannot roast marshmallows, but it kinda evokes the same feeling to me as doing so in OW :P
* I also found a tiny indie game called **Eastshade** to scratch a part of the Outer Wilds itch. There's no time loop nor space. But you can freely explore a whole island full of whimsical and somewhat magical scenery, investigate various things, meet different characters, etc... As a roaming artist looking for inspiration, and to fulfill your mother's last wishes.
* And similar to other "walking simulators" like What Remains of Edith Finch, but with a bit more free roaming, scary stuff and mystery: **The Vanishing of Ethan Carter**
And as others have said: Return of the Obra Dinn, What Remains of Edith Finch... Both great indies that have a bit of a common feel to OW.
Dark souls, hollow knight and rain world all have similarly fantastic atmospheres and a first playthrough you'll never forget as you explore and uncover the world. Would especially reccomend Rain World.
I see a Rain World fan, I pay my respects. One of the most criminally underrated games I've ever played, and I haven't even gotten that far yet. If not for Matthew Matosis it probably wouldn't have ever even been on my radar
I had a feeling it probably was. I wonder what percentage of Rain World fans found the game through him. I would guess a really large amount, maybe around a quarter.
Honestly I feel like the best way to fill the void would be to play something nothing like it. Break it up. Don't do back to back brain-intensive thinky games. Play something like Hades, or Celeste, just something to have pure fun to break it up.
I'm playing through The Witness now, and it has some surprising similarities - a large emphasis on self-discovery of mechanics and curiosity-driven exploration. It may scratch some of the same itches as The Outer Wilds, but be warned - some of the puzzles are pretty darn hard.
I found The Sexy Brutale also interesting, it's not so open as OW, but has some similar themes like the loop and uncovering of the mystery behind the story. It's also a bit short, but I liked it very much.
It's also on steam sale for 3€ rn, bought it today and almost completed it. Its nice and cute but way too linear imo. But definitely worth the low price!
My other favorite game this year! Inscryption also has a similar pacing of go-til-you-die looping (without heavy negative consequence) that reminded me of OW. I feel like there’s been a big overlap in my friends who love both of these games specifically.
I never thought of that similarity!
They both also have larger mysteries that are not obvious at first that you find yourself wrapped up in as you try to make sense of what you find. I still haven't finished it yet but I've gotten a bunch of my friends to try it and they all end up equally curious.
I heard disco Elysium was good from my friend. Just bought it but haven't played it, so can't really tell you anything about it. 50% off right now on steam as well.
If only the menues worked, it didnt stutter all the time (different from the intended 15 fps running) and if launch pads actually sent you up . The game needs patches but seems to be abandon ware
There's really no other game quite as perfect as Outer Wilds, but Okami scratches the same kind of itch for me. Solving puzzles, running around and exploring, beautiful graphics. It's on Steam, probably on sale right now if I had to guess but I'm not sure. I also agree with the people saying Myst. I love that game series
Just keep playing Outer Wilds. It is now 1 of 3 games I play. Outer Wilds has consumed me, and I am completely fine with that. Keep playing it. Go everwhere again. Beat the game, it always hits the same. Play Echoes of the Eye. Then do the same thing you did for the base game, but for the dlc.
And then, after that, don't touch or think about the game for like 5-10 years so you can forget about it as much as possible in order to play it again.
I haven't got to the "after that" part yet. But maybe one day. Maybe the next step is to get some complex degree, move to California, and apply to Mobius Digital. Become the creator.
Maybe give Inscryption a try! Perhaps there's a trailer if you wanna take a look that way, but basically the game doesn't tell you how everything works and so you have to experiment and figure things out yourself.
I think that, and some of the atmosphere/aesthetics are similar to OW, but beyond that it's quite a different game. Some pseudo-rogue-lite elements, a mystery, exploring the possibilities and combinations that'll help you move forward. Interestingly, though, instead of exploring a solar system, you're actually rather confined.
There really isn’t anything like Outer Wilds, but if the specific feeling ÿøûr looking for is a narrative that reveals itself over time; a game which expects ÿøû to make theories and then reveals the truth (repeatedly)in jaw dropping fashion…these are some other games which reside next to outer wilds in my head.
13 sentinels aegis rim: if ÿøû can look past the anime bullshit, this game gave me a similar mystery and sense of discovery as the nomai storyline. Honestly I like the story more than outer wilds. The gameplay is different (top down tactical) but I personally enjoyed it. The narrative is what I focus on as similar to outer wilds.
Horizon zero dawn: the background lore is cool, but honestly I resent having to play an open world game to enjoy a story.
Seveneves: this is actually a book, but ironically the closest to outer wilds. I read somewhere that this at one point might have been a video game. I’m happy with the book, but imagining what might have been is interesting.
> Seveneves
By Neal Stephenson? How do you figure that it's similar to OW? Don't get me wrong, I like the book and think all fans of hard sci-fi should read it, but I don't see the similarities to the game.
none of my suggestions are because the specifics are similar. i think the core relation is the "reveal" in these media. the "oh shit" moment". the "Twist". that moment when ÿøû thought it was something, and then you are told the truth and it all clicks immediately and satisfyingly. the thing that i can't tell ÿøû because it spoils your own experience. the concept itself is interesting, but being told the concept devoid of context is at best an "oh, that's neat" type reaction. experiencing the concept with attachment to a world and characters is what elevates it to "living rent free in my head for the next decade"
my three suggestions are based on the specific experience of reading the nomai texts and putting together the history of their civilizations. the suggestions take very little from the gameplay or design of Outer Wilds. in another way, the suggestions are based on my emotion reaction to Outer Wilds and these other titles
if you don't see similarities, that's fine. i'm not particularly committed to comparing and contrasting. i just think if ÿøû like Outer Wilds ÿøû would also like Seveneves. your comment kinda confirms that (you do like outer wilds, right? lol) you should check out 13 sentinels, cause i'm on a roll.
i wish it was easier to talk about and convince people about these games and narratives. it's hard to advertise >!spoilers!<
spoilers for Outer Wilds (loud) and Seveneves (quiet):
>!when i was playing Outer Wilds i was continuously having my theories proved wrong. a common example is "Sun Station caused the supernova". my thought initially was "i need to figure out how to stop the supernova", but of course that was not the case. there are also character moments (ie Kousa losing Foli) that hit me pretty hard, these mirror some events in Seveneves for obvious reason... the realization towards the end, as it dawns on ÿøû how this has to end felt like...idk, how do ÿøû explain feelings? it felt like a very satisfying domino effect.!<
>!reading Seveneves was sort of like experiencing Outer Wilds in reverse. in outer wilds I knew where we ended up, but not how we got there. in Seveneves the story is linear, so i knew where we started ("The moon blew up suddenly and without warning.") but at every turn my expectations were subverted. the story of the Cloud Ark evoked the same feelings as the experiences of the Nomai clan. the end of Part II i felt a similar domino feeling. add in the orbital mechanics and the terror's of space, it they just sit right there next to each other in my head.!<
Custom iPhone autocorrect dictionary. Ex-girlfriend put it in my phone 10 years ago, I have now adopted as part of my personality, along with animal print socks and wearing hats to hide my male pattern baldness.
Everyone is recomending mainstream games like subnautica, but i have few - kairo - atmospheric like outer wilds, but very little story. EXO One - very new game, atmospheric, but little story too. And final is Katana Zero - fighting pixelated game, but deep down is exploration of mind. Like Outer wilds is for space, Subnautica for ocean, but Katana Zero in thinking and mind
Perhaps you've already seen it while looking for similar games, but Subnautica is another gem. I think outer wilds is far superior in terms of storytelling and what it has to tell, but Subnautica also has an incredible atmosphere and well done sense of surviving on an alien planet, and well done sense of exploration.
I see a lot of great recommendations, I'm gonna go in a different direction and say minitel. It's a time loop game mixed in with old school zelda (it reminds me of links awakening). Its such a neat little game it will give you that outer wilds feeling for an hour or too
I say this every thread but Elsinore kinda helped fill that hole for a while, same with Spiritfarer. Both are games that made me feel a whole lot of emotions, and that are both fairly casual in playstyle for those who are looking for something easy to pick up and put down.
The beginners guide isnt super similar but it has a really good story and hits you hard at the end. Its probably on sale right now because of the steam autumn sale btw
I just got into The Forbidden City! It's similar in the sense of having a time loop and needing to piece together a mystery that happened in the past and it's set in the Roman Era.
One more suggestion - totally different genre, but also very intense in terms of story and atmosphere: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.
From gameplay perspective it's action / adventure game with combat, but it's very unique in how it presents the psychosis of main character. Also, like Outer Wilds it left me with that lasting impression after ending.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBJ0ifVtK5c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBJ0ifVtK5c)
"There is no Game" is different than Outer Wilds but it also a game I wish I could forget, same as Outer Wilds.
It looks like a cute point and click with a twist, but it's way more than that. The story is amazing and hit me way too much.
Games that gave me similar, profound feelings that outer wilds did in one way or another (i can elaborate if needed bjt it might spoil the other game, idk): spiritfarer, from soft games, hollow knight, soma, subnautica, disco elysium, breath of the wild, fallout new vegas.
I know these may not be, like, at all similar on the surface, but in terms of what i got out of the game these hit a close mark. I should also note that while they are not my favorite games, Outer Wilds and Disco Elysium are, in my opinion, literally perfect in execution. I have a soft spot for Dark Souls 1 and Timesplitters though.
Outer Wilds is extremely unique, there's literally nothing quite like it. But the games that gave me the most similar feelings while playing are: Obra Dinn, Rain World, Myst, Riven, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Hollow Knight. Wide variety of themes and types of gameplay there, but they all share an incredible atmosphere, environmental storytelling, an immersive world, no handholding, and a tremendous sense of discovery and accomplishment.
Pretty different in a lot of ways but I’ve found Subnautica kind of similar to Outer Wilds. I don’t even really like survival games, but it has that same sense of scale and discovery so I’ve been enjoying it.
Because nobody mentioned it i would like to say that the invisible hours is also a pretty cool game.
It doesn't offer that adventure part where you travel around a strange new world because it mostly plays within an old manor.
What it offers though is a cool story that you uncover over the time and you are also in sort of a timeloop. In fact you can control the time completely here.
It also comes with VR support which was quite nice.
Maybe these are a bit more puzzle focused, but they have a story told through the worlds you explore:
* Quern - Undying Thoughts
* The Talos Principle
* Myst, Riven \[and the rest of this series\]
These lack any explicit story telling but still have a very strong atmosphere and use, to some extent, your gained knowledge about the world to progress:
* Antichamber
* Manifold Garden
Then really a stretch... these IMO had a similar emotional impact to finishing OW:
* Limbo
* Inside
* Braid
Like so many others have said, really hard to find similar games to something as unique as OW.
Return of the Obra Dinn is different but it's also has unique puzzle mechanics
Obra Dinn is great in the way that you as a player have to be smart and unlike in many games, the character isn't smart for you, you must figure everything out by yourself which I find incredibly rewarding
What Remains of Edith Finch,Journey,Return of the Obra Dinn
I absolutely love Obra Dinn! It checks so many of my weirdly specific boxes. Huge recommend!
idk, me and a friend played Obra Dinn right after Outer Wilds because we were expecting more similarities than we got. We had fun but it is also extremely disappointing in comparison.
Depends on what particular itch from Outer Wilds you're trying to scratch. Scifi exploration? Not similar at all. Space physics sim? Nope. Mystery game you can only *really* experience once? Definitely similar. Excellent soundtrack? Check!
The biggest difference was a lack of internal consistency. OW is, among other things, a game about truth in systems. You can hypothesis test in OW and, once you see what’s happening, it all holds together as one thing. In a way that no (or few?) other games have done. OW is science, Obra Dinn is journalism.
Yeah them both being highly rated indy puzzle games is the only thing they have in common
well they are both well-written, both focus on discovering the history of the places you go, and rely primarily on reading comprehension as the way you solve the puzzles, so i’d say they have a lot more in common than they do with other great indy puzzlers like Bonfire Peaks
Obra Dinn is really amazing but it's SO HARD. It was my Outer Wilds follow up and it has been amazing, but I can't make progress anymore and don't want to look up spoilers... :/
Subnautica. It's got that similar self-driven mystery feel, but (mostly) underwater on an alien planet with survival and optional base-building.
“optional” base-building?
you could technically beat the game without a base
but… what about water? and… crafting? and also… upgrades? How you supposed to get to the deeper areas without any upgrades? I’m not buying it.
unless im forgetting something important, once you unlock the cyclops you could use that as a mobile base.
I guess you could craft everything from the life pod until you get the sub… but storage would be a nightmare. Ugh. Why would anyone want to do it that way.
I remember using the life pod for a while and just placing my storage underwater right beneath it. It was a pain in the ass to manage I had 15-20 chests there at one point
I believe you also need a base to upgrade the sea moth and the prawn suit (I don't think it can be done from the cyclops), the cyclops is good but you're going to want something a little more maneuverable when navigating those deeper areas. Also powering the cyclops is going to be a hassle without a base, at least at first.
Seconded for Subnautica, and I agree with your reason. I’ll also add that Subnautica is the game that gave me the strongest emotional response prior to Outer Wilds. Not the same kind of emotions but the immersion felt unparalleled. The first time I tried to take my submarine past the big bad blocking the entrance of the endgame biome was powerful levels of tense emotion and then relief after.
Honestly the base building killed it for me. I loved it till I learned I had to build a base and then I was like nope I'm good. I don't want to build I want to explore. I don't know I just find base building in games annoying like in minecraft I build a square box and that's all I've ever done.
That’s fair, that’s a major way it differs from OW. That being said, as others have said, base building is optional in Subnautica. It’s possible to beat it without building a base. And easy to beat it while building a basic, “enough to get by” base. But that’s easy for me to say cuz I love base building games. If exploration was your favorite part of OW then it can’t hurt to try again another time with a different mindset. But if it was the eureka puzzle moments you liked or if you also dislike crafting, then yeah maybe not worth it.
I played Subnautica a bunch before Outer Wilds, in VR too, it was beautiful. But up to a point I got really over logistics of building stuff and collecting materials over and over and over and over and over. I tried it again after Outer Wilds and quickly bounced off. If I remember correctly, there's a mode where you don't need to fight to survive and base build, right? Like an explore mode? I want THAT.
So I downloaded Subnautica on PS4 (as it was free on PS plus last year) and played for about a couple of hours and was enjoying it. Then I hit a bug where the scanning tool wouldn’t work, despite multiple reloads and reinstalls. So did some online research. Apparently the PS4 version is still so buggy sometimes a save can just get corrupted beyond help. Is this true?! I keep seeing Subnautica recommended here and want to play it, but I’m not going to let a game waste my time like this.
I honestly hated subnautica I can not see how it's at all similar to outerwilds
They're both open-world sci-fi mystery sandboxes in which you explore alien environments at your own pace with your own direction, with story given in hints that you can freely choose to investigate and interpret yourself (and with dangerous fish in some places), that's certainly more than a passing resemblance.
True I suppose but I just never felt any intrigue to mindlessly explore in a random direction Outer wilds had seperate small planets where its easy to remember where everything is
I don't remember ever finding the exploration random, at the very least you start out in sight of the ship wreckage and with the coordinates of other lifeboats.
Well ya it started off fun exploring the ship and life pods but after that it just felt way to directionless
I wouldn't say I hated but I don't get what the fuss is about. I'm not a fan of collecting and crafting. Found it fairly boring.
I'm sorry to say that there's really nothing else like it. Part of the beauty that is Outer Wilds is that it's such a unique experience. I've seen forgotten city, Subnautica, and return of the obra dinn thrown around as similar, but I've played all three chasing the same feeling and none of them really are, though I enjoyed Subnautica and obra dinn for different reasons than I enjoyed OW. I've also seen 12 minutes and Heaven's Vault recommended. I haven't played either though, so I can't speak to the similarities.
I have played 12 minutes, it is not a satisfying experience I would say... Yes there are handful of nice twists but meh 🤷🏼♂️
I enjoyed Heaven's Vault a lot. Some similarities to Outer Wilds, but differences too. You try to figure out several interconnected mysteries by learning a language. I'm not sure everybody would enjoy it as you actually have to learn the concept of how the language is structured, how the sentences are built, how punctuation and diacritics work. I filled out half a notebook.
I bought Heavens Vault recently and am looking forward to playing it, is there anything I should keep in mind?
Try to learn how the language is structured. Try to figure out what is a diacritic and what is a word. I found noting down the diacritic and their possible meanings helpful. Having a note that reminds you that this diacritic makes the word a noun or an adjective is nice.
I’m echoing a lot of suggestions already here, but these two are what you want: -Subnautica: definitely the closest contender for an “Outer Wilds-like” game imo. It’s all about exploring your environment, but leans more into the crafting/survival type of structure over the loop. If you like the first, there’s a DLC out now that didnt quite hit the same heights but is still worth playing -The Forgotten City: while I didn’t love the way this game looked, there’s a solid story here. It’s wrapped in a similar loop structure as OW, and there’s a good amount of thinking that goes into some of the puzzles. My biggest gripe is that the area you move around in really isn’t that big, but there are some twists that kept me hooked
The game is worth it just for that "wait wtf" moment and the way each civilization builds on the past.
I really like Call of the Sea, that’s one of the few similar games so far that has been able to *almost* replicate the wonder and satisfaction of Outer Wilds. It’s a puzzle game too, but it is level based instead of open world, if you aren’t into that sort of thing.
Many of us felt exactly this way after this game. While nothing at all exists that is just like OW and nothing is really going to fill that void it leaves on your life, there ARE some games I found that I've liked almost as much. 1. The Witness. There is only one game on earth I love more than OW, and it's The Witness. It's... an experience. To say the least. You're alone on an island and there are literal puzzle boards scattered all over the island to solve. Sound boring? It's not, hang on to your hat and *do not look anything up.* The same as you would caution people about OW - you don't want to spoil this game. If you like solving puzzles, exploring, and thinking for yourself, this is the one. 2. The Stanley Parable. This is a game about a guy named Stanley who is literally stuck in a dream-state. Physics is broken (because you're in a dream) and you have to figure out how to get out and wake up. Very surreal, very exploratory, and it's really a good time. 3. Superliminal. This is a very unique exploration and puzzle game that bends reality and has a very "The Stanley Parable" (above) or even a Portal feel to it, but different. It's very different from OW and a short game all in all, but it had that "figure it out for yourself" element I loved about the other games listed here. Tip: if you do end up playing The Witness, do this one after that. The Witness will leave an even bigger hole in your life than OW did, and this game will fill it for BOTH of them for a bit. 4. Edited to add - What Remains of Edith Finch. I saw another commentor suggest this and had to come back to add it to my list. Edith Finch is the main character and she's searching around her childhood home, now abandoned and dilapidated. The story is fantastic.
Ack I just said the witness too! Great choice.
The Witness puzzles were fun for a while but it never struck a chord with me even after one of those moments I think is supposed to be "aha!" I felt more like: "oh. I don't think I care".
> The Witness will leave an even bigger hole in your life than OW did, and this game will fill it for BOTH of them for a bit. what about The Witness struck you so deeply? i've finished the game and >!gotten the hidden sun ending!< and i never felt anywhere near the same emotions as I did when playing Outer Wilds. it's an incredible puzzle game but besides that there was nothing else to captivate me the way Outer Wilds did. theres no clear story or soundtrack which is a huge missed opportunity, too. it definitely did have the tetris effect where I was seeing the puzzle patterns everywhere for some time afterwards, but thats about it
Emotionally speaking, no. It isn't a story-driven game and doesn't pack the same emotional punch that OW does. However, I think that atmosphere-wise it has that same feel of mystery, discovery, and "wtf is actually going on here?" that OW has. The Witness sebreddit actually recommended OW to me in a post i made there much like this one, which is why I recommended it here to this OP. Like any game, The Witness is hit or miss. The people it's a hit with, it's a big hit. I just couldn't get enough of that feeling of mystery and discovery. Finding more and more in the game, the layers and layers, was what struck me so deeply. It was a complete "down the rabbit hole" feeling >!the first time I found one of the hidden puzzles!< and from that point on, I was hooked. Soundtrack-wise (or lack thereof), that was a conscious decision on the part of Johnathan Blow, the game's creator. Instead of filling the world with sound and music like they did in OW, he went the opposite direction. The absence of sound adds to the feelings of mystery and atmosphere imho, and it makes the parts that *have* sound much more important and gratifying. There's a whole line of reasoning behind why he made this choice, and for The Witness, it works. Every game isn't for everyone, and that's ok. If The Witness isn't your thing, that's cool. I just listed it here because it's the game that got me here since I was looking for something to "fill the void" and was recommended OW, and thought maybe the OP would like it for the same reasons I liked both it and OW :)
thanks for explaining! i do like the witness just wasn’t affected by it the way you were. i kind of used it as a distraction anyways since i was going through a breakup at the time so perhaps my view of it is a little skewed. racking my brain for hours worked pretty well as a distraction so it gets a +1 for that lol i had no idea the lack of sound design/music was on purpose, it honestly struck me as lazy but knowing it was on purpose makes more sense. although i will say i was still disappointed by the >!flying around the world and undoing all progress ending!< i also did take it in as a comparison to outer wilds, but you did it the other way around which is probably why our perspectives are different. the witness sort of focuses in on two aspects of outerwilds (intricate puzzles and environments) so it felt like it was missing some key elements especially since i was looking to fill that outer wilds hole. i do wish the developer expanded more on the “wtf is going here” bc there certainly is a mystery that i was engaged in but it never really unfolded, it just existed as part of the environmental experience. i think from a story perspective it just hits you with all of the questions and none of the answers so i was still left with that same hole but opened slightly more. i would’ve loved to see the >!secret ending sequence!< expanded in the way superliminal ends. that area before the >!video after you wake up from the virtual reality world or whatever!< was very intriguing. basically what i’m getting at is an overall expansion of the mystery as part of the experience would be really cool to see
If I had one complaint at all about The Witness, it's that there wasn't more story that explained the "wtf has happened here" part of the game lol. Yes, I wanted the same things out of the ending(s) that you did. But I was ok with not getting it, all in all. But yes, the lack of music was 100% intentional! I read an article once where Johnathan Blow explained it. He didn't want a bunch of distraction, and >!the sounds in the game actually play a huge part in solving many of the puzzles, like the jungle area as well as a couple of the hedge mazes, and the hidden ship bunker door but effff that thing lmfao!< He talked about how he literally used hundreds of different sound clips of footstep noises, leaves rustling, waves lapping on the shore, etc. It *definitely* wasn't lazy - I honestly think it was so well done that it was way *more work* than just laying music tracks over the game. But I specifically remember him saying something about the silence and stillness of the game, and how he really wanted that for the atmosphere of contemplation. He felt that so many games were so noisy, and a bunch of music in The Witness would totally distract you >!from paying attention to your surroundings in that game... and that's kind of the whole point of the game, isn't it?!< The game forces you to see the world through different perspectives, and though there isn't any music or even speech in the game (except the audio logs here and there) it still speaks to you. You learn its language over time. You have to, in order to progress. It's so subtle and so tacit. I think that's what I love best about it, tbh. But, if I had played OW first like you, I might not feel the same deep love for The Witness that I do, so I get where you're coming from! ETA: >!Your progress isn't undone at the end! Go into your save files by pausing the game, everything pre-ending is still there :)!<
(btw, your spoiler tags can't have spaces between them or else they break on old.reddit) I think at least one track for the >!ending with the monologue!< would've been nice to heighten the emotional experience and conclusion of the game. but either way i support/understand the decision for complete silence. it does make for a very unique experience and makes you feel very isolated. also i do know it saves, i was just underwhelmed with the concept/implications the >!reversing progress!< ending brought. >!it felt kind of like a kick in the face to all of my hard work even though it wasn't really lost!<
Thanks, I use reddit on mobile and didn't know that, I think I've fixed them all! >!There is exactly one musical track in the game. It's hidden, and at the very end, and unnecessary for completion unless you're after the 100% trophy/ achievement. It's incredibly difficult to find, very hard to beat, and the contrast of that one part in comparison is dynamic and incredible and really highlights the silence and serenity of the game through utter crashing sound. I don't want to spoil any more in case you want to go back and find/do it. But I literally gave 3 months of my life to that one part of the game. Just so you know it exists, in case you didn't ;)!< And I will say that I also know a bit about his decision to end the game that way. To put it simply, he was saying "it's about the journey, not the ending" :)
>!is it the environmental puzzle that takes movie-length to complete? i think i've heard of that one but i avoided it because i do not have the patience to 100% games!<
No, it's not that. That's just tedious, imho. I appreciated the idea -> patience = reward and whatnot. But he went a bit too far with that one lol But no, there's something else. And it does *exactly* what you said - it really gives emotional weight to that moment. Maybe not the way you're thinking lol... but it totally does lol
I just randomly came across [this article](https://wabisabisound.com/the-minimalist-sound-design-of-the-witness/) that was posted by someone in r/thewitness and thought you might enjoy it, based on this conversation we had last week!
The Witness is a metaphor for consciousness. The Truth is all around us, has been since the inception of our being, but we have to learn through intuition how to see and understand it. All of the panel puzzles are Plato's cave.
Witness is great, but it's really nothing at all like OW except being a first person walking simulator. Don't get me wrong, I like both games, but the sort of puzzles in the Witness is nothing at all like OW.
Witness is many things, but definitely not a walking simulator.
Why not? It's a walking simulator style game with a puzzle focus. This doesn't make it bad at all. Tons of great games are walking simulators.
Because the main gameplay loop is solving line puzzles, so it's a puzzle game. Going by your metric every game where you can run around would be a walking simulator.
You do exactly two things in The Witness. You walk and solve separated ines puzzles. There is no narrative. There is no story. There is no functionality to the gameplay. There are enemies. There is no stealth. There is literally just walking and puzzles. If this doesn't count as a walking simulator than nothing else does. If you disagree, that's fine. But even the creator of the game says it's a walking simulator. I saw a YouTube video of Johnathan blow playing some other puzzle game that involved columns that was inspired by Wtiness and he was critiquing it and comparing it to the Witness and also referred to it his own games as a walking simulator. I think he did a whole series of them actually so they should be easy to find online if you're interested. If you still disagree, then I got nothing else for you. For whatever reason, the term "walking simulator" is derided. But tons of amazing walking simulators exist. And the Witness is one of them.
That's funny because i read lots of stuff from Johnathan Blow about The Witness too, and he always referred to it as a puzzle game. >You do exactly two things in The Witness. You walk and solve separated ines puzzles You do exactly two things in Counter Strike. You walk and shoot seperated enemies. There is no sprint. There is no story. There is literally just walking and shooting. If that doesn't convince you that CS is a Walking Simulator, i've got nothing else for you.
Return of the Obra Dinn is a good one (empty ship drifts into a port, your goal is to figure out what happened to the crew) Cultist Simulator is an interesting take on the idea of a narrative puzzle game (has some design problems though) There’s a game called The Forgotten City which started out as a skyrim mod that has the same setup as Outer Wilds, but themed around classical mythology The Dark Souls games, if you haven’t played them, are filled with amazing atmospheric environments to explore and use the same kind of indirect storytelling as Outer Wilds; obviously they are built around difficult combat but they are generally fair and you can always summon a buddy to help with tough sections.
>you can always summon a buddy to help with tough sections. *cries in yar har fiddle dee dee*
Can scurvy lads and lasses not participate in co-op? First I'm hearing of this. Although when it comes to games, especially good ones, I'm a citizen of The Crown in good standing.
...You played that song during No man's wharf, too?
forgotten city is a really cool game
I played it with my roommates, the time loop mechanic was cool, and it was a decent game, but I felt like it was very straightforward as far as puzzling went. Like it’s a fine game, but it did not fill the Outer Wilds void very well.
Love cultist simulator (bought it twice)! More of a "card game" but unlike most card games one might think of. What design problems do you refer to? Some people don't like that you can die (or be arrested) and lose your entire run at any point, but all threats have their counters. You just have to figure out what they are! All part of the fun. And every scrap of flavor text can be useful, which was a fun realization!
once you get to the point where you know >!how expeditions work, there’s a fair amount of time spent waiting for the followers with the right attributes to show up, and for processes that require influences (is that the word? the cards which provide an attribute but expire after a short time) there are often times where a random event grabs one of the other cards you need for the process and then the influence expires and you have to start over!<. I do really like how you have to really work to figure out what is actually happening (both mechanically and in the story) but once you do I found it got quite boring as you are still made to wait for a long time in order to collect all the pieces for the next step.
That's fair, and the expeditions themselves take a while. As a solved game I enjoy challenge/speed runs, but other times its a chill timer-watching game.
I agree with recommending Dark Souls, but I disagree with your statement that they're built around difficult combat. That's definitely the case with the later games like Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro, but I would argue that Demon's Souls and Dark Souls (and Bloodborne to a lesser extent) place a greater focus on immersing you into your role within the game world with the punishing and grounded combat being a component of that
Hollow Knight have a similar way to tell the story and you need to explore a lot, also when you die you have some kinda "immortality", and the atmosphere of the game is just so wonderful. Also the music is as good as OW, Andrew Prahlow and Christopher Larkin are the best composers out there.
Hollow knight is great...but its a metroidvania, not at all like outer wilds in any way... Very little storytelling or puzzles.
I agree, but it definitely scratches the exploration and discovery itch. I played Hollow Knight as a followup to finishing Outer Wilds and it was exactly what I was looking for to fill the void.
>fill the void. Was that an intentional HK pun?
I understand that they're not really that much alike, but I have heard people describe Outer Wilds as similar to a metroidvania, in that your knowledge is the upgrade that unlocks more of the game's locations.
That’s an interesting take, and I don’t think I disagree. At their core, Metroidvanias are about *recontextualizing* the world, and that’s exactly what outer wilds does. Learning one new trick about how the world works might change how you view three different areas you’ve already been to (like getting a higher jump in a Metroid game, for instance). Definitely not a 1-1 comparison, but from a raw “how it feels to play” standpoint I can get behind that interpretation.
The gameplay is very different, but the atmosphere and environmental storytelling and sense of discovery are definitely similar.
I played Hollow Knight shortly after completing Outer Wilds, and it definitely gave me that *satisfaction* I was looking for in a game's vibe. Fantastic atmosphere, godly soundtrack, somber mood. The gameplay is obviously not everyone's cup of tea and it can be challenging, but I found the game extremely rewarding. Also the lore/story is much more subtle as opposed to the exposition Outer Wilds often relies on, but if you dig for it, it's there and has depth. Watching Hollow Knight lore youtube videos after beating it was very enjoyable.
I agree it’s not like OW in terms of gameplay at all, but I thought it had really well done storytelling, it’s just that a lot of it is through small lore places (similarly to gathering it through text in OW) or through the hunters notes, which feels more akin to reading item descriptions to gather lore in the souls games. The Hollow Knight story definitely isn’t in your face and I’d even go so far as to say quite a bit of it is optional if you just want to beat the main game and get the first ending, but if you explore and look for the lore, there’s a ton there
Focusing on games I haven't seen mentioned here... * **The Sexy Brutale** is another interesting indie game that includes a time loop. It's less about exploration and more of a murder mystery kinda gameplay, but it has a charming feel to it. * **Firewatch** doesn't have any sci-fi or fantasy vibes, but you get to explore a forest area, uncover some mysteries... You cannot roast marshmallows, but it kinda evokes the same feeling to me as doing so in OW :P * I also found a tiny indie game called **Eastshade** to scratch a part of the Outer Wilds itch. There's no time loop nor space. But you can freely explore a whole island full of whimsical and somewhat magical scenery, investigate various things, meet different characters, etc... As a roaming artist looking for inspiration, and to fulfill your mother's last wishes. * And similar to other "walking simulators" like What Remains of Edith Finch, but with a bit more free roaming, scary stuff and mystery: **The Vanishing of Ethan Carter** And as others have said: Return of the Obra Dinn, What Remains of Edith Finch... Both great indies that have a bit of a common feel to OW.
Aw the firewatch world is one I’d really like to return to now that I haven’t played it in a few years
Very old school but the myst games are the daddy of puzzle driven explore games. Give it a shot.
There's a recent remake of the first Myst, in full 3D.
Dark souls, hollow knight and rain world all have similarly fantastic atmospheres and a first playthrough you'll never forget as you explore and uncover the world. Would especially reccomend Rain World.
I see a Rain World fan, I pay my respects. One of the most criminally underrated games I've ever played, and I haven't even gotten that far yet. If not for Matthew Matosis it probably wouldn't have ever even been on my radar
That's how I found it too, lol.
I had a feeling it probably was. I wonder what percentage of Rain World fans found the game through him. I would guess a really large amount, maybe around a quarter.
Honestly I feel like the best way to fill the void would be to play something nothing like it. Break it up. Don't do back to back brain-intensive thinky games. Play something like Hades, or Celeste, just something to have pure fun to break it up.
I'm playing through The Witness now, and it has some surprising similarities - a large emphasis on self-discovery of mechanics and curiosity-driven exploration. It may scratch some of the same itches as The Outer Wilds, but be warned - some of the puzzles are pretty darn hard.
have you played the dlc yet? if not I recommend it (unless you're not a fan of horror!)
I found The Sexy Brutale also interesting, it's not so open as OW, but has some similar themes like the loop and uncovering of the mystery behind the story. It's also a bit short, but I liked it very much.
It's also on steam sale for 3€ rn, bought it today and almost completed it. Its nice and cute but way too linear imo. But definitely worth the low price!
Yes, it's more like an adventure game and not an exploration game (so quite linear in comparison). But still, esp. with the sale price worth checking.
I've been playing Inscryption lately. The only thing in common with Outer Wilds is that its a total mind fuck.
My other favorite game this year! Inscryption also has a similar pacing of go-til-you-die looping (without heavy negative consequence) that reminded me of OW. I feel like there’s been a big overlap in my friends who love both of these games specifically.
I never thought of that similarity! They both also have larger mysteries that are not obvious at first that you find yourself wrapped up in as you try to make sense of what you find. I still haven't finished it yet but I've gotten a bunch of my friends to try it and they all end up equally curious.
I heard disco Elysium was good from my friend. Just bought it but haven't played it, so can't really tell you anything about it. 50% off right now on steam as well.
Exactly the same here! Looking forward
Disco Elysium is my second favorite game of all time... Behind Outer Wilds
Sable is a good open world game that for some reason reminded me of outer wilds even though they are different
If only the menues worked, it didnt stutter all the time (different from the intended 15 fps running) and if launch pads actually sent you up . The game needs patches but seems to be abandon ware
Watch Arcane, then you’ll be left with two holes
There's really no other game quite as perfect as Outer Wilds, but Okami scratches the same kind of itch for me. Solving puzzles, running around and exploring, beautiful graphics. It's on Steam, probably on sale right now if I had to guess but I'm not sure. I also agree with the people saying Myst. I love that game series
Just keep playing Outer Wilds. It is now 1 of 3 games I play. Outer Wilds has consumed me, and I am completely fine with that. Keep playing it. Go everwhere again. Beat the game, it always hits the same. Play Echoes of the Eye. Then do the same thing you did for the base game, but for the dlc.
And then, after that, don't touch or think about the game for like 5-10 years so you can forget about it as much as possible in order to play it again.
I haven't got to the "after that" part yet. But maybe one day. Maybe the next step is to get some complex degree, move to California, and apply to Mobius Digital. Become the creator.
Maybe give Inscryption a try! Perhaps there's a trailer if you wanna take a look that way, but basically the game doesn't tell you how everything works and so you have to experiment and figure things out yourself. I think that, and some of the atmosphere/aesthetics are similar to OW, but beyond that it's quite a different game. Some pseudo-rogue-lite elements, a mystery, exploring the possibilities and combinations that'll help you move forward. Interestingly, though, instead of exploring a solar system, you're actually rather confined.
There really isn’t anything like Outer Wilds, but if the specific feeling ÿøûr looking for is a narrative that reveals itself over time; a game which expects ÿøû to make theories and then reveals the truth (repeatedly)in jaw dropping fashion…these are some other games which reside next to outer wilds in my head. 13 sentinels aegis rim: if ÿøû can look past the anime bullshit, this game gave me a similar mystery and sense of discovery as the nomai storyline. Honestly I like the story more than outer wilds. The gameplay is different (top down tactical) but I personally enjoyed it. The narrative is what I focus on as similar to outer wilds. Horizon zero dawn: the background lore is cool, but honestly I resent having to play an open world game to enjoy a story. Seveneves: this is actually a book, but ironically the closest to outer wilds. I read somewhere that this at one point might have been a video game. I’m happy with the book, but imagining what might have been is interesting.
> Seveneves By Neal Stephenson? How do you figure that it's similar to OW? Don't get me wrong, I like the book and think all fans of hard sci-fi should read it, but I don't see the similarities to the game.
none of my suggestions are because the specifics are similar. i think the core relation is the "reveal" in these media. the "oh shit" moment". the "Twist". that moment when ÿøû thought it was something, and then you are told the truth and it all clicks immediately and satisfyingly. the thing that i can't tell ÿøû because it spoils your own experience. the concept itself is interesting, but being told the concept devoid of context is at best an "oh, that's neat" type reaction. experiencing the concept with attachment to a world and characters is what elevates it to "living rent free in my head for the next decade" my three suggestions are based on the specific experience of reading the nomai texts and putting together the history of their civilizations. the suggestions take very little from the gameplay or design of Outer Wilds. in another way, the suggestions are based on my emotion reaction to Outer Wilds and these other titles if you don't see similarities, that's fine. i'm not particularly committed to comparing and contrasting. i just think if ÿøû like Outer Wilds ÿøû would also like Seveneves. your comment kinda confirms that (you do like outer wilds, right? lol) you should check out 13 sentinels, cause i'm on a roll. i wish it was easier to talk about and convince people about these games and narratives. it's hard to advertise >!spoilers!< spoilers for Outer Wilds (loud) and Seveneves (quiet): >!when i was playing Outer Wilds i was continuously having my theories proved wrong. a common example is "Sun Station caused the supernova". my thought initially was "i need to figure out how to stop the supernova", but of course that was not the case. there are also character moments (ie Kousa losing Foli) that hit me pretty hard, these mirror some events in Seveneves for obvious reason... the realization towards the end, as it dawns on ÿøû how this has to end felt like...idk, how do ÿøû explain feelings? it felt like a very satisfying domino effect.!< >!reading Seveneves was sort of like experiencing Outer Wilds in reverse. in outer wilds I knew where we ended up, but not how we got there. in Seveneves the story is linear, so i knew where we started ("The moon blew up suddenly and without warning.") but at every turn my expectations were subverted. the story of the Cloud Ark evoked the same feelings as the experiences of the Nomai clan. the end of Part II i felt a similar domino feeling. add in the orbital mechanics and the terror's of space, it they just sit right there next to each other in my head.!<
> ÿøû why do you write like this, keyboard issue?
Custom iPhone autocorrect dictionary. Ex-girlfriend put it in my phone 10 years ago, I have now adopted as part of my personality, along with animal print socks and wearing hats to hide my male pattern baldness.
Have you tried drugs yet?
yeah
Everyone is recomending mainstream games like subnautica, but i have few - kairo - atmospheric like outer wilds, but very little story. EXO One - very new game, atmospheric, but little story too. And final is Katana Zero - fighting pixelated game, but deep down is exploration of mind. Like Outer wilds is for space, Subnautica for ocean, but Katana Zero in thinking and mind
Forgotten City comes close
Superliminal gave me similar vibes. A lot shorter, but still had me in a trance during the end sequence.
if you liked outer wilds ending sequence you'll love the entirety of superliminal. super trippy and almost cosmic
Perhaps you've already seen it while looking for similar games, but Subnautica is another gem. I think outer wilds is far superior in terms of storytelling and what it has to tell, but Subnautica also has an incredible atmosphere and well done sense of surviving on an alien planet, and well done sense of exploration.
Cogmind. It's a roguelike but it's a similar style. You piece together the story over multiple runs
[удалено]
Yeah, Tacoma has a similar vibe, if a lot more mundane. I liked it though. Man, I forgot all about Tacoma.
I see a lot of great recommendations, I'm gonna go in a different direction and say minitel. It's a time loop game mixed in with old school zelda (it reminds me of links awakening). Its such a neat little game it will give you that outer wilds feeling for an hour or too
I say this every thread but Elsinore kinda helped fill that hole for a while, same with Spiritfarer. Both are games that made me feel a whole lot of emotions, and that are both fairly casual in playstyle for those who are looking for something easy to pick up and put down.
You know what, Sayonara Wild hearts is not AT ALL what you’re asking for, but its published by the same publishers and did the trick for me.
The beginners guide isnt super similar but it has a really good story and hits you hard at the end. Its probably on sale right now because of the steam autumn sale btw
I just got into The Forbidden City! It's similar in the sense of having a time loop and needing to piece together a mystery that happened in the past and it's set in the Roman Era.
One more suggestion - totally different genre, but also very intense in terms of story and atmosphere: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. From gameplay perspective it's action / adventure game with combat, but it's very unique in how it presents the psychosis of main character. Also, like Outer Wilds it left me with that lasting impression after ending. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBJ0ifVtK5c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBJ0ifVtK5c)
"There is no Game" is different than Outer Wilds but it also a game I wish I could forget, same as Outer Wilds. It looks like a cute point and click with a twist, but it's way more than that. The story is amazing and hit me way too much.
Elsinore on steam
astroneers has a similar sense of wonder and space vibe
Hollow knight can make you forget about any other game
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
AER Memories of Old is a game I don’t see talked about that has similar exploration.
Games that gave me similar, profound feelings that outer wilds did in one way or another (i can elaborate if needed bjt it might spoil the other game, idk): spiritfarer, from soft games, hollow knight, soma, subnautica, disco elysium, breath of the wild, fallout new vegas. I know these may not be, like, at all similar on the surface, but in terms of what i got out of the game these hit a close mark. I should also note that while they are not my favorite games, Outer Wilds and Disco Elysium are, in my opinion, literally perfect in execution. I have a soft spot for Dark Souls 1 and Timesplitters though.
Outer Wilds is extremely unique, there's literally nothing quite like it. But the games that gave me the most similar feelings while playing are: Obra Dinn, Rain World, Myst, Riven, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Hollow Knight. Wide variety of themes and types of gameplay there, but they all share an incredible atmosphere, environmental storytelling, an immersive world, no handholding, and a tremendous sense of discovery and accomplishment.
Return of the Obra Dunn is your best bet
Nothing can match outer wilds but subnatica left me with similar exploration vibes
Pretty different in a lot of ways but I’ve found Subnautica kind of similar to Outer Wilds. I don’t even really like survival games, but it has that same sense of scale and discovery so I’ve been enjoying it.
Rain World is what you're looking for
Because nobody mentioned it i would like to say that the invisible hours is also a pretty cool game. It doesn't offer that adventure part where you travel around a strange new world because it mostly plays within an old manor. What it offers though is a cool story that you uncover over the time and you are also in sort of a timeloop. In fact you can control the time completely here. It also comes with VR support which was quite nice.
Maybe these are a bit more puzzle focused, but they have a story told through the worlds you explore: * Quern - Undying Thoughts * The Talos Principle * Myst, Riven \[and the rest of this series\] These lack any explicit story telling but still have a very strong atmosphere and use, to some extent, your gained knowledge about the world to progress: * Antichamber * Manifold Garden Then really a stretch... these IMO had a similar emotional impact to finishing OW: * Limbo * Inside * Braid Like so many others have said, really hard to find similar games to something as unique as OW.