Year Walk similar games & best alternatives

Year Walk

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, iOS • 2014

Should you play it?

In the old days man tried to catch a glimpse of the future in the strangest of ways.Experience the ancient Swedish phenomena of year walking through a different kind of first person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions, as well as reality and the supernatural.

What works
  • Unique and haunting atmosphere
  • Beautiful art style and music
  • Engaging folklore-based story
  • Clever and varied puzzles
  • Immersive and memorable experience
Things to keep in mind
  • Short game length
  • Limited replay value
  • Some puzzles can be confusing
  • Controls adapted from mobile can feel awkward
  • Few jump scares may not appeal to all

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Gemini Rue

  • The Silent Age

  • Detention

  • Primordia

  • ASYLUM

  • Beneath a Steel Sky (1994)

  • Aporia: Beyond The Valley

  • Tales of the Neon Sea

  • Voodoo Detective
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • ASYLUM

  • Aporia: Beyond The Valley

  • Voodoo Detective
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Fantasy

    Unforgiving - A Northern Hymn
  • Story

    Mundaun
  • Escapism

    The Cat Lady

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

Year Walk: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Expression, Fellowship, Cooperation, Status. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Relaxation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence, Expression.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    3

    "Players can explore the environment and solve puzzles at their own pace with some freedom in puzzle approach and order."

    Capsule for Escape First Alchemist ⚗️ Escape First Alchemist ⚗️

    "Players explore the forest and solve puzzles at their own pace with some freedom in movement and puzzle approach."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    2

    "Puzzles require some thinking and observation but are generally straightforward and not highly challenging."

    Capsule for Four Last Things Four Last Things

    "Puzzles are moderately challenging, requiring observation, note-taking, and some logical thinking, but not overly difficult."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -5

    "No competitive elements; focus is on personal puzzle solving and exploration without comparison to others."

    Capsule for Milo and the Magpies Milo and the Magpies

    "No competitive elements; focus is on individual experience and personal puzzle solving."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    2

    "Players often replay for true endings and secrets, but the game is short and designed for a limited number of playthroughs."

    Capsule for OneShot OneShot

    "Players often replay the game to uncover secrets and true endings, though the game is short and has limited replay value."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -5

    "Single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."

    Capsule for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

    "Single-player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    1

    "Players create their own notes and piece together clues, but game content and puzzles are predefined."

    Capsule for Dark Fall: The Journal Dark Fall: The Journal

    "Players create notes and piece together clues themselves, but gameplay follows predefined puzzles and story."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; purely individual experience."

    Capsule for Poppy Playtime Poppy Playtime

    "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; purely individual experience."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "Strong immersion in a dark, surreal world offering escape from reality through psychological horror and story."

    Capsule for The Cat Lady The Cat Lady

    "Strong immersion in a surreal, folklore-based world provides escape from reality and a haunting experience."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest in story, puzzles, and atmosphere without external pressure."

    Capsule for Primordia Primordia

    "Players engage voluntarily out of interest in story, atmosphere, and puzzles without external pressure."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    2

    "Encourages exploration of puzzles and clues, but within a structured narrative."

    Capsule for Nancy Drew®: Message in a Haunted Mansion Nancy Drew®: Message in a Haunted Mansion

    "Encourages exploration and trying to solve puzzles in different ways, though within a structured narrative."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    3

    "Players explore varied locations and environments, uncovering story elements and secrets."

    Capsule for The Drifter The Drifter

    "Players explore a mysterious forest environment, uncovering secrets and folklore elements."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    -5

    "No character customization or self-expression features; presentation is fixed."

    Capsule for The Shore The Shore

    "No character customization or self-expression features; presentation is fixed."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    5

    "Strongly rooted in supernatural Scandinavian folklore and mythology, emphasizing imaginative fiction."

    Capsule for Unforgiving - A Northern Hymn Unforgiving - A Northern Hymn

    "Strongly based on Scandinavian folklore and supernatural elements, creating an imaginative fictional experience."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -5

    "Solo play with minimal social interaction or community involvement."

    Capsule for Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition

    "Solo play with minimal social interaction or community involvement."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    2

    "Players learn about folklore and develop puzzle-solving skills during gameplay."

    Capsule for Oknytt Oknytt

    "Players learn about folklore and develop puzzle-solving skills through gameplay and reading in-game encyclopedia."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

    Capsule for DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles and progress; not suited for casual or background play."

    Capsule for The Whispered World Special Edition The Whispered World Special Edition

    "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles and progress; not suited for casual or background play."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -5

    "No social or emotional relationship building; solitary experience."

    Capsule for Resident Evil Resident Evil

    "No social or emotional relationship building; solitary experience."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management elements; single-player only."

    Capsule for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Ultimate Edition

    "No leadership or group management elements; single player."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    2

    "Progression through puzzle completion and unlocking new areas/endings."

    Capsule for Unmechanical Unmechanical

    "Progression through puzzle completion and unlocking story elements and journal entries."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    3

    "Atmospheric music and visuals create a calming, immersive experience despite emotional intensity."

    Capsule for Everlasting Summer Everlasting Summer

    "Atmosphere and music create a haunting but calm experience, balancing tension and immersion."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Visual and auditory design provide eerie and immersive sensory stimulation."

    Capsule for Closure Closure

    "Visual and auditory design provide eerie and immersive sensory stimulation."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -5

    "No social recognition or status systems; individual experience."

    Capsule for The Turing Test The Turing Test

    "No social recognition or status systems; individual experience."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    5

    "Strong narrative focus with multiple endings, character development, and folklore-driven plot."

    Capsule for Mundaun Mundaun

    "Strong narrative focus with folklore-based story, journal entries, and multiple endings."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    2

    "Requires logical thinking and puzzle solving, but no complex strategic planning."

    Capsule for Red Matter Red Matter

    "Requires logical thinking and puzzle solving, but no complex strategic planning."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    2

    "Some suspense and jump scares create moments of tension and relief."

    Capsule for The Test: Hypothesis Rising The Test: Hypothesis Rising

    "Some suspense and jump scares create moments of tension and relief."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    3

    "Highly praised for narrative and artistic value despite short length; good return for price."

    Capsule for Masochisia Masochisia

    "Highly praised for its artistic and narrative value despite short length; considered worth the price."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    -3

    "Minimal violence; focus is on exploration and puzzle solving rather than combat or destruction."

    Capsule for True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 1 True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 1

    "Minimal violence; focus is on exploration and puzzle solving rather than combat or destruction."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    1

    "Some challenge in avoiding failure and managing resources, but no direct survival threats."

    Capsule for Airport CEO Airport CEO

    "Some elements of avoiding supernatural threats and overcoming challenges, but no resource management."

Come talk about it on Discord!

Last update: 01/06/2026