Until Dawn was a smash hit when it released on PS4, seemingly coming out of nowhere to become one of the favorite games of the year. The game used typical horror tropes in some fun ways, looped in meaningful player choice, and some smart twists on gameplay for the narrative adventure genre. Until Dawn is, of course, unique but if you’re looking for something similar there are still a few recommendations we can make. Here are seven games like Until Dawn.
The Inpatient
Games Like Until Dawn
Well shucks, guys, of course the prequel is going to qualify as a similar game. It’s not like they did a complete 180 and opted for a dancing game instead, as awesome and marketable as that idea sounds.
It follows the same premise as Until Dawn (spooky bad guys looking to do you harm and possibly unwelcome tickling), but The Inpatient is unique enough to warrant giving a shot as well, if you’re willing to overlook its flaws.
It’s a little plodding and samey, which are not adjectives you’d like to associate with a survival horror game, but it can still really startle you on occasion. This kind of genre was tailor-made for the PlayStation VR, and though it doesn’t come near hitting the kind of heights Resident Evil VII managed, it’s still worth a look-in (or check in, to be more accurate).
The Evil Within
Games Like Until Dawn
It seems like a whole lot of bad has gone down at Beacon Mental Hospital, so police detective Sebastian Castellanos and his team have been sent in to investigate. As things unravel, chainsaws get whipped out and his partners begin to go loopy. That’s when The Evil Within ramps up the fright factor.
There are quite a few perturbations in store that should more than evoke memories of Until Dawn. The story is a little convoluted, and every time the term Mobius comes up I can’t help but think of retconned Sonic lore, but it’ll keep you compelled at each and every turn, regardless.
Arguably, the plot is more coherent in the sequel, and the payoff is better to boot, but the narrative really doesn’t have the same impact if you haven’t already played the original entry. So for the purposes of this list, we suggest the first – if you like it, and you haven’t copped a nasty decapitation, feel free to continue on with The Evil Within 2.
Continue on for more games like Until Dawn, including an action-packed critical darling.
The Last of Us
Games Like Until Dawn
Skewing more towards the survival than the horror, The Last of Us earns its place by being one of the best games of this console generation, and even a contender for best of all time; a lofty position reserved only for classics like Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII and Barbie’s Sparkling Ice Show.
It follows the exploits of Joel and Ellie as they make their way across a post-apocalyptic United States. Your job is to fend off mutated creatures and disgruntled survivors with a selection of weapons that range from very useful (shotguns and handguns) to the very desperate (flinging a bottle at your enemy like a typical Saturday night bender).
And best of all, once you’ve completed the riveting tale, you’re all up to speed and ready for part 2 when that drops in [insert arbitrary 2019 date] [insert silly word like booger or heinie] [insert immature giggling].
Life is Strange
Games Like Until Dawn
Not everything has to be all blood and guts to make this list, though.
Life is Strange features a gripping narrative and compelling characters to hammer home the significance of your decisions. In Until Dawn, those decisions are harrowing, and you’re stuck with them until you make it all the way to the end, or start over. Young Max, however, has a trick up her sleeve with the ability to rewind certain events.
It’ll take you on a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish, and who knows? Maybe you’ll even get a little reminder of your own awkward episodes while growing up. As a time traveling teenage girl myself, I can definitely relate.
Heavy Rain
Games Like Until Dawn
Too often in gaming, you are given the illusion of having free will, only for your decisions to end up having zero impact whatsoever. Just ask anyone who’s ever played a Nintendo RPG. They are notorious for that, for some reason.
Until Dawn doesn’t play by these rules, and neither does Heavy Rain. In both Until Dawn and Heavey Rain your actions will dictate who lives and dies, and the only feeling stronger than the pressure of having to make a big choice, is the impending sense of dread and guilt when you see what you have done.
What kind of sacrifices are you willing to make? And if you’re able to see it through to the bloody end, will you even be able to live with yourself afterward?
Also, press X to Shaun.
There are still a couple more games like Until Dawn, so continue on see some terrifying suggestions.
Outlast Trinity
Games Like Until Dawn
Another survival horror romp of the first-person variety, Outlast Trinity takes every concept you’ve ever had of gaming immortality and puts them in a chair in the corner of the room. It then proceeds to smash them with a blunt instrument until they are no more than splattered blood and entrails against the wall.
Do your concepts bleed? Mine sure do.
In Outlast Trinity, you will instead have to rely on your wits, sneaking, taking cover and praying that your location isn’t revealed. The reason, you see, is because you’re not a police officer or a super soldier. No, you’re an investigative journalist, and they possess little in the way of survival skills. Seriously, I once lost a fight to a blackberry bush – we’re not cut out for action.
The best package available is the Trinity collection, which comes complete with Outlast 1, 2 and the Whistleblower DLC. Technically, Outlast 1 should probably be called Outfirst, but that’s just being picky.
Alien: Isolation
Games Like Until Dawn
But of course, what could be more terrifying than trying to hide from a bloodthirsty xenomorph? The only way you could make it scarier is if that xenomorph was brandishing all of your unpaid parking tickets.
After a deplorable streak of games based on the Alien franchise, 2014’s Isolation was a breath of fresh air, perfectly capturing the helplessness that you should experience when faced against such a ghastly beast. Not to mention, the cameos are just too sweet to pass up on, including Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, and of course Ripley herself, Sigourney freakin’ Weaver.
If you get sick of fleeing from the madman in Until Dawn, you ought to give this one a try. All it’s missing is Bill Paxton declaring ‘game over, man’ whenever you are ripped to shreds. I’m sure there’s a mod for that.
Thos are our picks for games like Until Dawn, but there’s bound to be even more. If you have any other suggestions feel free to drop them down in the comments below.
About the author
