Computed from player tags · Not ranked by quality
24 games like Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma (2026)
Every game below overlaps with Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma on things players said about it rather than on our opinion of what feels alike. Each entry shows what it matched on, so you can throw out the ones matching on the part you did not care about.
The short version
- Closest match: Chaos;Child, which both horror, psychological, science fiction, story-rich and atmospheric.
- Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma is tagged Puzzle, Visual Novel, Story Rich, Psychological Horror, Mystery, Choices Matter, Adventure, Anime by Steam players. Those tags are what the matching runs on.
- 24 games qualify, each with at least fifty player reviews behind its sentiment figure.
- 1 are free to download, so you can test the resemblance yourself at no cost.
How these were matched
Steam tags carry the most weight, because players apply them and they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Souls-like, Atmospheric and Cozy exist as tags and as nothing else, which is exactly the vocabulary this question needs. Formal genres count for less, themes and a shared studio for more.
Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are thrown out before matching. Nearly everything is tagged Singleplayer, so matching on it is matching on nothing. That cutoff is computed from the catalogue rather than fixed, so it moves as the catalogue grows.
All 24, closest first
- 1
Chaos;Child
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, science fiction, story-rich and atmospheric; shares 11 player tags including Visual Novel, Mystery and Anime; released around the same time (2014).
From the creators of the critically acclaimed STEINS;GATE comes a sensational new visual novel: CHAOS;CHILD. Set in Shibuya in 2015, a group of high school students who survived an earthquake six years ago find themselves at the center of a new series of bizarre murders in the city.
Chaos;Child at a glance Released 2014 Studio 5pb. Inc. Player sentiment 93% positive of 4,083 Price $24.99 Visual NovelMysteryAnimeStory RichGorePsychological HorrorGreat SoundtrackHorror
- 2
Steins;Gate
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, science fiction, story-rich and atmospheric; shares 11 player tags including Visual Novel, Story Rich and Anime.
Developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus, STEINS;GATE was awarded Famitsu magazine's coveted annual Game of Excellence award and was voted one of the most emotionally charged “tear-inducing games” ever made, in a Famitsu poll. It is a gripping and moving Visual Novel, which has already spawned manga and anime adaptations.
Steins;Gate at a glance Released 2009 Studio 5pb. Inc. Player sentiment 97% positive of 26,892 Price $29.99 Visual NovelStory RichAnimeSci-fiGreat SoundtrackMultiple EndingsChoices MatterMystery
- 3
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 10 player tags including Anime, Visual Novel and Mystery; released around the same time (2012).
Jabberwock Island—You and your classmates were ready for fun in the sun until Monokuma returned to restart his murderous game! Trapped in a kill-or-be-killed situation, your only hope rests in solving the island’s mysteries.
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair at a glance Released 2012 Studio Spike Chunsoft Player sentiment 96% positive of 32,628 Price $19.99 AnimeVisual NovelMysteryStory RichGreat SoundtrackPsychological HorrorPuzzleHorror
- 4
Cube Escape: Paradox
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 9 player tags including Puzzle, Psychological Horror and Point & Click; released around the same time (2018).
The tenth Cube Escape follows the story of detective Dale Vandermeer who finds himself trapped in two different universes and needs to escape. Cube Escape: Paradox will be released together with the accompanying Paradox: A Rusty Lake Film.
Cube Escape: Paradox at a glance Released 2018 Studio Rusty Lake Player sentiment 97% positive of 12,197 Price Free PuzzlePsychological HorrorPoint & ClickMysteryEscape RoomHorrorStory RichDark
- 5
Steins;Gate 0
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, science fiction, story-rich and atmospheric; shares 9 player tags including Visual Novel, Story Rich and Anime; released around the same time (2015).
If you can't save the one you love… How can you save humanity? Sequel to the visual novel cult classic. Experience an alternate worldline of STEINS;GATE.
Steins;Gate 0 at a glance Released 2015 Studio Mages Player sentiment 96% positive of 8,409 Price $34.99 Visual NovelStory RichAnimeSci-fiGreat SoundtrackMultiple EndingsChoices MatterPsychological Horror
- 6
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 9 player tags including Visual Novel, Anime and Story Rich; released around the same time (2017).
A new cast of 16 characters find themselves kidnapped and imprisoned in a school. Inside, some will kill, some will die, and some will be punished. Reimagine what you thought high-stakes, fast-paced investigation was as you investigate twisted murder cases and condemn your new friends to death.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony at a glance Released 2017 Studio Spike Chunsoft Player sentiment 83% positive of 23,187 Price $39.99 Visual NovelAnimeStory RichMysteryGreat SoundtrackPsychological HorrorHorrorPuzzle
- 7
Fran Bow
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 8 player tags including Psychological Horror, Story Rich and Point & Click; released around the same time (2015).
Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.
Fran Bow at a glance Released 2015 Studio Killmonday Games AB Player sentiment 97% positive of 22,936 Price $14.99 Psychological HorrorStory RichPoint & ClickPuzzleHorrorDarkGoreGreat Soundtrack
- 8
What Remains of Edith Finch
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 8 player tags including Story Rich, Mystery and Great Soundtrack; released around the same time (2017).
What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of strange tales about a family in Washington state. As Edith, you’ll explore the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she's the last one in her family left alive.
What Remains of Edith Finch at a glance Released 2017 Studio Giant Sparrow Player sentiment 96% positive of 52,603 Price $4.99 Story RichMysteryGreat SoundtrackPsychological HorrorDarkPuzzleVisual NovelHorror
- 9
DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 8 player tags including Psychological Horror, Horror and Story Rich; released around the same time (2015).
DISTRAINT is a 2D psychological horror adventure game for PC. In order to secure a partnership in a famous company, Price seizes the property of an elderly woman. In that very moment, he finds out the price of his humanity.
DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition at a glance Released 2015 Studio Jesse Makkonen Player sentiment 93% positive of 12,901 Price $0.69 Psychological HorrorHorrorStory RichDarkPuzzleMysteryPoint & ClickGore
- 10
Outer Wilds
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, science fiction, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Mystery, Story Rich and Great Soundtrack.
Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.
Outer Wilds at a glance Released http Studio Mobius Digital Player sentiment 96% positive of 107,214 Price $14.99 MysteryStory RichGreat SoundtrackPuzzleSci-fiHorrorPsychological Horror
- 11
Catherine
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and puzzle; shares 10 player tags including Anime, Mature and Puzzle.
Catherine: a tale of love, betrayal, and the terror of commitment. Experience the mature action-adventure-puzzle game unlike any other from the makers of the Persona series, now enhanced for PC in all its Classic glory. Is love over? Climb to the top or die trying.
Catherine at a glance Released 2011 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 87% positive of 11,244 Price $19.99 AnimeMaturePuzzleStory RichChoices MatterMultiple EndingsHorrorPsychological Horror
- 12
Inside the Backrooms
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, science fiction, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Horror, Puzzle and Psychological Horror.
Inside the Backrooms is a horror multiplayer game mixed with different mechanics that will make you spend an intense night with friends. Explore, think, interact, but be careful, it is rumored that there are several entities wishing to find you...
Inside the Backrooms at a glance Released 2022 Studio MrFatcat Player sentiment 80% positive of 46,767 Price $6.99 HorrorPuzzlePsychological HorrorDarkMysterySci-fiStory Rich
- 13
The Past Within
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 8 player tags including Puzzle, Escape Room and Horror.
The Past Within is the new co-op experience from Rusty Lake! Play together with someone you deem trustworthy: one in The Past, the other in The Future. Observe and communicate what you see around you. Solve the puzzles and uncover Albert Vanderboom’s plan.
The Past Within at a glance Released 2022 Studio Rusty Lake Player sentiment 95% positive of 16,814 Price $5.99 PuzzleEscape RoomHorrorMysteryPoint & ClickPsychological HorrorStory RichThriller
- 14
F.E.A.R.
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, science fiction, story-rich and atmospheric; shares 8 player tags including Horror, Gore and Psychological Horror.
Experience the original F.E.A.R. along with F.E.A.R. Extraction Point and F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate.
F.E.A.R. at a glance Released 2005 Studio Monolith Productions Player sentiment 94% positive of 19,502 Price $9.99 HorrorGorePsychological HorrorDarkStory RichSci-fiGreat SoundtrackThriller
- 15
The Room
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Puzzle, Mystery and Point & Click; released around the same time (2014).
A mysterious invitation leads to the attic of an abandoned house. In the room is a cast-iron safe laced with strange carvings and on top, a note from your distant companion. It promises something ancient and astonishing concealed in the iron chamber - you need only find a way in.
The Room at a glance Released 2014 Studio Fireproof Games Player sentiment 98% positive of 31,750 Price $4.99 PuzzleMysteryPoint & ClickHorrorEscape RoomDarkStory Rich
- 16
OneShot
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Story Rich, Great Soundtrack and Puzzle; released around the same time (2016).
OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist.
OneShot at a glance Released 2016 Studio Future Cat LLC Player sentiment 98% positive of 64,849 Price $9.99 Story RichGreat SoundtrackPuzzleChoices MatterMultiple EndingsPsychological HorrorAnime
- 17
Sally Face - Episode One
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Story Rich, Psychological Horror and Horror; released around the same time (2016).
An unsettling adventure following a boy with a prosthetic face. After a string of mysterious murders, Sal and his three friends discover something truly sinister casting shadows over their small town.
Sally Face - Episode One at a glance Released 2016 Studio Portable Moose Player sentiment 97% positive of 29,068 Price $2.99 Story RichPsychological HorrorHorrorDarkPuzzleMysteryPoint & Click
- 18
Pony Island
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Puzzle, Psychological Horror and Horror; released around the same time (2016).
Pony Island is a suspense puzzle game in disguise. You are in limbo, trapped in a malevolent and malfunctioning arcade machine devised by the devil himself. It is not a game about ponies.
Pony Island at a glance Released 2016 Studio Daniel Mullins Games Player sentiment 95% positive of 18,104 Price $4.99 PuzzlePsychological HorrorHorrorDarkGreat SoundtrackStory RichGore
- 19
Bendy and the Ink Machine
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Horror, Puzzle and Dark; released around the same time (2017).
Bendy and the Ink Machine® is the first person puzzle action horror game that will forever ruin your childhood love of cartoons.
Bendy and the Ink Machine at a glance Released 2017 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 89% positive of 36,934 Price $5.99 HorrorPuzzleDarkMysteryStory RichGreat SoundtrackPsychological Horror
- 20
Layers of Fear (2016)
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Horror, Psychological Horror and Story Rich; released around the same time (2016).
A first-person psychological horror with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and storytelling. Explore an ever-shifting Victorian mansion as a painter seeking to complete his masterpiece, even at the cost of his own sanity.
Layers of Fear (2016) at a glance Released 2016 Studio Bloober Team SA Player sentiment 88% positive of 27,676 Price $1.99 HorrorPsychological HorrorStory RichDarkPuzzleGreat SoundtrackMystery
- 21
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich and puzzle; shares 9 player tags including Anime, Visual Novel and Mystery.
Investigate murders, search for clues and talk to your classmates to prepare for trial. There, you'll engage in deadly wordplay, going back and forth with suspects. Dissect their statements and fire their words back at them to expose their lies! There's only one way to survive—pull the trigger.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc at a glance Released 2010 Studio Spike Player sentiment 96% positive of 38,287 Price $19.99 AnimeVisual NovelMysteryStory RichGreat SoundtrackPsychological HorrorHorrorPuzzle
- 22
Strobophagia | Rave Horror
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Choices Matter, Multiple Endings and Mystery; released around the same time (2020).
An occult forest rave ⸸ Strange rituals ⸸ Enigmatic organisers ⸸ An ancient evil ⸸ Pure Psychedelic Horror
Strobophagia | Rave Horror at a glance Released 2020 Studio Green Tile Digital Player sentiment 83% positive of 110 Price $19.99 Choices MatterMultiple EndingsMysteryPsychological HorrorHorrorThrillerPuzzle
- 23
We Were Here Together
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Puzzle, Story Rich and Escape Room; released around the same time (2019).
As we explore these frozen wastes, misfortune strikes once again. Through the fierce blizzard, a flare lights the sky, followed by a cry for help over the radio - broken, dying... No one else can come to their rescue. Can we make it back - together?
We Were Here Together at a glance Released 2019 Studio Total Mayhem Games Player sentiment 82% positive of 17,696 Price $4.93 PuzzleStory RichEscape RoomHorrorMysteryPsychological HorrorDark
- 24
Lucius
Why it matched: both horror, psychological, story-rich, atmospheric and puzzle; shares 7 player tags including Horror, Gore and Puzzle; released around the same time (2012).
Equipped with supernatural powers, take control of Lucius as he begins his blood filled tour of horror through his own house.
Lucius at a glance Released 2012 Studio Shiver Games Player sentiment 81% positive of 10,912 Price $1.99 HorrorGorePuzzleDarkPsychological HorrorMatureStory Rich
Common questions
What game is most like Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma?
Chaos;Child, on the evidence we have. It both horror, psychological, science fiction, story-rich and atmospheric. That is a statement about overlap, not a promise you will like it as much: two games can share every tag and still feel different to play.
How is "similar to Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma" decided?
By overlap on the tags Steam players applied to each game, the formal genres, the themes both sit in, and whether the same studio made them. Tags carry the most weight because players write them, so they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are ignored: matching on "Singleplayer" is matching on nothing. Every entry below shows exactly what it matched on.
Are these ranked by quality?
No. They are ordered by how much they overlap with Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma. Where two games overlap equally, the better received one goes first, but that only moves a game a place or two. Each entry shows its own player sentiment so you can weigh that separately.
Do you get paid for these recommendations?
No. The order is computed from tag and genre overlap and nothing else. No placement here can be bought, and a game appearing high on this page is a statement about resemblance rather than an endorsement.