Free games like 1997
Below are 9 free-to-play Steam games similar to 1997, ranked by player overlap and content similarity. No purchase or Steam login required to view the list. Every pick is a full free-to-play title — not a demo, trial, or time-limited giveaway. imho.run's catalogue refreshes daily, so newly free or newly popular titles surface here without manual editing.
Want the full alternatives list (paid + free + Steam Deck + cheaper picks)? See the parent games like 1997 page.
Ranked picks
- 1
Doki Doki Literature Club!
Free-to-play alternative to 1997 — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie with 1997.
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
- 2
Helltaker
Free-to-play alternative to 1997 — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with 1997.
Helltaker is a short game about sharply dressed demon girls.
- 3
Bongo Cat
Free-to-play alternative to 1997 — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie with 1997.
Bongo cat needs your help. Bongo cat needz more hatz!!! Every time you press a key, Bongo cat will punch your taskbar. Type, click, play, work to collect more points. Which hats will you find?
- 4
ENA: Dream BBQ
Free-to-play alternative to 1997 — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with 1997.
Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.
- 5
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
Free-to-play alternative to 1997 — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie with 1997.
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
- 6
Indigo Park: Chapter 1
Free-to-play alternative to 1997 — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with 1997.
Explore the abandoned childhood wonder of Indigo Park! Guided by Rambley the Raccoon, help restore power to the destroyed amusement park while you run from the reason it shut down.
- 7
The Looker
Free-to-play alternative to 1997 — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie with 1997.
You wake up, alone, on a strangely familiar island full of puzzles that will frustrate and annoy you.
- 8
Our Life: Beginnings & Always
Free-to-play alternative to 1997 — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie with 1997.
A twenty-dollar bill, four summers, fifteen years, and a one of a kind life. Create an experience that’s all your own in this near-fully customizable visual novel where you grow from childhood to adulthood with the lonely boy next door.
- 9
Whisper Books
Free-to-play alternative to 1997 — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with 1997.
Whisper Books is a collection of high-profile visual novel, artistically expressed based on literature, with hand-painted illustrations, dubbing and interactive options. The gameplay is weak relative to storytelling, suitable for players and readers who like stories.