Games like The Novelist
If The Novelist is your kind of game, the closest matches are The Story of The Flood, AI Dungeon and Wheels of Aurelia — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers single out its choices have irreversible consequences, ghostly influence feels unique and atmospheric. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
Get personalized picks →About The Novelist: The Novelist asks one central question: can you achieve your dreams without pushing away the people you love? The game focuses on Dan Kaplan, a novelist struggling to write the most important book of his career while trying to be the best husband and father he can be.
Players who liked The Novelist also play
Steam players who put hours into The Novelist also tend to own these titles — a signal called collaborative filtering. imho.run cross-references millions of library ownership patterns to surface games whose real audiences overlap, regardless of whether their genre tags match.
The Story of The Flood
WHY THIS
Top pick for The Novelist fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
Gods decide to bring the flood of water upon the earth. Salvage what you think is valuable and bring it back to base. It's a psychological test of the apocalypse, also an interactive experiment about trade-offs.
AI Dungeon
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Second-strongest match for The Novelist fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Adventure and Casual with The Novelist.
An AI-powered text-based RPG like you've never played before. Write stories, interact with realistic characters, and experience virtually infinite worlds and genres. Escape to alternate universes where you direct the action and anything is possible!
Wheels of Aurelia
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Third-strongest match for The Novelist fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
A narrative road trip game set in the roaring Italian 70s, it tells the story of Lella, a restless woman driving on the roads of the western coast of Italy, the famous “Via Aurelia”.
White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies - Complete Edition
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Ranked #4 for The Novelist fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
Return to Yeondu High School and uncover the dark truth that remained hidden in this direct sequel to the Korean horror classic. Investigate bizarre phenomena, evade bloodthirsty killers, and unravel a twisting narrative spread across three unnerving episodes.
The Assembly
WHY THIS
Shares moral choice system and an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Ranked #5 for The Novelist fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
A first-person interactive story inspired by real-world anxieties, The Assembly is a long-form game designed for VR. Explore a morally ambiguous organization as two individuals and face tough decisions from contrasting perspectives, that culminate in one of multiple thrilling conclusions.
Those Who Remain
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Ranked #6 for The Novelist fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
As the lights go out, the embers of darkness are stoked in the sleepy town of Dormont. Confront uncomfortable horrors, keep your sanity in check and survive the night in this story-driven first-person psychological-thriller.
Grotto
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Ranked #7 for The Novelist fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
Grotto is a mystical, narrative-focused experience. You are the Soothsayer. The one capable of talking with the stars and unveiling their messages. In a time of turmoil, the tribe of the valley turn to your powers of divination and come to you for guidance.
Thirty Flights of Loving
WHY THIS
Shares non linear narrative, environmental storytelling and an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Ranked #8 for The Novelist fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
This surprising first-person story tells the tale of a heist gone wrong. Encounter high-flying schemers, lovelorn criminals, and more stray kittens than you can shake a stick at.
Reviewers mention these as similar to The Novelist
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
The Stanley Parable
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Reviewers of The Novelist cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
The Stanley Parable is a first person exploration game. You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley. You will follow a story, you will not follow a story. You will have a choice, you will have no choice. The game will end, the game will never end.
Gone Home
WHY THIS
Shares environmental storytelling and an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Reviewers of The Novelist cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
June 7th, 1995. 1:15 AM. You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something's not right. Where is everyone? And what's happened here? Unravel the mystery for yourself in Gone Home, a story exploration game from The Fullbright Company.
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
WHY THIS
Shares environmental storytelling and an atmospheric mood with The Novelist.
Reviewers of The Novelist cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
Featuring a beautiful, detailed open-world and a haunting soundtrack, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is non-linear storytelling at its best.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below The Novelist at current Steam store prices.
POSTAL 2
WHY THIS
Priced ~80% under The Novelist on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
Live a week in the life of "The POSTAL Dude"; a hapless everyman just trying to check off some chores. Buying milk, returning an overdue library book, getting Gary Coleman's autograph, what could possibly go wrong?
The Test
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under The Novelist on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
You will answer a series of questions that will reveal truths from deep within. These questions may make you uncomfortable, but with great knowledge comes great sacrifice. Can you make it all the way through The Test, and if you do, are you sure you want the answers you seek?
Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk
WHY THIS
Priced ~70% under The Novelist on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
A short story about what sort of challenges everyday little things can be. Help the girl buy milk, be the first not to disappoint her.
Blood and Bacon
WHY THIS
Priced ~80% under The Novelist on Steam right now. Shares Adventure and Casual with The Novelist.
This Co-op Shooter , has Day and Night levels, multiple maps, players will take on 25 enemy types and numerous bosses, like Gargantuan Monsters and Minibosses every 10 days as you explore, shoot and run for your life against the onslaught of porcine monstrosities.
Placid Plastic Duck Simulator
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under The Novelist on Steam right now. Shares Casual with The Novelist.
The ultimate high-tech rubber duck simulation, Placid Plastic Duck brings you dangerous levels of relaxation. With chill music, dreamy 3D graphics, and many different happy ducks, your only priority is to float around. Zero Ducks given.
Peggle Deluxe
WHY THIS
Priced ~80% under The Novelist on Steam right now. Shares Casual with The Novelist.
Take your best shot with energizing arcade fun! Aim, shoot, clear the orange pegs, then sit back and cheer as 10 whimsical teachers guide you to Peggle greatness.
shapez
WHY THIS
Priced ~80% under The Novelist on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Casual with The Novelist.
shapez is an easy-going, minimalistic factory building game about the automation of shapes through extraction and satisfying production lines. Adapt to increasingly complex shapes and grow your factory across an infinitely expanding map. Your only limitation is your creativity!
The Test: Hypothesis Rising
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under The Novelist on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
The second chapter in The Test trilogy. Answer a series of in-depth questions to reveal hidden truths about yourself and unlock secrets to discover how your life can change drastically with just a few, slight modifications. ...But are you sure you want the answers you seek?
Free alternatives
Free-to-play games that recommended players of this title also tend to enjoy.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Casual with The Novelist.
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.
Life is Strange - Episode 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Adventure with The Novelist.
Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.
Ultimate Custom Night
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with The Novelist.
Welcome to the ultimate FNAF mashup, featuring 50 selectable characters and custom difficulties!
ENA: Dream BBQ
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Casual with The Novelist.
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
Indigo Park: Chapter 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Novelist.
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.
The Looker
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with The Novelist.
You wake up, alone, on a strangely familiar island full of puzzles that will frustrate and annoy you.
Narrow it down
Head-to-head comparisons
Frequently asked about The Novelist
- How much does The Novelist cost?
- The Novelist is listed on Steam at 4.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
- What games are most similar to The Novelist?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside The Novelist are The Story of The Flood, AI Dungeon, Wheels of Aurelia.
- Who developed The Novelist?
- The Novelist was developed by Orthogonal Games.
imho.run ranks Steam game alternatives using a mix of collaborative filtering (ALS / iALS / EASE / LightGCN), content scoring over genres, categories, Steam tags, developers, and publishers, plus AI-extracted vibes mined from review text. The page above is generated in seed mode anchored on The Novelist.
For library-aware picks tuned to your specific taste, sign in with Steam on the home page.