Rank 01Why this
Shares moral choice system with The Novelist.
- $29.99 (Price checked Oct 31)
- Deck Verified
- 2016
Games like The Novelist
- 22 games
- Updated May 4, 2026
Players who liked The Novelist also play
The closest matches to The Novelist: The Assembly, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, Thirty Flights of Loving, While We Wait Here, and Gone Home. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02Why this
Shares environmental storytelling with The Novelist.
- $9.99 (Price checked Oct 31)
- Deck Verified
- 2024
Rank 03Why this
Shares non linear narrative and environmental storytelling with The Novelist.
- $4.99 (Price checked Nov 6)
- Deck Verified
- 2012
Rank 04 
Rank 05 
Rank 06 
Rank 07 
Roadwarden
Why this: Same atmospheric mood as The Novelist.
Rank 08 
The full ranked list: top 24 games like The Novelist
Best match first, as plain text. The same list for AI assistants:
- 1
- 2The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication
Shares environmental storytelling with The Novelist.
- 94% of 124 reviews
- 3Thirty Flights of Loving
Shares non linear narrative and environmental storytelling with The Novelist.
- 69% of 1,061 reviews
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty
Also Drama and Interactive Fiction, like The Novelist.
- 93% of 679 reviews
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- Released: 2013
- Developer: Orthogonal Games
- Price: $4.99checked Oct 31
- 78% of 449 reviews
- Genres: Indie, Adventure, Casual
- Metacritic 66
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Players highlight
- Choices have irreversible consequences
- Family dynamics feel painfully real
- Ghostly influence feels unique
- Atmospheric
- Contemplative
- Immersive
More games like The Novelist, sliced differently
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below The Novelist at current Steam store prices.
The NOexistenceN of you AND me
Why this: Also Drama and Interactive Fiction, like The Novelist.
Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure
Why this: Same atmospheric mood as The Novelist.
Many Nights a Whisper
Why this: Shares environmental storytelling with The Novelist.
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
The Assembly
Why this: Shares moral choice system with The Novelist.
The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication
Why this: Shares environmental storytelling with The Novelist.
Thirty Flights of Loving
Why this: Shares non linear narrative and environmental storytelling with The Novelist.
About The Novelist
The closest matches to The Novelist: The Assembly, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, Thirty Flights of Loving, While We Wait Here, and Gone Home. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If The Novelist is your kind of game, the closest matches are The Assembly, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication and Thirty Flights of Loving — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as atmospheric, contemplative and immersive, and single out its environmental storytelling and ghost possession. 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.
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.
Is The Novelist worth buying?
Mostly recommended
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 78% of 449 Steam reviews are positive.
- We don't track this game's daily reviews yet, so this is the all-time picture.
- Price: $4.99 (checked Nov 7).
- People who recommend it had played a median of 3 h when they wrote their review.
- Critics usually quit early: a median of 2.9 h played before their negative review.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Choices have irreversible consequences
- Family dynamics feel painfully real
- Ghostly influence feels unique
- Short but emotionally impactful
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“The concept is original, but the game becomes repetitive pretty fast. All you do is sneak around the house, find out about the residents' thoughts and desires, then make some decision at the end of the day. The story, while interesting, is…”
“I really wish I could recommend this game. Unfortunately the repetitive nature of the gameplay overshadows the strength of the story. An excellent concept that I think could have been executed in a different and more appealing way. Watch a…”
People who play it also play: The Assembly, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, Thirty Flights of Loving
Frequently asked about The Novelist
Can I run it?
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 Assembly, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, Thirty Flights of Loving.
Who developed The Novelist?
The Novelist was developed by Orthogonal Games.