Free games like Journal
Below are 8 free-to-play Steam games similar to Journal, 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 Journal page.
Ranked picks
- 1
Emily is Away
Free-to-play alternative to Journal — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with Journal.
Emily is Away is an interactive story. Create a screenname and choose your path through the branching narrative.
- 2
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
Free-to-play alternative to Journal — no purchase or trial window. Shares Adventure with Journal.
Have you ever dreamt of being a superhero? Meet Chris, a creative and imaginative 9 year old boy who escapes reality with fantastical adventures as his alter ego, the Awesome Captain Spirit! Captain Spirit is a free demo set in the Life is Strange universe. Contains links to Life is Strange 2
- 3
Marie's Room
Free-to-play alternative to Journal — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with Journal.
Marie's Room is a short story exploration game about an unconventional friendship between two classmates. You play as Kelsey, remembering Marie's room as it was twenty years ago. But something’s off. What happened to Marie?
- 4
Scarlet Hollow — Episode 1
Free-to-play alternative to Journal — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with Journal.
The free-to-play first episode of a horror-mystery game with dark humor and hand-drawn art by Black Tabby Games. Note — we are retiring this store page. While the build here is still up-to-date, please download the DEMO from the main Scarlet Hollow store page. Thank you and have fun!
- 5
A Date in the Park
Free-to-play alternative to Journal — no purchase or trial window. Shares Adventure with Journal.
A short and mysterious free point and click adventure game, inspired by the feeling of oddness in an everyday situation.
- 6
Disturbed
Free-to-play alternative to Journal — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with Journal.
Play as a farmer who struggles to manage a failing farm. You come to a point where there is no more hope, and you must do something.
- 7
The Flood
Free-to-play alternative to Journal — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with Journal.
The Flood is a peaceful 5 minute narrative experience in which you pilot a little boat down a river. It's a gentle reminder that sometimes we should stop worrying about our destination and just enjoy the journey.
- 8
the static speaks my name
Free-to-play alternative to Journal — no purchase or trial window. Shares Indie and Adventure with Journal.
A dark/sad/weird/funny first person exploration game. You play a man on his last night alive as he obsesses over a mysterious painting. More of a story game in that it emphasizes mood and character over gameplay. Takes ten minutes to play and has "next-gen" features like a shrimp tank.