Single-player games like The Empty Desk
Below are 8 single-player Steam games similar to The Empty Desk, ranked by player overlap. Every pick carries Steam's Single-player category, so multiplayer-only titles or always-online games don't sneak in. imho.run pulls the category data from Steam directly — Single-player here matches what the store labels.
Want the full alternatives list (paid + free + Steam Deck + cheaper picks)? See the parent games like The Empty Desk page.
Ranked picks
- 1
Radiolight
Single-player alternative to The Empty Desk — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Empty Desk.
Ashwood Creek, 1985. A child disappears without a trace. A local policeman is drawn into a national park, seeking the truth. Mysterious radio signals beckon him further and further. Investigate, survive and face the unknown in Radiolight— an '80s thriller by solo dev Krystof Knesl.
- 2
Heavy Rain
Single-player alternative to The Empty Desk — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Adventure with The Empty Desk.
Experience a gripping psychological thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns. The hunt is on for a murderer known only as the Origami Killer. Four characters, each following their own leads, must take part in a desperate attempt to prevent the killer from claiming a new victim.
- 3
Telling Lies
Single-player alternative to The Empty Desk — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Empty Desk.
Four private lives. One big lie. Search through secretly recorded video conversations to discover the truth. The successor to the acclaimed Her Story.
- 4
Alfred Hitchcock - Vertigo
Single-player alternative to The Empty Desk — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Adventure with The Empty Desk.
Can you trust your own mind? Immerse yourself in a psychological thriller of a new kind, playing with the limits between reality and fantasy. Freely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s universe.
- 5
The Operator
Single-player alternative to The Empty Desk — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Empty Desk.
Welcome to the FDI. As our newest Operator, your role is to use your detective skills to assist our field agents and investigate mysterious crimes. Use cutting-edge FDI software to dig for clues, solve puzzles, and uncover the truth.
- 6
Uncover the Smoking Gun
Single-player alternative to The Empty Desk — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Empty Desk.
A Battle of Wits with AI: Solve the case by conversing with a suspect robot using GPT to gather evidence. What single truth emerges from countless dialogues and pieces of information?
- 7
Bohemian Killing
Single-player alternative to The Empty Desk — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Indie and Adventure with The Empty Desk.
Paris, 1894. Class differences and pervasive racism finally lead to a tragedy. A year later you find yourself on trial, accused of a brutal murder. How far will you go to exonerate yourself? Will you lie? Manipulate the evidence? Frame others? Act insane? Confess? Your imagination is the limit.
- 8
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter
Single-player alternative to The Empty Desk — playable solo, no multiplayer required. Shares Adventure with The Empty Desk.
Experience a fantastic adventure with unique gameplay that blends investigation, action and exploration in a breath-taking thriller that will test the limits of your nerves and intelligence. Play as the great detective and track down evil in the darkest corners of London and the human soul…