# Games like Back to the Dawn

> The closest matches to Back to the Dawn: Pentiment, Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure, BROK the InvestiGator, The Operator, and Unheard - Voices of Crime. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.

## Similar games, ranked

The full ranked list, 24 games, best match first (the HTML page shows the top 8 as cards).

1. [Pentiment](https://imho.run/games/1205520/pentiment) — Shares dialogue driven choices with Back to the Dawn. 4,985 Steam reviews, 95% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1205520/)
2. [Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure](https://imho.run/games/1364100/lacuna-a-sci-fi-noir-adventure) — Also Crime and Detective, like Back to the Dawn. 690 Steam reviews, 92% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1364100/)
3. [BROK the InvestiGator](https://imho.run/games/949480/brok-the-investigator) — Also Detective and Investigation, like Back to the Dawn. 421 Steam reviews, 98% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/949480/)
4. [The Operator](https://imho.run/games/1771980/the-operator) — A frequent pick in Back to the Dawn players' libraries, and another Indie. 3,406 Steam reviews, 90% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1771980/)
5. [Unheard - Voices of Crime](https://imho.run/games/942970/unheard-voices-of-crime) — A frequent pick in Back to the Dawn players' libraries, and another RPG. 2,751 Steam reviews, 91% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/)
6. [Chinatown Detective Agency](https://imho.run/games/1172190/chinatown-detective-agency) — Shares time management with Back to the Dawn. 79 Steam reviews, 73% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172190/)
7. [Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments](https://imho.run/games/241260/sherlock-holmes-crimes-and-punishments) — A frequent pick in Back to the Dawn players' libraries, and another Adventure. 2,301 Steam reviews, 90% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/241260/)
8. [Between Horizons – A Sci-Fi Detective Adventure](https://imho.run/games/1921980/between-horizons-a-sci-fi-detective-adventure) — Also Detective and Investigation, like Back to the Dawn. 247 Steam reviews, 89% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1921980/)
9. [Expelled!](https://imho.run/games/2963890/expelled) — Also Detective and Drama, like Back to the Dawn. 177 Steam reviews, 95% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2963890/)
10. [Cyber Manhunt](https://imho.run/games/1216710/cyber-manhunt) — Also Crime and Detective, like Back to the Dawn. 791 Steam reviews, 81% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1216710/)
11. [Beat Cop](https://imho.run/games/461950/beat-cop) — Shares time management with Back to the Dawn. 1,211 Steam reviews, 70% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/461950/)
12. [Blacksad: Under the Skin](https://imho.run/games/1003890/blacksad-under-the-skin) — Also Crime and Detective, like Back to the Dawn. 1,701 Steam reviews, 79% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1003890/)
13. [Murders on the Yangtze River](https://imho.run/games/1746030/murders-on-the-yangtze-river) — Also Detective and Drama, like Back to the Dawn. 919 Steam reviews, 97% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1746030/)
14. [Chicken Police: Into the HIVE!](https://imho.run/games/2362090/chicken-police-into-the-hive) — Also Crime and Detective, like Back to the Dawn. 148 Steam reviews, 82% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2362090/)
15. [The Forgotten City](https://imho.run/games/874260/the-forgotten-city) — Also Investigation, like Back to the Dawn. 7,104 Steam reviews, 96% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/874260/)
16. [The Good Life](https://imho.run/games/1452500/the-good-life) — Shares time management with Back to the Dawn. 139 Steam reviews, 76% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1452500/)
17. [Crime O'Clock](https://imho.run/games/1736290/crime-o-clock) — Also Crime and Detective, like Back to the Dawn. 217 Steam reviews, 62% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1736290/)
18. [A Way Out](https://imho.run/games/1222700/a-way-out) — Also Crime, like Back to the Dawn. 25,185 Steam reviews, 89% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222700/)
19. [Sultan's Game](https://imho.run/games/3117820/sultan-s-game) — A frequent pick in Back to the Dawn players' libraries, and another Strategy. 1,233 Steam reviews, 93% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3117820/)
20. [Enigma of Fear](https://imho.run/games/1507580/enigma-of-fear) — A frequent pick in Back to the Dawn players' libraries, and another Action. 229 Steam reviews, 90% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1507580/)
21. [TR-49](https://imho.run/games/3838370/tr-49) — Also Detective and Drama, like Back to the Dawn. 908 Steam reviews, 95% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3838370/)
22. [This Is the Police 2](https://imho.run/games/785740/this-is-the-police-2) — Also Crime and Detective, like Back to the Dawn. 1,360 Steam reviews, 63% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/785740/)
23. [Night in the Woods](https://imho.run/games/481510/night-in-the-woods) — Shares time management with Back to the Dawn. 13,243 Steam reviews, 95% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/481510/)
24. [Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector](https://imho.run/games/2442460/citizen-sleeper-2-starward-vector) — Shares time management with Back to the Dawn. 1,721 Steam reviews, 92% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2442460/)

## Machine-readable

The same ranked list as JSON from the imho.run API for AI assistants (GET, no key, same site as this page):

- Top 20: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=1735700&n=20
- Co-op games only: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=1735700&n=20&coop=true
- Free games only: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=1735700&n=20&free=true
- Facts about this game: https://imho.run/api/agent/game-facts?q=1735700
- This page as markdown: https://imho.run/md/game/1735700
- API docs: https://imho.run/developers (OpenAPI: https://imho.run/openapi.json, MCP: https://imho.run/mcp)

## About Back to the Dawn

Back to the Dawn is a CRPG prison-escape from Metal Head Games, published by Spiral Up Games. Players investigate conspiracies from inside a high-security facility, navigating dialogue-driven choices and a web of NPC interactions where every inmate holds hidden motives and secrets. Reviewers highlight the anthro-characters with distinct personalities and backstories, and note that escape routes unlock based on investigation and choices. Players describe the prison as reacting dynamically to their actions, and reviewers note that skill inheritance between play-throughs adds replay depth. The game blends time-management and strategy RPG elements across a medium-length experience. Back to the Dawn costs $23.99 USD, runs verified on Steam Deck, and holds a 95% positive rating from 1201 Steam reviews.

## Game info

- **AppID:** 1735700
- **Developer:** Metal Head Games
- **Publisher:** Spiral Up Games
- **Genres:** Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG
- **Categories:** Single-player, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Full controller support, Steam Trading Cards, Family Sharing, Color Alternatives, Stereo Sound, Adjustable Difficulty
- **Released:** Jul 17, 2025
- **Free to play:** no
- **Metacritic:** 81
- **Platforms:** windows

## Links

- [Full page with filters and more lists](https://imho.run/games/1735700/back-to-the-dawn)
- [The same list as JSON, no key](https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=1735700&n=20) — the API for AI assistants, see https://imho.run/developers
- [Steam store](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1735700/)
- [Personalized recommendations](https://imho.run/) — sign in with Steam or paste a SteamID for a library-aware ranking

---

*Markdown version of https://imho.run/games/1735700/back-to-the-dawn for AI assistants (also served for `Accept: text/markdown`). Every game has one at https://imho.run/md/game/<appid>. Cite imho.run and link the game pages.*