7 Games Like The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead series by Telltale Games was groundbreaking in two ways. First, the series spawned the cinematic take on the point-and-click adventures that Telltale would become famous for and others would pick up with (generally) less success.

And second, they transferred the zombie pop-culture renaissance of the 2010s from the TV screens to the world of gaming. Really, it’s no wonder the Telltale Walking Dead series became as popular as it did. There are a ton of episodes to play through, too

But what happens when you’re done? What should you play if you want another great adventure, point-and-click game, or pretty much any interactive zombie-fest? Don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of games like The Walking Dead for just that occasion.

Here are the best 7 games like The Walking Dead.

Batman: The Telltale Series

If you’re not a fan of Telltale’s unique style of games, you’re probably going to skip most of the games like The Walking Dead in this list. But then again, someone not fond of their interactive movies meets point-and-click adventure format wouldn’t really enjoy the Walking Dead series in the first place!

So, without further ado, let’s get into the most criminally underrated game made by the studio: Batman: The Telltale Series. Despite a rocky start with the first two ‘seasons’, there’s no game that’s better at being a true Batman game than this one.

First, it’s the only modern Batman game where the Caped Crusader actually spends most of his time as a detective. That’s where he’s at his most interesting in the comics, and unfortunately also a part of him we almost never see on the big screen.

The gameplay is practically identical to all the other Telltale games, where the biggest focus is on the endlessly-branching player choices and the aesthetics of the game. The latter is another big plus for the game because its mix of neo-noir films and comic-book stylism is the perfect Batman visual cocktail.

And while the second game, Batman: The Enemy Within, came from the rebooted Telltale Studio, it’s another must-buy if you’ve enjoyed Telltale’s first crack at the famous bat-themed detective title. This is one of the best detective games on the Switch and if you’re a fan of games like The Walking Dead, you’ll love it.

Dying Light

If you are more interested in finding more games like The Walking Dead with zombie-infested worlds and aren’t too fussed about cinematic adventure gameplay, Dying Light will be the perfect choice for you.

It’s also the biggest departure from decision-based point-and-click adventures you’ll see us make on this list, but it’s still a worthwhile pick for any Walking Dead fans.

It’s still an adventure, alright — but an open-world, action-heavy one. Prepare to enter the dying city of Harran: a huge, zombie-ridden playground where you’ll climb buildings, dabble in clunky parkour, and destroy zombies in all kinds of creative ways. 

Apart from its ambitious design, the biggest draw of Dying Light is the sense of progression throughout the game. For the first couple of hours, you’d think that the game is a simulation of a scared survivor constantly running away, terrified of unkillable zombies. In the beginning, you’ve got low stamina and your improvised weapons wear out pretty quickly.

However, as you progress throughout the game, you’ll start building up a more impressive skillset. Soon enough, you’ll be able to joyfully dispose of the rotting foes that previously had you scampering away to safety. Building up progress in Dying Light is as satisfying as completing an episode of The Walking Dead, for sure.

And the parkour moves aren’t just used for traversing the well-designed environment. You’ll be using them for all kinds of neat tricks with zombies, like vaulting across their undead shoulders or luring them into explosive traps.

This is one of the most interesting zombie games on Steam by a mile.

Make no mistake: Dying Light will be the most fun you’ve had killing zombies since Dead Island. Also, if those two seem similar, it’s because they came from the same folks from Techland. A definite recommendation, as is the sequel, Dying Light 2.

Game of Thrones

A sizable number of games have managed to capture the essence of what made Game of Thrones so great — at least for the better part of the TV show’s run. Some have been action RPGs, and some have been attempts at a branded Grand Strategy game.

However, we’d argue that none have come closer to replicating the spirit of the books and the show as well as the eponymous Game of Thrones series from Telltale.

Once more, you’ll embark upon an interactive cinematic journey, filled with all kinds of hard and interesting choices, though admittedly, not much else in the way of actual interaction. Still, the story was always the meat of any Telltale Game, and Game of Thrones is no different.

This time around, you’ll be playing through the tale of House Forrester — an obscure noble family from the icy North. The Forresters swear fealty to the Starks, but with this being Game of Thrones, you’ll have the opportunity to decide just how far your loyalty to Winterfell goes.

The game starts between the first two seasons of the show, right in the midst of the War of the Five Kings. Your characters will end up in the chaos and deception of war pretty soon. As you command the various members of the small Forrester family, you’ll be able to determine their fate in some pretty exciting ways.

It’s a fantastic option to consider if you’re looking for more games similar to The Walking Dead, and it happens to be one of the best story-rich games on Steam, too.

The Last of Us

Has the end of Telltale’s Walking Dead series left you yearning for another post-apocalyptic adventure in which a guy with a troubled past escorts a young girl across a dangerous wasteland?

Have no fear, The Last of Us is here! And it has you playing as Joel, our newest not-quite-the-dad hero, as he helps Ellie make her trek throughout what remains of America.

Ellie is the key to a cure that could help humanity turn the tide against their mutated zombie-ish brethren. And Joel’s job is to get her to the cell of a resistance movement called the Fireflies, who think that they can synthesize the cure.

However, his task won’t be easy. Two decades have passed since the initial infection, and only patches of the world are kept safe as quarantine areas, mostly controlled by the remnants of the US government. Beyond that, the world is full of small human settlements, an endless horde of the infected, and roaming bandits.

You’ve likely heard of the game’s stellar story already. It has won countless narrative awards, and it’s even being made into a TV show. But there’s just as much to be said for the largely stealth-based gameplay.

As Joel, you won’t be able to mow down scores of enemies, GTA-style. In this realistic wasteland, ammo and weapons are scarce, so you’ll have to rely on your wits to outsmart the enemies who almost always outnumber you significantly.

All of this results in some pretty tense gameplay, that’s completely on par with the dramatic story. Once you’re done, we can’t recommend the sequel enough — it’s even better than the first game. If you like games similar to The Walking Dead, you’ll love this, guaranteed.

Life Is Strange

Remember how we mentioned that very few developers managed to emulate the classic Telltale combo of minimalist gameplay and choice-fueled narrative? Well, the fine people at Don’t Nod Entertainment are practically the only exception, and Life Is Strange is their Telltale-esque masterpiece.

It’s an episodic adventure just like any other game you’d expect from Telltale, and the emphasis is also very much on consequence and choice, instead of antiquated inventory management and clunky puzzling.

Now, Life Is Strange isn’t always as well-polished as The Walking Dead; but it doesn’t really have to be. The story pulls everything together, making the game far more than the sum of its parts.

But what are those parts, to begin with?

The game sees you stepping into the role of Max Caulfield, a retro, shy, Gen-Z photography student who’s going back to her hometown. Oh yeah, and there’s another important hobby she has — rewinding time!

The time-travel mechanic is very much the tentpole of the series, and Max will use it to save one of her punkish friends while searching for another one who went missing. By and large, the game’s characters are extremely well-written, and the same is applicable for the town of Arcadia Bay, in which the game takes place.

If you’ve ever wanted to see Telltale’s less pretentious take on an Alan Wake game, Life Is Strange is as close as you’ll get. But it’s damn good fun, and the narrative will keep you hooked until the end. It’s one of the best interactive story games on the Xbox Series X /S, and fans of games like The Walking Dead will love it.

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered

Most of us have that one older gamer friend, who’s always keen to point out how most of today’s games are shallow copies of other stuff. And if you were to ask them for a recommendation on games like The Walking Dead, they’d probably point towards Fahrenheit — before snobbily dissing you for never hearing about the game.

Yes, while Telltale and Don’t Nod have thrived on their cinematic, choice-based adventures, they weren’t actually the first to enter the genre. In 2005, years before The Walking Dead would propel Telltale to its mainstream stardom — Quantic Dream would release Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy.

These days, Quantic Dream has achieved substantial success of its own, with hit games like Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human. However, Indigo Prophecy was their first narrative adventure, and it was the furthest thing away from a breakout hit.

It was extremely buggy upon its initial release, and though much of that has been fixed in the remaster, we can say that the awful stealth sequences are, unfortunately, still present. However, there’s definitely a diamond in the rough that shines through here.

In many ways, Indigo Prophecy was ahead of its time. The plot sees you controlling both a criminal suspect and the detective who’s investigating them — and its revolutionary time-based dialogue system is something that other RPGs and adventure games still use to this day.

If you want to experience a gripping story, filled with crazy conspiracy theories and drama, it’s still a great choice of a game. Just be ready for another classic Telltale staple we all hate: annoyingly long quick-time events.

Heavy Rain

Once Quantic Dreams ironed out their quirks in Indigo Prophecy, they’d work a while before releasing their next game. Half a decade later, Heavy Rain would come out as a console exclusive.

This time around, we’ve got a cinematic adventure game that’s much less silly, but far more polished and graphically impressive. The story sees us unraveling the mysterious identity of the Origami Killer — a serial murderer who’s been terrorizing the citizens of an unnamed city for months, by kidnapping and killing young boys.

The developer had definitely learned a lot of lessons with Indigo Prophecy. When it came out, Heavy Rain was one of the most impressive narrative games to date. It had an impeccably crafted atmosphere, and a cast of extremely believable characters you could easily empathize with.

The game sees you taking control of four different characters as you search for the Origami Killer — each of them having their own motivations to stop the child-murdering menace. These days, Heavy Rain is available on the PC as well, and the remastered edition on computers and the PS4 is a must-play for lovers of narrative adventures.

For more games like this, check out the best mystery games you can get on Steam right now.