Journey, an indie game that came out in 2012 from Thatgamecompany, is arguably one of the most beautiful games of all time. It’s even won several awards from various gaming publications around the world. It’s not hard to see why.
Journey has some of the most immersive graphics that you’ll ever find in a video game, with lush and vibrant colors that pop out on your screen. There are breathtaking views as you travel across your foreign land, and the soundtrack will stay with you long after you finish the game.
If you played the critically acclaimed Journey and fell in love with its stunning art, music, and gameplay, you’re in luck! There are plenty of other games out there that offer similar experiences. Here are 13 beautiful games like Journey to check out.
Flower
In Flower, the player manipulates the wind by moving the game controller to propel a flower petal through the air. When a player is flying near flowers, additional flower petals follow the player’s petal, which causes a visual spectacle.
The game world may behave in specific ways when the flowers approach, like activating stationary wind turbines. The game’s story arc is largely formed through visual representation and emotional cues; there is no text or spoken conversation.
Rather than being a challenging game, Flower aims to primarily to evoke good emotions in the user. If your objective is to watch something beautiful and relax, this is the perfect game for you. It’s a charming experience and fans of games like Journey will love it.
She and The Light Bearer
This is a game in which you follow the journey of a little firefly. This cute bug will venture through the heart of the unknown forest to find The Mother. Unfortunately for the little bug, this won’t be an easy journey.
The game strongly emphasizes poetry, conversation, and music to convey its message. It’s not a traditional game by any means but if you’re someone who found a lot of beauty in Journey, you’re sure to get a lot out of this unique experience.
The sacrifice made by the forest, the horror of the Devourers, and the method to awaken Mother are all things that the little firefly will uncover. It’s a very story-driven game in an untraditional sense, and it manages to be truly engaging.
This is a highly acclaimed point-and-click adventure game with plenty of creative dialogue and it’s one of the most atmospheric experiences you can find on Steam.
Papetura
The evocative point-and-click adventure game Papetura was handmade entirely out of paper. In this beautiful, innovative game, two little creatures, Pape and Tura, must fight to protect their world. Their enemies are monsters who want to burn their paper world entirely.
Papetura is a game about Pape, a lonely paper creature confined in a flowery prison. When Pape eventually manages to get away, he encounters the miraculous child Tura, whom he decides to take care of.
Unfortunately, they must take action when monsters start attacking. In order to stop the flames from spreading to their beloved paper world, they will have to work together to defeat terrible, blazing creatures.
This game sounds a little more dramatic or action-packed than it actually is. It is a beautiful, cute experience that is worth trying out, especially if you’re looking for more games like Journey to add to your collection.
Gris
If you’re looking for a game that’s similar to Journey in terms of its art style and themes, you’ll want to check out Gris.
The game is absolutely gorgeous, with hand-drawn visuals and a beautiful soundtrack. While it doesn’t have the same focus on exploration as Journey, it’s still a moving and beautiful experience.
Gris is a young woman suffering from a traumatic event. The challenges of her fading world are there as a result of her melancholic journey, which you can see in her outfit. Gris grows emotionally and learns to perceive the world differently throughout the game, which grants her new powers and pathways to explore.
This game is a peaceful, moving experience devoid of peril, frustration, or death. It has a carefully constructed environment with a delicate aesthetic, intricate animations, and sophisticated music that the player can explore.
Even the bosses of the game are actually just problems to solve creatively, and you don’t have to worry about failing. This is not a challenging game, and it doesn’t intend to frustrate you. It’s just a beautiful journey for you to enjoy.
Abzu
From the art team that brought you Journey, comes Abzu. This game is a beautiful and meditative underwater adventure. Explore the depths of the ocean, swim with majestic creatures, and uncover long-lost secrets in this stunning and unique game.
Engage in a beautiful underwater world teeming with life, color, and mystery. Use smooth swimming controls to perform elegant maneuvers.
Form a strong connection with the variety of marine life as you learn about hundreds of distinct species based on real-life species. You can interact with large groups of fish that behave in particular ways in response to you, other fish, and predators.
You can explore aquatic habitats that have been meticulously recreated while wandering among vast blue waters, and enter the depths of the ocean to find hidden ancient mysteries. The depths, however, are not without risk, so stay aware of your surroundings.
The Witness
The Witness is an adventure puzzle game that takes place on an uninhabited island. You explore the island, uncovering its secrets and solving puzzles. The game is visually stunning, with beautiful landscapes and intricate puzzles.
You suddenly find yourself on a mysterious island without any memory of who you are. Puzzles are all you can find on this island, and they will test and delight you.
There is only one thing you can do now regarding your situation: explore the island to hopefully come across hints. Solving the puzzles may lead to you finally regaining your memories and eventually finding your way back home.
Gameplay-wise, this is a single-player open-world game with hundreds of puzzles to solve and dozens of locales to explore. The Witness will keep you engaged for hours as you try to unravel its mysteries.
The Witness values your intelligence as a player and regards your time as a valuable resource. There isn’t any fluff; each of those riddles adds a different concept to the mix. This game is full of possibilities, and it’s one of the best puzzle games on the Switch for fans of games like Journey.
Spirit of the North
In Spirit of the North, you play as a common red fox whose tale intertwines with that of a female spirit fox who serves as the Northern Lights’ protector.
The stunning and enigmatic Icelandic landscapes served as inspiration for this single-player third-person adventure game. As you journey through breathtaking landscapes inspired by Nordic environments, you’ll solve puzzles and uncover secrets about your protagonist’s past.
Spirit of the North was carefully made with no dialogue or narrative on purpose. In order to solve numerous riddles and interpret the significance of a forgotten ancient society, players must make sure to pay attention to their surroundings.
Similar to Journey, Spirit of the North is a beautiful game that’s not only visually stunning but also offers an emotionally impactful story. This game will be a delight if you are looking for something that will leave you feeling both inspired and moved.
Koral
Koral is one of those games that manages to be memorable because of how different it is. This kind of game can only exist as an indie project, which is why we gamers should always celebrate indie games in general.
In Koral, the player enters stunning underwater environments as a sea current, which is already quite an innovative idea. You get to explore several distinct marine habitats, solve puzzles to revive coral reefs, and disseminate the beauty of the oceans.
There aren’t many games in which you can watch the seafloor turn bright and alive with life and diversity in real time. In Koral, all that happens as you flow anywhere you choose to find methods to convey healing energy to other corals and repair entire reefs.
Koral is an ode to the sea in which you dive beneath the surface to explore the breathtaking marine environment. Since this list is about games like Journey, I’ll be assuming you are looking for beautiful and relaxing games, experimental projects, or a combination of those things. If that is the case, this is most likely a game you will enjoy.
Eastshade
In this game, you are a wandering artist discovering Eastshade Island. You can use your artist’s easel to capture the world on canvas.
On the island, you can ask the locals about their life to learn more about them, meet new people, and assist the less fortunate. By talking to the locals, you can find out about the land’s mysteries and secrets.
You might have to overcome natural barriers to access remote locations, but it will be worth it. With time, you will discover the effects of your activities on the environment.
Eastshade is a character-rich adventure with a serene open world in which you can have fun exploring and talking to people. In order to discover mysteries and acquire goods in this game, you must work on your paintings.
To overcome difficulties and complete tasks, you will need to collect crafting supplies and schematics while traveling. Along this process, you will also meet new people through engaging chats and unlocked subjects.
It’s a truly unique experience, and if you like games like Journey, you’re sure to fall in love with this game as well. It’s beautiful.
Aspire: Ina’s Tale
As the title might suggest, this game follows the story of a character named Ina. After being detained, Ina was imprisoned within the Tower and forced to slumber.
However, she awakens abruptly at the beginning of the game. In order to find a way out and learn about her predicament, Ina must investigate the Tower’s rooms.
In this game, you will encounter intriguing personalities, solve clever puzzles, master platforming sequences, and travel through gorgeous environments.
Aspire: Ina’s Tale impressed me and is unquestionably among the top puzzle games I’ve played lately. The puzzles may not be the most inventive I have come across, but still, they are definitely difficult enough to be amusing without becoming frustrating.
The story is not the main selling point for this game. It is much more about how the mechanics and visuals match the whole idea of Ina’s Tale. That said, this game certainly is fun, immersive, and beautiful, so I couldn’t keep it out of the list. It’s one of the most unique puzzle games on Steam, for sure.
Submerged
In the third-person combat-free game, you explore a mysteriously drowned metropolis and learn to appreciate the beauty of emptiness in wide outdoor settings. You take the role of Miku, a little girl who has taken her injured brother to the city in their little fishing boat.
Submerged is an exploration game where you must help Miku’s brother in the flooded city. The game is visually stunning, with a bright and colorful art style that makes the submerged city come to life. If you’re a fan of the art in games like Journey, you’ll love this post.
Use your boat to navigate the flooded streets, climb the submerged structures, and use your telescope to scout the city for the items you’ll need. You will come across the diverse ecosystem of this breathtaking place as you explore the city at your own speed and find hidden artifacts that reveal the tale of a world in ruin.
The gameplay is mostly about exploration, getting you to swim around the city looking for items to help you progress. The game is relaxing and calm, with a beautiful soundtrack to accompany your journey.
I found myself getting lost in the world of Submerged, forgetting I was playing a video game. It’s one of those games that are so good that playing it almost feels like being in another world.
Becalm
This is a serene, free-to-play adventure game about sailing aboard a very special boat across gorgeous waters toward the sunset. Steering, logistics, crew member disappearances, capsizing, or even pirates won’t be a concern for you.
It’s a journey meant for you to sit back and relax, not to spend brain power on important decisions. Becalm’s variety of biomes is significant, and they are all vivid and dreamlike. Exploring them with the first-person perspective helps them feel more immersive.
Becalm also has field-recorded ocean soundscapes that accompany an outstanding synthesizer ensemble. Your adventure will be random each time you play.
There really isn’t much to say about this game besides the obvious. This game was meant to relax you, not to challenge you. Even the name of the game, Becalm, is very clear about the game’s goals.
This is not a bad thing, though. Video games are evolving and becoming way more than just mindless fun. This is great, since niche video games like Becalm might actually be very helpful for those who need to relax and can’t be overstimulated.
Areia: Pathway to Dawn
Areia: Pathway to Dawn might be the closest thing to Journey in this list. This game is a wonderful 3D journey through the various phases of awareness, offering a soothing experience with original gameplay.
In this game, you will make pathways and resolve challenges using simple mechanics. The game is beautiful, and there is a lot to see. There are many realms for you to venture into and delve into the unknown.
Chances are, you will get lost in the beauty of your existence and surroundings, in a similar fashion to Journey’s engrossing environments. If you want to discover the purpose of your existence in this game, you must gather the shards of your history, but you will have to travel over the sands in order to get them all.
