Dear Esther: Landmark Edition similar games & best alternatives

Dear Esther: Landmark Edition - Trailer
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition - dear-esther-landmark-edition_1.avif
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition - dear-esther-landmark-edition_2.avif
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition - dear-esther-landmark-edition_3.avif
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition - dear-esther-landmark-edition_4.avif
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition - dear-esther-landmark-edition_5.avif
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition - dear-esther-landmark-edition_6.avif

Dear Esther: Landmark Edition

PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Xbox One • 2017

Should you play it?

Dear Esther immerses you in a stunningly realised world, a remote and desolate island somewhere in the outer Hebrides. As you step forwards, a voice begins to read fragments of a letter: 'Dear Esther...' - and so begins a journey through one of the most original first-person games of recent years.

What works

  • Beautiful and immersive atmosphere
  • Poetic and emotional narrative
  • Stunning visuals and sound design
  • Relaxing and meditative pacing
  • Developer commentary adds depth

Things to keep in mind

  • Very slow walking speed
  • Minimal gameplay interaction
  • Short playtime
  • Story can be ambiguous or confusing
  • Lack of replay incentives beyond narrative

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Unroaded

  • I Am Jesus Christ

  • CAT Interstellar

  • The Invincible

  • Runo

  • Tiny Echo

More strategic

Games that feels like Dear Esther: Landmark Edition but with more strategic problem-solving

  • J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars

  • THRESHOLD

  • A Highland Song

  • Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy

  • [Chilla's Art] Missing Children | 行方不明

  • Call of Cthulhu®

More survival-focused

Games that feels like Dear Esther: Landmark Edition but with a stronger survival pressure

  • The Solus Project

  • The Fidelio Incident

  • Amnesia: Rebirth

  • The Cursed Forest

  • Shadows Peak

  • The Shore

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Dear Esther: Landmark Edition: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Competition, Thrill. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Strategy, Competence, Intimacy.

Last update: 03/08/2026