13 Games Like Outer Wilds That Turn Curiosity Into Adventure

Few games capture the spirit of pure curiosity like Outer Wilds. It’s a masterpiece that transforms exploration into storytelling — every planet, secret, and star revealing something profound. If you’ve ever finished it and found yourself chasing that same sense of wonder, these games will help you rediscover the thrill of asking questions and the joy of uncovering their answers.

The Witness

Explore a mysterious island filled with intricate puzzles and hidden meanings. Like Outer Wilds, it rewards careful observation and curiosity — turning every solved riddle into a revelation about the world itself.

Sable

Ride your hoverbike through vast desert landscapes, uncovering ruins, and learning the stories of forgotten civilizations. Its calm pacing and quiet introspection mirror the gentle discovery at the heart of Outer Wilds.

Journey

Glide through ancient sands toward a glowing mountain, connecting with strangers wordlessly along the way. Every step feels like a meditation on exploration, much like drifting through the stars.

Eastshade

Play as a traveling painter capturing the beauty of a serene world through your art. The more you explore and engage with its gentle inhabitants, the richer the story becomes — curiosity is its compass.

Return of the Obra Dinn

Investigate the fate of a vanished ship using only deduction and observation. It’s a puzzle box of human stories, echoing Outer Wilds’ fascination with unraveling mysteries through logic and empathy.

Heaven’s Vault

As an archaeologist of forgotten worlds, you’ll translate ancient languages and piece together lost histories. It’s a thoughtful, language-driven adventure that celebrates intellectual curiosity as much as exploration.

Starfield

Chart your own path through the stars, discovering outposts, mysteries, and fragments of human ambition scattered across the galaxy. For players who loved Outer Wilds’ sense of spacefaring wonder, this vast universe delivers it in abundance.

The Talos Principle II

Solve philosophical puzzles in stunning sci-fi environments, questioning existence and consciousness itself. Like Outer Wilds, it balances intellect and emotion, leaving you reflective long after you finish.

Subnautica

Dive beneath alien waves to uncover the secrets of an oceanic world. Each descent brings new discoveries, dangers, and a sense of quiet awe — the same emotional rhythm that drives Outer Wilds.

Firewatch

Roam the Wyoming wilderness as a fire lookout uncovering a slow-burn mystery through radio conversations and solitude. It’s about discovery not of worlds, but of human connection and meaning.

Season: A Letter to the Future

Capture a dying world through photographs, sounds, and memories before it changes forever. It transforms curiosity into empathy, making exploration feel tender and deeply personal.

Journey to the Savage Planet

A colorful, tongue-in-cheek adventure where alien worlds burst with life and humor. Beneath the jokes, though, lies the same spirit of wonder that makes discovery so addictive.

In Other Waters

Guide an AI through an alien sea by interpreting sonar readings and ecological clues. Its minimalist design rewards careful observation, capturing Outer Wilds’ quiet sense of purpose and scientific curiosity.