Alan Wake is a fantastic supernatural horror adventure. The game follows Alan Wake, a thriller author who is currently struggling with writer’s block. The game is renowned for its eerie atmosphere, compelling story, and episodic pacing. It even had a sequel, focusing on pulpy horror, called Alan Wake’s American Nightmare.
Control, Remedy Entertainment’s more recent game, released an expansion that allowed players to jump right back into the world of Alan Wake. Despite this, another sequel for the franchise has not yet been confirmed (although there are plenty of rumors). So, what other games can scratch that same itch fans of Alan Wake are after?
10 What Remains Of Edith Finch
The Alan Wake games are masters of drip-feeding story details to the player so that the mystery is slowly pieced together over time. This is done via the mysterious manuscript pages Alan could stumble upon. This use of gradual exposition helps keep a perfect pace for the game’s narrative.
What Remains Of Edith Finch is a fantastic game that crafts a story as carefully as Alan Wake did. It is a first-person exploration game that details the tragic history of a cursed family. Following journal entries, the player can explore the Finch house and learn how each family member passed away. The game creates a fantastic atmosphere that keeps players enthralled from start to finish.
9 The Last Door
The Last Door is an indie horror game that follows the story of Jeremiah Devitt, who is investigating a supernatural force that is threatening all of his old friends. Just like Alan Wake, the Last Door has an incredibly creepy atmosphere, focusing on psychological horror. Classic horror authors influence both games. Alan Wake takes inspiration from the works of Steven King, while The Last Door is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft.
The Last Door’s gameplay is different from Alan Wake’s, being a point-and-click adventure. With a pixel art style, The Last Door has a more simplistic approach. Despite this crucial difference, both games perfectly capture that feeling of mystery and unease that have players eager to play more and discover the truth.
8 Vampyr
Alan Wake has an outstanding balance of action and storytelling. If players want to unlock the mysteries of Alice’s (Alan’s wife) kidnapping, they will need to survive the shadowy forces out to get him. Vampyr is another beautiful example of this mixture of storytelling and action. The game revolves around Jonathan Reid, a doctor returning to early 20th century London (who also happens to be a recently bitten vampire). Jonathan has to battle undead forces while he figures out how to manage his new way of living (or is it un-living?).
Vampyr has a more significant focus on role-playing and having the player’s choices influence the narrative. Players can decide if Jonathan will succumb to his bloodlust urges and gain power or resist and focus on his medical duties. It is an interesting moral dilemma, playing with themes of light and darkness, that Alan Wake fans will know well.
7 Deadly Premonition
Deadly Premonition and Alan Wake have a Twin Peaks feel to them. Both games revolve around an outsider venturing into a mysterious, small town and dealing with a strange supernatural threat. This quirky yet unsettling atmosphere is consistent in both games and can make the player feel immersed in the setting.
Deadly Premonition is all about Francis Morgan, an FBI agent, who has been tasked with discovering the truth about a recent murder in a small town. It has more of a survival horror focus than Alan Wake, as Francis must be cautious about his durable weapons and even his need to sleep. It’s a bizarre game worth checking out.
6 Gone Home
Gone Home is a first-person exploration game. The story revolves around Katie Greenbriar and her family. Katie returns to her family’s new home only to find that everyone is missing. Determined to discover what has happened, Katie explores the house for clues. As with Alan Wake, the game’s strength comes from players being as in the dark as the protagonist, eager to uncover the mysteries surrounding her family’s disappearance.
Gone Home plays more like a walking simulator, allowing players to focus on its incredible story. Like Alan Wake, players need to keep an eye out for objects and notes to find out more context about the protagonist’s family and narrative. The lack of deadly forces of darkness might be disappointing for some Alan Wake fans, but it allows the player to get invested in the storytelling without fear of a Game Over screen. The focus on establishing atmosphere and tone makes Gone Home a worthwhile experience for any gamer to try.
5 Alien: Isolation
Players that want more of the sense of loneliness and isolation that Alan Wake provided should look no further than Alien: Isolation. This game takes that feeling of being alone and helpless and amplifies it to the max.
Alien: Isolation is a terrifying experience, as players must avoid the dreaded Xenomorph and attempt to sneak off to safety. This game has more of a science-fiction feel than supernatural, but that sense of being outmatched by a mysterious threat remains. Players are even more helpless, as not even Alan’s trusty flashlight will be of much use against an unstoppable alien.
4 The Evil Within
The Evil Within one and two are survival horror games that focus on the adventures of Sebastian Castellanos. In the first game, he finds himself plunged into a horrific alternate reality and struggles to escape. The sequel follows on from the aftermath of the first game’s events. It also has a variety of fun side missions to experience.
The Evil Within provides players with a very intense experience, as they must choose to either fight or flee from the various terrifying threats that Sebastian faces. The game has a unique atmosphere while exploring similar themes to Alan Wake about people’s perceptions of reality.
3 Until Dawn
Until Dawn is a fantastic horror story focusing on a group of friends struggling to survive the harsh cold (and dangerous supernatural threats) of Blackwood mountain. Just like Alan Wake, it is an episodic game that feels more like a movie experience. Both games play around with horror tropes, creating a creepy but entertaining atmosphere throughout the adventure.
The game involves controlling an extensive cast of characters that can all be killed if the player isn’t careful. Until Dawn does not focus on one specific character, despite this, players can still become quite attached to each protagonist. As the story progresses, they learn more about their backstories, shape their personalities, and feel a desire to keep them safe. Just like Alan wake, there are some fantastic moments of character development throughout the game.
2 Bioshock
Bioshock is the epitome of horror ambiance. The first Bioshock is set in an underwater city devoted to pushing the boundaries of science. It created a perfectly eerie atmosphere as players explored the run-down ruins of this mysterious civilization. Bioshock takes a lot of influence from philosophers such as Ayn Rand. Like Alan Wake, Bioshock explores various themes and concepts, adding a significant level of substance for players to enjoy alongside the thrilling gameplay.
Both Bioshock and its sequels are worth playing. The third installment, Bioshock: Infinite, does drastically alter the setting and tone of the series, moving away from the lonesome depths of Rapture. But, its complex story more than makes up for this shift in tone.
1 Resident Evil
The Resident Evil games are quite a varied franchise, beginning with survival horror elements before later installments became more action-focused. The first three games have been remastered in recent years and act as fantastic starting points for new fans. Each game focuses on a different protagonist, solving puzzles and warding off terrifying monsters.
Resident Evil one and two capture the same tone and feel of Alan Wake. They share that sense of helplessness, battling against seemingly endless forces of evil. Players are out of their depth, doing whatever they can to survive while slowly piecing together what exactly has happened. There is a nice mixture of action, scares, and story that makes these games a must-play for Alan Wake fans.
NEXT: 10 Horror Games To Play While You Wait For Resident Evil 8
