12 Best Games Like Life is Strange But For iOS
If you're searching for games like Life is Strange, you're looking for more than just a game; you're seeking an emotional journey. The hunt for similar games to Life is Strange is a desire for interactive stories that prioritize character development, impactful choices, and a powerful, often bittersweet, atmosphere. These are experiences that wrap you in a compelling mystery, present you with tough moral dilemmas, and often introduce a subtle supernatural twist that makes the ordinary feel extraordinary.
They are games that stay with you long after you've finished, not because of the action, but because of the connections you've made and the consequences you've faced.
This focus on narrative and the weight of your decisions has been perfected in other genres, including modern interactive horror movies.
Looking for something specific?
12 Games Like Life is Strange But For iOS
1. Oxenfree
Oxenfree is a fantastic indie title that perfectly captures the "teenagers dealing with a supernatural mystery" vibe. The game follows a group of friends who accidentally open a ghostly rift on an old military island. The gameplay is driven by a unique and natural-feeling dialogue system where every conversation choice shapes your relationships and the story's outcome.
It excels at building an eerie atmosphere and a compelling supernatural mystery, and the witty, realistic dialogue between the teenage cast will feel very familiar to fans of the Arcadia Bay crew.
2. What Remains of Edith Finch
While it's a "walking simulator" with very few choices, What Remains of Edith Finch is an absolute must-play for fans of emotional storytelling. You play as Edith, the last surviving member of her family, as you explore her ancestral home to learn how each of her relatives died.
Each family member's story is told through a unique and surreal gameplay vignette. It’s a beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable game that perfectly captures the sense of family history, mystery, and magical realism that is so central to the Life is Strange series.
3. The Walking Dead
Telltale's The Walking Dead is a foundational game in the modern narrative adventure genre. The game is famous for its gut-wrenching moral dilemmas, forcing you to make impossible choices under extreme pressure. Your decisions directly impact your relationships and determine the fate of the characters around you.
The focus on the relationship between protagonist Lee and the young girl Clementine is one of the most powerful in all of gaming. If you are looking for a game where your choices truly matter and will leave you emotionally devastated, this is essential playing.
4. Night in the Woods
Night in the Woods is a beautiful and poignant game that perfectly captures the feeling of returning to your struggling hometown after being away. You play as Mae Borowski, a college dropout who comes home to find that things have changed and her friends have grown up without her.
The game explores mature themes of mental health, economic anxiety, and the pains of growing up. It shares Life is Strange's focus on young adult angst, witty dialogue, a cast of memorable characters, and a slow-burn mystery that lurks beneath the surface of the town.
5. Gone Home
Gone Home is a landmark title in the "walking simulator" genre and a huge inspiration for the exploration elements of Life is Strange. You arrive home after a year abroad to find your family's new house empty. Your goal is to explore the house and piece together what happened by examining objects and reading notes.
It tells a deeply personal and emotional story about family, identity, and love. While it lacks player choice, the feeling of uncovering a personal mystery by exploring a lived-in space is something it shares directly with Life is Strange.
6. The Wolf Among Us
From the creators of The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us is a gritty neo-noir mystery set in a world where fairytale characters live in secret in New York City. You play as Sheriff Bigby Wolf, and your choices in dialogue and investigation determine how the case unfolds.
This is a great choice for players who love the mystery and investigation aspects of Life is Strange. It's a masterfully told story with a fantastic atmosphere and characters, where your decisions have a real impact on your path to the truth.
7. Before Your Eyes
Before Your Eyes is a short but incredibly powerful narrative experience with a unique mechanic: the story is controlled by your real-life blinks. Using your webcam, every time you blink, the scene jumps forward in time, from a single moment to months or years.
This mechanic beautifully reinforces the game's theme of life flashing before your eyes and how we can't hold on to the past. For those who were moved by the more emotional and bittersweet moments of Life is Strange, this is an unforgettable and innovative game.
8. Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
As the direct sequel to the beloved indie hit, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is another must-play for fans of the genre. Set several years after the original, you play as a new protagonist, Riley, who returns to her hometown to investigate mysterious radio signals. The game builds upon everything that made the first one great.
It features the same incredible, naturalistic dialogue system that shapes the story and your relationships, a compelling and eerie supernatural mystery to unravel, and a more mature, reflective tone. If you loved the teenage drama and suspense of the first game, this is a fantastic continuation that delivers the same atmospheric storytelling that Life is Strange fans crave.
9. Florence
Florence is a short, beautiful, and interactive storybook for mobile devices and PC. It tells the story of a young woman's first love through a series of simple but clever mini-games that simulate the feeling of being in a relationship, from flirting and moving in together to fighting and growing apart.
It's a powerful, wordless story that perfectly captures the emotional rollercoaster of a relationship. For those who love the character-focused, emotional core of Life is Strange, this is a must-play that will only take an hour of your time.
10. The Last Campfire
The Last Campfire is a charming and heartfelt puzzle-adventure game. You play as a lost soul named Ember who must travel through a mysterious world to find other lost souls and light the last campfire, helping them find their way home.
The game has a beautiful storybook art style and a poignant narrative about hope, loss, and finding purpose. It's a relaxing and emotional journey that will appeal to fans of Life is Strange's more sentimental moments.
11. Kentucky Route Zero
Kentucky Route Zero is a surreal and highly acclaimed point-and-click adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky. The story is mysterious, poetic, and often strange, focusing more on atmosphere and character vignettes than a traditional plot.
For players who appreciate the more artistic, ambiguous, and atmospheric elements of Life is Strange, this is a masterpiece of interactive storytelling.
12. Hindsight
Hindsight is a poignant narrative exploration game about a woman returning to her childhood home after her mother's death. You interact with her possessions, which become windows into her past, as you piece together the story of her life from birth to the present day.
Like What Remains of Edith Finch, it's a game about memory and family history. It’s a beautiful and emotional journey for players who appreciate thoughtful, reflective storytelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of game is Life is Strange?
Life is Strange is a narrative-driven graphic adventure game, often referred to as an "interactive drama." The gameplay is less about action and more about exploration, conversation, and making choices. The core of the experience is its branching story, where the decisions you make and the dialogue you choose directly impact the plot, your relationships with other characters, and the final outcome. It's a game style that prioritizes story, character development, and atmosphere above all else.
If what you loved most about Life is Strange was its powerful and emotional main story, you can find similarly unforgettable character-driven journeys in the world of open-world action games.
Is Life is Strange a LGBTQ+ game?
Yes, the Life is Strange series is widely celebrated for its prominent and meaningful LGBTQ+ representation. The central relationship in the first game between Max and Chloe is a cornerstone of the series and can be romantic. Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a love story between Chloe and Rachel Amber, and Life is Strange: True Colors features a bisexual protagonist, Alex Chen, with both male and female romance options. Queer themes and characters are integral to the series' identity.
Can a 12-year-old play Life is Strange?
It is generally not recommended for a 12-year-old. The games are officially rated M for Mature (or PEGI 16), and for good reason. The stories deal with very heavy and complex themes, including profanity, violence, drug and alcohol use, suicide, and death. The content is aimed at an older teen and adult audience that can better navigate its mature subject matter. We recommend following the official age ratings provided.
Is Life is Strange indie or AAA?
Life is Strange sits in a middle ground, often referred to as a "AA" game. The series was created by DONTNOD Entertainment, an independent studio, but it is funded and published by a major AAA publisher, Square Enix. This gives the games the creative, focused, and often experimental feel of an indie title, but with the higher production values, polish, and marketing reach of a major release. It’s the best of both worlds.
Do I need to play the Life is Strange games in order?
Not necessarily, as most of the main games are standalone stories. Life is Strange, Life is Strange 2, and Life is Strange: True Colors all feature different protagonists and self-contained plots, so you can jump in with whichever one interests you most. The one exception is Life is Strange: Before the Storm, which is a prequel to the first game and should be played *after* completing the original to avoid major spoilers.
Are all games like Life is Strange about superpowers?
No, not at all. While a supernatural ability is a signature of the Life is Strange franchise itself, it's not a requirement for the broader genre. Many recommended games like Life is Strange, such as Firewatch, As Dusk Falls, Night in the Woods, and Telltale's The Walking Dead, feature no superpowers. The true similarity lies in the deep focus on character-driven stories, impactful player choice, emotional themes, and often a central mystery to unravel.
About the Author
Miguel (austernotus) is a game developer and pixel artist who believes the best recommendations come from understanding a game's core systems. With a background that spans from high-level MMO PVP (2100+ in WoW) to professional SEO, his analysis goes beyond the surface to find the games you'll actually love.