Man of Medan is a new interactive movie and graphic adventure from Supermassive Games. Their previous titles in the Until Dawn series were exclusives on the PlayStation 4 and PSVR. Now, the developers have started a new series called The Dark Pictures and the first episode is Man of Medan.
Man of Medan has taken inspiration from the urban legend surrounding the shipwrecked SS Ourang Medan. According to the legend, its entire crew was found deceased with their faces frozen in twisted expressions despite having no injuries.
It’s an amazing premise for a horror scenario and the game’s interactive take on storytelling is an appealing way for horror fans to find out if they can make better decisions than the characters on screen.
One of the appealing things about games like Man of Medan is that it doesn’t really require fast-twitch reflexes beyond some quick-time events and the player can feel like they’re watching a show. The genre is appealing to both serious and casual gamers and similar mechanics can be found in other games too.
10 Life is Strange
Life is Strange was originally released as digital episodes in 2015 but received in a full retail release in 2016. The game is a graphic adventure and coming of age story centered on Max a photography student that has the ability to rewind time.
Her abilities also function as the game’s innovative main gameplay mechanic allowing the player to rewind time at any point and redo actions to get different results in the branching conversations. The exemplary writing won several awards the year of its release, and it was followed by a prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm and the sequel Life is Strange 2.
9 The Wolf Among Us
Developed by Telltale Games The Wolf Among Us is a graphic adventure game based on the dark fantasy comic series Fables by Bill Willingham. The game is a murder mystery set twenty years before the comics and takes place in Fabletown, an enclave for non-human characters based on mythology and fairytales.
As with other Telltale titles and similarly to Man of Medan the player's decisions impact the direction of The Wolf Among Us’ story. In addition, the action sequences are played through the use of quick-time events.
8 Detroit: Become Human
Developers Quantic Dreams solidified their reputation for developing some of the most unique graphic adventure games on the market. Their previous games like Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls while visually stunning were amongst the PlayStation’s most polarizing exclusives.
Their most recent effort Detroit: Become Human is by far the developer’s best most approachable yet. Backed up by some of the best visuals this generation, the game’s stellar performances, stunning Blade Runner-like setting, and choices that actually matter make this game a great match for those looking for something similar to Man of Medan.
7 Oxenfree: Director’s Cut
Oxenfree is the first game from indie developers Night School a studio founded by former members of Telltale Games. It’s a supernatural graphic adventure and horror story about five school friends having one last adventure together before heading off to college.
The group eventually find themselves on a spooky island with an abandoned military base where their presence has triggered the spirits that dwell there. Its group dynamic, focus on relationships and dialogue choices put will make it appealing to fans of Man of Medan,
6 Corpse Party
Despite its simplistic RPG Maker visuals, Corpse Party is an incredibly effective survival horror and visual novel. The game takes place in a haunted school and like Man of Medan it focuses on a group dynamic, only here the characters are high school students.
What the game lacks in visuals it makes up for in its effective sound design and the creepy atmosphere. In addition, there are multiple choices, outcomes and, endings meaning that every experience could be a different one.
5 The Walking Dead
Developed by Telltale Games The Walking Dead was by far the now-defunct studio’s most successful graphic adventure series. Taking visual inspiration from the graphic novels, the games crafted their own unique story that many fans found superior to the TV show.
Released as episodes The Walking Dead games achieved a lot of critical acclaim over its four seasons and the Michonne three-part mini-series. Just like the Wolf Among Us choices play a huge part in how the story develops and how characters react across each episode, and different choices can provide players with a vastly different experience.
4 The Council
The Council is a modern graphic adventure which not only draws inspiration from the point-and-click adventures of old and blends it with RPG mechanics. The game’s story centers on a member of an 18th-century secret society named Louis de Richet who’s investigating a lead on his missing mother.
The RPG mechanics allow the player to strengthen their character’s knowledge base whether it’s psychology, politics, diversion or occultism. In addition, the player can choose to put points into physical traits too which will give Louis access to certain areas in the game he wouldn’t otherwise have.
3 The Nonary Games
The Nonary Games series which also known as the Zero Escape series is a trilogy of games that were released on the PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4, and PC. The first entry Nine Hours, Nine Persons Nine Doors was released in 2009 and set a standard for narrative and graphic adventure games.
The games follow a non-linear format allowing for multiple choices and narrative paths. Each game has a similar premise to the Saw film franchise where several characters are kidnapped and wake up in a facility where they are forced to participate in sadistic puzzle games.
2 AI: The Somnium Files
AI: The Somnium Files is a recent graphic adventure from Zero Escape series writer Kotaro Uchikoshi. Instead of the dark horror-themed setting of Uchikoshi’s last series, AI: The Sonmium Files is a futuristic detective series that is set in Tokyo.
However, despite the setting, the game still deals with very dark themes as the protagonist is tracking down a serial killer. The game takes inspiration from modern graphic adventure games like The Walking Dead and Life is Strange and has multiple endings and narrative choices.
1 Until Dawn
Gamers that loved Man of Medan and want to play a similar game with the same incredible production values gamers need to look no further than Until Dawn. Released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 Until Dawn was developed by Supermassive Games the same team behind Man of Medan.
Like their newest title, it features a diverse cast of characters with branching narrative choices that make the player feel like they are the director of their own horror movie. Until Dawn also has two PSVR titles, the spin-off Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and the prequel The Inpatient which expanded its universe.