Life is Strange has won over the hearts of many narrative game fans since its release in 2015. Players have been taken on a bright and bold adventure, filled with emotional highs and lows and beautiful, blazing characters.
Life is Strange: True Colors is the latest entry in the series; a game that is “brimming with emotion and love”. With its unique blend of gripping narrative, flawed characters, heartbreaking decisions, and beautiful art direction, True Colors is yet another triumph for Deck Nine. Some fans of this game might be looking for a similar experience to play before the remastered release of Life is Strange and Before the Storm in 2022.
Updated June 29th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Life is Strange: True Colors is a beautifully crafted, endearing, and sometimes intense narrative-driven game that has been captivating players since its release. Those that have never tried a Life is Strange title can find a ton to enjoy in the title and those that are longstanding fans of the franchise have another engaging story to follow along to. But Life is Strange: True Colors isn't the only wonderfully story-driven game out there. Players that finished the game and are looking for something else to sink their teeth into will find many other games with story-heavy premises. To shine a better light on the best games like Life is Strange: True Colors, the following list has been updated with more entries.
13 DISCO ELYSIUM
Part of the fun of Life is Strange: True Colors, is making important decisions. These choices can greatly change a player's experience, punishing them with unforeseen consequences or rewarding them with hidden dialogue or cutscenes. Players will need to make multiple playthroughs for Life is Strange: True Colors, to see and do everything. This is a trait shared by Disco Elysium, an Indie game that has captured a cult following thanks to its entertaining gameplay and truly engaging "choose your own adventure" styling.
Players will truly embrace the role of detective, unlocking numerous skills and abilities that allow them to make their way through Disco Elysium's expansive story as they see fit.
12 SPIRITFARER
Those that value Life is Strange: True Colors for its endearing story and portrayal of heavy issues will connect well with Spiritfarer, which uses an emotional premise to tell multiple stories over its runtime. The game has players stepping into ferry spirits to the next life, listening to their stories and helping them to cope with their unfinished business, so they can finally move on.
Between the heartwarming (and sometimes heartbreaking) tales, players will help construct their own living quarters and those for spirits that find themselves anchored to the in-between. There is a lot to enjoy about Spiritfarer, and players that crave an engaging story will find themselves right at home.
11 DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN
Saying or doing the wrong thing in Life is Strange: True Colors can have outright disastrous consequences. This same concept is turned up to eleven in Detroit: Become Human, which tackles some incredibly heavy themes, and has players making life-or-death decisions, often under the duress of a ticking timer. The narrative-driven game will have players firmly on the edge of their seats as they try to keep as many people as possible safe, all while dealing with the heavy underlying theme of A.I. sentience.
Detroit: Become Human is the perfect step up from the Life is Strange series for players that want to dive into something deeper.
10 FIREWATCH
If players loved the human connections forged between Alex Chen and the other people that live in the striking wilderness of Haven Springs, Firewatch could be one to try. This mystery story is set in the Wyoming wilderness, where the emotional connections you make mean life or death.
Gamers play as Henry, a fire watcher in 1986 who observes the plains to find smoke and keep the wilderness safe. The sense of isolation is akin to what Alex feels as she is stranded with her own heartbreak, and the devastation of those around her, in Haven Springs.
9 THE WALKING DEAD
Often considered one of the best narrative games on the market, Telltale’s The Walking Dead is perfect for those who loved the episodic narrative of Life is Strange: True Colors.
If players enjoyed the story and character development in the game, The Walking Dead is very similar. It emphasizes the idea that actions have consequences, basing plot points around the player's choice and their actions during quick-time events. These choices have an impact on the story at large, and the consequences may not be felt for episodes, but tiny decisions can have huge implications.
8 LAKE
A recurring theme within Life is Strange: True Colors is the question “what makes a house a home?”. Whether that be the people or the place, Lake challenges this question. Set in 1986, players are Meredith Weiss, a woman who reconnects with her old life in her hometown after burning out in the big city.
At the end of her two-week stay in Providence Oaks, Oregon, there will be a decision to make. Return to her demanding job and the adventure in the city, or stay in the comfortable old town she grew up in? This is very similar to the decisions Alex must face in Chapter 5 of Life is Strange: True Colors.
7 BEACON PINES
Set within a magical storybook, Beacon Pines tells the creepy story of a mountain town plagued by mysterious disappearances, monsters lurking in the shadows, and glow-in-the-dark puddles. In this game, the player plays as both the main character Luka, and the reader, as they try to unravel the secrets of the town.
This game is basically a blend of True Colors and Infinite Fall’s Night in the Woods. Packed with supernatural happenings, mystery, adorable animal characters, and Metroidvania elements, Beacon Pines is definitely not one to miss.
6 COFFEE TALK
This indie visual novel feels as warm and soothing as a hot drink on a cool Winter’s eve. Coffee Talk is a coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator, full of fantasy beings with surprisingly human stories.
Life is Strange: True Colors may look very different from Coffee Talk, but the heart of each story is the same. Both games are about dealing with grief, loss, sadness, and shame, all whilst chasing that feeling of belonging.
5 ROAD 96
Road 96 is a politically driven narrative adventure, full of choices that determine the outcome of the story. Players will hitchhike, walk, steal and scrounge for cab fare to make it to the border before election day. It has a range of engaging teenage characters, all with their own story to tell. Each action can have huge consequences on the narrative, which is very similar to the storytelling in Life is Strange: True Colors.
4 GONE HOME
Gone Home, similar to Life is Strange: True Colors, explores several themes pertaining to familial relationships. Struggles with uncertainty, grief, heartache, and change are core ideas of both games.
Both Gone Home and Life is Strange: True Colors also have the player uncover the truth of a terrible tragedy, although the former is set in an abandoned family home. Walking sims have become commonplace these days, but Gone Home was one of the earlier examples of this subgenre's potential.
3 TELL ME WHY
Life is Strange: True Colors was developed by Deck Nine, the same team behind Life is Strange: Before the Storm. Tell Me Why was made by DONTNOD, the developers behind the first and second Life is Strange games.
Whilst the teams may be different, the heart of both games remains the same. Tell Me Why is often even considered by fans to be an honorary Life is Strange title. Much like True Colors, this game is an intimate mystery packed with true-to-life sibling relationships, supernatural powers, mature themes, and gripping choices, all of which impact the lives of the main characters.
2 HEAVY RAIN
Heavy Rain was originally released for the PlayStation 3 in 2010. Whilst some players may criticize the aged graphics, confusing narrative, and dicey controls, the game was influential for the narrative genre.
Quantic Dream’s psychological thriller puts players in the shoes of four characters: grieving father Ethan Mars, private eye Scott Shelby, FBI agent Norman Jayden, and photojournalist Madison Paige. The mature, powerful plot connects these characters as they hunt for the game's main antagonist, the Origami Killer. The player’s decisions will impact the story at large, which was a unique feature for the time.
1 CREATURES SUCH AS WE
Video games can offer a powerful form of escapism for when someone’s life is… weird. It’s easy to wish that life would be constantly easy and happy, rather lonely, stressful, and exhausting. Creatures Such As We is a philosophical interactive romance novel when this idea is explored in detail.
The story of Alex Chen and Haven Springs is brought to life by the inviting colors and soaring music from artists such as Kings of Leon and mxmtoon. However, in Creatures Such As We, all the graphics or sound effects are stripped away, leaving the stark themes of isolation, love, and loss on display.
The world is what the player’s imagination makes it out to be. And, with a little bit of empathy, they’ll be unstoppable.