Games Like Life Is Strange: 8 Choice-Driven Stories to Play

If you loved Life Is Strange, move on to Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Life Is Strange 2 and Tell Me Why: the same lovable teens and the same choices that stay with you. For something outside the series, Oxenfree and Night in the Woods keep that blend of everyday life and mystery. According to players on IGDB, Life Is Strange takes about 9.5 hours to finish, so you can start the next story this week.

Why Life Is Strange still hits so hard

Life Is Strange follows Max, a photography student who discovers she can rewind time, in the small town of Arcadia Bay. That power changes everything: you can undo a choice, try the other answer and see what happens. And still, DON'T NOD makes you doubt yourself every single time. Split into five episodes, the game is about friendship, grief, high school and guilt.

What sticks is the mood. The folk soundtrack, the moments where you just sit and look at the town, the slightly awkward dialogue that feels real. Expect about 9.5 hours for the story and 15.5 hours if you poke at everything, going by IGDB. Not every game below copies Max's power, but they all aim for the same place: your heart.

How to pick your next story

Want to stay with the same characters? Before the Storm. Want a new power and a new setting? Life Is Strange 2, True Colors or Tell Me Why. Prefer something shorter and stranger? Oxenfree and Firewatch wrap up in an evening or two. And if heavy consequences are your thing, look at our games like Detroit: Become Human or games like Until Dawn.

1. 

   1. Life is Strange: Before the Storm

   2017 · Main story 6 h

   The prequel, focused on Chloe and her bond with Rachel Amber. No rewinding this time: your weapon is the backtalk system, where Chloe wins arguments with sharp comebacks. Returning to Arcadia Bay before the first game's events gives every scene real weight. Ideal if you finished Life Is Strange with a lump in your throat.

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2. 

   2. Life Is Strange 2

   2018 · Main story 10.5 h

   Two brothers, Sean and Daniel, on the road after a tragedy, and a little brother who discovers telekinesis. You never control that power: you raise Daniel, and your choices shape who he becomes. It is more political and mature than the first game, and longer too. For players who want a more grown-up story.

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3. 

   3. Life is Strange: True Colors

   2021 · Main story 8.5 h

   Alex Chen can feel and see other people's emotions, and she arrives in a small mountain town full of secrets. It is the warmest entry in the series, with a lovable community and simple slice-of-life moments. Less bleak than the original, but still moving. Perfect if small-town vibes are what you love most.

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4. 

   4. Tell Me Why

   2020 · Main story 10.5 h

   Another game from DON'T NOD, the team behind Life Is Strange. Twins Tyler and Alyson return to their Alaskan hometown and can relive childhood memories together. The catch: they do not remember things the same way, and you choose which version to trust. A delicate story about family and memory.

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5. 

   5. Detroit: Become Human

   2018 · Main story 11 h

   More cinematic and far more branching. You follow three androids in a futuristic Detroit, and any decision can kill a character or change the story's direction. A flowchart at the end of each chapter shows you every possible path. For players who loved weighing choices in Life Is Strange and want consequences that are even more visible.

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6. 

   6. Oxenfree

   2016 · Main story 4 h

   A group of teens spends the night on an island, turns on an old radio and wakes something strange. Dialogue flows naturally, you can cut people off mid-sentence, and the supernatural mood recalls the weirdest moments of Life Is Strange. Short and very well written, it fits into an evening or two.

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7. 

   7. Night in the Woods

   2017 · Main story 10.5 h

   Mae, a 20-year-old cat, drops out of college and moves back to her slowly dying hometown. You hang out with friends, cause trouble, and a mystery starts creeping in from the woods. It is funny, melancholic and spot on about growing up. The closest to Arcadia Bay's spirit, without any superpowers.

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8. 

   8. Firewatch

   2016 · Main story 4 h

   Henry takes a job watching for forest fires in Wyoming, alone in his tower, with a walkie-talkie to talk to his supervisor Delilah. The whole story runs through that voice and your replies. It is short, gorgeous and full of things left unsaid. For players who liked Life Is Strange's quiet moments more than its big twists.

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FAQ

What game is most similar to Life Is Strange?

Life is Strange: Before the Storm is the closest, since it takes place in Arcadia Bay with Chloe. Outside the series, Tell Me Why, from the same studio DON'T NOD, keeps the same sensitivity. Night in the Woods and Oxenfree also capture that mix of teenage everyday life and mystery.

How long does it take to beat Life Is Strange?

According to players on IGDB, the Life Is Strange story takes about 9.5 hours. If you explore every scene and hunt the optional photos, plan for around 15.5 hours. Full completion takes roughly 21 hours. It is a game you can finish over a handful of evenings.

What order should I play the Life Is Strange games in?

Start with Life Is Strange, then Before the Storm, which tells what happened earlier. Life Is Strange 2 and True Colors follow new heroes and work without knowing the rest, although a few nods reward fans. Release order is still the simplest way to go.