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Games like Pyromaniac

Dominik Braun · 2026 · Windows

Steam: 85 % positive of 1,256 reviews, as of Oct 28

It's 2009. A 20-year-old Nikolas Rendl wakes up on a bench near a bus stop in an unfamiliar city, without any previous knowledge of what happened. Nikolas has to wander around the cold streets of the city and defend himself from scorched monsters with only one goal: Find answers to all of this.

24 games that play like Pyromaniac and 24 that look like it. Closest by gameplay: Outlast, Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Cry of Fear.

Player tags

  • Indie
  • Psychological Horror
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Survival Horror
  • Horror
  • Action-Adventure
  • Dark
Map region: Psychological Horror
Open on Steam ↗

Steam reviews

What players say

Most players recommend this short Cry of Fear-inspired horror game for its atmosphere and soundtrack, though many find its combat clunky and its originality limited.

Many players praise the melancholic atmosphere, nighttime European city setting, retro-modern visuals and soundtrack, and say the game captures the feel of Cry of Fear. Some find the story slow to start but satisfying at the ending, and several call it good value for a few dollars. Complaints centre on the melee combat, which many describe as clunky or with unreliable hit detection, and on enemies that are not very scary after the first encounter. Many players also say the game leans too heavily on Cry of Fear and lacks its own identity, and some find it too short. Recent reviews are more mixed on this point, with several newer players simply enjoying it as a short, cheap horror experience.

Praised

  • Atmosphere and mood

    Players describe the cold, dreary, nighttime city and the melancholic tone as the game's strongest element, reminiscent of Cry of Fear.

    Many players
  • Soundtrack and sound design

    Players single out the music and sound design as excellent, with the soundtrack fitting each chapter well.

    Many players
  • Similarity to Cry of Fear

    Players who love Cry of Fear say the game gives the same vibes and feels like a worthy companion to it.

    Many players
  • Short, cheap, good value

    Players note the game takes one to two hours and costs little, calling it fairly priced for a short horror experience.

    Many players

Criticised

  • Clunky melee combat

    Players find melee combat awkward, with unreliable hit detection and no dodge, block or parry to make fights feel fair.

    Many players
  • Too close to Cry of Fear

    Players say the game copies Cry of Fear's plot, structure and mechanics too closely and lacks its own identity.

    Many players
  • Short length

    Players wish the game were longer, saying it ends quickly and leaves little room to develop its ideas.

    Some players
  • Weak enemies and scares

    Players say the monsters lose their threat quickly, with little enemy variety and few real scares after the early encounters.

    Some players
Who it suits
Players who loved Cry of Fear and want more of its atmosphere and vibe, and anyone who wants a short, cheap, atmospheric horror game.
Who should skip it
Players seeking deep combat, a complex story, many enemy types or a long, original horror experience should skip it.

Short vs. long playtime: Players with more hours are more critical of the combat and repetitive enemies, while newer players mostly praise the atmosphere and short length.

Summarised by AI from 80 Steam reviews (English, helpful and recent), as of Oct 28, 2026.

Best matches

Plays and looks like Pyromaniac

These games are close to it by gameplay and by look, so they appear in both lists below.

By gameplay

Plays like Pyromaniac

Matched from Steam descriptions and player tags. The tags under each game are the ones both games share.

More matches

  1. Iron Blight92 % positive of 1,008Shared: Psychological Horror · Survival Horror · Horror
  2. 123 Slaughter Me Street86 % positive of 224Shared: Psychological Horror · Horror · First-Person
  3. Unspoken88 % positive of 789Shared: Psychological Horror · Horror · Action-Adventure
  4. FIRE AND ASHES92 % positive of 167Shared: Psychological Horror · Survival Horror · Horror
  5. project BLARI87 % positive of 155Shared: Survival Horror · Horror · Action-Adventure
  6. Blasfemia90 % positive of 252Shared: Psychological Horror · Survival Horror · Horror
  7. Fibrillation HD89 % positive of 339Shared: Psychological Horror · Horror · Dark
  8. Make Good Choices87 % positive of 566Shared: Psychological Horror · Walking Simulator · First-Person
  9. The Beast Inside83 % positive of 10,573Shared: Psychological Horror · Survival Horror · Horror
  10. MADiSON87 % positive of 3,062Shared: Psychological Horror · Survival Horror · Horror
  11. Comatose95 % positive of 417Shared: Psychological Horror · Survival Horror · Horror
  12. Dead Seater91 % positive of 849Shared: Psychological Horror · Survival Horror · Horror

By look

Looks like Pyromaniac

Matched from screenshots. Each card shows the screenshot closest to the look of this game.

More matches

  1. MISERY85 % positive of 20,623
  2. FIRE AND ASHES92 % positive of 167
  3. MOLDRISE95 % positive of 674
  4. Golgotha80 % positive of 1,062
  5. The Night of the Scissors92 % positive of 443
  6. Palmyra Orphanage89 % positive of 630
  7. [Chilla's Art] Night Security | 夜間警備88 % positive of 892
  8. Granny: Escape Together79 % positive of 1,718
  9. Welcome to Kowloon81 % positive of 1,807
  10. Umfend89 % positive of 668
  11. MADiSON87 % positive of 3,062
  12. Remorse: The List76 % positive of 302

At a glance

What games like Pyromaniac have in common

  • The tags they share most often with Pyromaniac: Horror (23 of 24), Psychological Horror (21) and Survival Horror (18).
  • They came out between 2010 and 2026, none of them after Pyromaniac (2026).
  • Best rated by Steam players: Outlast (95 % positive of 105,465).

How these matches work

Matches come from embeddings of Steam descriptions, player tags and screenshots, computed offline. “Plays like” compares what the games are about and how players tag them; “Looks like” compares their screenshots. The share of positive reviews is based on Steam user reviews.

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