10 Best Games Like Death and Taxes

Death and Taxes is a game where you play as the Grim Reaper in an office, deciding who lives and who dies. It combines dark humor with serious choices, impacting the story and characters deeply. If you enjoyed this title, here are ten games similar to Death and Taxes.

10. Grim Fandango Remastered

Grim Fandango Remastered brings to life a unique story set in the Land of the Dead, where you play as Manny Calavera, a travel agent for the recently deceased. This game, originally released in 1998, has been beautifully updated with enhanced graphics that make its art deco and film noir-inspired world even more engaging. Players guide Manny through four years of intrigue and drama as he uncovers corruption in the afterlife. Here, the gameplay involves interacting with other characters and solving problems that propel the narrative forward. The game stands out for its rich story, heavily influenced by Mexican folklore and culture.

9. 60 Parsecs!

60 Parsecs! is an adventure survival game set in space where you must survive with a team of astronauts after their space station is destroyed. You begin with only 60 seconds to gather supplies before being cast into the cosmos in an escape pod. Once in space, your main goal is to keep your crew alive as long as possible while dealing with daily challenges and critical decisions. It features a unique blend of dark humor and strategic decision-making. The art style is cartoonish, which contrasts with the often grim realities of space survival, providing a unique aesthetic appeal.

8. Day of the Tentacle Remastered

Day of the Tentacle Remastered is a classic time-traveling adventure game where you control three unlikely friends working together to prevent an evil purple tentacle from taking over the world. This game is a remaster of the 1993 title, enhanced with hand-drawn, high-resolution artwork and remastered audio. This game allows you to switch between three characters: Bernard, Hoagie, and Laverne, each located in different time periods. Players must solve problems by using items from different eras creatively. The interactions between the characters and their environments are key to progressing through the story.

7. Fran Bow

Fran Bow is a dark adventure game that follows the story of a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unsettling journey to find her cat, Mr. Midnight. Set in a surreal world, the game is divided into several chapters, each unfolding new, eerie environments to explore. The gameplay focuses on exploration and interaction with the environment and characters to unravel the story. Players collect items and clues that help Fran progress in her quest and discover more about her past and the bizarre world around her.

6. The White Door

The White Door is another adventure game that explores the story of Robert Hill, who wakes up in a mental health facility with no memory of his past. The simple point-and-click mechanics make it easy for players to engage with the story and puzzles. The visual style is minimalistic, using mainly black, white, and gray, which emphasizes the game's thematic focus on mental health and introspection. Also, the game's pacing is slow and deliberate, allowing players to immerse themselves deeply in Robert's story. Each day in the facility brings new activities and memory fragments, gradually revealing the backstory.

5. Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You

Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You is a simulation game where players act as government surveillance officers. You monitor citizens' online activities to prevent terrorist attacks. The game challenges moral and ethical decisions, as you choose what information to collect and interpret. In this game, players must decide which information is relevant to their investigation, affecting the outcome of the story. The game’s interface mimics real-life computer systems, enhancing the realism of the surveillance experience.

4. Beholder 2

Beholder 2 offers a unique blend of strategy and simulation in a dystopian setting. You play a government worker climbing the ranks in a totalitarian state. The game requires you to spy on colleagues, gather secrets, and decide whether to use this information for personal gain or the greater good. Moreover, it builds on decision-making, with each choice impacting your path and the lives of others. The art style is dark and oppressive, reflecting the game's grim setting. Players navigate complex moral landscapes, making choices that can lead to multiple endings.

3. The Westport Independent

The Westport Independent is a censorship simulation game where you play the editor of a newspaper in a post-war country. The government pressures you to edit articles to sway public opinion. Your choices influence both the newspaper's fate and the political landscape of the country. You get to manage journalists, each with personal beliefs and responses to your choices. The Westport Independent challenges players to consider the power of media and the consequences of compromising journalistic integrity. This game captivates players interested in politics and media influence.

2. Do Not Feed the Monkeys

Do Not Feed the Monkeys places you in the role of a participant in a clandestine surveillance club. You observe strangers through hidden cameras and gather information. The game combines elements of strategy and simulation, with an emphasis on ethical choices and privacy concerns. Players must manage their time and resources effectively to keep watching their subjects and maintain their own needs. The voyeuristic setup raises questions about morality and voyeurism. Players interact with the subjects indirectly, which influences their lives without direct contact.

1. Papers, Please

Papers, Please casts you as a border crossing immigration officer in a fictional dystopian country. You inspect travelers' documents and decide who can enter and who must be turned away based on a growing list of rules. This game is renowned for its emotional depth and the moral dilemmas it presents. The stark pixelated graphics serve the game's somber theme, and the sound design intensifies the atmosphere of a tense border checkpoint.

So, what's your favourite game from this list? Do you have any other games like Death and Taxes that offer a similar experience? Let us know on our socials here!