Best Games Like Control

Remedy is known for making engrossing 3D action games that drop players in strange, supernatural settings with an arsenal of unique weapons and powers.

Among the studio’s greatest hits is Control, an atmospheric third-person shooter with Metroidvania-inspired world exploration and a gripping sci-fi narrative with interesting characters.

In this list, we’ll highlight the best games like Control to play in 2023, including the best Metroidvania games like Control and the best single-player games like Control.

We’ll be updating this list in the future with new titles, so make sure to check back and let us know if we missed any of your favorite games similar to Control!

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Our first recommendation should come as no surprise considering Alan Wake is another fantastic title in Remedy’s catalog and shares numerous connections with Control.

Best described as a supernatural thriller, the game follows a writer’s descent into madness after his wife goes missing and otherworldly creatures start to appear.

In addition, the main character is voiced by Matthew Porretta, who also portrays Dr. Casper Darling in Control.

If you’re interested in playing Alan Wake, we suggest picking up the Remastered version, which includes the base game, two story expansions, and enhanced 4K graphics.

Control fans might also enjoy playing the PlayStation-exclusive third-person shooter Returnal, which centers on an astronaut who finds herself trapped in a time loop after landing on an alien planet.

This ties into the game’s roguelike design perfectly, with the player being resurrected after each death and having to traverse familiar areas while battling a host of extraterrestrial monsters.

Both games also feature female leads that are tasked with investigating mysterious phenomenon in increasingly tense environments.

Consequently, players who make it to the end and break Returnal’s loop will be met with startling revelations and a deeply satisfying ending that makes for great sci-fi

Developer Frogwares is best known for a slew of Sherlock Holmes detective games prior to breaking out with their original IP, The Sinking City.

It shares some similarities with the studio’s previous titles, namely an emphasis on investigation game mechanics, combined with a Lovecraftian-inspired setting, story, and cast of characters.

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Additionally, combat is much more pronounced than any of the Sherlock Holmes games, making for a more engaging, action-driven experience reminiscent of Control.

Not to mention the presence of countless bizarre and supernatural story elements that will familiar to fans of Remedy’s games.

Despite being a first-person shooter, Arkane’s sorely underrated immersive sim Prey shares many similarities with Control in terms of narrative themes and world exploration.

In it, you take on the role of a science researcher as they traverse a space station overrun with supernatural aliens and other survivors.

Along the way, you’ll obtain new weapons, tools, and abilities that can help tip the scales in your favor and provide you with alternative paths for exploring the station.

The Metroidvania design of the Talos I station does a great job of encouraging you to revisit earlier areas using equipment and abilities you pick up along the way to complete side missions and discover secrets.

In many ways, Quantum Break feels like Remedy’s first attempt at making Control, though admittingly, it does feature an original story and some interesting game mechanics.

You take on the role of Jack Joyce, a man on a mission to prevent his timeline from ending by harnessing an array of unique time-based powers.

The story doubles as a live-action television series with certain events explained in further detail, requiring a bit more of a time commitment on the player’s part.

While the format was loved by some, most Remedy fans agree that Control does a much better job at incorporating live-action footage to tell its story.

Industria is another atmospheric shooter with a female lead that explores sci-fi themes, namely the existence of parallel dimensions.

Set in Germany on the same evening the Berlin wall was taken down, the game has you taking on the role of a young woman as she searches for her missing work colleague who mysteriously vanished.

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Her investigation leads her to a secret research facility that transports her to an alternate dimension where robot enemies have taken over the city.

It’s an admittingly short game, clocking in around four hours, but manages to deliver a surprisingly tight narrative that, much like Control, keeps players asking questions from start to finish.

Although Unsighted and Control may not have much in common in the graphics department, both feature sprawling Metroidvania levels brimming with hidden bosses, bits of lore, and interesting secrets.

In Unsighted, you play as a cyber-enhanced automaton named Alma who awakens to find a world in ruin after her fellow machines turn on humanity.

Alma can equip different weapons in various ways to discover unique combinations that give her the edge against enemies in fast-paced, action-driven battles.

Similar to Control, the protagonist is tasked with investigating why things have gone awry while traversing a visually striking sci-fi world using powers to unlock new pathways.

Anyone who enjoys Control’s approach to world design would benefit from checking out a more traditional take on the Metroidvania genre.

While there are plenty of examples directly connected to the genre’s namesake, Metroid and Castlevania, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a spiritual successor to the latter that nails the concept perfectly.

The story takes place in 18^th century England and centers on an orphan named Miriam who underwent a series of alchemic experiments as a child that granted her supernatural abilities.

Much like Jesse Faden in Control, Miriam is can harness her powers to dispatch any enemies in her path and access new areas as she explores an atmospheric castle overrun with demons and other monsters.

The Evil Within games are billed as action-driven interactive horror experiences with a third-person POV that will feel familiar to anyone who’s played Control.

In it, you take on the role of Sebastian Castellanos, a detective dispatched to investigate a murder when he suddenly finds himself in a strange, seemingly unreal world inhabited by terrifying monsters.

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Enemies can easily overpower Sebastian at the beginning of the game until he obtains certain weapons and upgrades that tip the odds in his favor.

Both the original and its sequel are great alternatives for anyone who wants to recapture the eerie atmosphere of The Oldest House from Control.

One of Control’s biggest influences is the iconic ‘90s detective show Twin Peaks, which is fondly remembered for its captivating story and supernatural elements.

Since its release, countless games have drawn inspiration, with cult classic Deadly Premonition being one of the more notable examples.

The article centers around an FBI Agent who is assigned to look into the killing of a young person, whose passing has resemblances to a sequence of killings all over the land.

While the game’s combat system may not be as refined or satisfying as Control’s, a host of bizarre characters and supernatural storylines will keep you hooked.

When recommending any game from Quantic Dreams, it’s important to highlight that they each play more like interactive dramas than a traditional video game.

As a result, your enjoyment will largely depend on how engaged you are with the story and characters as well as your tolerance for quick-time events and dialogue-heavy interactions.

If that all sounds fine, consider checking out Beyond: Two Souls, which tells a captivating story that tackles supernatural mysteries like alternate realms and the afterlife.

Similar to Control, the main character (played by Elliot Page) is guided by a mysterious force to investigate the world around them and uncover secrets regarding their past and future.

The Oldest House makes for one of the best video game settings in recent memory and can only be rivaled by BioShock’s iconic underwater metropolis Rapture.

Set in 1960, the first-person shooter sees you playing as Jack, a passenger whose plane goes down in the Atlantic Ocean where he awakes to find a mysterious lighthouse.

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From there, things spiral out of control as Jack attempts to regain his memory while dealing with the chaotic dangers that plague Rapture’s submerged halls.

Both games do an excellent job at establishing their atmospheric settings and keeping gameplay exciting by assigning the player a litany of special powers.

Last but not least, Arkham Asylum is a worthy addition to the 3D Metroidvania genre that features a much tighter story and setting compared to later games in the series.

Instead of cinematic free-roaming adventure, players are limited to a single location brimming with secrets to unravel and recognizable foes from Batman’s extensive rogues’ gallery.

Throughout the game, players can obtain new gadgets and tools that greatly expand the Dark Knight’s options for dealing with enemies and exploring the world.

Much like The Oldest House, Arkham Asylum is home to a number of visually distinct locations that manage to stand out despite occupying the same space.