Searching for more games like Emily is Away? We understand. The game is an absolute heart punch and if you didn’t shed any tears, you’re either lying or didn’t grow up with AOL Instant Messager.
Emily is Away’s primary target is anyone who grew up on the internet in the mid-2000s. It’s for those who would run home from school every day, jump on their computer and message their crushes online.
The game’s Windows XP user interface is also genius. Not only is it immersive from a cosmetic standpoint, but it also adds a layer of authenticity to the experience.
The writing will have you nostalgic about your ‘Emily’; the one who got away, lost to bits and bytes. Emily is Away doesn’t just pull at your heartstrings, it’s a piece of history capturing a realm time has since forgotten in the era of TikTok and Snapchat.
This innovative interactive fiction-visual novel hybrid will leave you wanting more. If you want more games like Emily is Away, we’ve got you covered with our list below!
Digital: A Love Story
Available on PC.
I’d be shocked if Emily is Away wasn’t heavily inspired by this game. The love interests even share similar names – Emily and Emilia – and emulate an old-school computer interface for authenticity.
Digital: A Love Story makes the Windows XP and chat programs in Emily is Away feel modern. This game is set decades before the launch of Windows XP in 1988, with the interface emulating an old-school 1.X AmigaOS system.
The gameplay loop is similar to Emily is Away, but instead of the chat program you’re reading messages on an online bulletin board and replying. It’s also here, where similarly, a romance begins to blossom.
If you were looking for an interactive fiction/visual novel hybrid that tells the story of an online romance – Digital: A Love Story is the only one that comes close to Emily is Away.
The game takes about an hour to complete and is completely free! It was written by Christine Love and is an absolute must-read.
Coffee Talk
Available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4/PS5, and Xbox One/Series X & S.
If you’ve ever played VA-11 HALL-A, you’ll find the familiar gameplay of Coffee Talk comforting. Coffee Talk (and its sequels and spin-offs) are part of a growing cozy visual novel sub-genre.
Coffee Talk is set in an alternate world, fantasy Seattle. Humans coexist alongside other fantasy species, like vampires, mermaids, and elves – and guess what they all have in common? They love coming to your café.
In Coffee Talk, you play as a barista, serving coffee and speaking with regulars, all to a relaxing lo-fi beat. The developer describes the game as a “storybook you read before you sleep.”
While Coffee Talk doesn’t share the same romance, or online relationship themes as Emily is Away – there are many other similarities. The games are both innovative, unique additions to the interactive fiction/visual novel genre.
Coffee Talk is absolutely heartwarming, and its atmosphere tastes like hot chocolate on a cold morning. The developers also use the game as a platform to cover relevant topics like racism and discrimination.
If you haven’t already, it’s worth checking out VA-11 HALL-A too, which is like Cyberpunk Coffee Talk. Instead of the cozy barista life, you’re working as a bartender in a dystopian future.
Last Seen Online
Available on Steam.
Where Emily is Away was able to emulate an online romance story set in the mid-2000s, Last Seen Online does the same… Except it’s a horror game where you’re exploring an abandoned computer; a relic from the past to uncover a mystery.
Last Seen Online is free to play, developed by Sochin Studio. If you want different and unique, the extent to which Last Seen Online emulates the 2000’s computer experience is like nothing else. It’s more in-depth than either Digital: A Love Story or Emily is Away with its ’emulation’.
At its core, Last Seen Online is a psychological horror escape room, inspired by early flash games. It’s packed with puzzles and secrets to explore. A heavy theme of the game is how a personal computer can be an extension of a person’s soul, all their secrets, projects, interactions, and ultimately – encapsulating who they are.
Until Then
Available on Steam and PS5.
Until Then is part visual novel, part point-and-click adventure. Although it may seem at first, very different to Emily is Away, it encapsulates similar coming-of-age themes and evokes a sense of nostalgia.
The game is set in the fictional city of Liamson, in the Philippine National Capital Region. It follows Mark Boja and his moments of deja vu after the events of a global catastrophe, which has caused widespread damage and casualties across the country.
To put it simply, Until Then is just absolutely beautiful. From the presentation to the writing and storytelling, you’ll find yourself invested and it’s a very, one-of-a-kind experience.
Like Emily is Away, you might find yourself crying at 3AM to the game’s heartfelt narrative. It also offers a level of interactivity that’s quite unique for the format.
Vampire’s Kiss
Available on Steam, Android and iOS.
Vampire’s Kiss, published under the new Heart’s Choice romance label, is a completely text-driven romance game. While it’s a huge change from Emily is Away’s online relationship plot and visual presentation, it is perfect if you want a more text-heavy choice-driven romance game.
Vampire’s Kiss allows for more player agency, from decisions having a direct influence on the story, romance outcomes, and the main character’s identity (e.g., sexuality and gender).
It is a 170,000-word interactive erotic vampire novel by Dash Casey. It follows you, a vampire, who is suddenly thrust into the hidden world of ‘London after dark’, where a supernatural war is being waged across the city’s iconic landscape.
If you’re interested in other text-based only interactive fiction with no graphics, Choice of Game recently released Hunter: The Reckoning – The Beast of Glenkildove.
Bonus games like Emily is Away: Emily is Away Too & Emily is Away <3
After you’re done crying through the ending of Emily is Away, what better to throw yourself back into the deep end with the sequels?
Each entry into the Emily is Away trilogy, Emily is Away Too and Emily is Away <3, features unique mechanics and gives the immersive, Windows XP user interface an update… Literally!
The second game features a more fleshed-out chat program, more reminiscent of MSN and Skype. It’s also possible to access totally-not Facebook YouToob.
In Emily is Away <3, AIM Is finally dead and the era where Facebook reigns supreme has arrived. It also expands on giving the player agency and choice. Whether you end up falling in love or apart, it’s all on you.
Every game in the Emily is Away trilogy is expertly written by Kyle Seeley, and he manages to capture lightning in a bottle – not once, but three times over.
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