4 games like Burly Men at Sea to inspire your inner explorer

Burly Men at Sea is out today and it looks a treat. It tells the tale of three Scandinavian fishermen who leave the humdrum of their daily lives to go exploring. It’s a beautiful folksy story that unfurls as you interact with the environment until the adventure ends and you set off down one of the game’s other many altering paths.

If you enjoyed the beardy fishermen’s atmospheric adventures, perhaps you’d like to do some more exploring. Here are our recommendations for some of mobile’s finest exploration-heavy games.

Legend of the Skyfish is a Legend of Zelda-like that casts you as a lone girl out to save the world with her trusty fishing pole. The concept is charming, and, relying on a fishing rod rather than a sword makes for an interesting change of direction. Island hopping is made all the more pleasurable with the game’s gorgeous nautical aesthetic.

2013’s a Dark Room is purely text-based, but this post-apocalyptic adventure is as atmospheric as any game with a hefty art budget. The game begins with little fanfare in a dark room, until you begin to build and tend a fire. Eventually you’ll have to venture out into the forest to build and maintain your shelter. The minimalist mechanics let the story elegantly unfold around you creating a wholly captivating experience.

Set in the same universe as Sunless Sea and the upcoming Sunless Skies, Fallen London is a free-to-play adventure that tasks you with making a name for yourself in the Echo Bazaar. Paired with whimsical artwork and a wicked wit, Fallen London is one of the most well-written, fascinating worlds you could hope to stumble upon. With hundreds of branching paths and ever-expanding content, there’s a lot to wade through here and it’s all wonderful.

If you’re looking for something truly different, Year Walk could be the answer. Based on Swedish myth and pagan ritual, you undertake the “year walk”, a tradition in which you take a walk through the woods, encountering the otherworldly creatures that lurk there. As you wander the forest, reality and the supernatural blur.

We’re lucky to have such artfully crafted adventures on mobile platforms these days. These exploration heavy games will take you on journeys you’ll remember for years to come.

What are some of your favorite mobile adventures to date? Let us know in the comments!