The Tim Burton-Inspired Game Genre on the Rise

A new gaming trend is emerging, built on the dark, eccentric, and whimsical style often linked to Tim Burton’s work. These “Burtonlikes” blend cozy horror with a stop motion-inspired aesthetic, featuring pale-faced, tired-eyed characters and strange, dreamlike worlds. Games like Lost in Random, Harold Halibut, The Midnight Walk, and the upcoming Gloomy Eyes share this distinctive visual DNA, drawing on Burton’s cinematic legacy while crafting unique gameplay experiences. While not every eerie game fits the label, Burtonlikes stand apart by balancing macabre charm with accessibility, favoring the strange over the truly terrifying.

The term “Burtonlike” first came to mind for some players with the 2021 release of Lost in Random. The game’s visuals felt pulled straight from a stop motion film — not by accident, as the developers openly cited influences ranging from Laika Studios to Burton’s own movies. The protagonist Even looked like a mid-2000s mall goth brought to life, pale and weary-eyed, in a world where sunlight seemed like a myth. That blend of childlike wonder and unsettling detail set the stage for a broader aesthetic movement.

Stop motion plays a central role in the genre’s identity. Burton’s own Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie — and his production of The Nightmare Before Christmas — helped define the look. Although Nightmare was directed by Henry Selick, its mix of whimsical characters and haunting settings left a lasting cultural imprint, one that also carried into Selick’s Coraline, arguably the most Burtonlike film Burton never made.

Recent years have brought more games into the fold. In 2024, Harold Halibut arrived, a slow-burn narrative adventure with handmade clay models and stop motion visuals. It followed a weary hero navigating life aboard an underwater spacecraft, pairing visual oddity with intimate storytelling. The Midnight Walk, a cozy horror puzzle game from MoonHood Studios, took the concept further — using sculpted clay puppets and handcrafted worlds to create an eerie but inviting atmosphere. Here, players guided Potboy through episodic chapters, meeting characters who felt like they belonged in a Burton side story.

This fall, Gloomy Eyes will join the lineup. Its premise — a girl and her zombie friend trying to restore the sun to a gloomy world — sounds tailor-made for the genre. The gameplay mixes puzzle-solving with exploration in diorama-like stages, switching control between the two leads. The developers openly cite Burton’s stop motion films as an influence, and the art style could pass for a still from Corpse Bride.

The discussion of Burtonlikes naturally raises the question of boundaries. Games like Bramble: The Mountain King share the dark fairytale vibe, while Little Nightmares matches some of the visual cues but leans into more intense horror. If there’s a defining line, it might be that Burtonlikes aim for “cozy horror” — unsettling but not overwhelming, with space for charm, humor, and heart.

The idea of cozy horror is important. In Burtonlikes, the darkness is tempered by the surreal and the playful. Death, decay, and shadowy corners exist alongside whimsy and innocence. This duality is what makes them accessible to a broader audience — the same reason The Nightmare Before Christmas remains a cultural touchstone decades after release.

Lost in Random itself has grown beyond its original adventure roots. Lost in Random: The Eternal Die, a spin-off roguelike from new studio Stormteller Games, takes the same off-kilter setting and runs it through fast-paced, replayable combat. You play as Queen Aleksandra, trapped inside a cursed die she once used to rule, now battling through procedurally generated arenas with weapons, special cards, and the help of a sentient die named Fortune. The dark-fantasy aesthetic remains intact, reinforcing how the Burtonlike look can carry over into entirely different genres.

The Eternal Die’s mix of stylized visuals, quirky characters, and thematic cohesion keeps it in the Burtonlike conversation even as it shifts gameplay focus. While the original Lost in Random leaned on exploration and narrative, The Eternal Die prioritizes action and build variety, yet it still feels at home in the subgenre’s growing catalog.

One thing that sets Burtonlikes apart from broader horror or fantasy titles is the deliberate embrace of handcrafted imperfection. Whether literally sculpted clay or digital models designed to look handmade, these games capture the tactile charm of stop motion films. Characters often have exaggerated features — big eyes, gangly limbs, crooked smiles — that make them instantly recognizable and slightly unsettling without veering into nightmare territory.

As the trend gains momentum, developers may begin identifying their games as Burtonlikes in marketing rather than just referencing The Nightmare Before Christmas as an influence. The label could give players an immediate sense of what to expect: whimsical darkness, storybook worlds, and stop motion-inspired visuals.

Horror’s growing popularity in games, combined with the rising demand for cozier, more emotionally balanced experiences, makes fertile ground for Burtonlikes to flourish. The market has room for both full-on scares and the gentler, quirkier shadows cast by Burton-inspired worlds. While the aesthetic is rooted in film history, the interactivity of games allows players to explore these spaces in a way no movie can offer.

Burtonlikes are not just a passing nod to a famous director’s style; they represent a fusion of visual storytelling traditions with modern game design. From dice-rolling adventures to clay-sculpted mysteries, these games invite players into spaces that are at once strange and familiar. The genre may still be in its early days, but the foundation is strong, and with each new title, its identity becomes sharper.

For players who grew up with Burton’s films or simply appreciate the blend of creepy and cute, Burtonlikes offer a space where the macabre is approachable and even comforting. With more releases on the horizon and developers embracing the label, this emerging genre could become a lasting fixture in the gaming landscape.