[March 15 2022 Update] I'm only adding non-Steam suggestions games to the list. If the game is on Steam, I'll just add it to the Photoholics Curation. The current ones will stay for posterity of course.


As the title mentions, I'm looking for more games where taking pictures a part of the mechanics or progression to the story. Just a little thing I'm currently interested in my games, and it's not always easy to find niche ideas. So, do you know of any not listed?

Whoa. I sincerely wasn't expecting too many replies. Y'all are awesome! Thank you! ♥

I credited suggestions to the first person who mentioned the game + those who provided additional info on a previously mentioned game. Feel free to provide extra info if you see a lack of them on the table. I appreciate the enthusiasm either way.

Photography Games

Title Platform/s Comments
11-11 Memories Retold Steam One of the leads is a photographer.
1,000 Heads Among the Trees Steam Search for spirits & take photos & the locals respond to what they see.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday Steam The lead is a photojournalist.
Afrika Playstation 3 Website Be a wildlife photographer.
The Amazon Trail PC -
Angelo and Deemon: One Hell of a Quest Steam Lead is a blogger
Beyond Good and Evil Steam The lead character is an action reporter with a camera.
Camera Obscura Steam Puzzle-platformer where camera is the tool to solve puzzles.
Capture Itch.io -
Casebook Trilogy - FMV Detective. Take pictures and analyze them for clues.
Dark Cloud 2 Playstation 2 Wiki Document objects & creatures w/ a camera to create new items/weapons.
Dead Rising 1/2/OTR Steam Lead character is a photojournalist.
Dead Rising 4 Steam Lead character is a photojournalist.
Depth Hunter 2 Steam Parts of the campaign include taking photos of reef and fish.
DreadOut Steam The camera is the lead's weapon against spooks.
DreadOut: Keepers of the Dark Steam The camera is the lead's weapon against spooks.
DreadOut 2 Steam The camera is the lead's weapon against spooks.
The Evil Within 2 PS4, Xbox One, Steam A character's photos can be found as collectables. He's only in part of the game. Spoiler: He's a serial killer, he photographs his victims. And his pet is an anthropomorphic camera with legs.
Fatal Frame / Project Zero. Playstation The camera is the lead's weapon against spooks.
Final Fantasy XV Steam, PC One of the main characters is a photographer who snaps photos randomly, and you can take manual photos. Additionally, there are side quests/minigames. Chosen photo can impact the ending.
FOCUS on YOU VR Only Steam The lead is a high school senior majoring in photography. Dating Sim.
Forgotten Hill Disillusion Steam Camera is crucial for play, but photo-taking is optional.
The Good Life Steam, Playstation 4, Xbox One / Kickstarter Lead is a photojournalist trying to pay off her debt.
Infra Steam -
KONA Steam Not required for story, but it's useful for takes "notes."
The Last Crown - Frequent use of camera.
The Last Crown: Blackenrock Steam Unreleased.
Life Is Strange Steam The lead character, Max, is a his school student photographer.
Moonrise Fall Steam Find clues with a unique camera mask worn by the protagonist.
Morels the Hunt Steam Mushroom hunting and photography in nature.
National Geographic - Safari Adventures: Africa PS2, Wii, PC Protagonist takes pictures of animals he meets on his adventure.
The Painscreek Killings Steam The lead is a journalist investigating a cold case.
Pokemon Snap Nintendo 64 -
Pupperazzi Steam Photograph pups. Not Out Yet.
Reef Shot Steam The lead is a photographer.
Snapshot Steam Puzzle-platformer where camera is the tool to solve puzzles.
Sonicomi Steam The lead is a personal photographer to a model. NSFW
Tokyo Snap Steam Play as a social media photographer.
Voyeur series PC Website -
Wild Earth PC, XBox, Wii / Website Be a wildlife photographer.
- - -

Games with Photography Elements

Title Platform/s Comments
007 Legends Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U Evidence
35MM Steam Camera with player at all times; may not be relevant to play.
Amazing Spiderman 1 / 2 - Sidequest/Minigame
Anachronox Steam Sidequest/Minigame
Astral Chain Nintendo Switch Wiki Photo challenges that offer rewards.
Batman Arkham Trilogy Steam Evidence/ Camera-like scanner.
Bioshock Steam Research camera reveals enemy weaknesses/gives player bonus damage. +Achievements
Bioshock 2 Steam Research camera reveals enemy weaknesses/gives player bonus damage. +Achievements.
Borderlands 2 Steam Sidequest/Minigame - "Poetic License" - Take three photos.
Bully Steam Sidequest/Minigame
Condemned Steam Camera sometimes used for crime scenes.
Disneyland Adventures Steam Sidequest/Minigame - Photograph hidden Mickey's.
Dragon Quest 8 3DS Sidequest/Minigame
DuckTales: The Quest for Gold PC/DOS Sidequest/Minigame
Fallout 76 PC, Xbox One, Playstation4 Sidequest/Minigame - Earn premium currency for taking specific types of images.
Fallout: New Vegas Steam Sidequest/Minigame - Photograph 5 landmarks.
Firewatch Steam The lead finds a camera & can use it. Additionally, exporting & print order is a thing.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Steam Sidequest/Minigame
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City PC/Removed from Steam side mission with blackmail photos
Hydrophobia Prophecy Steam A hacking tool functions like a camera. Hack security, find hidden messages and images.
Jurassic Park Operation Genesis PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows Sidequest/Minigame - Photograph during safari ride.
Jurassic World Evolution Steam Sidequest/Minigame - Photograph during jeep ride.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch, Wii U Sidequest/Minigame - Fill a compendium and take selfies.
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker Wii U, GameCube Sidequest/Minigame - Fill a compendium and use it to create figurines.
Leisure Suit Larry - Magna Cum Laude Steam Sidequest/Minigame - Take photos at the right time to earn points.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm Farewell Steam Max appears in the final episode only.
Metal Gear Solid ?? player can take photos of the environment, ghosts of the development team may appear on the captured images when taken in specific locations.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker PS3 Extra Ops side missions
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance PS3 Alternative missions
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS3 Main story mission has an evidence photo quest
Michigan: Report from Hell PS2 the player is a television news cameraman.
Nethack PC One char is combat weak, so he'll snap a photo to daze monsters and run away.
No One Lives Forever 1/2 Windows, MacOS X, Playstation 2 Spy Glasses, Lipstick Spy Camera
Paratopic Steam Sidequest/Minigame - Photograph birds.
Poi Steam Sidequest/Minigame - Photograph different creatures you encounter.
Tant-R (タントアール) Sega Mega Drive Sidequest/Minigame - Take well-timed photos of fast-moving objects.
The Sims 3: World Adventures Steam Expansion. Adds photography skill & career.
The Sinking City Epic Exclusive // Steam Sidequest/Minigame
Sleeping Dogs Steam Evidence / Sidequest/Minigame
Spider-Man PS4 Peter is a photojournalist.
theHunt: Call of the Wild Steam Sidequest/Minigame
Warframe Steam Camera used to discover/learn various things in quests.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 Steam Sidequest/Minigame.

Honorable Mentions

Title Platform/s Comments
60 Parsecs Steam You can save time lapses.
A Hat In Time Steam Camera badge/filters.
A Trip to Yugoslavia Steam The protagonist is an amateur photographer. Finding a camera is a quest objective. No phototaking.
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey PC, Uplay, Steam Photo Mode
Beyond Reality Steam Photography elements exists, but you don't get to see the photos.
Cateau Steam Free visual novel about cats & friendship.
Deadly Premonition Steam No photo taking, but the detective lead has photos in his files.
Devil May Cry 5 PS4, PS5, Xbox One / Series X & S, Steam Hard & NG+. Defeating a new monster/boss adds a photo to your gallery.
Eastshade Steam Exploration / Painting
Final Fantasy XIV Online PS4, PC, Steam It has an elaborate photo mode.
Flowquest Steam Sandbox/Software
Miniature - The Story Puzzle Steam Camera alignment puzzle game.
Perfect Angle Steam Camera alignment puzzle game.
Perspective Steam, Digipen Camera alignment puzzle game.
RAW FOOTAGE Steam Explore forests inhabited by monsters and obtain recorded footage of them.
Resident Evil 7 Steam You play a cameraman in an early part of the game. Video recording.
Sento Steam Steam Lead is a pervert spying / recording girls.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider PC, Steam Photo Mode
Super Smash Bros Nintendo Photo Mode.
5 years ago*

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Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Legend of Zelda Wind Waker for it's totally sidequest photography element.

Edit: Oh yeah, there's a photography element in Final Fantasy XV. It's minor, but it's there.

5 years ago*
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No Man's Sky... Some of the randomly-generated missions involve taking a screenshot of a certain kind of building, or on a certain type of planet, etc.

5 years ago
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There's Blackenrock on the list, but we can't be sure that it's ever going to be released at all. The original game (The Lost Crown), however, is actually out there, and you do get to use your camera a lot indeed.

Also, there was this series in the 2000's, CSI (based on a TV franchise). As awful as it was, there was a lot of photo-shooting of crime scenes involved, and that's always fun!

Also, there's pretty weird FMV detective series, Casebook; I believe, all three games were released about 10 years ago. The gameplay basically consisted of taking pictures of clues (or garbage. actually, mostly garbage), and then playing mini-games to analyze them.

Also, The Sinking City is very much out, it's just an Epic exclusive.

5 years ago
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In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild you can take pictures and there's several quests where NPCs want you to take pictures of certain monsters or areas.

5 years ago
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Umm, Hydrophobia Prophecy might count - you use a hacking tool which works like a camera, zooming in on things to take control of them as well when you hack security cameras, finding hidden messages and pictures.

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Not sure what I did, but okay dude. =/

Nice sour start to my day really.

5 years ago*
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Anachronox has a mission involving taking photographs.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242940/Anachronox/

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My all-time favorite RPG I put 60+ hours in on the PS2. Dark Cloud 2. The Intro to the game is also amazing :D. Dang Level 5 needs to create Dark Cloud 3. In Dark Cloud 2, a camera is essential to crafting. You take pictures of objects/creatures and come up with ideas which you combine to invent items/weapons. You can also spend all day fishing and raising your fish in tanks to race them and earn great gear as well, which is what I did a lot instead of beating the game :D

I've never played it, but another PS2 game Fatal Frame is also about shooting ghosts with camera. I believe you take pictures at night of ghosts and during the day you develop them. There seems to be 7 Fatal Frame games out there.

5 years ago
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Beyond Reality lets you take pictures, but you never actually get to see them; you take them at strategic locations to get yourself more likes, which increases your rank, and lets you into new areas.

Maybe kind of an obvious answer, but since it's not on the list, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker has a camera, and you use it for a few sidequests, and also to photograph almost every enemy and major character in the game to make figurines, which serve no real purpose, but they're neat if you're into that sort of thing.

5 years ago
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Kona - I don't remember if taking pictures is required to complete the game, but you have a polaroid camera and taking pictures is somewhat helpful. You also keep them in a folder and I think there may be achievements related to them.

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5 years ago
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So I look at this and see no Fatal Frame/Project Zero/Zero games and question why. It's technically about taking photos of ghosts to unlock entries or 'fight' them. So... I guess it's just too old or so.

Edit: Added the PAL region name and JP ver name and fixed typos.

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+1

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+1

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Are you only interested in games where photography is central to the game, such as Fatal Frame (PS2 & Xbox) or are you also interested in games that occasionally include the use of a camera for sidequests? Sleeping Dogs has photography missions, and theHunter: Call of the Wild has a few inessential missions that require you to photograph certain things but photography is not central to the game. There are also games with "scanners" that are used like cameras, e.g. Batman: Arkham Asylum. I'll assume you aren't interested in them but correct me if I'm wrong.

5 years ago
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I've updated the OP to reflect both in separate tables. And am currently updating with your mentions. <3

5 years ago
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Cool! You know you're going to have to put together a Steam group/curator for this now, right? ;-)
I also remembered that there was at least one mission in Far Cry 3 that requires you to take photographs.

5 years ago
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Haha. Maybe, I already have 4 curation pages.

5 years ago
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And curator page is now up. :p

5 years ago
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Nice one! XD

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Not a requirement but Firewatch includes photography and even lets you export your photos as a web based photoalbum as well as giving you the option to order prints.

5 years ago
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Zelda: Breath of the Wild has a very nice portion of photography gameplay, with sidequests dedicated to it.
You can fill up a compendium with thousands of photos Pokemon Snap style. You can even make selfies with different poses.

5 years ago
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Amazing spider-man 1 and 2

5 years ago
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Would you say it's central to the game, or a sidequest? I haven't played any of the Spiderman games.

5 years ago
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Side quest only. Not in main storyline.

5 years ago
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Whoa. I sincerely wasn't expecting too many replies. Y'all are awesome! Thank you!

I've updated with formatting and whatnot. Hopefully it's easier on the eyes.

5 years ago
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I remember Dragon Quest 8 on the 3DS having a whole line of sidequests tied to the photo mode. You can also do such wonderful things as this!

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In Warframe you have to scan things with a camera to uncover lore elements, enemy profiles, and gather ingredients for potions in certain quests.

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Not sure if it's what you're looking for but FlowScape seems to fit the bill.

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well, there is larry magna cum laude (i think there is a currently a bundle with it) sometimes you hae photo minigame when youll have to take photo at the right moment to get points and stuff.

"Helmut : yes, come photograph me"

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