222 games
The best story-driven games on Nintendo Switch
Games that are above all about the story, with characters that stay with you and moments you will think about for a long time.
How to find games that really suit you: Tap “I like it” on up to 5 games. Playalike compares 20 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
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1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An open fantasy world with outstanding side quests and choices that have lasting consequences.
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2 Undertale
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A charming indie RPG where every fight can be resolved without violence, blending turn-based menus with bullet-hell dodging. Its quirky humor, memorable monsters and a story that remembers your choices made it a cult classic.
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3 The Walking Dead
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An episodic narrative adventure where Lee protects young Clementine through a zombie apocalypse, forced into agonizing timed moral decisions. The bond between the two makes it one of the most emotionally powerful games of its kind.
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4 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Strong, story-driven narrative
BioWare's classic Star Wars RPG lets you walk the light or dark side millennia before the films, backed by a crew of memorable companions and one of gaming's most famous plot twists.
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5 Disco Elysium
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A detective RPG without combat, but with brilliant dialogue and a deeply conflicted protagonist.
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6 Firewatch
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An intimate first-person narrative adventure in the Wyoming wilderness, built around witty, heartfelt radio conversations between Henry and Delilah. Its painterly look and a slowly creeping mystery make it memorable.
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7 What Remains of Edith Finch
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A moving narrative game where you wander the sprawling Finch family home and relive each relative's final moments through short vignettes, each with its own inventive gameplay twist. Melancholic, creative, and unforgettable in just a couple of hours.
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8 The Walking Dead: Season Two
- Strong, story-driven narrative
You play as Clementine, now forced to survive on her own in a brutal zombie apocalypse, and make tough moral calls that shape relationships and fates. It's a bleak, emotional narrative adventure with a comic-book look.
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9 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A melancholic, philosophical Star Wars RPG that questions the very nature of the Force, the Jedi and the Sith. Mentor Kreia anchors it, companions can be swayed toward light or dark, and combat is tactical with pause-and-queue actions.
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10 Soma
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A harrowing combat-free horror journey through a ruined deep-sea research station that confronts you with unsettling questions about consciousness and identity. Its philosophical story lingers long after the credits roll.
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11 Tales from the Borderlands
- Strong, story-driven narrative
Telltale's episodic narrative adventure where Rhys and Fiona trade unreliable accounts of a chaotic Vault hunt on Pandora. It shines through sharp comedy, lovable characters, quick-time action and choices that shape relationships.
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12 Gone Home
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A quiet first-person exploration game where you piece together your family's story, especially your younger sister's coming-of-age, by rummaging through an empty house in 1995. No combat, just atmosphere, discovery and a heartfelt narrative.
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13 To the Moon
- Strong, story-driven narrative
Two doctors travel backward through a dying man's memories to fulfill his final wish. It's a short, deeply moving story with warm humor and an unforgettable piano soundtrack.
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14 Oxenfree
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A night out on an island turns supernatural when a group of teens tune a radio into eerie frequencies. Its fluid walk-and-talk dialogue lets you answer without stopping, and those choices shape both the friendships and the ending of this moody mystery thriller.
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15 Batman: The Telltale Series
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An episodic narrative adventure where you make tough calls both as Bruce Wayne and as Batman. A dark revelation about the Wayne family recasts familiar characters like the Penguin and the Joker in a new light.
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16 The Walking Dead: A New Frontier
- Strong, story-driven narrative
Telltale's third season follows Javier and his family while weaving in Clementine's story, carrying over choices from earlier seasons. It's a cinematic, dialogue-heavy zombie drama built on tough moral decisions and quick-time events.
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17 Life Is Strange 2
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An emotional road-trip adventure about two brothers on the run across America, where Sean's decisions shape how young Daniel and his mysterious powers develop. Politically charged, melancholic, and carried by strong characters and an indie soundtrack.
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18 Dispatch
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An episodic superhero workplace comedy from former Telltale developers: as a dispatcher you assign a chaotic crew of reformed villains to city emergencies while making choices that shape relationships and the story. Sharp writing, a strong voice cast and a cartoon-like animated look carry the experience.
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19 Night in the Woods
- Strong, story-driven narrative
As college dropout Mae, you return to your decaying hometown, hang out with old friends and stumble onto something sinister in the woods. Sharp, funny writing, gorgeous flat-colored art and an honest look at depression and a dying town make it stand out.
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20 A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Strong, story-driven narrative
Amicia and Hugo flee across a gorgeous yet brutal medieval France, hunted by soldiers and devouring tides of rats. A harrowing, emotional sibling drama built on stealth, improvised combat and environmental puzzles, with stunning cinematic presentation.
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21 The Walking Dead: The Final Season
- Strong, story-driven narrative
Clementine's story reaches a moving finale as she fights for a future at an isolated school while raising AJ, whose personality is shaped by your choices. It's an emotional, comic-styled narrative adventure with more hands-on action than earlier seasons.
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22 Life is Strange: Double Exposure
- Strong, story-driven narrative
Max Caulfield returns, shifting between two parallel timelines at a university to unravel her friend Safi's murder. A dialogue-driven narrative adventure built on choices, mystery and emotional relationships.
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23 Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A tropical island getaway turns into a killing game: this offbeat visual novel mystery has you investigating murders among your classmates and exposing culprits in frantic class trials. Dark humor, wild twists and a striking pop-art style make it stand out.
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24 NieR:Automata
- Strong, story-driven narrative
Androids fight in an abandoned world, with stylish action and a story that unfolds over several playthroughs.
What matters with Story-driven games
Story-driven games on Switch cover a wide range, from huge RPGs you can sink weeks into to short, quiet adventures you can finish in an evening. What they share is a focus on characters and consequences: you play to find out what happens and to see how your decisions shape the people around you.
When choosing, think about how much gameplay you want alongside the story. If you enjoy combat and exploration, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt pairs a big open world with side quests that often hit as hard as the main plot, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic adds tactical party combat and a famous plot twist. If you would rather read and talk your way through things, Disco Elysium has no combat at all and lives on its brilliant dialogue. Tone matters too: Undertale balances heartfelt moments with quirky humor and lets you resolve every fight without violence, while The Walking Dead puts you through tense, timed moral choices in a bleak zombie setting.
Length is the other big factor. What Remains of Edith Finch tells its melancholic family story in just a couple of hours through inventive vignettes, which makes it a good pick for a single sitting. Episodic adventures like Tales from the Borderlands also split neatly into chapters, so they suit shorter play sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best story game on Switch where choices matter?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt stands out for choices with lasting consequences across a whole open world. For a more focused experience, The Walking Dead and Undertale both remember your decisions and change how the story plays out.
Are there short story-driven games on Switch I can finish in one evening?
What Remains of Edith Finch is the clearest choice, telling its moving story in just a couple of hours. Firewatch is another compact narrative adventure, built around radio conversations and a slowly building mystery.
Which story games on Switch have little or no combat?
Disco Elysium is a detective RPG with no combat, driven entirely by dialogue and skill checks. Soma is a combat-free horror journey, and Firewatch and What Remains of Edith Finch focus on exploration and storytelling.
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