The best story-driven games on Xbox and 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.
-
1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An open fantasy world with outstanding side quests and choices that have lasting consequences.
-
2 Red Dead Redemption 2
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An epic western about the downfall of an outlaw gang, set in an incredibly detailed open world.
-
3 BioShock
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An atmospheric shooter set in the decaying underwater city of Rapture, blending Plasmid powers and weapons into creative combat. It is celebrated for its iconic Art Deco setting and a story with a legendary twist that questions free will.
-
4 Mass Effect 2
- Strong, story-driven narrative
Commander Shepard assembles a crew of specialists for a suicide mission, blending cover-based shooting with unforgettable companions and choices that decide who lives and dies.
-
5 BioShock Infinite
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A first-person shooter set in the floating city of Columbia, mixing fast combat with Vigors and skyline rails with a mind-bending tale of alternate realities. Companion Elizabeth and the stunning finale make it a standout narrative experience.
-
6 Mass Effect
- Strong, story-driven narrative
As Commander Shepard, you lead your Normandy crew across the galaxy chasing a rogue Spectre in a landmark sci-fi RPG built around its dialogue wheel, companion bonds and choices that carry into the sequels. Combat is real-time cover shooting with pausable squad powers.
-
7 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.
-
8 Life Is Strange
- Strong, story-driven narrative
As photography student Max, you discover you can rewind time and dig into a disappearance in a sleepy coastal town, with your choices shaping friendships and fates. It's a heartfelt coming-of-age drama with an unforgettable indie soundtrack.
-
9 Mass Effect 3
- Strong, story-driven narrative
The emotional finale of Shepard's trilogy pairs tight cover-shooting and combinable squad powers with a galaxy-wide war effort, where choices carried across three games decide who lives, who dies, and which civilizations survive.
-
10 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.
-
11 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.
-
12 Disco Elysium
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A detective RPG without combat, but with brilliant dialogue and a deeply conflicted protagonist.
-
13 The Wolf Among Us
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A moody noir murder mystery where you play Bigby Wolf, the reformed Big Bad Wolf turned sheriff, investigating killings among fairy-tale exiles in grimy New York. Your dialogue choices decide whether you're feared or trusted, all wrapped in a striking neon comic-book style.
-
14 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.
-
15 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
- Strong, story-driven narrative
An intense psychological journey of a warrior through her psychosis, with remarkable sound design.
-
16 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Strong, story-driven narrative
Turn-based RPG with real-time parrying and dodging, set in a melancholic Belle Époque–inspired fantasy world.
-
17 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.
-
18 Spec Ops: The Line
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A third-person cover shooter set in a sand-buried Dubai that gradually turns into a harrowing critique of war, guilt and the genre's own power fantasies. Its moral dilemmas and Captain Walker's psychological unraveling make it unforgettable.
-
19 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.
-
20 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.
-
21 Cyberpunk 2077
- Strong, story-driven narrative
A first-person RPG in a dense metropolis of the future, with many ways to approach each mission.
-
22 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.
-
23 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.
-
24 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.
What matters with Story-driven games
Story-driven games work because you are not just watching characters, you are spending dozens of hours making decisions alongside them. The best ones make those hours count, whether through choices that echo for a long time or a single relationship that carries the whole journey. Before picking one, think about how much gameplay you want around the story, how dark a tone you are comfortable with, and whether you want to shape the plot or experience a fixed, carefully told narrative.
If choices are what you care about, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is known for side quests that rival the main plot and decisions with lasting consequences. The Mass Effect trilogy goes further by carrying your choices from one game into the next, so starting with Mass Effect pays off by the time you reach Mass Effect 3. For a lighter, gentler option, Life Is Strange focuses on friendship and a small-town mystery with no demanding combat.
If you prefer an authored story, The Last of Us builds everything around the bond between Joel and Ellie, and The Last of Us Remastered adds sharper visuals plus the Left Behind expansion on PlayStation. Red Dead Redemption 2 is slower-paced and rewards patience with a detailed western world. Undertale stands out with its humor and the option to resolve every fight without violence.
Frequently asked questions
Which story-driven games let my choices change the story?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the Mass Effect trilogy, Life Is Strange, The Walking Dead and Undertale all build their stories around your decisions. Mass Effect stands out because choices carry across all three games.
Should I play The Last of Us or The Last of Us Remastered?
The Last of Us Remastered is the same story with sharper visuals and includes the Left Behind expansion, so it is the more complete version. Both are PlayStation only, as is the sequel The Last of Us Part II.
What are good story games that are not too combat-heavy?
Life Is Strange and The Walking Dead are narrative adventures focused on dialogue and decisions rather than fighting. Undertale has combat, but every encounter can be solved peacefully.
Not quite your taste?
Tell us your favourite games and we'll find recommendations that fit you exactly.
