The 25 Best Interactive Story Games

Each new generation of video games promises more polygons, pixels, and processing power than ever before. Developers gush about how the latest PlayStation and Xbox consoles deliver buzzwords like bloom lighting, particle effects, 4K, ray tracing, and normal mapping. However, narrative and storytelling can be just as important as realistic graphics or even gameplay itself.

Some of the best-received games of the past few years are loved because of their plots. These games place such an emphasis on story that they’re more like interactive fiction than traditional video games. Some are first-person shooters with a heavier focus on story, but others are point-and-click adventures and third-person exploration games. Then there are the more experimental ones, like text-based phone games with puzzles for readers to solve.

Games filled with amazing storytelling can be bought for any platform—PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch. If you prefer smart drama and important decisions over dumb, flashy action, here are some of the best video games you should check out.

Depression Quest

Depression Quest for PC

$0.00

at Steam

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Depression Quest is an interactive fiction game that lets you play as someone living with depression. You must navigate everyday life events while managing your illness, personal relationships, and job. The game can be played on the web(Opens in a new window) or through Steam(Opens in a new window), and is available through a pay-what-you-want model.

Dreamfall Chapters

Dreamfall Chapters for PC

$24.99

at Steam

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Dreamfall Chapters takes place in a universe with parallel cyberpunk futuristic and magical fantasy worlds. You control several characters as they explore environments, continue the story, and solve puzzles. There are no combat or stealth elements in the game, with Dreamfall instead focusing on the player discovering secrets through exploration and making pivotal choices that will alter parts of the story.

The title serves as the third and final installment of The Longest Journey series. The game is optimized for the PC(Opens in a new window), but has also been ported to the Xbox One and PS4(Opens in a new window). You can get the first two games—The Longest Journey and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey—in a bundle(Opens in a new window) on Steam.

Fahrenheit / Indigo Prophecy

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered for PC

$0.00

at Steam

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Originally released in 2005 as both Fahrenheit and Indigo Prophecy, the game presented players with in-game decisions and dialogue choices that vastly changed the outcome of the game. You play as a man who is supernaturally possessed to commit murder and the police detectives pursuing him. Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered for PC(Opens in a new window) and PlayStation 4(Opens in a new window) brought the game into the modern day. 

The Last of Us

The Last Of Us Remastered for PS4

$14.66

at PlayStation Store

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Though The Last of Us features a fair amount of zombie-killing action, its real focus is on tense post-apocalyptic atmosphere and the tender bond between its protagonists. You control Joel through combat and survival scenarios as he escorts Ellie, his teenage surrogate daughter, to safety.

Players experience a decimated America filled with pain, heartache, and zombies on a truly cinematic level. The Last of Us Remastered(Opens in a new window) is available on PlayStation 4; The Last of Us II(Opens in a new window) is currently in development.

Oxenfree

OXENFREE

$0.00

at Apple.com

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The supernatural horror adventure game Oxenfree(Opens in a new window) centers around a group of kids who must uncover the truth about a mysterious island. There are no cutscenes in the game, so all dialogue takes place during gameplay, allowing the player to focus as much or as little on the story as they want.

Oxenfree has multiple endings and no game-over screen, which means the player’s decisions directly alter the game’s storyline. It’s available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

The Stanley Parable

The Stanley Parable

$14.99

at Steam

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Like a great Twilight Zone episode, The Stanley Parable(Opens in a new window) quickly goes from mundane to crazy, clever, and almost existential. As you’re guided through an office building by a seemingly helpful narrator, you end up exposing just how meaningful (and meaningless) choice really is inside a video game. Narrative and game mechanics come together to form meta-commentary at its finest (and funniest).

What Remains of Edith Finch

What Remains of Edith Finch for PC

$19.99

at Steam

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The mystery adventure game What Remains of Edith Finch centers on the titular character’s exploration of her old family home. You explore the Finch house as expository voice narration guides you through the story. Memories, hidden secrets, and various cutscenes help the player learn more about the fate of Edith’s family. The game can be purchased for PC(Opens in a new window), PlayStation 4(Opens in a new window), Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

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