Some of the most fun video games are also the ones that tell the best stories. That has always been my favorite way to play. With that in mind, here’s a curated list of some of my favorite story driven video games, along with a few that are widely considered among the best narrative focused experiences ever made. This list includes a mix of genres and styles, but every game here excels at storytelling in its own way.
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20. A Plague Tale: Innocence & Requiem
The A Plague Tale: Innocence & Requiem delivers a highly detailed and emotionally charged narrative. Set in war-torn 14th-century France during the Hundred Years’ War and a devastating plague, these games blend stealth, survival, and light action gameplay.
Developed by Asobo Studio, both titles follow Amicia and her younger brother Hugo as they struggle to survive against soldiers, violent civilians, and swarms of deadly rats attracted by Hugo’s mysterious condition. While the sequel offers a larger experience, the first game lays a strong foundation with memorable characters, tense scenarios, and a constant sense of danger.
It’s not a full-blown action game, but the tension, atmosphere, and emotional storytelling make it worth experiencing especially if you enjoy slower, immersive stealth-focused narratives. That’s why it is One of the best story driven video games.
19. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
If you’re looking for a strong blend of action and storytelling, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an easy recommendation. A follow-up to Jedi: Fallen Order, this game leans heavily into third-person action while delivering a solid Star Wars story.
You play as Cal Kestis, a Jedi in hiding, fighting against the Empire across multiple planets. The game features refined combat, new abilities, varied lightsaber styles, and rewarding exploration. Characters evolve as the story progresses, and the universe reacts to your actions, making the world feel alive.
While not perfect, Jedi: Survivor captures the spirit of classic Star Wars with strong gameplay and a narrative that longtime fans will appreciate. That’s why it is One of the best story driven video games.
18. Control
Control throws players into a surreal, paranormal world inspired by SCP files and The X-Files. You play as Jesse Faden, who enters the mysterious Federal Bureau of Control in search of her missing brother, only to uncover a much larger cosmic mystery.
The storytelling shines through environmental design, scattered documents, and unsettling world-building. The narrative is dense, encouraging players to read and explore to fully understand what’s happening. The action complements the story well, offering unique powers like telekinesis, levitation, and environmental manipulation.
The main reason it is one of the best story driven video games is its Weird, stylish, and visually striking, Control is one of Remedy Entertainment’s strongest titles and a must-play for fans of unconventional storytelling.
17. Metro Exodus
After two games set almost entirely underground, Metro Exodus takes the series into open environments across post-apocalyptic Russia. The story unfolds as a journey across multiple regions aboard the Aurora train, blending survival horror, FPS combat, and deep atmosphere.
Resource management and stealth are crucial, but players can also approach encounters aggressively. The world is bleak, yet the characters you travel with are surprisingly warm and human, offering emotional contrast to the harsh setting.
With strange creatures, eerie locations, and powerful world-building, Metro Exodus stands out as one of the strongest narrative-driven shooters of its generation and holds strong name in the list of one of the best story driven video games..
16. Firewatch
If action-heavy gameplay isn’t your thing, Firewatch is a story-focused experience worth checking out. You play as Henry, a fire lookout stationed in the Wyoming wilderness, communicating only via radio with another lookout named Delilah.
The game slowly builds tension as strange events unfold, blurring the line between reality and paranoia. Exploration is simple, but every location exists to support the story. Dialogue choices subtly affect your relationship with Delilah, adding emotional weight to the experience.
Short, intimate, and thought-provoking, Firewatch is a gripping narrative you can complete in about four hours holding strong name in the list of the best story driven video games..
15. Life Is Strange Remastered
Life Is Strange Remastered revisits the original game and its prequel, Before the Storm, with improved visuals and lighting. You follow Max Caulfield as she returns to her hometown of Arcadia Bay and discovers she has the ability to rewind time.
The story focuses on relationships, moral choices, and the consequences of altering events. The cast is small but well-developed, and every decision feels meaningful. While the remaster’s visual upgrades aren’t dramatic, the story itself remains powerful and emotionally resonant.
It’s a must-play for fans of choice best story driven video games.
14. Shadow of the Colossus (2018)
The 2018 remake of Shadow of the Colossus is the definitive way to experience this classic. Visually stunning and emotionally minimalist, the game tasks you with defeating 16 massive colossi in a vast, lonely world.
The story is simple and mysterious, told with almost no dialogue. Each colossus is both a puzzle and a spectacle, making every encounter unforgettable. The haunting atmosphere and sparse storytelling turn the game into more of a mood piece than a traditional narrative.
It’s artistic, strange, and deeply memorable.
13. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II continues the intense psychological journey started in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Set in Iceland, the game blends narrative, puzzle-solving, and visceral combat while exploring themes of trauma and mental illness.
The experience is short but impactful, using immersive audio design and visual effects to place players inside Senua’s mind. The story unfolds gradually, with environments and puzzles reflecting her mental state.
Both games together form a powerful, connected narrative that’s well worth experiencing.
12. The Wolf Among Us
From Telltale Games, The Wolf Among Us is a noir-style detective story set in the world of the Fables comics. You play as Bigby Wolf, sheriff of Fabletown, a hidden community of fairy-tale characters living in modern New York City.
The game focuses on choice-driven storytelling, where your decisions affect relationships and character outcomes. Dark, mature, and well-written, it stands as one of Telltale’s strongest narrative experiences.
With a sequel on the way, now is the perfect time to experience the original.
11. Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn tells a post-apocalyptic story where humanity has regressed into tribal societies and robotic creatures roam the land. You play as Aloy, an outcast turned skilled hunter, uncovering the mysteries of the world’s collapse.
The story is rich with lore, environmental storytelling, and detailed world-building. As you explore ruins of the old world, you piece together how civilization fell and why machines dominate the planet.
It’s a unique blend of sci-fi, mystery, and action that rewards curiosity.
10. Spec Ops: The Line
At first glance, Spec Ops: The Line looks like a standard military shooter, but it quickly subverts expectations. Set in a sandstorm-ravaged Dubai, the game explores the psychological toll of war and the morality of violence.
The story challenges the player directly, questioning their actions and motivations. Dark, disturbing, and deeply unsettling, it stands apart from other shooters of its era.
Despite being hard to find digitally today, it remains one of the most powerful narrative experiences in gaming.
9. The Walking Dead: Season One
Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Season One remains one of the most emotionally impactful stories in gaming. Set during the early days of a zombie apocalypse, it follows a group of survivors struggling to stay alive.
The episodic format allows the story to build naturally, delivering unforgettable emotional moments. Player choices shape relationships and outcomes, making the experience deeply personal.
It’s not just one of the best story games—it’s one of the most influential narrative games ever made.
8. Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human offers one of the most branching narratives in gaming. Following multiple android protagonists, the game allows players to make decisions that dramatically alter the story’s direction.
Characters can live or die at any point, leading to vastly different outcomes. The themes of identity, freedom, and humanity are explored through intense, sometimes uncomfortable scenarios.
It’s a game of extremes, but that ambition makes it fascinating and highly replayable.
7. Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is widely regarded as one of the best-written games ever made. Inspired by classic PC adventure games, it focuses almost entirely on dialogue, choice, and internal character development.
You play as a detective who wakes up with no memory and must solve a murder while navigating political ideologies, personal demons, and a deeply strange world. The writing is dense, philosophical, and often darkly humorous.
If you enjoy complex narratives and heavy reading, this is an essential experience.
6. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
After years of updates, Cyberpunk 2077 has become a must-play, and the Phantom Liberty expansion elevates it further. Set in the dystopian Night City, the game offers deep storytelling, complex characters, and branching narratives.
While flashy and sometimes over-the-top, the story explores power, identity, and survival in a corrupt future. Phantom Liberty in particular delivers a tighter, more focused narrative.
Fans of cyberpunk fiction will find a lot to love here.
5. BioShock Infinite
BioShock Infinite delivers one of the most mind-bending stories in gaming. Set in the floating city of Columbia, the game explores themes of nationalism, racism, and identity.
You play as Booker DeWitt, tasked with rescuing Elizabeth, only to uncover deeper truths behind the city and its leaders. The narrative builds toward a powerful and unforgettable conclusion.
It’s unsettling, ambitious, and absolutely worth experiencing.
4. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 4 is the perfect conclusion to Nathan Drake’s story. Featuring stunning visuals, cinematic storytelling, and a strong supporting cast, it feels like a blockbuster action film brought to life.
The gameplay blends exploration, shooting, and climbing with expertly paced cinematics. While not revolutionary mechanically, the story and presentation elevate the entire experience.
It’s one of the finest cinematic adventures in gaming.
3. God of War (2018)
God of War (2018) reinvented the series by transforming Kratos into a more complex and grounded character. Set in Norse mythology, the story follows Kratos and his son Atreus on a deeply personal journey.
The game balances emotional storytelling with intense combat and exploration. It respects the franchise’s history while modernizing its narrative and gameplay.
It’s a masterclass in character-driven storytelling.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most ambitious and emotionally rich stories ever told in a video game. Set in a dying Wild West, it follows Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang as their world slowly collapses.
The narrative unfolds through main missions, side activities, and quiet moments around camp. Choices affect honor and certain outcomes, but the story remains tightly authored and deeply impactful.
It’s brutal, beautiful, and unforgettable.
1. The Last of Us Part I (One of the best story driven video games Released ever)
At the top of the list is The Last of Us Part I. Set in a post-apocalyptic America ravaged by a fungal infection, the game focuses on the evolving relationship between Joel and Ellie.
The storytelling is subtle and powerful, relying on environmental details and quiet conversations rather than exposition. The opening is devastating, and the journey that follows is filled with unforgettable moments.
While the TV adaptation was excellent, the game remains the definitive way to experience this story. The Last of Us Part I is considered legendary and best story driven video games released ever..
Final Thoughts
There are many more incredible story-driven games out there, but this list focuses on 20 standout experiences. Each of these titles proves that video games can deliver stories just as powerful and memorable as any other medium.
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