Updated at: 09-06-2022 - By: Leo Hall

There is nothing better than playing a game in which your decisions have an impact on the outcome of the story. Games where you have a say in the outcome are included on this list.

Even in the best video games, it’s difficult for the player to influence the characters, surroundings, and events in the plot.

If you’re looking for a game that really shines in this category, look for one that changes the world and conversation in response to your choices.

From adventure games to open-world games to RPGs with branching storylines and objectives we’ve compiled a list of the best games in which your decisions matter.

You may expect us to add more games to this list in the future. Let us know if we’ve overlooked any of your favorite narrative-driven games in the comments section below!

Road 96

Windows, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch are supported.

Taking place in Petria, a dystopian world where authoritarian authority and tyranny are the new standards, Road 96 is an independent adventure game.

Road 96 | Download and Buy Today - Epic Games Store

Young and inexperienced hitchhikers begin on a journey to freedom, relying on the goodwill of strangers to get there, in this game

Each time you play the game, the settings, characters, and plot twists and turns thanks to procedural creation.

A thousand distinct paths and numerous decisions must be made as you try to figure out who can be trusted and carve out your own path in this ever-changing universe.

Life is Strange: True Colors

XBox One, Xbox One X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Choices you make in the Life is Strange games have a significant impact on the plot and on your relationships with other characters.

True Colors, the most latest in the series, focuses on a young woman with a magical power that allows her to experience the emotions of others firsthand.

With this newfound ability, Alex sets out to investigate her brother’s death and the mystery events that surround it, meeting new people in the process.

While there are various narrative lines to explore, many of which involve you to make decisions that affect Alex’s story and his relationships, the player is faced with similar options in this episode.

The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante

The operating system is Windows.

As a modern take on classic role-playing games, The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante relies on text-heavy interactions and wonderfully rich scene art to tell a compelling story.

As a commoner in the Great Arknian Empire, you must overcome a rigid class structure and discriminatory traditions to rise to the top.

It’s a life-long mission to reclaim your rightful place in the Brante family tradition, and each playing sees you make a number of important decisions that will shape your story.

Sir Brante’s life is a series of ups and downs that necessitates strategic planning in order to successfully navigate and conquer.

Disco Elysium

Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch, Mac

In Disco Elysium, a modern story-driven RPG in which a detective is tasked with investigating the murder of a guy who was found hanging from a tree, the player is given important choices.

An eerie mystery unfolds against the backdrop of a post-communist wasteland in this game that serves as a statement on the long-term consequences of political unrest.

Dialogue is an important part of the investigation process since it allows you to probe characters’ own ideas and biases while also confronting your own vulnerabilities.

It’s possible to approach the game in a variety of ways, allowing you to obtain a deeper understanding of events or completely lose track of the game.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S are all supported platforms.

It’s no secret that the Assassin’s Creed franchise isn’t exactly known for emphasizing player choice, but Valhalla does something different.

Whatever outcome you get depends on who Eivor choose to side with or make an enemy of.

Additionally, characters will point out flaws in your decisions and make you question whether or not you made the proper choice.

Eivor’s path has enough twists and turns to earn its inclusion on this list, despite the fact that many of these exchanges are only background.

Cyberpunk 2077

Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S are all supported platforms.

The notion of a player-driven RPG where the environment changes as a result of your choices is executed flawlessly in Cyberpunk 2077.

Depending on what you say or do, the story’s primary plotline or certain side tasks can be drastically altered.

An extra line of dialogue from a character that you saved may be all it takes, perhaps a snazzy new weapon or the ability to get into a restricted area.

It’s up to V and Johnny Silverhand to see if they can overcome their differences in 2077’s numerous endings.

Hitman 3

XBox One, Xbox One X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Decisions as a player in the Hitman series are plentiful, with the most obvious one being how to kill your targets.

It’s a good thing that Hitman 3 has three different endings, one of which is a “hidden” conclusion, because it expands the narrative possibilities.

If you decide to kill a certain character or let them go, it will have a different effect on Agent 47’s situation.

However, Hitman 3 makes the most of the few choices it gives you by giving each one greater significance. There are innumerable other games that give you far more options.

Detroit: Become Human

Windows, PlayStation 4

In order to keep things relevant, we’ve opted to feature Quantic Dream’s most recent game, Detroit: Become Human.

Detroit: Become Human Digital Deluxe Edition

As with Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, Become Human has several facets and places a strong emphasis on player agency throughout the narrative.

Players must decide on the fate of three androids who have grown sentient after a series of sad events that have united the three characters under a single tragic circumstance.

In the event that one of the androids dies, the story continues on without them. Depending on the choices you make, the characters’ stories can take many different paths.

Prey

Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 4, and Xbox One

There are numerous plot paths to explore in Arkane’s underappreciated immersive sim about a space station infested by dangerous aliens.

As a scientist on Talos I, your job is to find a way to escape, defeat the alien menace, and save the other survivors before it’s too late. Prey puts you in the shoes of this scientist.

With new equipment and abilities you’ll be able to take advantage of the station’s various features and unlock new areas to explore.

To save a character’s life or let fate take its course, you’ll have to act quickly in some of the tale choices.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch are all supported platforms.

In comparison to some of the other games on this list, The Witcher 3 does not provide as many options for the player as some of the others, but it does provide three different ways to reach the main ending.

You have your traditional “good” or happy ending, as well as a “bittersweet” finish that falls somewhere in between.

Which one you get depends on the choices you make along the way, some of which you won’t understand until the very end.

To further personalize the experience, a number of DLC packs incorporate your previous decisions into the storyline.

The Wolf Among Us

Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Macintosh, iOS, and Android

As a result, Telltale games are frequently criticized, and rightly so, for failing to live up to the promise of their “branching plot” architecture.

The Wolf Among Us, on the other hand, is one of the best chapters to place a major emphasis on player agency, at least in terms of plot.

You take on the role of a big bad wolf-turned-detective who sets out to solve a murder only to get sucked into a web of conspiracies and moral dilemmas that are engulfing the city in this fairytale-inspired video game.

Many game events only give you a short amount of time to act before making a decision for you, which can lead to rash judgments that have serious ramifications for the main plot as well as its subplots.

Fallout: New Vegas

The operating system is Windows.

This is a vastly different experience from the more current Fallout games, which offer a pretty linear course with some branching side tasks.

While traversing the vast Mojave Wasteland, you take on the role of a mysterious stranger seeking clues to solve their own attempted murder.

Backstabbing and betrayals abound in New Vegas, allowing you to befriend characters, stir up conflict amongst factions, or assassinate any NPC you come across without repercussion.

Every decision you make has effects that go beyond the usual good or bad morality scale and into gray zones that will make you rethink your actions..

The Henry Stickmin Collection

Windows and Macintosh

We propose The Henry Stickmin Collection, a series of choose-your-own-adventure games by one of the co-creators of Among Us.

As a petty crook, you’ll find yourself breaking into prisons, infiltrating airships, and battling huge robots across the six stories in this book.

With Henry’s array of devices, weapons, and abilities, the player can approach each obstacle in a variety of ways, and see the outcomes on the screen.

Many of the jokes are quite hilarious, and the game does an excellent job of playing with your preconceived notions about what could or might not happen if you take a particular path.

The Outer Worlds

In the Outer Worlds, not everything you do counts. However, the major ones have a significant impact on the universe of the game, especially at the end.

The outcome of nearly every location and faction you encounter is largely determined by your actions in the game. Even on a more intimate level, your actions have an effect on the perceptions of others about you. As a result, you should use caution in the Outer Worlds.

Man Of Medan

Things appear tranquil as a party of young people embarks on a diving excursion after the events of the prologue of Man Of Medan. However, the good times don’t last long for the main characters, who find themselves in a variety of sticky situations.

When they board a spooky old navy vessel, their difficulties begin. Despite the dangers they encounter, it’s up to you to keep them safe. All the main characters’ lives are in your hands, in fact. The outcome of the game depends on which character survives.

Dishonored

Choice is rarely handled as well as in this Arkane Studios game. The world of Dishonored is shaped by your actions, not your words.

There are a lot more rats and other nasty critters around if you kill a lot of people in the story. It’s also possible to dash through the streets undetected. People’s perceptions of you, guard patrols, and the game’s end are all affected by your level of disorder.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

There have been a number of Assassin’s Creed games in the past that didn’t allow the player much control over what happened in the storyline. In recent installments, though, things have evolved a bit, as this Viking adventure demonstrates.

A series of choices you make in the course of the story will have a direct impact on the outcome of Eivor and Sigurd’s adventure. In addition, you have a slew of smaller decisions to make, such as who lives or dies? What is under the authority of whom? Who are the allies of whom, and who are the enemies of whom?

Hitman 3

While Hitman 3 isn’t typically considered a choice-based game, it’s fully up to you how you play. There are a plethora of methods for eliminating your opponents at every level, some of them are vastly different from one another. It’s entirely up to you whether or not to participate in the murder investigation in the Dartmoor assignment, for example.

HITMAN 3 | Download and Buy Today - Epic Games Store

At the end of the game, you’ll have to make a major decision. What will you do with a character if you can’t bring yourself to murder him? If you’re trying to figure out how to get to the end, keep an eye out for it. A’secret’ ending is also included in the overall number of endings.

XCOM 2

No matter what you do in XCOM 2, your run will be over if you fail enough missions in this potential roguelike and strategy game mix. It’s totally up to you to make tactical decisions that will effect your entire campaign in the game’s gameplay.

While certain ailments are random, you can frequently choose which ones you’ll have to cope with as you fight off the alien invasion in the game’s latter stages. When combined with an incredible soldier customizing system, you can even create an army of friends or characters that adds to the originality of each run.

Until Dawn

Until Dawn is a very short-story video game (about 10 hours, give or take) with nearly endless options. After a year of searching for their missing pals, a group of youngsters go to a remote cabin in order to spend a few nights partying in their honor. This sounds like a recipe for disaster, and that’s exactly what it is. Beautiful tribute to horror movies in the same style.

The goal is to keep as many of these individuals alive as possible as you progress through the story. There are no easy answers in Until Dawn, and even seemingly little speech choices might have a big influence afterwards. Oh, this book does a fantastic job of correctly and powerfully describing the butterfly effect.

Detroit: Become Human

In Detroit: Become Human, player morality and choices are dealt with in a way that few other games have been able to achieve. This adventure tells three storylines, all of which eventually come together.

The central premise is that androids may exist in the future, and if so, what rights do they have? Is it appropriate to treat them like humans? Is it conceivable that they could experience emotions and thoughts similar to those of humans? This game will break your heart more than once if you have a heart at all, thanks to some heartbreaking social dilemmas and exquisitely rendered characters.

Mass Effect 2

The bulk of Mass Effect 2 is spent putting together a squad of specialists to take on the evil collectors. It’s a win-win situation: You get to know your new allies better, while also strengthening your relationship with them. But in the end, it’s your life that’s on the line.

They can all die in the final mission based on the choices you’ve made and will continue to make throughout the game. Many additional choices have an impact on the Mass Effect universe as well. Some of the ramifications of your decisions won’t be apparent until you play Mass Effect 3.

Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins is a fairly normal open-world RPG in terms of gameplay, but the plot and endings are interesting enough to keep you interested all the way through the game’s lengthy duration.

However, this film’s greatness isn’t limited to the numerous possible conclusions. The story, romance, and friendship options are all affected by character customizations. It creates a much more personal and engaging experience than a game that constantly presents you with social concerns.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a wonderful entry point for newcomers to the Deus Ex universe, with both combat and narrative options. This is a fascinating setting, as cyberpunk tends to lend itself well to psychologically challenging situations.

In addition to the story, this RPG offers a wide variety of combat options. It helps that a wide variety of stealth and action choices are available. There are no limitations to the ways in which you can direct the activities of Adam Jensen. In addition, each boss and quest will be a unique experience because of the skills you build up.

Beyond: Two Souls

If you’re a fan of choice-filled storylines, you’ll want to check out Beyond: Two Souls, a game developed by Quantic Dream. Willem Dafoe plays Jodie’s protector and tutor, and Elliot Page plays Jodie’s primary character.

This game’s cast is a large part of what sets it apart from other Quantic Dream titles in that it plays more like an interactive action movie. Even the most intense battle moments allow you to choose between mastering your skills or succumbing to the curse that enslaves you.

Life Is Strange

Life Is Strange is a phenomenon, and if you haven’t heard about it, then where have you been? This game has a devoted following, and for good reason. This puzzle story’s premise is a little out of the ordinary. Rewinding time and making other decisions is what this story is about.

Throughout the game, you’ll be confronted with a slew of difficult decisions. It’s these choices that have an effect on the plot as a whole, as well as on the characters themselves. That constant reminder of what you’ve done before forces you to rethink every decision.

Telltale’s The Walking Dead

To kick things off, we’ll go with the game that resurrected the genre. While it wasn’t the first of its type, “The Walking Dead” exposed a new generation of gamers to the concept of making significant decisions in video games. Despite what we know now, folks who were playing the game at the time couldn’t be sure how much their decisions would affect the outcome.

We’ll never forget the first few hours of the game, when we had to select between two characters, one of whom would live and the other would die.

Westerado: Double Barreled

Westerado’s double-barreled is a game of choice, according to the New Day Review.

To avenge the deaths of your family and burn down your house, you’ll have to go throughout the wild west in this game. “Westerado” produces the killer of your family at random; it may be anyone, and it’s all up to you to find him.

When a person is threatened by the incorrect person, they may not give up critical information that could lead to the killer. If you complete certain objectives, they may close off alternate routes and obscure important clues. Every action you take in Westerado has repercussions, and the random nature of the game ensures that every playthrough is unique.

The Stanley Parable

You’re alone in the office, with only the narrator’s voice to guide you. In other words, do you follow what the storyteller says, or do you go against what they say? This game revolves around the question of whether or not you have a say in the storyline of a story.

The Stanley Parable | Download and Buy Today - Epic Games Store

If you’re a fan of storytelling, then this game is a must-play for you.

Tyranny

What if you could be the antagonist in your own video game? “Tyranny,” on the other hand, allows you to unleash your inner blood-lusting murderer.

You’ll have to make several big decisions in the course of the game’s primary narrative. Tyranny’s most important decisions are made in the game’s Conquest mode, which is available at the start of the game. Conquest serves as a prequel to the main game, allowing you to make major decisions that will have a lasting impact on the outcome of the game.

A majority of gameplay decisions revolve around which group you’ll support throughout the course of the story.

Heavy Rain

There are clues all around you, and you must uncover them to save your son from the terrifying Origami Killer. The Origami Killer, on the other hand, doesn’t exactly make things simple. You’ll face a series of seemingly insurmountable choices that will put your resolve and mental stamina to the test.

Will you be able to perform these terrible challenges, such as mutilating oneself or murdering a former felon with a family? If you don’t, you put your son in danger of being murdered by the Origami killer. You have the power to decide.

This Is The Police

In “This Is The Police,” you take on the role of a police chief who is counting down the days until he can retire. Freeburg, on the other hand, has other ideas. This is a brutal game that doesn’t hold back. A decision you make in the game’s tutorial could benefit a friend and a corrupt cop, but goes against your moral compass. His family’s fate may be sealed or altered based on your decision. After a short time, the game tells you to “fire all black cops” because radicals are threatening their lives.

Tales From The Borderlands

Telltale’s take on the Borderlands series is a hoot. It’s up to you to direct a street thug and a corporate dupe in their quest for glory.

In Pandora, making friends is important, and the allies you create along the way will have a significant impact on the game’s conclusion. You won’t meet many characters again at the conclusion of the game if you haven’t built the correct connections.

FTL: Faster Than Light

You’re tasked with saving the Federation from an enormous rebel space station in “FTL.” Only a few crew members are needed to get the job done.

There are a lot of decisions to be made, and they could make a huge difference in whether or not you live or die in an explosion.

Random encounters in this game will push you to the extent of your morality. Do you really want to risk the lives of a handful of your crew members in order to save the lives of others on another planet? As a new crew member, do you buy slaves or blow the slavers and their victims to pieces? Is it more important to accomplish the purpose or do what is morally correct?

Papers, Please

You play an immigration officer in the imaginary country of Arstotzka, which has just reopened its borders, and you must decide whether or not to allow foreigners into the country. As political tension rises, you have to keep track of more rules and regulations, which requires you to develop a keen eye.

Papers, Your family’s food and heat are just two of many choices you must make in Please, which can lead you to assist a shadowy organization in taking over the country. You get one of twenty possible endings based on your decisions.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

When you play Henry, a 15th-century peasant from Bohemia in “Kingdom Come: Deliverance,” you’ll frequently find yourself in the middle of big historical events.

While the story is rather linear, the choices you make as Henry can alter many side quests as well as what people think of you. Your choices decided what kind of person Henry is. For instance, do you throw cow feces at someone’s house for bad mouthing the king or do you run the errands that your dad gave you like a good boy?

While the story is rather linear, the choices you make as Henry can alter many side quests as well as what people think of you. Your choices decided what kind of person Henry is. For instance, do you throw cow feces at someone’s house for bad mouthing the king or do you run the errands that your dad gave you like a good boy?

Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic

While the main plot is fairly straightforward, the decisions you make as Henry will have an impact on many of the game’s side tasks as well as how others see you. Henry’s character is shaped by the decisions you make. Is throwing cow dung at the house of a person who has criticized the monarchy acceptable behavior for a young boy?

STAR WARS™: Knights of the Old Republic™ for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo

You get to choose between the good and dark aspects of the force, whatever one you like.

As a matter of fact, who wouldn’t want to be a Sith Lord? You know it’s true if you feel it.

Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Telltale is an essential part of any discussion of video games that allow players to influence the narrative. From “The Walking Dead” to “Game of Thrones,” and even “Batman,” a late game studio made the genre a household name.

None, however, achieved this feat quite like Telltale’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” You assume command of Star Lord, the leader of the Guardians, and set out to save the galaxy once more. The route of the story is not only influenced by your words, but also by your deeds. As a result, the villain’s goals and the individuals you wind up with in the game are both altered.

Vampire: The Masquerade- Bloodlines

In this game, you’ll take on the role of a novice vampire as you navigate your way through a story of vampire politics. There are a lot of decisions to be made in this RPG, but one of the most significant occurs even before the game begins. The way you interact with other characters and how you approach quests is significantly influenced by your choice of clan (i.e., what kind of vampire you are). Some clans go so far as to ban you from being seen by non-clan members. What you do and who you meet will have an impact on your story’s conclusion.

Crusader Kings 2

In “Crusader Kings 2,” you assume control of a medieval European country or empire. All interactions between characters in this game have the potential to change the course of events in the past. A person who doesn’t like you sufficiently could end up trying to have you murdered.

As you seek to expand your control, you must make political decisions. Even seemingly inconsequential decisions can alter the course of history.

Mass Effect

All three of the “Mass Effect” games are getting this honor because they deserve it.

When it comes to popular video games, Mass Effect has been one of the most influential since the release of its four games, seven novels and an animated movie, as well as its theme park experience. Commander Shepard is thrust into a galaxy of aliens, galactic warfare, and political intrigue.

Throughout the main trilogy, your decisions have a lasting effect on the characters. Some of your favorite characters may die as a result of your decisions, and they will remain dead. It is possible to lose a character in the first game of a series and never see them again, yet another player may still have that character at the end of the series. As a result, you’re forced to take your activities more seriously. The game makes you think like a military commander striving to keep his or her troops alive.

FAQS:

What is designer centric game design?

Game design that puts the player first. When designers think on themselves as the primary audience, they create the game that they want to play.

What makes a choice meaningful?

There must be benefits and dangers provided for the players in order for their decision to be significant. When the player has this information in mind, they may make an educated decision that will stand the test of time. … On the other hand, gamers are the ones who create their own meaning through gameplay.

What game has the longest main story?

Fallout: New Vegas is widely regarded as the best game in the series, and it’s also the longest! Fallout: New Vegas can be completed in 131 hours using the completionist technique.