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Choices Matter hidden gems on Steam
Every game here is tagged Choices Matter on Steam, sits between 1,000 and 5,000 reviews, is rated at least 80% positive, and carries a catch drawn from its own negative reviews. All 57 of them. How these pages are made.
This is a short, psychological simulation horror game where players answer questions to uncover hidden truths about themselves. It features player-developer interaction and a focus on atmospheric introspection.
What players likedPlayers praise "The Test: Final Revelation" as a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience that's incredibly worthwhile, especially given its low cost.
The catchThe final result is vague horoscope style advice that could apply to anyone.
Games like The Test: Final Revelation →
Nine people wake in an underground facility and are told the exit opens only after six of them die. Search 3D rooms for escape puzzles and jump between fragments of a splintered timeline.
What players likedPlayers praise its hard puzzles and weird sci-fi story, comparing it to "Saw" and "Resident Evil 1 Remake."
The catchA weak twist and unresolved plot threads make the trilogy's finale a letdown.
Games like Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma →
Last Day of June87% positive from 4,677 reviews201727% finish itDeck Unsupported
An interactive cinematic adventure game. Players solve fate-altering puzzles to relive and change events, experiencing a story of love and loss.
What players likedPlayers praise "Last Day of June" as a beautiful, emotional, art-like puzzle game with a touching story and excellent music.
The catchCutscenes cannot be skipped and the loop forces you to rewatch them over and over.
Games like Last Day of June →
A visual novel about rebuilding a glider club to fly through a rare cloud formation. It focuses on youth, friendship, and overcoming obstacles.
What players likedPlayers praise this visual novel for its good characters, planes, and plot, comparing it favorably to other "chasing dream" stories.
The catchThe story drags for dozens of hours of filler before anything meaningful happens.
Games like If My Heart Had Wings →
This is a surveillance simulation game where players monitor passengers, report suspicious activity, and make difficult choices. It focuses on observation, reporting, and managing consequences in a totalitarian setting.
What players likedPlayers compare it to "Papers, Please," praising its immersive atmosphere, dystopian themes, and impactful decision-making.
The catchSaves happen at fixed points, so one wrong choice means replaying long stretches.
Games like Beholder: Conductor →
This is an interactive narrative game about life choices and survival in the entertainment industry. Players make choices that drive branching storylines and lead to multiple endings.
What players likedPlayers find it a decent historical drama, praising actress Xiang Weijing's performance, though hoping for a sequel as good as "Mandate of Heaven."
The catchThe English translation is bad, with whole scenes left unsubtitled or untranslated.
Games like Vanity Fair: The Pursuit →
This is a narrative-driven, third-person 3D adventure game. It features a story-heavy experience with player choices impacting consequences across two worlds.
What players likedPlayers compare it to Life is Strange for its story-rich experience, praising its expansive world and exploration.
The catchLong dragging dialogue, slow walking and trivial puzzles make it a tedious slog.
Games like Dreamfall Chapters →
Narrative adventure game with branching choices. Focuses on friendship and emotional storytelling.
What players likedPlayers praise its emotional storytelling and character development, especially Chloe and Rachel's relationship, often recommending it before the original LiS.
The catchThe remaster is buggy, with subtitles freezing and voice lines dropping out entirely.
Games like Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered →
This is a sci-fi job simulator where you verify neighbors' identities to prevent doppelgangers from entering. It features observation-based gameplay with multiple modes and endings.
What players likedLike "Papers, Please," players praise its detective gameplay for being fun, brain-training, and worth the low price.
The catchDifficulty barely increases from day to day and the story stays thin.
Games like That's not my Neighbor →
As Dusk Falls90% positive from 4,314 reviews202249% finish itDeck Unsupported
Interactive drama where player choices shape entangled family lives across decades. Experience a crime story with a motion comic art style and cooperative multiplayer.
What players likedPlayers praise its impactful choices and engaging story, comparing it to interactive narrative games like Detroit: Become Human and Telltale titles.
The catchThe story stops on an unresolved cliffhanger with no sequel to finish it.
Games like As Dusk Falls →
Scarlet Hollow98% positive from 4,080 reviews202512% finish itDeck Verified
This is a branching narrative horror-mystery game with trait-based dialogue. Players investigate paranormal events and make impactful choices that shape the story and relationships.
What players likedPlayers praise "Scarlet Hollow" as a deeply replayable visual novel with impactful choices, compelling characters, and stunning art, often compared to "Slay the Princess" for its narrative depth.
The catchStill unfinished after years, with episodes arriving rarely and running very short.
Games like Scarlet Hollow →
Isometric, party-based RPG about navigating factions on a generation ship. Your choices shape alliances and survival in a harsh, enclosed world.
What players likedPlayers praise Colony Ship as a challenging, story-rich CRPG reminiscent of classic Fallout and Age of Decadence.
The catchCombat is punishing and unbalanced, with low hit chances even on specialised builds.
Games like Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game →
A narrative-driven RPG focused on dialogue and choice in a crumbling society. It emphasizes consequences and player agency over combat.
What players likedPlayers compare it to 90s RPGs, Divinity, and Pillars of Eternity, praising its deep choices, branching paths, and impactful consequences.
The catchForced fights your build cannot win push you into constant save scumming and reloading.
Games like The Age of Decadence →
This is a narrative life simulation RPG where players make choices that shape their character and colony. The core loop involves exploring, studying, and forming relationships, with decisions impacting future playthroughs.
What players likedPlayers praise its emotional, replayable story and inclusive characters, comparing it to narrative RPGs, dating sims, and deckbuilders.
The catchThe card minigame repeats after every action and turns dull within a couple of hours.
Games like I Was a Teenage Exocolonist →
Mitoza96% positive from 3,847 reviews202138% finish itDeck Playable
Surreal choice-driven exploration game. Players experience cycles of growth and decay, making decisions that impact the narrative.
What players likedPlayers praise Mitoza as a free, short, "choose your own adventure" game with an art style that offers many fun and unexpected possibilities.
The catchAmounts to picking A or B and watching animations, which gets repetitive fast.
Games like Mitoza →
A narrative roleplaying game where choices drive a musical story. Players make dialogue and song choices to uncover a mystery in a modern fantasy world.
What players likedPlayers praise this interactive story as a visual novel or choose-your-own-adventure musical with an amazing voice cast and compelling Greek mythology story.
The catchThe songs are forgettable, with characters mostly singing dialogue to a tune.
Games like Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical →
Live-action visual novel following five strangers through one day in Shibuya after a kidnapping, with a JUMP system for switching between their parallel stories when one hits a dead end.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique, well-made visual novel experience with a masterfully connected, mind-blowing mystery plot.
The catchNo text skip and slow text speed force rereading the same scenes repeatedly.
Games like 428: Shibuya Scramble →
This is a story-driven tactical RPG where players manage a caravan and make difficult choices. It features strategic combat with permanent character loss and a hand-drawn art style.
What players likedPlayers praise its fantastic story and visuals, which expand on the predecessor, making it a necessary continuation of the trilogy.
The catchBugs and crashes are frequent, and with no manual save they cost you real progress.
Games like The Banner Saga 2 →
A short horror anomaly-hunting game where players inspect cabins for hauntings. The core loop involves deciding to "danger" or "clear" based on observations.
What players likedPlayers praise this anomaly-finder horror game for its creative, unsettling atmosphere and well-executed creep factor without relying on traditional jumpscares.
The catchThe rules for what counts as an anomaly are inconsistent, so wrong calls feel unfair.
Games like The Cabin Factory →
Growing Up88% positive from 3,651 reviews202180% finish itDeck Playable
Life simulation game where players make choices to shape a character's childhood and adulthood. Features a branching narrative and generational gameplay.
What players likedPlayers praise this narrative-driven life sim with RPG and roguelike elements for its relaxing gameplay, charming art, and meaningful choices.
The catchRuns get repetitive fast and later generations carry nothing over from the last life.
Games like Growing Up →
A narrative puzzle game where player choices influence branching storylines, leading to numerous bad endings. The core loop involves replaying scenarios with altered behaviors to uncover new paths and potentially a good outcome.
What players likedPlayers praise "BAD END THEATER" as a short, emotional, and charming choose-your-own-adventure or narrative puzzle game with beautiful art and music.
The catchIt is over in under two hours of repeating the same scenes, and priced too high.
Games like BAD END THEATER →
This is a multi-ended visual novel where player choices shape relationships and determine one of four endings. It focuses on a high school student's second chance at social life and a unique romance.
What players likedPlayers praise this emotional and well-written visual novel as a step up from "Snoot Game," offering impactful choices and a memorable story.
The catchReviewers who liked it still refuse to recommend it over the developers' bigotry.
Games like I Wani Hug that Gator! →
Turn-based dice-building roguelite with strategic dice placement. Build custom dice and use relics to battle through a dungeon.
What players likedPlayers describe "Die in the Dungeon" as "Slay the Spire with dice," praising its fun, unique mechanics, and satisfying puzzle-like combat.
The catchlate-game effects hard to read and track
Games like Die in the Dungeon →
This is a retro-style wrestling simulation game with freestyle animation and a career mode. It features instant loading and a focus on accessible yet deep gameplay.
What players likedPlayers praise its N64/PS1-style graphics, open-world feel, and better storylines, allowing for creative and impactful interactions.
The catchMatch outcomes feel random, not skill-based
Games like Wrestling Empire →
This is a single-player roguelike deckbuilder where players strategically build and transform their decks before battles. It emphasizes player control with no random events, allowing for creative strategy and skill-based victory.
What players likedPlayers praise Vault of the Void as a deep, intricate deckbuilder akin to Slay the Spire, with unique mechanics and excellent flow.
The catchPiles on so many keywords and stacking effects that fights become mental bookkeeping.
Games like Vault of the Void →
A life simulation game where you raise your daughter through choices and activities. Focuses on familial bonds and character development in a whimsical kingdom.
What players likedPlayers praise this charming parenting simulator, similar to Princess Maker and Long Live the Queen, for its depth, content, and beautiful art.
The catchThe English translation is machine level bad, which hurts a very text heavy game.
Games like Volcano Princess →
Five Dates85% positive from 2,813 reviews202024% finish itDeck Verified
This is a live-action FMV romantic comedy where player choices shape conversations and relationships with five potential dates. The game explores modern digital dating through branching dialogue and interactive scenarios.
What players likedPlayers praise its deep exploration of love and realistic portrayal of dating, akin to a light-hearted comedy FMV.
The catchThe five women come across as unlikable archetypes and the dialogue feels staged.
Games like Five Dates →
This is an interactive graphic novel where players sell parts of their soul to fulfill wishes. It offers a contemporary Faustian tale with comic book art and a branching narrative.
What players likedNo substantive recurring points about comparisons or praise can be extracted from the provided review.
The catchChoices are an illusion, every path funnels back into the same predetermined story.
Games like Soul Gambler →
This is a co-op narrative adventure with survival mechanics where players manage resources on a road trip. It features charming characters and irreverent humor with a social competitive aspect.
What players likedPlayers praise its humor and unique narrative, comparing it favorably to previous Monster Prom entries for its approachable gameplay.
The catchIt plays as a random resource manager rather than the dating sim of earlier entries.
Games like Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip →
Heaven's Vault84% positive from 2,461 reviews201928% finish itDeck Verified
A narrative adventure game where you explore space, translate ancient languages, and make choices that shape the story. It features an adaptive narrative and a unique hieroglyphic translation puzzle.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique archaeological translation puzzles, akin to Chants of Sennar, within a rich narrative and fascinating world.
The catchWalking, sailing and dialogue all crawl, padded with unskippable transitions.
Games like Heaven's Vault →
This is a puzzle adventure game where players interact with both the game world and their own computer to solve puzzles. It features a unique meta-narrative and a melancholic, surreal atmosphere.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique meta-storytelling, emotional impact, and clever puzzles, often comparing it to a masterpiece of interactive art.
The catchThe emulated desktop blunts the fourth wall tricks the original pulled on your real PC.
Games like OneShot: World Machine Edition →
This is a kitchen management game with dialogue choices and multiple endings. Players serve customers while discussing the end of the world, offering a meditative psycho-horror experience.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique narrative and character backstories, often comparing it to a short, story-rich walking simulator with cooking elements.
The catchSold as a kitchen management sim but the cooking is a thin wrapper for cutscenes.
Games like While We Wait Here →
A narrative adventure game where player choices shape the story. Focuses on a musician's creative struggle and unexpected encounters.
The catchThere is almost no gameplay beyond clicking through slow text, and it drags.
Games like The Lion's Song: Episode 1 - Silence →
Bad Dream: Coma91% positive from 2,214 reviews201712% finish itDeck Verified
This is a point-and-click adventure game with a minimalistic art style. It features action-reaction gameplay in a surreal, disturbing dream world with high replayability.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique, disturbing atmosphere and well-designed, impactful puzzles, offering replayability through meaningful choices.
The catchPuzzles follow no logic, so progress means clicking every object until something works.
Games like Bad Dream: Coma →
The Pale Beyond89% positive from 2,203 reviews202322% finish itDeck Verified
A narrative survival management game where you lead a polar expedition, making tough choices to keep your crew alive and motivated in a harsh, dynamic environment.
What players likedPlayers praise its gripping narrative and meaningful choices, comparing it to games like Banner Saga, Frostpunk, and Disco Elysium.
The catchChoices cannot be undone, so mistakes mean replaying a whole week of the same dialogue.
Games like The Pale Beyond →
Cabernet95% positive from 2,146 reviews202545% finish itDeck Verified
Narrative RPG with moral choices and social simulation. Explore a dark, 19th-century world, manage vampiric urges, and manipulate characters.
What players likedPlayers praise "Cabernet" as a narrative-driven, choices-matter vampire game with strong Eastern European folklore, often compared to "Vampyr" and "Masquerade."
The catchFrequent bugs break quests and freeze the game, forcing long rollbacks to earlier saves.
Games like Cabernet →
80 Days90% positive from 2,026 reviews201541% finish itDeck Verified
A narrative adventure game where players manage resources to race around a 3D globe, making choices to survive and succeed. It features a steampunk setting and a constant time pressure.
What players likedPlayers praise its open-ended adventure and steampunk world, offering many routes and discoveries like a choose-your-own-adventure travelogue.
The catchUnskippable intro credits play before the game starts
Games like 80 Days →
This is a short, narrative-driven adventure game where players collect words to solve dialogue puzzles. It features a unique vocabulary inventory and a detective story feel.
What players likedPlayers praise its engaging, narrative-heavy sci-fi mystery with well-written dialogue, often compared to a "Thomas Was Alone" sequel.
The catchChoices barely change anything and the ending arrives rushed and abrupt.
Games like Subsurface Circular →
Interactive sci-fi novel where you design robots and make choices that shape their development and the world over thirty years. Your decisions determine robot sentience, their relationship with humanity, and your personal life.
What players likedPlayers praise its well-explained story that makes you feel in charge of a growing machine, akin to exploring the complexities of AI.
The catchThe story railroads everyone into a US China war plot no matter which choices you pick.
Games like Choice of Robots →
Monster Prom 4: Monster Con is a multiplayer dating sim where players build a comic book while pursuing one of six monsters at a convention. It offers witty dialogue and charming characters in a humorous, nerdy setting.
What players likedPlayers praise this visual novel for its fun, humorous dating of hot monsters, unique art, multiplayer, and numerous endings.
The catchWriting and characters lack the charm and humour of the earlier games.
Games like Monster Prom 4: Monster Con →
Episodic narrative adventure game. Players make choices as Star-Lord to shape the story.
The catchGame breaking bugs, especially in episode three, block progress until a full restart.
Games like Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series →
A hand-drawn narrative adventure where players manage distractions to meet a deadline. It features multiple endings and a free, extended story chapter.
What players likedPlayers praise its charming art, relatable procrastination, and anti-corporate/AI themes, comparing it to "13 Storey Treehouse" and "Lumber Lass."
The catchThere is no working fast forward, so replaying for other endings is a slog.
Games like Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines →
A medieval life simulation RPG where player choices shape their destiny. It features branching narratives and moral dilemmas.
What players likedPlayers praise the well-written story and concept, similar to "Temple Runners" for its narrative, where graphics and music are not a focus.
The catchChoices are a coin flip with one correct path, and dying replays the same scenes.
Games like Choice of Life: Middle Ages →
Multiplayer party game where one player is Monarch and others vote on decisions. Features emergent narrative, political intrigue, and rebellion with shifting power dynamics.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique blend of party game, political simulator, and interactive storytelling, wishing for more plotlines and regions.
The catchIt needs at least four players and offers no bots or single player mode.
Games like King Of The Castle →
Vivid Knight90% positive from 1,708 reviews202152% finish itDeck Playable
This is a roguelike dungeon crawler where players collect and upgrade jewel units to form a party. Its core loop involves strategic party building and using gem abilities to defeat enemies.
The catchoutcomes hinge heavily on RNG, with a harsh mid-game spike
Games like Vivid Knight →
This is a turn-based RPG with survival mechanics. Players experience realistic medieval combat and consequence-driven interactions.
What players likedPlayers praise its roguelite progression and branching stories, comparing it to a puzzle game.
The catchProgression is slow and repetitive; camp and fights feel tedious
Games like Heads Will Roll: Reforged →
This is a Japanese psychological horror game where you play as a live streamer. It features a VHS aesthetic and an immersive, atmospheric environment designed to drive you insane.
What players likedPlayers praise its engaging story and visuals, highlighting its realistic take on streamer experiences and surprising twist.
The catchUnfinished and buggy, with glitches that can block progress and force a restart.
Games like [Chilla's Art] Parasocial | パラソーシャル →
This is a narrative-driven puzzle game with multiple endings. Players make choices and solve absurd puzzles in a surreal public restroom setting.
What players likedPlayers praise its humorous puzzle-solving, comparing it to "dumb ways to die" for its focus on finding comedic deaths.
The catchThere are no checkpoints, so each new ending means replaying the whole sequence again.
Games like Toilet Chronicles →
This is an episodic narrative adventure game where players make choices that impact the story. It features a story-driven exploration and dialogue system with quick-time events.
The catchThe story and characters are dull, and it lands weaker than the first season.
Games like Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two →
A visual novel with a branching narrative where players make impactful choices to uncover a conspiracy in a dragon world, featuring romance. The core loop involves dialogue, investigation, and time management with multiple endings.
What players likedPlayers praise this visual novel as an unexpected gem with a great story, charming characters, and diverse routes.
The catchWriting lets it down, with flat dialogue and long exposition dumps in place of story.
Games like Angels with Scaly Wings →
This is a horror visual novel with a branching narrative where player choices impact character relationships and story outcomes. It features extensive reading, character development, and animated visuals inspired by Asian horror.
What players likedPlayers praise its rich, deep story and meaningful choices, feeling like a great mobile game brought to PC.
The catchLong stretches of mundane dialogue drag on while the horror rarely turns up.
Games like The Letter - Horror Visual Novel →
This is a horror adventure game with point-and-click and RPG elements. Players explore a haunted school, make choices that affect the story, and uncover a dark mystery.
What players likedPlayers praise this classic RPG horror game for its thrilling, suspenseful, and wonderfully narrated story, with some appreciating its complementary extra chapters.
The catchConstant fanservice and sexualization of the minor cast undercuts the horror.
Games like Corpse Party (2021) →
A narrative-driven shop simulation where you uncover item value and hidden stories in a mysterious city. You buy and sell secondhand goods, using tools and lore to determine their true worth.
What players likedPlayers praise this pawnshop-style game for its compelling story and relaxed mechanics, despite initial unclear instructions.
The catchDialogue auto-advances too fast to read and there is no way to pause or slow it.
Games like No Umbrellas Allowed →
Story-driven nurture simulator. Players balance resource management and daily care to shape a child's personality and worldview.
What players likedPlayers praise its engaging, story-driven parenting simulation based on real historical events.
The catchChoices barely affect the outcome, leaving players unable to actually help the child.
Games like My Child Lebensborn →
Open-world RPG with class choice and questing. Explore Borea, craft items, and fight darkness across diverse biomes.
What players likedPlayers praise this wanky, weird, and loving game for its fun despite some translation issues.
The catchThe English translation is patchy or missing, making quests and menus hard to follow.
Games like YAR: Forgotten Throne →
Grunn96% positive from 1,318 reviews2024Deck Verified
This is a first-person exploration and gardening game with a mystery and survival element. Players maintain a garden and explore a village while avoiding a mysterious threat.
What players likedPlayers praise Grunn as a unique, cozy horror puzzle game with an Outer Wilds-like loop, offering mystery, atmosphere, and multiple endings.
The catchDying or hitting an ending wipes all progress, forcing the same slow chores again.
Games like Grunn →
Japanese horror game about working at a bathhouse. Features improved graphics, new story, and mechanics with multiple endings.
What players likedNo comparisons to other games are present in the provided review.
The catchPoor optimisation brings stutter and crashes that force whole days to be replayed.
Games like The Bathhouse | 地獄銭湯 Restored Edition →
![[Chilla's Art] Parasocial | パラソーシャル](https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/2314720/header.jpg)
