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Story Rich hidden gems on Steam
Every game here is tagged Story Rich 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. Showing the 60 most reviewed of 206. How these pages are made.
This is a 3D stealth action compilation featuring cinematic storytelling and a core loop of avoiding detection. It offers a mature, intrigue-filled experience with a focus on espionage.
What players likedPlayers praise its timeless story and characters, feeling like a revolutionary indie game from today despite its 1998 release.
The catchBoss fights, especially the cyborg ninja, feel frustrating
Games like METAL GEAR SOLID - Master Collection Version →
This is a retro pixel-art adventure game where players investigate a murder case in a cyberpunk city. Players analyze details and interact with NPCs to uncover a conspiracy.
What players likedPlayers praise its engaging story and characters, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures.
The catchConstant unrelated puzzles crowd out the actual detective work you came for.
Games like Tales of the Neon Sea →
A narrative-driven point-and-click adventure game featuring puzzle-solving and exploration. It offers a steampunk atmosphere with a focus on unraveling intertwined mysteries.
What players likedPlayers praise its beautiful, touching story and art, reminiscent of classic adventure games.
The catchAuto-highlighted hotspots remove puzzle discovery
Games like Syberia: The World Before →
GNOSIA94% positive from 4,935 reviews202235% finish itDeck Playable
Sci-fi social deduction RPG with a core loop of discussion, deduction, and voting to identify hidden enemies. Players repeat loops to uncover a narrative and improve abilities in a tense, strategic experience.
What players likedPlayers praise this unique single-player social deduction game for its engaging story, memorable characters, and replayable "Werewolf" or "Among Us" style gameplay.
The catchAI crewmates accuse you illogically during deduction votes
Games like GNOSIA →
A narrative deduction game where you uncover family ties using 1990s internet research. Solve puzzles by connecting evidence to build a family tree.
What players likedPlayers praise this addictive detective game for its challenging, rewarding puzzles and comparisons to "Obra Dinn," "Hypnospace Outlaw," and "Her Story."
The catchInvestigation boils down to typing keywords and reading summaries, which turns tedious.
Games like The Roottrees are Dead →
Action RPG with real-time combat and character switching. Features a story-driven adventure with exploration and boss battles.
What players likedPlayers praise its story, characters (especially Yuri), and combat, comparing it favorably to other JRPGs and Tales of games.
The catchCombat feels clunky and unresponsive, especially early on before mechanics unlock.
Games like Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition →
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 →
A 2D anime fighting game with a visual novel story. It features deep combat mechanics and fast-paced battles.
What players likedIt's a deep, unique anime fighter with amazing characters, art, music, and a rewarding story.
The catchOnly long-time veterans remain online, so new players get flattened in most matches.
Games like BlazBlue Centralfiction →
This is a turn-based tactical RPG with cyberpunk themes. Players manage a team of runners in a gritty, futuristic Hong Kong.
What players likedPlayers praise its masterful story and characters, comparing it favorably to previous Shadowrun titles and other tactical RPGs.
The catchHuge walls of irrelevant dialogue smother the pacing and leave little actual gameplay.
Games like Shadowrun: Hong Kong - Extended Edition →
Tacoma86% positive from 4,771 reviews201744% finish itDeck Verified
Narrative adventure game with interactive 3D recordings of past events. Explore a space station to uncover a crew's story of trust and fear.
What players likedLike a "walking simulator" but with unique AR video gameplay, players praise Tacoma's immersive storytelling, characters, and relevant themes.
The catchBarely any gameplay and it ends in two or three hours with no real payoff.
Games like Tacoma →
This is a fast-paced, 8-bit simulation game where players shower with multiple dads. It features various singleplayer and multiplayer modes focused on dad-related showering mechanics.
What players likedPlayers praise its complex gameplay, comparing it to classic arcade games and modern RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Skyrim.
The catchAchievements are vague and grindy, forcing guide use, and a few are unobtainable.
Games like Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015: Do You Still Shower With Your Dad →
SANABI95% positive from 4,717 reviews202353% finish itDeck Playable
Cyberpunk action-platformer featuring chain-hook traversal and combat in a mysterious, chaotic mega-city.
What players likedPlayers praise SANABI's masterful story, characters, and pixel art animations, comparing its grappling hook gameplay to Spider-Man and Speedrunners.
The catchLong cutscenes interrupt constantly, leaving only short bursts of actual gameplay.
Games like SANABI →
Wytchwood93% positive from 4,716 reviews202127% finish itDeck Verified
Crafting adventure game where you explore, gather, and brew spells to teach characters lessons in a gothic fairytale world.
What players likedPlayers praise Wytchwood as a charming, visually stunning, and story-rich "fetch quest" game akin to Skyrim's crafting, perfect for those who enjoy collecting and crafting.
The catchThe whole game is fetch quests and backtracking for ingredients, which turns tedious.
Games like Wytchwood →
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 →
This is a non-linear RPG with a generational succession mechanic where players defend an empire against vengeful heroes. It features diverse classes and tactical combat.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique, open-ended JRPG mechanics, generational system, and stylish presentation, making it an accessible entry to the SaGa series.
The catchTime skips keep replacing your party with blank characters you never get attached to.
Games like Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven →
1000xRESIST96% positive from 4,647 reviews2024Deck Playable
Sci-fi narrative adventure with a focus on uncovering secrets and making choices. Players experience a dystopian future where humanity is near extinction.
What players likedPlayers describe 1000xRESIST as a 3D visual novel or walking simulator, praised for its emotional, captivating, and masterfully written story.
The catchLong stretches are spent lost in huge empty hub areas with an unhelpful map.
Games like 1000xRESIST →
Third-person action-adventure in the American Deep South. Hazel becomes a Weaver, using magic to subdue folklore creatures called Haints and untangle her family's buried history.
What players likedPlayers praise the beautiful art style, captivating story, and amazing music, often comparing it to a Southern Gothic "Alice in Wonderland" or "Wolf Among Us."
The catchCombat is tedious and repetitive, with the same enemies in copy-paste arenas.
Games like South of Midnight →
This is a 2D fighting game featuring characters from the Persona series. Players engage in tag-team battles against Shadow enemies.
What players likedPlayers praise it as a unique, deep, and beginner-friendly fighting game with a great cast and Persona mechanics.
The catchStory mode is hours of visual novel text with only minutes of actual fighting.
Games like Persona 4 Arena Ultimax →
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 →
Psychological survival horror game. Players manage resources and make difficult choices in a plague-ridden town.
What players likedIt's a unique, difficult, and atmospheric Russian literature-like misery simulator with amazing music and lore.
The catchMost of the game is slowly walking across town between short, cryptic conversations.
Games like Pathologic Classic HD →
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 →
Paradise Killer93% positive from 4,458 reviews202021% finish itDeck Verified
This is an open-world detective game where players investigate a murder on a surreal island. The core loop involves exploring, gathering evidence, and building a case to present in a trial.
What players likedPlayers praise Paradise Killer as a unique open-world detective game akin to Disco Elysium, Danganronpa, and Ace Attorney, for its deep lore and engaging mystery.
The catchMost of the time goes to aimless wandering and collecting, not actual deduction.
Games like Paradise Killer →
A five-act magical realist adventure game focused on narrative and atmosphere. Players explore a surreal landscape, interacting with characters and uncovering a story of debt and community.
What players likedPlayers praise its deep, magical realism narrative, comparable to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" or "Apocalypse Now."
The catchPainfully slow pacing and walls of dialogue with almost no actual gameplay.
Games like Kentucky Route Zero: PC Edition →
The Supper99% positive from 4,398 reviews2020Deck Playable
Short adventure game. Explore, solve puzzles, and cook special meals with a mysterious voice guiding you.
What players likedPlayers praise this short point-and-click adventure for its stunning art, chill music, balanced puzzles, and a great story with a surprising twist.
The catchIt ends in under thirty minutes and the puzzles are too simple to challenge.
Games like The Supper →
A narrative-driven visual novel with puzzle elements. Players navigate a survival game with racial tensions and a doppelganger mechanic.
What players likedPlayers praise its charming characters, deep story/lore, and unique otome experience, despite some translation issues.
The catchOn Mac, an error screen after finding the key blocks any further progress.
Games like Ten Trials of Babel: The Doppelganger Maze →
Slice-of-life adventure game with pixel art. Explore a 90s Indonesian town, dive into minds, and uncover supernatural secrets.
What players likedPlayers praise its touching story, beautiful pixel art, and music, comparing it to "Until Then" for its similar masterful vibes.
The catchThe story keeps stalling behind nested fetch quests and long walks across the map.
Games like A Space for the Unbound →
This is an open-world space exploration RPG with ship building and tactical combat. Players explore, research, and engage in faction-based interactions.
What players likedPlayers praise Starcom: Unknown Space as a Star Control 2-like exploration game with deep ship customization and engaging combat.
The catchObjectives are unclear, leaving you unsure where to go
Games like Starcom: Unknown Space →
A first-person puzzle adventure game where players reverse objects through time to solve challenges. It features a witty narrative and a dangerous space station setting.
What players likedPlayers praise its Portal-like puzzle gameplay, unique time-rewinding mechanics, engaging story, and witty writing.
The catchOne mistimed jump or misplaced cube often means redoing the whole puzzle from scratch.
Games like The Entropy Centre →
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 →
This is an AI companion simulation game where your virtual friend learns and adapts to you. The core loop involves interacting with your buddy, playing games, and experiencing its evolving personality.
What players likedPlayers compare it to Undertale and KinitoPet, praising its well-written, emotional story and unique concept.
The catchThe novelty fades into a slow, repetitive RPG whose combat drags the whole thing down.
Games like Buddy Simulator 1984 →
This is a co-op roguelike action game where players use unique Turtle powers and randomized upgrades in fast-paced runs. It features arcade and story modes with iconic TMNT locations and enemies.
What players likedPlayers praise this "Hades-like" roguelike for its addictive co-op gameplay, fun combat, and nostalgic TMNT charm.
The catchderivative Hades clone with spongy, grindy progression
Games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate →
This is a remastered JRPG collection featuring a story-driven adventure with action combat and a focus on character progression. It offers a nostalgic experience with enhanced visuals and gameplay.
What players likedPlayers praise the nostalgic story and upgraded graphics, comparing it favorably to its PS2 predecessors and other JRPGs.
The catchSaves live in the game folder with no cloud backup, so progress vanishes easily.
Games like .hack//G.U. Last Recode →
b91% positive from 4,191 reviews2017Deck Playable
A free-flight simulation where you play as a bumblebee in a meadow. Experience a day-night cycle and customize music in this relaxing exploration game.
What players likedPlayers praise its heartwarming experience, amazing graphics, and great soundtrack, offering an expansive exploration similar to other flying games.
The catchNo collision, so you fly through objects and the ground
Games like b →
A story-driven RPG where you manage a Viking village and lead expeditions. You'll make choices impacting reputation and engage in raiding or trading.
What players likedPlayers praise its CRPG elements, solid story, and improved systems, comparing it to Wasteland, Divinity: Original Sin, and Baldur's Gate.
The catchEarly combat is stacked against you: enemies outnumber, outgear and outshoot the party.
Games like Expeditions: Viking →
A supernatural mystery adventure game where players find clues, arrange them into documents, and identify contradictions to solve murders. It features a 1960s London setting with supernatural abilities and detective work.
What players likedPlayers praise the game's art, music, and engaging story with accessible multiple endings, recommending the "reborn" bundle.
The catchThe same clue matching repeats, and answers are either obvious or plainly illogical.
Games like Staffer Case: A Supernatural Mystery Adventure →
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 →
A point-and-click adventure game with a unique hand-drawn style. Players solve puzzles and interact with characters to prevent a catastrophic future.
What players likedPlayers praise its well-thought-out new characters, designs, mechanics, and story, despite some flaws.
The catchThe story mostly mocks fans of the trilogy and ends up changing nothing.
Games like Deponia Doomsday →
CHAOS;CHILD93% positive from 3,964 reviews201925% finish itDeck Playable
This is a dark, supernatural visual novel where players investigate serial murders by choosing delusions to alter reality and unlock multiple endings. It features a mystery-driven narrative with character interactions and branching paths.
What players likedPlayers praise Chaos;Child as a masterpiece and the best Sci;Adv game, surpassing its predecessor Chaos;Head in story, characters, and emotional impact.
The catchThe true ending feels disappointing and inconclusive
Games like CHAOS;CHILD →
TEVI89% positive from 3,939 reviews202332% finish itDeck Playable
Action-adventure Metroidvania with stylish melee/ranged combat and customizable builds. Explore a vibrant world, defeat challenging bosses, and uncover secrets.
What players likedPlayers praise TEVI as an excellent Metroidvania with refined combat, gorgeous art, and engaging boss fights, often compared to Rabi-Ribi and ENDER.
The catchLong stretches of dull story dialogue keep interrupting the gameplay every few minutes.
Games like TEVI →
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 →
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 arcade game where players stop falling blocks to experience an AI's first game creation. It features simple block-dropping gameplay interwoven with dialogues about life and dandelions.
The catchFailing a level restarts it, and the falling-object minigames often feel impossible.
Games like Press Any Button →
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 →
This is a narrative-driven personality test game with a simple exploration and interaction loop. It offers a short, reflective experience about self-discovery.
What players likedPlayers praise its charming art, unique introspection, and compelling story, offering a chill break from typical games.
The catchThe personality results come out vague or plain wrong and rarely match the player.
Games like Refind Self: The Personality Test Game →
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 narrative-driven, roguelike exploration game where you manage a steam train in space. You'll make difficult choices, manage resources, and survive a hostile, Victorian-inspired universe.
What players likedPlayers praise its expansive lore and Lovecraftian atmosphere, comparing it to "Sunless Seas" and "Fallen London."
The catchMost of the playtime is slow, empty travel between ports with nothing happening.
Games like Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition →
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! →
Moss VR95% positive from 3,411 reviews20180% finish itDeck Unsupported
Moss is a VR action-adventure puzzle game where players guide a mouse companion. It features environmental puzzles and combat within a storybook world.
What players likedPlayers praise its immediate loading and sense of wonder, comparing it to Link's Awakening for its unique, captivating experience.
The catchIt is over in about three hours, which many buyers found steep for the price.
Games like Moss VR →
A story-driven point-and-click adventure with a multi-layered narrative. Players explore a magical world, solving puzzles and experiencing a dramatic tale.
What players likedPlayers praise its enchanting story, hand-drawn art, and unique dialogue, reminiscent of classic children's fantasy literature.
The catchPuzzles run on moon logic and the hint system is too vague to unstick you.
Games like The Night of the Rabbit →
This is an action-adventure RPG with cross-genre elements and a tactical "STANCE" combat system. It offers a complete story experience with upgraded visuals and included DLC.
What players likedPlayers praise this RPG Maker visual novel for its rich, shonen-style revenge story and engaging characters, despite simple gameplay.
The catchStory drags with padded, long-winded dialogue
Games like Noel the Mortal Fate Complete Edition →
A science fantasy visual novel with a 3D camera system, following a princess and her guardian's escape and journey home. The game features a heavy, mysterious atmosphere as they navigate an unknown land.
What players likedPlayers praise "fault - milestone one" as a captivating, well-paced introductory visual novel with memorable characters and a balanced, engaging story.
The catchEndless exposition and lore dumps bury the story and stall the main characters.
Games like fault - milestone one →
This is an episodic psychological horror game with a VHS aesthetic. Players make choices via text messages and voice input to survive unsettling events.
What players likedPlayers praise its immersive, realistic, low-poly PS1-era horror vibe, feeling like a "one quality level above" short horror.
The catchBugs and crashes are common, and sparse autosaves force long replays each time.
Games like Fears to Fathom - Norwood Hitchhike →
Shenmue I & II89% positive from 3,215 reviews20187% finish itDeck Unsupported
Open world action-adventure with QTEs and exploration. Investigate, fight, and explore a living world to avenge your father.
What players likedPlayers praise its immersive world-building, making them feel like they're living in a real place, unlike other games.
The catchProgress constantly stalls while you wait for the in-game clock, with no time skip.
Games like Shenmue I & II →
This is a story-driven JRPG with turn-based combat. Players guide a new class of heroes through an evolving narrative and refined battle system.
What players likedPlayers praise its engaging combat and updated graphics, comparing it favorably to previous entries in the Trails series.
The catchAlmost nothing happens for dozens of hours until the final stretch and a cliffhanger.
Games like The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III →
This is a 3D remake of a classic JRPG featuring the Active Time Battle system and character ability customization. It offers a dramatic story with emotional characters and new gameplay features.
What players likedPlayers praise the 3D Remake as the definitive FFIV, a fresh experience with voice acting and updated gameplay, similar to the FF3 3D remake.
The catchBattles run at a locked 15fps, making combat crawl in an otherwise dated port.
Games like Final Fantasy IV (3D Remake) →
Röki89% positive from 3,180 reviews202026% finish itDeck Verified
This is a point-and-click adventure game focused on exploration, puzzle-solving, and discovering folklore. It features a charming, mysterious atmosphere and a unique art style.
What players likedPlayers praise Röki's beautiful art, music, and engaging story inspired by Scandinavian mythology, reminiscent of "Song of the Sea."
The catchObtuse trial-and-error puzzles and slow, padded pacing
Games like Röki →
