Best Story Rich Indie Games

Key Takeaways

• Narrative-driven games prioritize storytelling over gameplay, offering rich worlds and well-written characters.
• Games like Griftlands and Disco Elysium blend gameplay with engaging narratives, attracting plot-focused players.
• Titles such as Firewatch and Night In The Woods excel in storytelling with immersive atmospheres and memorable characters.

Narrative-driven games can be a somewhat acquired taste, as many of them are rather antithetical to video games as a whole: they frequently don’t feature much in the way of gameplay. From the old-school LucasArts adventure games to more modern story-rich titles such as Telltale’s The Walking Dead, many of these games rely on occasional puzzles and interactive story elements to keep players engaged. However, there are also plenty of gameplay-heavy experiences with rich, well-told stories (Half-Life being just one example).

From complex narratives and well-written characters to interactive, meaningful story decisions and rich worldbuilding, these games encompass a variety of narrative-driven experiences that are rich in story. In the interest of variety, this topic aims to cover multiple genres.

8 Griftlands

A Roguelike Deckbuilder That Excels With Its Setting

Developed by the prolific Klei Entertainment (Don’t Starve, Oxygen Not Included), Griftlands is a unique roguelike deckbuilder that tasks players with the management of two decks: one for negotiation, and one for violence. This results in a gameplay loop that’s unique to Griftlands, allowing players to approach obstacles and challenges from different directions and even exercise some role-playing muscles.

While the deckbuilding and roguelike gameplay is at the forefront of Griftlands, its RPG and story-driven elements are a great part of what makes it unique. The ensemble cast of NPCs and variety of playable characters also help to support the game’s story-driven nature.

7 Duck Detective: The Secret Salami

An Accessible Tongue-In-Cheek Detective Adventure

Featuring an art style similar to games like Paper Mario and a charming sense of humor that does a lot of heavy lifting, Duck Detective is a love letter to hard-boiled, pulpy detective stories colored with a cartoon personality, brought to life through positively unhinged voice acting.

Duck Detective is a ridiculously accessible experience that almost anyone can enjoy, with an intuitive mystery-solving system and a lighthearted conspiracy at the heart of its story. The characters, music, and tongue-in-cheek tone really help to sell the experience, offering players a truly unique title that’s as much of an homage as it is its own beast.

6 Caves Of Qud

A Roguelike RPG With A Detailed Science-Fantasy World

Caves Of Qud is a traditional roguelike that doubles as an RPG, going as far as to offer multiple game modes and allowing players to enjoy the game without the threat of permanent death. One of this roguelike’s greatest strengths is its careful blend of procedural and hand-crafted content, resulting in a world that benefits from attention to detail and an underlying sense of mystery.

The evocative writing sprinkled throughout Caves Of Qud, from its expressive item descriptions to its quirky dialogue interactions, elevates the experience dramatically. There’s plenty to discover in, around, and underneath the science-fantasy world of Caves Of Qud, and the richness of its stories is found less often in quests and more in the worldbuilding itself.

5 Hollow Knight

A Metroidvania With A Moody Atmosphere And A Unique Setting

Though Hollow Knight is an excellent Metroidvania with a well-tuned combat system, it could be argued that its greatest strengths are arguably its subtle narrative threads and the ensemble cast of quirky NPCs that support them. The wonderful art style and imaginative underground world of Hallownest provide an evocative backdrop, supported by atmospheric music and joyously written characters.

The richness of Hollow Knight’s story is born primarily from its well-realized world and the attention to detail in its design. Learning about the world around and the stories within it is done primarily through talking to the many memorable characters Hollow Knight offers, but also through subtle environmental storytelling.

4 Firewatch

A Melancholic, Character-Driven Adventure Through The Woods

Essentially a walking-simulator, Firewatch is elevated by its incredible atmosphere and the well-written dialogue between its protagonist and supporting character, Delilah. Much of the game is centered around the relationship between these two characters, facilitated by frequent radio chatter.

It’s a story that twists and turns from unsettling to cozy, emotional to uplifting, and the evocative setting provides a wonderful backdrop to the experience. Players who enjoy more simple, grounded stories that focus on relationships and very human problems will likely find a lot to love with Firewatch.

3 Disco Elysium

An RPG Brought To Life By Imaginative Worldbuilding And Evocative Writing

Disco Elysium is a unique role-playing game with a distinctive skill system that drives the gameplay forward. Despite much of the game being centered around text, Disco Elysium rarely feels dry, thanks in large part to a beautifully realized painterly art style and talented voice acting.

The narrative in place in Disco Elysium is supported by rich worldbuilding and a cast of colorful characters, each of which offer their own quirky personalities and nuances. Fans of detective stories, audacious worldbuilding, and melancholic atmospheres should certainly give Disco Elysium a try.

2 Night In The Woods

A Small-Town Story With A Huge Heart

There’s something unique and simultaneously familiar about Night In The Woods and its autumnal small-town setting, and the story that unfolds, along with its cast of memorable characters, make it a setting worth being immersed in. From the charming interactions between friends and family, to the biting edge and melancholic atmosphere brought about by the game’s wonderful soundtrack, Night In The Woods has a lot to offer for fans of story-rich experiences.

Night In The Woods is a story-driven game, bothering very little with gameplay (outside of a slew of mini-games and the simple act of exploration). However, its colorful characters and carefully told story of a college dropout returning home do plenty of heavy lifting on their own.

1 Kentucky Route Zero

A Moody Trip Through Kentucky, Punctuated By Magical Realism

Magical realism is at the heart of Kentucky Route Zero, but despite its otherworldly nature, it remains a relatively grounded story. Taking place over the course of multiple distinct acts, Kentucky Route Zero takes players on a journey through a rich, surreal depiction of Kentucky.

The imaginative locations, superb dialogue, and atmospheric music result in a story-rich package that’s incredibly immersive, supported by an expertly crafted sense of place and mood. Featuring a stunning 2D art style, truly moving music, and a variety of emotional beats that are both tragic and thoughtful, Kentucky Route Zero will pull at anyone’s heartstrings if they let it.