Best Story Rich Games on Steam

Steam currently has 17,269 Story Rich games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. Story Rich game rankings were last updated on 10/18/2024.

Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:

1. Portal 2

The "Perpetual Testing Initiative" has been expanded to allow you to design co-op puzzles for you and your friends!

Portal 2 banner

Portal 2 holds the #1 spot for "best Story Rich game on Steam" with a Player Score of 98. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 411,340 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 405,954 positive reviews and 5,386 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $9.99
Release Date 4/18/2011
Franchise Valve
Developer Valve
Publisher Valve
Steam App Id 620

2. Hades

Defy the god of the dead as you hack and slash out of the Underworld in this rogue-like dungeon crawler from the creators of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre.

Hades banner

Hades has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 270,091 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 265,494 positive reviews and 4,597 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $24.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $24.99
Release Date 9/17/2020
Franchise Supergiant Games
Developer Supergiant Games
Publisher Supergiant Games
Steam App Id 1145360

3. Portal

Portal™ is a new single player game from Valve. Set in the mysterious Aperture Science Laboratories, Portal has been called one of the most innovative new games on the horizon and will offer gamers hours of unique gameplay.

Portal banner

Portal has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 167,516 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 164,950 positive reviews and 2,566 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $9.99
Release Date 10/10/2007
Developer Valve
Publisher Valve
Steam App Id 400

4. Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life: Alyx is Valve’s VR return to the Half-Life series. It’s the story of an impossible fight against a vicious alien race known as the Combine, set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. Playing as Alyx Vance, you are humanity’s only chance for survival.

Half-Life: Alyx banner

Half-Life: Alyx has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 92,558 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 90,999 positive reviews and 1,559 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $20.39 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Half-Life: Alyx on the Steam Deck.

Steam Price $20.39
Release Date 3/23/2020
Franchise Valve
Developer Valve
Publisher Valve
Steam App Id 546560

5. Senren*Banka

Senren*Banka is a Japanese-style visual novel produced by Yuzusoft, a Japanese developer of romance VNs. This game commemorated Yuzusoft's 10th anniversary. It won numerous awards on the year of its release in Japan for its art, music, and characters.

Senren*Banka banner

Senren*Banka has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 27,152 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 26,875 positive reviews and 277 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $19.94 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Senren*Banka on the Steam Deck.

Steam Price $19.94
Release Date 2/14/2020
Franchise 株式会社HIKARI FIELD
Developer Yuzusoft
Publishers
Steam App Id 1144400

6. OneShot

OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist.

OneShot banner

OneShot has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 48,284 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 47,455 positive reviews and 829 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run OneShot on the Steam Deck.

Steam Price $9.99
Release Date 12/9/2016
Developer Future Cat LLC
Publisher KOMODO
Steam App Id 420530

7. Half-Life 2

Reawakened from stasis in the occupied metropolis of City 17, Gordon Freeman is joined by Alyx Vance as he leads a desperate human resistance. Experience the landmark first-person shooter packed with immersive world-building, boundary-pushing physics, and exhilarating combat.

Half-Life 2 banner

Half-Life 2 has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 212,511 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 207,317 positive reviews and 5,194 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $0.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $0.99
Release Date 11/16/2004
Franchise Half-Life
Developer Valve
Publisher Valve
Steam App Id 220

8. Katana ZERO

Katana ZERO is a stylish neo-noir, action-platformer featuring breakneck action and instant-death combat. Slash, dash, and manipulate time to unravel your past in a beautifully brutal acrobatic display.

Katana ZERO banner

Katana ZERO has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 68,237 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 66,894 positive reviews and 1,343 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $14.99
Release Date 4/18/2019
Developer Askiisoft
Publisher Devolver Digital
Steam App Id 460950

9. Resident Evil 4

Survival is just the beginning. Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Raccoon City. Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors, tracks the president's kidnapped daughter to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.

Resident Evil 4 banner

Resident Evil 4 has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 154,753 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 151,065 positive reviews and 3,688 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $39.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $39.99
Release Date 3/24/2023
Franchise Capcom
Developer CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Publisher CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Steam App Id 2050650

10. Touhou Mystia's Izakaya

A brand new pixel art restaurant simulator based on the Touhou Project! Play as Mystia, the owner of a small izakaya. Collect ingredients by day, cater to the customers by night, learn recipes from familiar characters, and become the best izakaya owner in all of Gensokyo!

Touhou Mystia's Izakaya banner

Touhou Mystia's Izakaya has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 23,740 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 23,420 positive reviews and 320 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $5.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $5.99
Release Date 10/1/2021
Developers
Publishers
Steam App Id 1584090

More Story Rich Games

Explore even more rankings for the 100 best Story Rich games available on Steam.

ImageName
Actions
Portal 2 steam charts
1,683
4/18/2011
98
$9.99
Steam Charts
Hades steam charts
3,595
9/17/2020
97
$24.99
Steam Charts
Portal steam charts
714
10/10/2007
97
$9.99
Steam Charts
Half-Life: Alyx steam charts
722
3/23/2020
97
$20.39
Steam Charts
Senren*Banka steam charts
1,279
2/14/2020
97
$19.94
Steam Charts
OneShot steam charts
59
12/9/2016
96
$9.99
Steam Charts
Half-Life 2 steam charts
32,779
11/16/2004
96
$0.99
Steam Charts
Katana ZERO steam charts
96
4/18/2019
96
$14.99
Steam Charts
Resident Evil 4 steam charts
6,831
3/24/2023
96
$39.99
Steam Charts
Touhou Mystia's Izakaya steam charts
645
10/1/2021
96
$5.99
Steam Charts
ATRI -My Dear Moments- steam charts
80
6/18/2020
96
$20.99
Steam Charts
Hollow Knight steam charts
6,309
2/24/2017
96
$14.99
Steam Charts
Dishonored steam charts
379
10/11/2012
96
$9.99
Steam Charts
Entropy : Zero 2 steam charts
476
8/20/2022
96
Free
Steam Charts
Celeste steam charts
1,612
1/25/2018
96
$19.99
Steam Charts
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt steam charts
15,565
5/18/2015
96
$39.99
Steam Charts
Baldur's Gate 3 steam charts
50,016
8/3/2023
96
$59.99
Steam Charts
Rhythm Doctor steam charts
73
2/26/2021
96
$15.99
Steam Charts
The Room 4: Old Sins steam charts
56
2/11/2021
96
$8.99
Steam Charts
South Park™: The Stick of Truth™ steam charts
179
3/5/2014
96
$29.99
Steam Charts
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Soures & References

Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.

  • Valve Corporation. (2024, October 18). Steam Store. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, October 18). Portal 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 8). Hades on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 16). Portal on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 16). Half-Life: Alyx on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 19). Senren*Banka on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, October 21). OneShot on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 20). Half-Life 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 4). Katana ZERO on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 16). Resident Evil 4 on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2024, November 15). Touhou Mystia's Izakaya on Steam. Steam Store.

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