Free Narrative Games on Steam
Steam currently has 515 Narrative games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best free games ranked by popularity and ratings. Data for this list is calculated from reviews and player counts reported directly by Steam and will be updated in real-time. Free Narrative game rankings were last updated on 12/1/2024.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best narrative games on Steam
- Best narrative Steam Deck games
- Best narrative Steam games for Mac OS
- Best narrative Linux games on Steam
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo is a romantic visual novel set in the fictional Japanese Yamaku High School for disabled children. Hisao's congenital heart defect forces him to move to a new school. Despite his difficulties, Hisao is able to find friends—and perhaps love, if he plays his cards right.
Katawa Shoujo holds the #1 spot for "best free Narrative game on Steam" with a Player Score of 94. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,734 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,697 positive reviews and 37 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 8/15/2024 |
| Developer | Four Leaf Studios |
| Publisher | Four Leaf Studios |
| Steam App Id | 3068300 |
2. Strongblade - Puzzle Quest and Match-3 Adventure
Strongblade is a match-3 puzzle game where you play as Sean the Mouse. Travel through a captivating world filled with puzzles, outsmart cunning villains, befriend charming animals, and build unique camps.
Strongblade - Puzzle Quest and Match-3 Adventure has achieved a Player Score of 79, placing it in the #2 spot for the best free Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 534 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 447 positive reviews and 87 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Strongblade - Puzzle Quest and Match-3 Adventure on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 9/14/2023 |
| Franchise | MatryoshkaGames |
| Developer | Dekovir |
| Publisher | Matryoshka |
| Steam App Id | 2430830 |
3. Descent: Legends of the Dark
To play the Descent: Legends of the Dark board game, one player must download the free Descent: Legends of the Dark app on a compatible device. This companion app determines the setup of each quest, tracks your party’s inventory, skills, progress, and resolves combat while telling a narrative story.
Descent: Legends of the Dark has achieved a Player Score of 83, placing it in the #3 spot for the best free Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 225 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 205 positive reviews and 20 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Descent: Legends of the Dark on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 8/6/2021 |
| Developer | Fantasy Flight Games |
| Publisher | Fantasy Flight Games |
| Steam App Id | 1611070 |
4. How Fish Is Made
Are sardines trustworthy? Are you? Do you want to be? How Fish is Made is a janky little jaunt through the world of surrealist storytelling. Now featuring a Katamari-like DLC!
How Fish Is Made has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #4 spot for the best free Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 3,937 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 3,772 positive reviews and 165 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 1/14/2022 |
| Franchise | CRITICAL REFLEX |
| Developers | |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1854430 |
5. Ignited Entry
Ignited Entry is a full length narrative driven psychological horror game with voice acting, dreamish visuals, and horror elements that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Some doors should never be opened. But you must go in.
Ignited Entry has achieved a Player Score of 85, placing it in the #5 spot for the best free Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 72 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 71 positive reviews and 1 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Ignited Entry on the Steam Deck.
6. Dot's Home
DOT’S HOME is a single-player, 2D, narrative-driven video game that follows a young Black woman in Detroit living in her grandmother’s beloved home, as she travels through time to relive key moments in her family’s history where race, place, and home collide in difficult choices.
Dot's Home has achieved a Player Score of 78, placing it in the #6 spot for the best free Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 81 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 71 positive reviews and 10 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It 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.
| Release Date | 10/22/2021 |
| Developers | |
| Publisher | Rise-Home Stories Project |
| Steam App Id | 1763520 |
7. memories
memories is a sapphic visual novel dress-up game where clothes are linked to painful memories of a failed relationship.
memories has achieved a Player Score of 89, placing it in the #7 spot for the best free Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,278 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,207 positive reviews and 71 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It 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.
| Release Date | 2/3/2023 |
| Developer | guiyyu |
| Publisher | Spookulele Games |
| Steam App Id | 2219470 |
8. Alternate Universe Playbook
Make simple comics and visual novel scenes with fun indie game characters in this open & free community creator.
Alternate Universe Playbook has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #8 spot for the best free Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 75 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 73 positive reviews and 2 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Release Date | 5/4/2023 |
| Developer | Freebird Games |
| Publisher | Freebird Games |
| Steam App Id | 1763900 |
9. One True Path
A genre-bending VR adventure combining shooter, swordfighting and puzzle gameplay. YOU, ADVENTURER are drawn into the imaginary worlds of renowned gamebook author Jack Stevenson on a fantastical dimension-hopping journey to uncover the dark secrets behind his last masterpiece…
One True Path has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #9 spot for the best free Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 41 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 41 positive reviews and 0 negative reviews — making it "Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run One True Path on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 9/25/2024 |
| Developer | InnerspaceVR |
| Publisher | InnerspaceVR |
| Steam App Id | 3217200 |
10. If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers
If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers is a narrative-driven point-and-click adventure with horror elements that explores the stories of four characters in a masked ball taking place aboard a train in the late 1920s.
If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #10 spot for the best free Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,222 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,140 positive reviews and 82 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It 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.
| Release Date | 9/21/2021 |
| Developer | Dead Idle Games |
| Publisher | Dead Idle Games |
| Steam App Id | 1603980 |
More Free Narrative Games
Explore even more rankings for the 73 best free Narrative games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 8/15/2024 | 94 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 58 | 9/14/2023 | 79 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 16 | 8/6/2021 | 83 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 13 | 1/14/2022 | 92 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 3 | 11/11/2024 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 10/22/2021 | 78 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 2/3/2023 | 89 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 5/4/2023 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 9/25/2024 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 9/21/2021 | 92 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 11/2/2022 | 60 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 2/1/2023 | 69 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 4/16/2024 | 72 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 1/7/2024 | 68 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 9/19/2022 | 79 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 11/23/2024 | 72 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 6/23/2022 | 87 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 12/18/2023 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 3/12/2021 | 48 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 4/13/2021 | 67 | Free | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Player counts 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, December 1). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 1). Katawa Shoujo on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 12). Strongblade - Puzzle Quest and Match-3 Adventure on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 30). Descent: Legends of the Dark on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 3). How Fish Is Made on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, November 29). Ignited Entry on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, September 19). Dot's Home on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 25). memories on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, October 17). Alternate Universe Playbook on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 11). One True Path on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, November 6). If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers on Steam. Steam Store.