Best Narrative Games on Steam
Steam currently has 518 Narrative 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. Narrative game rankings were last updated on 12/12/2024.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Free narrative games on Steam
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1. Before Your Eyes
Embark on an emotional first-person narrative adventure where you control the story—and affect its outcomes—with your real-life blinks. With this innovative technique you will fully immerse yourself in a world of memories, both joyous and heartbreaking, as your whole life flashes before your eyes.
Before Your Eyes holds the #1 spot for "best Narrative game on Steam" with a Player Score of 95. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 15,614 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 15,285 positive reviews and 329 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $1.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Before Your Eyes on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $1.99 |
| Release Date | 4/8/2021 |
| Franchise | Skybound Games |
| Developer | GoodbyeWorld Games |
| Publisher | Skybound Games |
| Steam App Id | 1082430 |
2. INSIDE
Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project. INSIDE is a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has been critically acclaimed for its moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere.
INSIDE has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 63,908 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 61,919 positive reviews and 1,989 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $1.99 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.
3. The Case of the Golden Idol
A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.
The Case of the Golden Idol has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 7,637 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 7,519 positive reviews and 118 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $17.99 to play and 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.
| Steam Price | $17.99 |
| Release Date | 10/13/2022 |
| Franchise | Playstack |
| Developer | Color Gray Games |
| Publisher | Playstack |
| Steam App Id | 1677770 |
4. Mouthwashing
The five crew members of the Tulpar are stranded in the empty reaches of space, shrouded in perpetual sunset. God is not watching.
Mouthwashing has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 18,267 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 17,798 positive reviews and 469 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $12.99 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 | $12.99 |
| Release Date | 9/26/2024 |
| Franchise | CRITICAL REFLEX |
| Developer | Wrong Organ |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 2475490 |
5. Sally Face - Episode One
Delve into a dark adventure following the boy with a prosthetic face and a tragic past. Unravel the sinister mysteries of Sally's world to find the truth that lies hidden beneath the shadows.
Sally Face - Episode One has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 20,804 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 20,222 positive reviews and 582 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $2.99 to play and 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.
| Steam Price | $2.99 |
| Release Date | 12/14/2016 |
| Developer | Portable Moose |
| Publisher | Portable Moose |
| Steam App Id | 541570 |
6. 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 has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Narrative games. 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 is completely free to play and 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 |
7. I Am Your Beast
Hunt the military-industrial complex across stylish comic book micro-sandboxes in this fast-paced covert revenge thriller FPS from the developers of El Paso, Elsewhere.
I Am Your Beast has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,871 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,855 positive reviews and 16 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $15.99 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 | $15.99 |
| Release Date | 9/10/2024 |
| Franchise | Strange Scaffold |
| Developer | Strange Scaffold |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1876590 |
8. Scarlet Hollow
From the developers of Slay the Princess, return to the crumbling coal town your family built generations ago for the funeral of your aunt. You won't be able to save everyone. You might not even be able to save yourself. Welcome home.
Scarlet Hollow has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,468 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,433 positive reviews and 35 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 to play and 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.
| Steam Price | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 6/11/2021 |
| Franchise | Black Tabby Games |
| Developer | Black Tabby Games |
| Publisher | Black Tabby Games |
| Steam App Id | 1609230 |
9. Just A To the Moon Series Beach Episode
The Beach Episode™ of To the Moon, Finding Paradise, and Impostor Factory. But something's off.
Just A To the Moon Series Beach Episode has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,205 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,166 positive reviews and 39 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $7.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Just A To the Moon Series Beach Episode on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $7.99 |
| Release Date | 9/20/2024 |
| Franchise | Freebird Games |
| Developer | Freebird Games |
| Publisher | Freebird Games |
| Steam App Id | 2159210 |
10. Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines
"Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines" - In this short story from the Endless Monday, Penny, a mild-mannered corporate grunt, spends a weekend at the office in an effort to finish her project on time while overcoming distractions from coworkers, space aliens, imaginary friends, and herself.
Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Narrative games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,277 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,266 positive reviews and 11 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, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Steam Price | $9.99 |
| Release Date | 5/4/2023 |
| Franchise | Endless Monday |
| Developer | hcnone |
| Publisher | hcnone |
| Steam App Id | 2262610 |
More Narrative Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best Narrative games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 4/8/2021 | 95 | $1.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 244 | 7/7/2016 | 95 | $1.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 108 | 10/13/2022 | 95 | $17.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 539 | 9/26/2024 | 95 | $12.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 112 | 12/14/2016 | 95 | $2.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 98 | 8/15/2024 | 94 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 33 | 9/10/2024 | 94 | $15.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 33 | 6/11/2021 | 94 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 8 | 9/20/2024 | 93 | $7.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 6 | 5/4/2023 | 93 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 8 | 9/30/2021 | 93 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 89 | 6/11/2020 | 92 | $4.94 | Steam Charts | |
 | 73 | 2/21/2017 | 92 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 86 | 5/9/2024 | 92 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 53 | 11/14/2022 | 92 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 18 | 1/14/2022 | 92 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 22 | 1/6/2011 | 92 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 4 | 9/21/2021 | 92 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 121 | 9/20/2022 | 92 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 8 | 3/30/2016 | 92 | $4.49 | Steam Charts |
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, December 12). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 12). Before Your Eyes on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 13). INSIDE on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 11). The Case of the Golden Idol on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 14). Mouthwashing on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, November 28). Sally Face - Episode One on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 1). Katawa Shoujo on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 11). I Am Your Beast on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 8). Scarlet Hollow on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 5). Just A To the Moon Series Beach Episode on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 11). Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines on Steam. Steam Store.