Best Story Rich Games on Steam
Steam currently has 18,452 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 2/19/2025.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Free story rich games on Steam
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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 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 424,362 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 418,826 positive reviews and 5,536 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.
2. 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 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 173,324 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 170,659 positive reviews and 2,665 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.
3. 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 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 275,790 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 271,011 positive reviews and 4,779 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 |
4. MiSide
Let's imagine that you have a game in which you care for a character. But could you imagine one day getting into that game yourself?
MiSide 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 99,078 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 97,385 positive reviews and 1,693 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play MiSide on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
5. 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 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 95,369 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 93,735 positive reviews and 1,634 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $59.99 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.
6. 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 has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 29,765 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 29,437 positive reviews and 328 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $34.99 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 | $34.99 |
| Release Date | 2/14/2020 |
| Franchise | 株式会社HIKARI FIELD |
| Developer | Yuzusoft |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1144400 |
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 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 236,669 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 230,961 positive reviews and 5,708 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.
8. 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 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 50,614 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 49,736 positive reviews and 878 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 | 12/8/2016 |
| Developer | Future Cat LLC |
| Publisher | KOMODO |
| Steam App Id | 420530 |
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 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 169,468 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 165,514 positive reviews and 3,954 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 | 3/23/2023 |
| 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 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 26,030 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 25,680 positive reviews and 350 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.
More Story Rich Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best Story Rich games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,542 | 4/18/2011 | 98 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 598 | 10/10/2007 | 97 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 3,696 | 9/17/2020 | 97 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1,510 | 12/10/2024 | 97 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 405 | 3/23/2020 | 97 | $59.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 301 | 2/14/2020 | 97 | $34.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 2,919 | 11/16/2004 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 73 | 12/8/2016 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 5,081 | 3/23/2023 | 96 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 412 | 10/1/2021 | 96 | $5.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 119 | 4/18/2019 | 96 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 30 | 6/18/2020 | 96 | $20.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 6,646 | 2/24/2017 | 96 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 162 | 8/20/2022 | 96 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 399 | 10/11/2012 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,563 | 1/25/2018 | 96 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 19,220 | 5/18/2015 | 96 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 71,306 | 8/3/2023 | 96 | $59.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 88 | 2/26/2021 | 96 | $14.39 | Steam Charts | |
 | 9,533 | 8/19/2024 | 96 | $59.99 | 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. (2025, February 19). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 19). Portal 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 19). Portal on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 19). Hades on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 19). MiSide on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 19). Half-Life: Alyx on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 12). Senren＊Banka on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 19). Half-Life 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 19). OneShot on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 19). Resident Evil 4 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, February 19). Touhou Mystia's Izakaya on Steam. Steam Store.