Best Story Rich Games on Steam
Steam currently has 17,992 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 1/3/2025.
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 420,389 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 414,906 positive reviews and 5,483 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 171,805 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 169,164 positive reviews and 2,641 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 274,106 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 269,366 positive reviews and 4,740 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 77,732 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 76,543 positive reviews and 1,189 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 94,650 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 93,031 positive reviews and 1,619 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 28,676 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 28,373 positive reviews and 303 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 232,854 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 227,251 positive reviews and 5,603 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 49,882 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 49,018 positive reviews and 864 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 |
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 164,555 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 160,691 positive reviews and 3,864 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. 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 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 69,190 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 67,830 positive reviews and 1,360 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $8.99 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 | $8.99 |
| Release Date | 4/18/2019 |
| Developer | Askiisoft |
| Publisher | Devolver Digital |
| Steam App Id | 460950 |
More Story Rich Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best Story Rich games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,331 | 4/18/2011 | 98 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 359 | 10/10/2007 | 97 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 2,572 | 9/17/2020 | 97 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 5,488 | 12/11/2024 | 97 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 265 | 3/23/2020 | 97 | $59.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 665 | 2/14/2020 | 97 | $34.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 2,373 | 11/16/2004 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 39 | 12/9/2016 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 4,214 | 3/24/2023 | 96 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 94 | 4/18/2019 | 96 | $8.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 847 | 10/1/2021 | 96 | $5.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 86 | 6/18/2020 | 96 | $20.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 8,474 | 2/24/2017 | 96 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 242 | 10/11/2012 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 108 | 8/20/2022 | 96 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,148 | 1/25/2018 | 96 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 14,839 | 5/18/2015 | 96 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 61 | 2/26/2021 | 96 | $15.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 35,859 | 8/3/2023 | 96 | $59.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 39,436 | 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, January 3). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 3). Portal 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 3). Portal on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 16). Hades on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 17). MiSide on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 15). Half-Life: Alyx on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 8). Senren＊Banka on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 7). Half-Life 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 3). OneShot on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, January 16). Resident Evil 4 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, December 29). Katana ZERO on Steam. Steam Store.