Best Story Rich Games on Steam
Steam currently has 19,304 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 4/3/2025.
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 429,693 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 424,062 positive reviews and 5,631 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 175,716 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 173,025 positive reviews and 2,691 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 278,206 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 273,353 positive reviews and 4,853 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. 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 #4 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 96,559 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 94,895 positive reviews and 1,664 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.
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 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 30,581 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 30,234 positive reviews and 347 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 |
6. 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 #6 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 107,066 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 105,048 positive reviews and 2,018 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).
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 241,545 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 235,756 positive reviews and 5,789 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. 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 #8 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 175,591 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 171,540 positive reviews and 4,051 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 |
9. 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 #9 spot for the best Story Rich games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 51,398 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 50,509 positive reviews and 889 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 |
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 26,629 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 26,271 positive reviews and 358 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $4.79 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,646 | 4/18/2011 | 98 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 454 | 10/10/2007 | 97 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 3,253 | 9/17/2020 | 97 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 398 | 3/23/2020 | 97 | $59.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 124 | 2/14/2020 | 97 | $34.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 609 | 12/10/2024 | 97 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1,786 | 11/16/2004 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 4,455 | 3/24/2023 | 96 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 76 | 12/8/2016 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 197 | 10/1/2021 | 96 | $4.79 | Steam Charts | |
 | 257 | 4/18/2019 | 96 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 2,294 | 3/27/2025 | 96 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 10,589 | 3/6/2025 | 96 | $49.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 28 | 6/18/2020 | 96 | $20.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 72 | 8/20/2022 | 96 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 8,943 | 2/24/2017 | 96 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 404 | 10/11/2012 | 96 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,551 | 1/25/2018 | 96 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 56,735 | 8/3/2023 | 96 | $47.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 8,086 | 5/18/2015 | 96 | $39.99 | 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, April 3). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 3). Portal 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 11). Portal on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 9). Hades on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 8). Half-Life: Alyx on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 28). Senren＊Banka on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 27). MiSide on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 21). Half-Life 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 11). Resident Evil 4 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 20). OneShot on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 7). Touhou Mystia's Izakaya on Steam. Steam Store.