Best Choice-Based Games To Test Your Decision Making!
Some fan-favorite titles are interactive story games, where choices matter and your actions directly impact the world. Whether they are dialogue choices or assassinations, games that bring these features usually stand out. This kind of entry has different scenarios and outcomes that come and go depending on the impulsive decisions you make. These decisions impact the game’s ending and development and make players replay it to see all the relevant changes.
Choices Matter!
Numerous games have already tried and achieved considerable success using the decision-based games formula. When well done, it is incredible as it gives players the freedom to build their own path as the main character. In practice, the player’s decisions may affect virtually any game element. Some examples are personal relationships, NPCs' actions, missions’ setups, world possibilities, etc.
Let’s see some titles that take player choice and decision-making to a new level during the gameplay.
Dragon Age: Origins
- Release Date: November 6, 2009
- Developer: BioWare
- Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
- Metascore: 91 (PC), 87 (PS3), 86 (Xbox 360)
Many aspects make not only Dragon Age Origins but the entire Dragon Age video game franchise incredible. One of them is certainly the decision-making and all the possibilities that come with it.
As you control an entire group and not only your character, you must take even more care of your decisions while doing main or side quests. They can even influence the relationship between the party members and your character.
Among other things, it impacts their participation in combat and can make them abandon the party, creating a fair amount of problems for the other characters. As the best way to build your path is with a team, you must be careful with your words and actions.
The main quest can lead to multiple endings, but minor decisions can also be made inside the game. Still, they might turn out vital since you won’t know which events can determine a huge outcome.
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Key Features
- Story development around the party and not only the main character.
- Origins and background as a part of your character development.
- Three different main classes and many unlockable specializations.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Release Date: May 18, 2015
- Developer: CD Projekt RED
- Platforms: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch
- Metascore: 93 (PC), 92 (PS4), 91 (Xbox One)
Following with an entertainment franchise that already sold millions of books and games and now succeeds on streaming platforms. The Witcher is an acclaimed title, and the peak of Geralt of Rivia’s story is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt game, an open-world high fantasy RPG.
Personally, The Witcher 3 is the best game on the list. It is all the fans wanted and more. When it comes to decision-making, the game brings three different endings: one good, one bittersweet, and one bad. The outcome will depend on what you do inside the game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt stands out from the competition on the decision-making matter mainly because it truly found a way to hide which decisions are important to the end of the gameplay.
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Key Features
- Giant open world filled with monsters, NPCs, and many other things to interact with.
- An exciting storyline in a high fantasy setting.
- Responsible AI, Dynamic Environments, and Day-Night Cycle.
Dishonored
- Release Date: October 9, 2012
- Developer: Arkane Studios
- Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One
- Metascore: 91 (PC), 89 (PS3), 88 (Xbox 360)
Extremely respected by the critics and underestimated by the fans, Dishonored was developed by Arkane Studios, and the original game was released in 2012. You assume the place of Corvo Attano, a very skilled empress’ bodyguard who ended up accused of her assassination. Now, dishonored, you escape from prison to rescue her daughter – heir to the throne – and clean your name by bringing to justice the true killer.
Just like other decision-making games, Dishonored has different endings. There are two main possibilities and a third one that happens under particular circumstances. These finals are decided based on the chaos matter, increasing and decreasing based on how many people you kill in each mission. However, the lives of all targets are in your hands; killing or sparing them will result in different outcomes.
Your decisions impact the way that allies and enemies will treat you as well. Your power choices will change the possible approaches for each mission, and every step can show new ways through Danwall’s underworld. Personally, I consider it another title that everybody should play.
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Key Features
- 10 different unique skills and special powers to customize and use.
- Procedurally generated world full of side missions and advanced possibilities.
- Unique combat mechanic, giving players full control of both hands of the character individually.
Mass Effect 2
- Release Date: January 26, 2010
- Developer: BioWare
- Platforms: PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
- Metascore: 96 (Xbox 360), 94 (PS3), 94 (PC)
Besides great decision-making, Mass Effect 2 brings many different features, such as the Commander Shepard customization and narrative development. On this adventure, you can load the saves from the first game created by BioWare. That way, not only will your older character be back, but all the decisions you made on the first title will directly impact the whole storytelling of Mass Effect 2.
As the storyline advances, the game offers the chance to build your squad, with whom you will travel across the universe solving quests. During the gameplay, you will be forced to make several decisions that will impact you and your squad members, even leading them to death.
Mass Effect has a unique interaction system that allows players to dive deep and elevate the decision-making to a whole new point. There are complete wheels of dialogue with preset conversation options. These possibilities allow players to go from polite to rude and develop the dialogue or end it as quickly as possible. It changes the way NPCs act, changes your morale, and many other things that can bring huge differences in the gameplay.
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Key Features
- Great character customization possibilities.
- Decisions from former Mass Effect influenced the game’s narrative.
- Praised narrative and character development.
Beyond Two Souls
- Release Date: October 8, 2013
- Developer: Quantic Dream
- Platforms: PS3, PS4, and PC
- Metascore: 70 (PS3), 72 (PS4), 76 (PC)
Here comes an awesome game highly focused on storytelling and narrative, different from most video games. Beyond Two Souls is a co-op multiplayer game that looks like a visual novel or a movie. The game puts players in the story of Jodie and the poltergeist connected to her, Eiden.
Unlike other decision-making games, it's not a simple story based on your choices. The adventure advances by giving you decisions to make as both Jodie and Eiden. You’ll interact with NPCs and objects, with the way things go depending on player decisions – A choice made in the beginning can alter a scene or episode far in the future, making it the best or worst possible.
There are 11 different endings based on the player’s decisions, and the outcome of certain actions may reveal at a distant moment in the gameplay. With Jodie, you can make regular interactions and conversations. With Eiden, the game becomes monochromatic, and your possible actions vary. You can protect certain characters, attack others, interact with objectives, and many other things. Beyond Two Souls seeks to explore new ways to bring fun and entertainment to players, standing out from other video games.
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Key Features:
- Great story development.
- Interactive gameplay dived between humans and poltergeists.
- More than 11 different possible endings.
Detroit: Become Human
- Release Date: May 25, 2018
- Developer: Quantic Dream
- Platforms: PS4, and PC
- Metascore: 78 (PS4), 80 (PC)
Another great storytelling game developed over players’ decisions created by Quantic Dream, the same developers of Beyond Two Souls. In Detroit Become Human, we are presented with three different protagonists to control, Kara, Connor, and Markus. Their objectives and characteristics are completely different, and the stories connect them as the game advances.
Detroit: Become Human can easily make characters fight for opposite sides. Your decisions can bring a positive outcome for one and a terrible one for another. The game has neither villains nor heroes, so not only does it test your morality but also your connection to particular characters.
Another great feature of decision-making is that even if your choices lead to a character’s death, the plot just goes forward without them. There is no game over or chance to mend things, making your decisions even more critical regarding the game’s fate. That said, if an android dies, you just unlock a scenario without this figure.
It’s a drama-packed story as no choice or objective is insignificant. Deciding who to favor creates an ambiguous challenge, distinguishing this video game from the competition.
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Key Features
- Multi-character story development.
- No game over after deaths.
- Narrative fully based on player’s choices.
Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
- Release Date: August 30, 2019
- Developer: Supermassive Games
- Platforms: XONE, PS4, and PC
- Metascore: 70 (PS3), 72 (PS4), 76 (PC)
Moving on to the horror genre, Dark Pictures Anthology is a drama that is also highly based on your decisions inside the game. One player can assume five different characters in a single mode, whereas co-op requires more participants. You will explore an abandoned ghost ship and try to survive on its deck.
Your brain or heart will create the base for your decisions. Every step can alter things dramatically, affecting one or more characters. Relationships can change, going from romance to pure hate. As the gameplay advances, you’ll search for answers on how to escape the terrible fate the story indicates for the characters.
This kind of game has high replayability as it presents different scenarios and endings, with the ship theme taking you to new environments. The entire trilogy, initially released with Men of Medan in 2019, is already fully available for you to play with friends.
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Key Features
- An exciting horror story developed through players' choices.
- Co-op or single-player unique exploration features.
- An exciting, unique theme that runs from the general space station or high fantasy setting, taking you to the sea instead.
Telltale Games: The Walking Dead
- Release Date: May-Dec, 2012
- Developer: Telltale Games
- Platforms: PS3, PS4, X360, XONE, and PC
- Metascore: 92 (XONE), 89 (PC)
Founded by former members of Star Wars games developers, Lucas Arts, known today as Lucasfilm Games, Telltale is a specialist in making games with excellent stories based mainly on players' decisions. A very special thing about the game is that they bring this decision-making feature and mix it with a great variety of angles and cinematic scenes.
In the Telltale The Walking Dead, all the decisions have only one objective: to survive in the midst zombie apocalypse, but you won’t see the story's full development at once. That’s because the TWD game was released divided into episodes, with the first one coming in May of 2012 and the last in December of the same year.
A great feature of the game is the trimmed responses that directly affect the entire gameplay. As in many different RPGs, players sometimes have a few seconds to choose an answer. If they don’t, Lee stays quiet, which can change the whole development of the game.
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Key Features
- Story developed with several new camera scenes and different cinematic angles.
- The decision-based set brought a zombie apocalypse setting.
- Trimmed responses force players to be aware and take fast decisions.
Life is Strange
- Release Date: Jan 30, 2015
- Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
- Platforms: PS3, PS4, PS5, X360, XONE, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC
- Metascore: 85 (XONE), 83 (PC), (85) PS4
For sure, at a certain point in teenage development, life becomes really strange. But, besides hormones and insecurity, Maxine Caulfield has to deal with some mysterious powers. This is a great game for those who have fun taking control of a character, making important decisions, and seeing the consequences in the future.
This adventure is highly praised for its storytelling and plot, receiving several awards. One great feature is the addition of puzzles, requiring you to figure out what must be done to progress.
Like The Walking Dead, Life is Strange was divided into parts and released in an episode scheme to reach a different market response. A remastered collection was released in February of 2022. The rewind ability that allows players to come back in time is a great machine to see how different postures affect events and test possibilities and consequences. So if you’re not happy with something and have a different idea, you can decide to play it again.
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Key Features
- Highly praised storytelling and plot.
- A perfect mix of decision-making and puzzle-solving mechanics.
- Rewind skills that allow you to replay a small part of the game several times.
Heavy Rain
- Release Date: May-Dec, 2012
- Developer: Quantic Dreams
- Platforms: PS3, PS4, X360, XONE, and PC
- Metascore: 92 (XONE), 89 (PC)
Another of the games released by Quantic. Heavy Rain shares the best features that make the other games listed so incredible. This is an action-drama adventure where you play with four different characters. The game also involves timelines for the characters' stories where they die, making the game go forward without them.
You need to use your skills to find clues and discover the identity of a serial killer called the Origami Killer. Heavy Rain is filled with 17 different possible endings, and everything in the mystery can change due to details. Thankfully, you can always play the game again.
You will see yourself involved in the middle of a plot that you could easily watch in a movie. And keep in mind that if you fail to put things on the right course, you may get into a lot of trouble.
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Key Features
- Four different characters' development.
- Possibility to kill one or more characters with no end game.
- Decision-making is highly mixed with investigation and mystery scenario.
The Stanley Parable
- Release Date: October 17, 2013
- Developer: Galactic Cafe
- Platforms: Windows and IOS
- Metascore: 88 (PC)
As strange as it may seem, this game tempts you to play it repeatedly as it can be finished in 15 minutes…once. You control a regular employee of a huge corporation – Stanley – whose every move is commented on by a chatty narrator.
The main thing about Stanley Parable is that you can do virtually anything you want. The voice will give you certain directions, but you never know if it is lying or not. It’s up to you to decide what to do, having in mind the consequences of your actions.
Upon finishing, the game restarts, giving you the chance to try new possibilities and see what end they bring to you. This game has a different shape, as it’s not a game per se but rather an interactive story. That said, players should not expect arcade sections or puzzle solving as the gameplay is all about decision-making and interaction with various objects.
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Key Features
- Fully interactive environment and objects.
- No right or wrong choices for the game development.
- Several endings depending on how much the player followed the narration.
Conclusion
We’ve come to the end of a great list of games totally based on the decisions you make inside it. From simple puzzle-solving obstacles to complicated interactions and intense character development, you have all you need to dive into hours of fun.
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