One of the factors that separate gaming from other popular forms of entertainment like film is that gaming, generally speaking, puts players in the shoes of the main character. Today, many games expand upon the idea of the player truly being in control of the protagonist by giving them a vast range of choices and decisions to make that will alter the direction of the story. This certainly isn't a new feature of gaming, as it was the key selling point of numerous 80s and 90s graphic adventures.

However, it's fair to say that the choices in many games today are far more expansive than ever before, and the popularity of games where the player's choices matter has led to significantly more games available to choose from. Unfortunately, the popularity of decision-based games has meant that many developers and publishers have tried to shoehorn decision-making into their games despite the choices having little to no impact on the direction of the story. Thankfully, there are numerous games where decision-making isn't just a gimmick but a key, in-depth feature.

Updated on January 10, 2024, by Mara Cowley: Decision-based games have proven to be exceptionally popular over the years, with many RPGs and other genres implementing it to great success. While some choice-based games only have a slight bearing on the game's outcome, there are titles that can alter courses to great effect, locking off entire locations or resulting in a game prematurely ending. With no shortage of these games, this article has been updated to include more of these fantastic choice-based games, as well as highlighting what exact decisions have the greatest effect.

1 Tyranny

Player Choices Can Lead To The Eradication Of Locations

Set in a fantasy world with its own unique technology, Tyranny sets the player in the shoes of the Fatebinder, tasked with the onerous mission to quell the rebellion rising due to the infighting of two major factions or die along with everyone else.

With stakes this high, it makes sense there are many sensitive choices the player must make that can have drastic consequences. Depending on what choices the players follow, some game locations may not even exist, dramatically altering the narrative path.

2 Disco Elysium

The Player's Build Can Alter What Information They Are Privy To

Disco Elysium is one ambitious RPG that impressed players with its unique dialogue system and well-crafted characters. The game features very little combat, focusing more on plot, dialogue, and player agency.

Like most RPGs, players are able to put points into skills to create a unique build for their character, and even this choice is one to be made with care. Depending on the player's builds and background, the player may be privy to unique tidbits of information and lore they wouldn't know otherwise, which they could then use to their advantage during some conversations with certain NPCs.

3 Oxenfree

Dialogue Choices Play A Big Role In The Players' Relationship With Characters

This charming graphic 2.5D adventure game sees players controlling Alex, a teenager who unwittingly frees a dangerous paranormal power that they must now find and put a stop to.

As they are trying to save the island, they can stop and chat with the various other characters scattered across the island in a unique way, as they are still free to move around during conversations. The player will be offered multiple dialogue choices, with each one having the possibility to affect the relationship with the character in a positive or negative way. If the player cares for particular characters, they need to be mindful of how they talk to them.

4 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Side Quests Can Be Failed, Causing NPCs To Never Return Or Die

Before Baldur's Gate 3, there was Divinity: Original Sin 2, Larian's unique RPG set in original lore with pages of lore for players to sink their teeth into. Players could choose to play as one of the Origin characters or create their own Sourcerer to set upon the world and stop the Voidwoken.

Aside from the main quest, there are various side quests players can embark on, with choices that can result in the quest failing, causing the associated character to leave or even die. Players are given agency to approach missions how they wish, which they might encounter the consequences of later down the line.

5 The Outer Worlds

The Player's Morality Reflected Through Dialogue Options Directly Influence The Game's Ending

Following on from the major success of New Vegas, gamers were clamoring for another RPG game in the same vein as Obsidian, and they delivered with The Outer Worlds. This game changed the course of history by having Roosevelt never succeed McKinley, and megacorporations soon took over the earth, which had moved their ambitions to space, colonizing planets. They successfully do so, transforming many planets in the Halcyon system into new homes for citizens of Earth.

There are many choices players will be confronted with while space-faring in The Outer Worlds, both big and small, with some influencing the attitudes of other characters towards the player and the fates of more than one character's fate resting in the player's hands. These choices should not be made lightly, as they may come to regret it later

6 As Dusk Falls

The Player's Actions At Pivotal Moments Can Change The Trajectory Of The Plot

This narrative-driven adventure drama game spins the tale of two families who find themselves crossing paths with one another in the Arizona desert after a robbery goes horribly wrong. In a similar vein to games more like Life is Strange and less like Dragon Age, it requires plenty of choice-oriented input from the players.

Split across two 'books,' As Dusk Falls plays like an interactive movie, with the players interjecting their choices into pivotal moments in the game and directly influencing the trajectory of the plot. It even has a co-op mode for players to have a friend join them, much like the Dark Picture's anthology series.

7 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

How Players Choose To Navigate Certain Missions Impacts The Ending

The Assassin's Creed franchise has taken players far and wide, from Renaissance Italy to Victorian London, and the title Odyssey takes them back to the times of Ancient Greece, in which players take control of either Alexios or Kassandra as they fight as a Spartan in a war between Athens and Sparta. In comparison to earlier titles, Odyssey takes on more RPG elements, focusing less on stealth and more on combat.

It also features multiple endings, with the outcome depending directly on the player's choice. With a total of nine endings players can get, they must make sure to make wise choices on certain missions if they want the best outcome.

8 Catherine: Full Body

The Game Poses A Moral Question Each Night, With Every Answer Influencing The Ending

Catherine: Full Body falls into the same category as P4 Golden or P5 Royal: not quite a remaster, but more of a rework with added content. The new content found in Catherine mostly centers around newcomer Rin, who becomes the new neighbor of Vincent and one of the new possible romance routes players can pursue. Suffering a bout of amnesia other than a certain piano melody Rin often plays, it is up to the players to help Rin uncover those buried memories.

Choices play a major part in this game, with the players given a question after every nightmare stage they pass. They will be confronted by a moral dilemma and given two answers to choose from. While some questions are obvious as to which will put them on the good or bad path, these become less obvious as the game progresses, and depending on how that morality meter looks like at the end of the game, will affect Vincent's fate.

9 Baldur's Gate 3

Every Decision Proposed To Players During Missions Will Ripple Throughout The Entire Campaign

Larian's epic Dungeons and Dragons-themed RPG has captured the hearts of millions of gamers, bringing them and their characters into the world of Faerun as they travel far and wide in search of one with the skills to cure them of their recently acquired passenger. The quest to rid themselves of the Illithid passengers will bring them to multiple locations and multiple people, giving them to freedom to whom they choose to trust and ally themselves.

And these choices aren't ones to be made on a whim, as their ripples will be felt throughout the campaign. Siding with the wrong (or right) person can close players off from certain missions and companions.

10 NieR: Automata

Multiple Secret Endings Can Result In The Game Ending Prematurely

This hit-action RPG from Square Enix follows the tales of three androids, 2B, 9S, and A2, as they fight against the machine lifeforms that have taken over the Earth after humanity fled to the moon, or so the androids think. In truth, humanity is no more, and the story was fabricated to give meaning to their lives of violence. NieR's story explores humanity, love, and loss and is more linear than other choice-based games.

However, NieR: Automata is filled with secret, optional endings that players can encounter by chance, such as exploding while on base or eating a piece of mackerel that Jackass offers as part of her research. Such decisions can lead to rather abrupt and humorous endings. If players unlock all of the game's optional endings, they are awarded with an achievement for their troubles.

11 XCOM 2

Making Strategic Choices During Combat Ensures The Run Continues

The XCOM series has predominantly become known for two things since the franchise reached the attention of mainstream gaming: its brutal difficulty and often ridiculous hit percentage chances. This made some people who hadn't played the game believe it to be a gimmick, though this couldn't be further from the truth.

Although the game does have its moments of absurd difficulty, players who get to grips with it will be rewarded with a challenging yet rewarding turn-based strategy game that demands that players think a few moves ahead, like a game of chess. Players don't just need to think ahead and carefully plan out their decisions to complete each mission, but also because if one of their team members dies, they're gone for good.

12 Undertale

Choosing To Kill Or Spare The Creatures Decides On What Run The Player Will Be Set On

Toby Fox's charming 8-bit adventure game took the gaming world by storm, with its deceptively simple aesthetics and gameplay hiding layers of depth and many secrets just waiting to be revealed by players. The game opens with the playable character falling into a hole in the ground and landing in the secretive kingdom of the Underground, a place filled with many strange creatures.

Total agency is handed to the player with how they interact with the inhabitants that challenge them to a fight. They can choose to spare all of the monsters, resulting in the Pacifist route, pick and choose which ones to kill, or slaughter them all without mercy, leading them onto the infamous Genocide route. How the players mete out mercy will alter which boss fights occur further down the line, as well as the ending they get.

13 Dishonored

The Player's Body Count Impacts The State Of The City And The Ending

The concept of a game letting players opt for either a peaceful or aggressive playthrough is certainly nothing new, with franchises like Fable and Mass Effect being notable examples. However, whereas those games have clear ramifications for positive or negative actions that are made obvious to the player, Dishonored is far more subtle. For example, if players kill a guard in a certain area of Dishonored, the next time they enter the area, there will be more guards patrolling and more traps in place.

Dishonored follows the tale of Corvo Attano, the guardian of the Empress, who ends up framed for her murder in a conspiracy that unfolds in the first few moments of the game. Corvo dons a mask and works to topple the new corrupt empire, and sees his daughter Emily from their machinations.

14 The Stanley Parable

Players Can Obey Or Ignore The Narrator, Influencing Their Route And Ending

Along with games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Slender: The Eight Pages, Galactic Cafe The Stanley Parable was among the first wave of games that can largely credit their unexpected burst in popularity to YouTube streamers. This is thanks to how fun it is to watch other people reach certain moments in the game and how tempting it was for the viewers to try The Stanely Parable for themselves and see what narrative paths they could discover.

Without a doubt, the true stars of The Stanley Parable are British actor Kevan Brighting, who voiced the narrator, and those who wrote his script. The narrator will talk the protagonist through what they're "supposed" to do, though going against this will spark all sorts of bizarre twists and turns.

15 Until Dawn

The Branching Path Choices Decide Which Characters Live Or Die

Until Dawn was released in August 2015 exclusively on the PlayStation 4, the game was developed by Supermassive Games, who are best known today for their work on The Dark Pictures Anthology. Like that anthology series, it follows the stories of a group of people and pits them against terror and danger lurking behind every corner.

Until Dawn is a fantastic option for those who like decision-based games, as every one of the playable characters can live or die depending on the decisions that players make. Although the gameplay has its issues Until Dawn is one of the best choices for those wanting a true decision-based adventure.

16 Beyond: Two Souls

With Over 20 Endings, Player's Decisions During Quests Will Set Them On One Of These Many Paths

Beyond: Two Souls was developed by Quantic Dream, the same team that worked on Heavy Rain, a pioneer of modern decision-based games. Uniquely for story-heavy games, Beyond: Two Souls offers a co-op mode where two players can each control one of the protagonists, Aiden and Jodie.

Indicative of its emphasis on storytelling, Beyond: Two Souls appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival, becoming only the second video game to do so, with Rockstar Games' L.A. Noire being the first. With stellar performances from Elliot Page and Willem Da Foe, Beyond: Two Souls is an incredibly cinematic and soulful experience, with the fates of these characters resting in the players' hands.

17 The Wolf Among Us

Dialogue Options Impact Bigby's Relationships With Other Characters

One of Telltale's greatest series in its impressive roster, The Wolf Among Us is based on the Dark Horse graphic novel series Fables, following the trials and tribulations of fairy tale characters as they struggle to live among "Mundies" in America. Players control Bigby Wolf, the big bad wolf from various tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. Bigby acts as the Sheriff of the fables, keeping order and protecting them.

The Wolf Among Us delves into a murder mystery plot as fables start turning up dead in the city, and it's up to Bigby and the players to uncover the mystery killer and put an end to their crimes. Players must consider their choices carefully, as it can make all the difference between finding a vital clue as to the identity of the killer.

18 Heavy Rain

Player Choices Will Direct The Story's Plot To A Unique Ending

Heavy Rain was released exclusively on the PlayStation 3 in 2010 and was a pioneer in bringing decision-heavy games back into the mainstream market. Sadly, the game is often dismissed today, as it's hard to deny that many of its features have aged poorly. It's worth noting, however, that many of the games that people point to as being superior likely wouldn't have existed if it wasn't for Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain.

Heavy Rain performed extremely well with critics when it was initially released, exemplified by its impressive Metascore of 87. The game also won numerous awards, including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming from the Interactive Achievement Awards. Heavy Rain follows the story of four different characters, all centered on the actions of the infamous Origami Killer, who has kidnapped one of the main characters' sons. Ethan must find the killer and his son before time runs out.

19 The Walking Dead

Player's Choices During Missions Changes Other Characters' Opinions Of The Player

The Walking Dead is an episodic graphic adventure based on a comic book series of the same name. Unlike the popular graphic adventures of the 80s and 90s like Grim Fandango and The Secret of Monkey Island, Telltale Games' The Walking Dead has no puzzles. The game's lack of puzzles certainly isn't a drawback, as it puts the entire spotlight on the game's strongest feature: narrative.

Much like Heavy Rain, The Walking Dead picked up numerous awards upon release, such as Destructoid's Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Story from the D.I.C.E. Awards.

20 Mass Effect 3

Pivotal Quest Choices Influence The Ending And The Allies That Will Come To Shepard's Aid

The third and final entry in the Mass Effect trilogy brought fans the long-awaited conclusion to the threat of the reapers. Players once more take on the mantle of Commander Shepard as the threat of death faces the entire galaxy. After one of the most memorable opening sequences, Shepard is reinstated into the Alliance and must band together all the Council races to face the reapers as a united front.

In typical Mass Effect fashion, players will be given many choices over the course of the game, such as deciding whether to cure the Genophage for the Krogan, as well as the paragon/renegade choices that show up as a QTE sequence that players must press if they wish to make a certain choice. Decisions made by the player will impact how many forces they have to fight the reapers, and players will be presented with one final choice at the climax of the game that determines the future of the entire galaxy.