- #1 The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
97% matchVery Positive89% of 9,719 reviews2021
Dev: SeverPub: 101XP
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 9.1 hrs≥1hr: 91%
A narrative-driven hardcore RPG set in a gritty world ruled by real but unrelenting gods. Set out on a challenging lifetime journey, where every choice has a price and entails consequences. Will you become an inquisitor, a judge, or conspire against the old order? Dare to decide!
Why similar: Text-Based 22.1%, Interactive Fiction 16%, RPG 13.3%, Choose Your Own Adventure 12.6%, Choices Matter 12.6%
Why You'll Like It: This game mirrors the high-stakes, choice-heavy narrative structure of Roadwarden within a grim, reactive world.
- #2 Citizen Sleeper
96% matchVery Positive92% of 10,281 reviews2022
Dev: Jump Over The AgePub: Fellow Traveller
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 7.3 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Roleplaying in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism. Live the life of an escaped worker, washed-up on a lawless station at the edge of an interstellar society. Inspired by the flexibility and freedom of TTRPGs, explore the station, choose your friends, escape your past and change your future.
Why similar: Text-Based 36.3%, Interactive Fiction 18.6%, RPG 16.3%, Story Rich 8.8%, Multiple Endings 8%
Why You'll Like It: It combines text-based storytelling with resource management and dice-based mechanics to create a compelling, atmospheric RPG experience.
- #3 Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
96% matchVery Positive93% of 128,412 reviews2019
Dev: ZA/UM
Windows · Mac
Median: 7.4 hrsMean: 22.7 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is a groundbreaking role playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.
Why similar: RPG 32.3%, Choices Matter 17.9%, Story Rich 17.3%, Detective 12.1%, Visual Novel 7.1%
Why You'll Like It: It is the definitive text-heavy RPG that offers unparalleled narrative depth and choice-driven gameplay in an isometric world.
- #4 Suzerain
95% matchVery Positive93% of 11,527 reviews2020
Dev: Torpor Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.7 hrsMean: 18.4 hrs≥1hr: 73%
Assume the role of President Anton Rayne and guide the nation of Sordland. Amidst brewing international conflicts, need for reform, deep-seated corruption, and economic recession, you must make the decisions in this political drama. How will you lead?
Why similar: Text-Based 27.3%, Choose Your Own Adventure 16.5%, Interactive Fiction 14%, RPG 10.6%, Visual Novel 8.4%
Why You'll Like It: This political simulation focuses heavily on dialogue and difficult choices that ripple through the world, much like the decision-making in Roadwarden.
- #5 The Pale Beyond
94% matchVery Positive89% of 2,210 reviews2023
Dev: Saltstone StudiosPub: Fellow Traveller
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.4 hrsMean: 13.2 hrs≥1hr: 63%
You didn’t ask to lead this expedition, but here you are. Stuck in the ice, Captain missing, miles from civilisation. Someone has to take charge. Manage your meagre resources, balance safety and morale, make the hard calls, and head in the only direction you can - through The Pale Beyond.
Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 23.8%, Interactive Fiction 23.7%, Choices Matter 18.5%, Story Rich 15.5%, Adventure 10.2%
Why You'll Like It: This survival-focused narrative game forces you to manage resources and make brutal choices that determine the fate of your crew.
- #6 Pentiment
93% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 9,484 reviews2022
Dev: Obsidian EntertainmentPub: Xbox Game Studios
Windows
Median: 4.9 hrsMean: 10.5 hrs≥1hr: 72%
Step into a living illustrated world in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the Bavarian Alps.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.6%, Choose Your Own Adventure 19.8%, Story Rich 12.8%, Multiple Endings 10.6%, Choices Matter 8.1%
Why You'll Like It: A beautifully illustrated historical narrative that relies on player investigation and meaningful social choices.
- #7 Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition
94% matchVery Positive84% of 3,454 reviews2019
Dev: Failbetter Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 17.5 hrs≥1hr: 66%
SAIL THE STARS. BETRAY YOUR QUEEN. MURDER A SUN. Sunless Skies is a Gothic Horror roleplay game with a focus on exploration and exquisite storytelling.
Why similar: RPG 36.5%, Story Rich 19.5%, Choices Matter 12.2%, Adventure 9.8%, Atmospheric 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: It offers a rich, text-heavy exploration experience with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and survival in a hostile, fantastical setting.
- #8 Tyranny
92% matchVery Positive87% of 13,247 reviews2016
Dev: Obsidian EntertainmentPub: Paradox Interactive
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 15.9 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Experience a story-driven RPG where your choices mean all the difference in the world.
Why similar: RPG 42.6%, Choices Matter 16.1%, Story Rich 13.2%, Dark Fantasy 12.1%, Adventure 6.2%
Why You'll Like It: This isometric RPG excels at presenting complex moral dilemmas where your choices significantly alter the political landscape.
- #9 The Age of Decadence
91% matchVery Positive82% of 4,006 reviews2015
Dev: Iron Tower Studio
Windows
Median: 3.9 hrsMean: 9.6 hrs≥1hr: 86%
The Age of Decadence is a turn-based, hardcore role-playing game set in a low magic fantasy world. The game features a detailed skill-based character system, multiple skill-based ways to handle quests, choices & consequences, and extensive dialogue trees.
Why similar: RPG 23.3%, Choices Matter 17.8%, Multiple Endings 16.1%, Story Rich 15.7%, Dark Fantasy 11.9%
Why You'll Like It: A hardcore, low-fantasy RPG that prioritizes player agency and consequences, offering a world that feels as dangerous as the one in Roadwarden.
- #10 Wildermyth
90% matchVery Positive95% of 18,187 reviews2021
Dev: Worldwalker Games LLC
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.3 hrsMean: 18.4 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Wildermyth follows heroes over their whole careers, from their pitchfork days to their powerful primes, and on into old age and memory. It’s a party-based procedural storytelling RPG where tactical combat and story decisions will alter your world and reshape your cast of characters.
Why similar: Choices Matter 28.4%, RPG 26.8%, Story Rich 24.2%, Fantasy 14.6%, Indie 5%
Why You'll Like It: It features procedural storytelling and character-driven choices that make every playthrough feel like a unique, personal adventure.
- #11 Heaven's Vault
91% matchVery Positive84% of 2,462 reviews2019
Dev: inkle Ltd
Windows
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 12.2 hrs≥1hr: 60%
An archaeologist uncovers a lost history in an ancient space Nebula. Award-winning narrative adventure game with hieroglyphic language puzzles, from the creators of 80 DAYS.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 27.4%, Choose Your Own Adventure 19.4%, Choices Matter 14.3%, Adventure 9.9%, Mystery 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: This narrative adventure focuses on exploration and deciphering a lost language, rewarding players who pay close attention to the world's history.
- #12 The Thaumaturge
89% matchVery Positive83% of 5,754 reviews2024
Dev: Fool's TheoryPub: 11 bit studios
Windows
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 9.0 hrs≥1hr: 86%
The Thaumaturge is a character-driven RPG with a rich story, morally ambiguous choices, and turn-based combat. In a city on the brink of change, use your mystical powers to read emotions, uncover motives, and command folklore-inspired demons — while resisting the temptation of your own pride.
Why similar: RPG 20.9%, Dark Fantasy 11.3%, Choices Matter 10.9%, Story Rich 10.5%, Detective 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: An isometric RPG that emphasizes narrative investigation and complex character relationships in a historical fantasy setting.
- #13 The Forgotten City
89% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 13,388 reviews2021
Dev: Modern StorytellerPub: Dear Villagers
Windows
Median: 6.1 hrsMean: 7.7 hrs≥1hr: 74%
The Forgotten City is a narrative-driven time loop adventure in ancient Rome. Discover the ruins of an ancient underground city, travel 2000 years into the past, and unravel the mystery of who destroyed it by cleverly exploiting the power to wind back time. The fate of the city is in your hands.
Why similar: RPG 20.5%, Choices Matter 15%, Story Rich 12.6%, Multiple Endings 11.5%, Adventure 10.4%
Why You'll Like It: A narrative-driven mystery that uses a time-loop mechanic to encourage exploration and careful dialogue choices.
- #14 Moonring
88% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 2,420 reviews2023
Dev: Fluttermind, LLC
Windows · Mac
Median: 48 minMean: 3.9 hrs≥1hr: 44%
A dark-fantasy, turn-based, retro-fusion of classic turn-based RPGs and roguelikes, all presented with a unique neon aesthetic.
Why similar: RPG 48.8%, Dark Fantasy 27.5%, Multiple Endings 8.7%, Pixel Graphics 7.2%, Atmospheric 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: A retro-inspired RPG that prioritizes exploration and world-building in a dark, mysterious fantasy land.
- #15 Cultist Simulator
87% matchMostly Positive80% of 13,963 reviews2018
Dev: Weather Factory
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.8 hrsMean: 11.6 hrs≥1hr: 80%
Seize forbidden treasures. Summon alien gods. Feed on your disciples. Cultist Simulator is a game of apocalypse and yearning. Play as a seeker after unholy mysteries, in a 1920s-themed setting of hidden gods and secret histories.
Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 33.2%, RPG 32%, Choices Matter 18.3%, Story Rich 16.5%
Why You'll Like It: A deeply atmospheric, text-based game that focuses on the management of knowledge and resources in a dark, occult setting.
- #16 NORCO
86% matchVery Positive92% of 3,163 reviews2022
Dev: Geography of RobotsPub: Raw Fury
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.1 hrsMean: 5.6 hrs≥1hr: 65%
NORCO is a dialogue-focused point & click adventure that immerses the player in the sinking suburbs and industrial swamplands of an increasingly surreal and distorted South Louisiana.
Why similar: Pixel Graphics 32.1%, Story Rich 24.9%, Mystery 15%, Atmospheric 13%, Adventure 12.9%
Why You'll Like It: This point-and-click adventure captures a unique, atmospheric sense of place through its rich, surreal writing.
- #17 A House of Many Doors
86% matchVery Positive83% of 434 reviews2017
Dev: Pixel Trickery
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Explore the House, a parasite dimension that steals from other worlds, in a train that scuttles on mechanical legs.
Why similar: Text-Based 23.8%, RPG 22%, Interactive Fiction 21.3%, Story Rich 13.3%, Atmospheric 5.3%
Why You'll Like It: This exploration-heavy RPG features a surreal, text-rich world that requires careful resource management to survive.
- #18 Beacon Pines
83% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 4,388 reviews2022
Dev: Hiding SpotPub: Fellow Traveller
Windows
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 67%
Beacon Pines is a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book. Sneak out late, make new friends, uncover hidden truths, and collect words that will change the course of fate!
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 31%, RPG 18%, Visual Novel 17.8%, Story Rich 14.9%, Adventure 6.2%
Why You'll Like It: This narrative adventure uses a unique 'word-collecting' mechanic to influence the story's outcome through branching choices.
- #19 Gamedec - Definitive Edition
84% matchMostly Positive80% of 1,711 reviews2021
Dev: Anshar StudiosPub: Anshar Publishing
Windows
Median: 5.3 hrsMean: 6.8 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Gamedec is a single-player cyberpunk isometric RPG. You are a game detective, who solves crimes inside virtual worlds. Use your wits to gather info from your witnesses and suspects, getting to the bottom of deceptive schemes. The game continually adapts to your decisions and never judges.
Why similar: Text-Based 28.5%, RPG 15.4%, Choices Matter 9.4%, Story Rich 8.8%, Multiple Endings 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: An investigation-focused RPG that relies entirely on dialogue and deduction rather than combat to resolve conflicts.
- #20 Sorcery! Parts 1 and 2
85% matchVery Positive88% of 753 reviews2016
Dev: inkle Ltd
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 5.4 hrs≥1hr: 60%
An epic adventure in a land of monsters, traps and magic. Journey across the deadly Shamutanti Hills and through Kharé, Cityport of Thieves. Armed with your sword and over fifty spells with weird and wonderful effects, embark on a narrative adventure of a thousand choices where every one is remembered.
Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 21.3%, Text-Based 19.5%, RPG 17.5%, Interactive Fiction 15.5%, Choices Matter 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: A classic interactive fiction experience that translates the feel of a tabletop choose-your-own-adventure book into a digital format.
- #21 Yes, Your Grace
84% matchVery Positive87% of 13,943 reviews2020
Dev: Brave At NightPub: No More Robots
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 5.4 hrs≥1hr: 85%
These are troubling times, Your Grace. The petitioners’ petty matters exceed our limited resources, to say nothing of the war. A careful balance must be struck. Your throne awaits.
Why similar: RPG 18%, Choose Your Own Adventure 16.8%, Choices Matter 13.2%, Pixel Graphics 13.1%, Story Rich 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: It focuses on the management of a kingdom through dialogue and difficult choices, mirroring the responsibility felt in Roadwarden.
- #22 I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
82% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 4,709 reviews2022
Dev: Northway GamesPub: Finji
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.8 hrsMean: 15.6 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Spend your teenage years on an alien planet in this narrative RPG with card-based battles. Explore, grow up, and fall in love. The choices you make and skills you master over ten years will determine the course of your life and the survival of your colony.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 19.5%, Choose Your Own Adventure 17.6%, RPG 15.9%, Choices Matter 11%, Visual Novel 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: This narrative-heavy game blends life simulation with meaningful choices that dictate the survival and development of a colony.
- #23 Keep Driving
80% matchVery Positive94% of 6,180 reviews2025
Dev: YCJY Games
Windows
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 7.4 hrs≥1hr: 75%
An atmospheric management RPG about life on the open road. Pick up hitchhikers, work odd jobs, customize and repair your car, and map your route across the country. Use upgrades, skills and items to overcome challenges. And remember to take it easy. You’re young. You have time.
Why similar: RPG 31.1%, Pixel Graphics 26.7%, Multiple Endings 13.3%, Adventure 11%, Atmospheric 9.9%
Why You'll Like It: This atmospheric game blends driving mechanics with resource management and narrative encounters.
- #24 The Sin Collector: Repentless
81% matchVery Positive92% of 90 reviews2021
Dev: Sylen Studio
Windows
THE SIN COLLECTOR: REPENTLESS is a game on the border of a visual novel and a classic text RPG, set in the world of The Sin Collector, a series of books written by Michał Gołkowski. Action takes place a couple of years before the events presented in the books.
Why similar: Text-Based 25%, Interactive Fiction 13.7%, Choose Your Own Adventure 12.4%, RPG 9.8%, Choices Matter 6.2%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, text-heavy interactive fiction game that forces players to make difficult moral judgments.
- #25 BOOK OF HOURS
79% matchVery Positive89% of 4,339 reviews2023
Dev: Weather Factory
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 22.4 hrs≥1hr: 79%
Restore a crumbling occult library by a winter sea. Build the world’s foremost collection of grimoires and arcana. Master the invisible arts. BOOK OF HOURS is a narrative crafting RPG set in a 1930s world of hidden gods and secret histories. What sort of Librarian will you choose to be?
Why similar: Text-Based 43.6%, RPG 29.5%, Choices Matter 15.2%, Story Rich 11.8%
Why You'll Like It: A methodical, text-heavy game that rewards curiosity and careful resource management in a beautifully realized library setting.
- #26 80 Days
82% matchVery Positive90% of 2,026 reviews2015
Dev: inkle Ltd
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.4 hrsMean: 4.2 hrs≥1hr: 54%
1872, with a steampunk twist. Phileas Fogg has wagered he can circumnavigate the world in just 80 days. Travel by airship, submarine, mechanical camel, steam-train and more. Race other players and a clock that never stops in TIME Magazine's Game of 2014.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 22.5%, Choose Your Own Adventure 22%, Choices Matter 13%, Story Rich 11.6%, Adventure 10.3%
Why You'll Like It: A brilliant interactive fiction game that balances resource management, travel, and branching narrative paths.
- #27 Esoteric Ebb
77% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 8,118 reviews2026
Dev: Christoffer BodegårdPub: Raw Fury
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 10.6 hrs≥1hr: 79%
Esoteric Ebb is a single-player CRPG inspired by the freedom of tabletop adventures. Unravel a political conspiracy with your goblin sidekick. Roll dice in tense encounters. Become a cleric of legends or completely ruin the campaign.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.7%, RPG 25.5%, Choices Matter 16.4%, Story Rich 14.7%, Visual Novel 6%
- #28 The Case of the Golden Idol
78% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 10,678 reviews2022
Dev: Color Gray GamesPub: Playstack
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.0 hrsMean: 8.0 hrs≥1hr: 90%
A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.2%, Pixel Graphics 13.3%, Detective 13.1%, Story Rich 11.8%, Choices Matter 10.6%
Why You'll Like It: A brilliant investigation game that requires players to piece together complex narratives through observation and deduction.
- #29 If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 2,781 reviews2021
Dev: Dead Idle Games
Windows · Linux
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 76%
If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers is a narrative-driven point-and-click adventure with horror elements that explores the stories of four characters in a masked ball taking place aboard a train in the late 1920s.
Why similar: Pixel Graphics 32.9%, Story Rich 25.5%, Atmospheric 12.5%, Adventure 11.7%, Mystery 11.2%
Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric, and narrative-driven pixel art game that excels at storytelling through its distinct vignettes.
- #30 Wayhaven Chronicles: Book One
81% matchVery Positive92% of 369 reviews2018
Dev: Hosted Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Your first case as a detective is forcing you to open your eyes to a world bigger than you thought. Or maybe it's better to keep them closed. Seems the supernatural didn’t get the memo that nothing exciting ever happens in the little town of Wayhaven.
Why similar: Text-Based 34.5%, RPG 18.7%, Interactive Fiction 13.3%, Choose Your Own Adventure 13%, Adventure 6.8%
Why You'll Like It: A character-focused interactive fiction game that emphasizes dialogue and relationship-building.
- #31 Caves of Qud
76% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 12,432 reviews2024
Dev: Freehold GamesPub: Kitfox Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.8 hrsMean: 35.3 hrs≥1hr: 73%
Inhabit a deeply-simulated science fantasy world and chisel through layers of thousand-year-old civilizations. Build a character from over a hundred mutations and cybernetics. The award-winning sandbox roguelike & RPG full of robots, deep lore, and sentient plants.
Why similar: RPG 31.8%, Pixel Graphics 22.1%, Choices Matter 18%, Story Rich 17.4%, Atmospheric 8.8%
- #32 Mothmen 1966
78% matchVery Positive91% of 321 reviews2022
Dev: LCB Game StudioPub: Chorus Worldwide Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.7 hrsMean: 2.1 hrs≥1hr: 62%
Mothmen 1966 is a 'Pixel Pulp' - a visual novel fusing exceptional writing and stunning illustration, inspired by mid-20th century pulp fiction and 80s home computer graphics - set amongst the strange occurrences of the Leonid meteor shower of 1966.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 20.7%, Choose Your Own Adventure 19.1%, Pixel Graphics 10.2%, Choices Matter 9.3%, Visual Novel 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: A stylized interactive fiction game that captures a specific, eerie atmosphere through its narrative-first approach.
- #33 The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
75% matchVery Positive93% of 6,142 reviews2023
Dev: DeconstructeamPub: Devolver Digital
Windows
Median: 4.8 hrsMean: 6.0 hrs≥1hr: 77%
Immerse yourself in an enchanting narrative experience as Fortuna, a fortune-teller Witch condemned to exile on her asteroid home. Craft your own Tarot deck, regain your freedom, and shape the fate of the cosmic Witch society.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 26.9%, Pixel Graphics 12.3%, Choices Matter 11.2%, Visual Novel 10.7%, LGBTQ+ 9.7%
- #34 Windy Meadow - A Roadwarden Tale
76% matchVery Positive87% of 101 reviews2023
Dev: Moral Anxiety StudioPub: Assemble Entertainment
Windows · Mac · Linux
Windy Meadow – A Roadwarden Tale is an interactive slice-of-life visual novel about choosing your own path. Help three protagonists make the most important choices of their lives. Featuring a multitude of hand-crafted characters and a richly detailed village set in the Roadwarden story world.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 24.1%, Text-Based 15.5%, Pixel Graphics 12.9%, Dark Fantasy 10.7%, Visual Novel 10.5%
- #35 UnderRail
77% matchVery Positive86% of 7,150 reviews2015
Dev: Stygian Software
Windows
Median: 3.8 hrsMean: 39.1 hrs≥1hr: 68%
UnderRail is an old-school turn-based isometric role-playing game that features a large open post-apocalyptic world, deep and challenging combat and an intricate storyline.
Why similar: RPG 71.5%, Pixel Graphics 9.3%, Indie 7.5%, Atmospheric 5.7%, Adventure 4.5%
- #36 The Secret of Darkwoods
75% matchVery Positive89% of 118 reviews2023
Dev: Rap2h
Windows · Mac · Linux
Open-world illustrated text-based RPG. Inspired by classic role-playing video games and fantasy gamebooks, the secret of darkwoods is a free game, a non-linear standalone adventure with side quests in a vast world.
Why similar: Text-Based 42.6%, RPG 26.1%, Interactive Fiction 18.9%, Choices Matter 5.3%, Fantasy 4.6%
- #37 Shogun Showdown
72% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 6,849 reviews2024
Dev: RoboatinoPub: Goblinz Publishing
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.9 hrsMean: 12.0 hrs≥1hr: 63%
Shogun Showdown is a turn-based combat game with rogue-like and deck-building elements. Position yourself and attack at the right time, upgrade your tiles and combo them to get ready to face the Shogun!
Why similar: Pixel Graphics 51%, RPG 45.1%, Singleplayer 3.9%
- #38 Ikenfell
74% matchVery Positive91% of 1,241 reviews2020
Dev: Happy Ray GamesPub: Balor Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 10.4 hrs≥1hr: 59%
A turn-based tactical RPG about a group of troublesome magic students. Use timing mechanics to power your spells and block attacks, explore the twisted halls of a vast magic school, fight challenging monsters and bosses, and uncover dark secrets never meant to be found.
Why similar: RPG 35.6%, Pixel Graphics 17.4%, LGBTQ+ 13.5%, Story Rich 11.1%, Indie 9.9%
- #39 Amarantus
73% matchVery Positive80% of 82 reviews2023
Dev: ub4q
Windows · Mac · Linux
Roadtrip across the country. Confront a tyrant. The revolution will be messy—but the relationships will be messier.
Why similar: Text-Based 16.4%, Choose Your Own Adventure 14.4%, Choices Matter 13.3%, Story Rich 10%, Interactive Fiction 8.8%
- #40 Pillars of Eternity
74% matchVery Positive88% of 25,928 reviews2015
Dev: Obsidian EntertainmentPub: Xbox Game Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 8.5 hrsMean: 42.3 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Prepare to be enchanted by a world where the choices you make and the paths you choose shape your destiny. Obsidian Entertainment, the developer of Fallout: New Vegas™ and South Park: The Stick of Truth™, together with Paradox Interactive is proud to present Pillars of Eternity.
Why similar: RPG 54%, Story Rich 14.6%, Fantasy 12.1%, Dark Fantasy 6.4%, Adventure 4.5%
- #41 The Lamplighters League
73% matchMixed69% of 1,188 reviews2023
Dev: Harebrained SchemesPub: Paradox Interactive
Windows
Median: 48 minMean: 19.2 hrs≥1hr: 47%
Recruit a team of misfits with unique abilities and unforgettable personalities, and chase the Banished Court to the ends of the earth in a mix of real-time infiltration, turn-based tactical combat, and a character-driven story of adventure and intrigue.
Why similar: RPG 25.2%, Story Rich 17.4%, Choices Matter 15.1%, Multiple Endings 12.5%, Dark Fantasy 12.2%
- #42 1000xRESIST
70% matchVery Positive95% of 6,743 reviews2024
Dev: sunset visitor 斜陽過客Pub: Fellow Traveller
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 12.6 hrs≥1hr: 67%
1000xRESIST is a thrilling sci-fi adventure. The year is unknown, and a disease spread by an alien invasion keeps you underground. You are Watcher. You dutifully fulfil your purpose in serving the ALLMOTHER, until the day you discover a shocking secret that changes everything.
Why similar: Story Rich 27.3%, Visual Novel 25.5%, Multiple Endings 22.7%, Mystery 13.1%, Atmospheric 11.4%
- #43 Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
70% matchVery Positive91% of 3,855 reviews2023
Dev: Summerfall StudiosPub: Balor Games
Windows
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 11.5 hrs≥1hr: 67%
Gods. Romance. Murder. Musical Numbers?! Play as Grace in a world where Greek Gods live in hiding among us. Change your fate as you draw friends, foes & lovers into song using your powers of musical persuasion to unravel the mystery of the Last Muse's death.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25%, Choose Your Own Adventure 18.3%, Choices Matter 11.7%, Story Rich 10.5%, Multiple Endings 9.8%
- #44 Pixel Noir
72% matchMostly Positive71% of 91 reviews2024
Dev: SWDTech Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Untangle a gripping conspiracy in this noir-influenced mystery, laced with classic RPG elements. Navigate seedy streets to collect clues, upgrade skills and customize weapons. Brawl in turn-based combat with timed hits & combos, to reveal the dark truth that plagues the city’s core and your sanity.
Why similar: RPG 24.2%, Pixel Graphics 17.2%, Story Rich 11.6%, Multiple Endings 10.7%, Detective 10.1%
- #45 Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate
71% matchVery Positive91% of 7,339 reviews2022
Dev: PUNKCAKE Delicieux
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 7.8 hrs≥1hr: 67%
Chess, but you replace your entire army with a royal shotgun. A unique strategy roguelike based on the timeless checkboard classic.
Why similar: Pixel Graphics 46.1%, Choices Matter 37.6%, Atmospheric 16.3%
- #46 Drova - Forsaken Kin
68% matchVery Positive94% of 9,550 reviews2024
Dev: Just2DPub: Deck13
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 15.4 hrs≥1hr: 78%
Drova is an Action-RPG that marries the dark grim tones of its genre with the mysticism of Celtic mythology. Encounter a society where ancient restless spirits and divided factions battle for dominance. Uncover forgotten abilities and unravel the secrets of a past shrouded in mystery.
Why similar: RPG 32.2%, Pixel Graphics 17.9%, Choices Matter 13.6%, Dark Fantasy 11.9%, Story Rich 9.4%
- #47 Overboard!
71% matchVery Positive90% of 661 reviews2021
Dev: inkle Ltd
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.0 hrsMean: 3.0 hrs≥1hr: 67%
GET AWAY WITH MURDER. Highly replayable detective game where you're the one whodunnit. From the creators of 80 Days and Heaven's Vault.
Why similar: Text-Based 30.1%, Interactive Fiction 20.2%, Choose Your Own Adventure 17.1%, Choices Matter 8.7%, Detective 7.7%
- #48 SKALD: Against the Black Priory
68% matchVery Positive94% of 3,563 reviews2024
Dev: High North Studios ASPub: Raw Fury
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 11.8 hrs≥1hr: 74%
SKALD:Against the Black Priory is a retro-style party-based RPG set in a grim-dark fantasy world of tragic heroes, violent deaths and Lovecraftian horror. Take a chance and roll the dice as you embark on a compelling story filled with deadly creatures, branching story and tactical, turn-based combat
Why similar: RPG 23%, Story Rich 17.2%, Dark Fantasy 15.3%, Choices Matter 14.9%, Atmospheric 10.1%
- #49 The Dark Egg Demo
70% matchVery Positive96% of 228 reviews2022
Dev: Transcend Pixels
Windows
A surrealist text-based RPG. You will explore an island, solve puzzles, and fight enemies, all in your attempt to get the Dark Egg.
Why similar: Text-Based 28.9%, Interactive Fiction 15.8%, Choose Your Own Adventure 14.6%, RPG 11.8%, Pixel Graphics 6.7%
- #50 UNMEMORY
71% matchVery Positive84% of 99 reviews2020
Dev: PATRONES & ESCONDITES
Windows · Mac · Linux
Unravel a mystery: A game you can read, a book you can play.
Why similar: Text-Based 37.5%, Interactive Fiction 17.3%, Story Rich 7.9%, Visual Novel 7.1%, Adventure 6.8%
- #51 Solstice
73% matchMostly Positive76% of 191 reviews2016
Dev: MoaCube
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Solstice is a dystopian mystery visual novel about small personal disasters that turn into great catastrophes.
Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 18.2%, Interactive Fiction 10.7%, Choices Matter 10.6%, Visual Novel 9.9%, Multiple Endings 9.2%
- #52 Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut
66% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 32,656 reviews2023
Dev: Black Tabby Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 7.0 hrs≥1hr: 88%
You're here to slay the princess. Don't believe her lies.
Why similar: Choose Your Own Adventure 20.4%, Interactive Fiction 19.2%, Choices Matter 16.8%, Visual Novel 15.3%, RPG 12.1%
- #53 Paradise Killer
69% matchVery Positive93% of 4,463 reviews2020
Dev: Kaizen Game WorksPub: Fellow Traveller
Windows
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 7.3 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Paradise Island, a world outside reality. There’s been a murder that only "investigation freak" Lady Love Dies can solve. Gather evidence and interrogate suspects in this open world adventure. You can accuse anyone, but you’ll have to prove your case in trial. It’s up to you to decide who’s guilty.
Why similar: RPG 23.4%, Choices Matter 14.8%, Story Rich 13.8%, Multiple Endings 13.5%, Detective 11.9%
- #54 In Other Waters
69% matchVery Positive87% of 2,532 reviews2020
Dev: Jump Over The AgePub: Fellow Traveller
Windows · Mac
Median: 48 minMean: 4.5 hrs≥1hr: 44%
Play as an Artificial Intelligence guiding a stranded xenobiologist through a beautiful and mysterious alien ocean. A non-violent sci-fi story, enter a world of wonder, fear and vulnerability, unraveling the history and ecology of an impossible planet. What will you discover together?
Why similar: Adventure 26.8%, Story Rich 23.3%, Indie 18.7%, Atmospheric 12.6%, Mystery 8.1%
- #55 Arco
66% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 2,215 reviews2024
Dev: FranekPub: Panic
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 5.3 hrs≥1hr: 74%
A Mesoamerican fantasy RPG that blends turn-based and real-time combat. Explore the world through three handcrafted stories forged in bloodshed, laced with magic, and united by revenge.
Why similar: RPG 24.1%, Pixel Graphics 17.1%, Choices Matter 15%, Choose Your Own Adventure 13.8%, Story Rich 13.2%
- #56 Strange Horticulture
67% matchVery Positive95% of 15,741 reviews2022
Dev: Bad VikingPub: Iceberg Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 5.9 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Strange Horticulture is an occult puzzle game in which you play as the proprietor of a local plant store. Find and identify new plants, pet your cat, speak to a coven, or join a cult. Use your collection of powerful plants to influence the story and unravel Undermere’s dark mysteries.
Why similar: Choices Matter 17.1%, Story Rich 17%, Multiple Endings 16.2%, Detective 15.8%, Adventure 11.8%
- #57 I doesn't exist - a modern text adventure
69% matchMixed68% of 79 reviews2023
Dev: LUAL Games KIGPub: DreadXP
Windows · Mac · Linux
Classic Zork meets Existential Crisis. A modern text adventure that explores themes of control, isolation and mental health while levelling up the genre with beautiful pixel art.
Why similar: Text-Based 30.4%, Interactive Fiction 25.3%, Story Rich 11.8%, Pixel Graphics 10.9%, Adventure 7.2%
- #58 The Red Strings Club
68% matchVery Positive93% of 14,085 reviews2018
Dev: DeconstructeamPub: Devolver Digital
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.0 hrs≥1hr: 84%
The Red Strings Club is a cyberpunk narrative experience about fate and happiness featuring the extensive use of pottery, bartending and impersonating people on the phone to take down a corporate conspiracy.
Why similar: Pixel Graphics 25.7%, Story Rich 17.8%, Choices Matter 17.3%, LGBTQ+ 7.4%, Visual Novel 7%
- #59 Sovereign Syndicate
67% matchMostly Positive80% of 634 reviews2024
Dev: Crimson Herring StudiosPub: Zugalu Entertainment
Windows
Median: 2.4 hrsMean: 5.8 hrs≥1hr: 61%
A Victorian steampunk RPG with tarot cards instead of dice. Investigate the disappearance of society’s most vulnerable to uncover a mysterious cult. Play as three characters, each with their own skills and motivations. Customize your characters with narrative choices to unlock new tarot cards.
Why similar: RPG 28.2%, Choose Your Own Adventure 18.8%, Choices Matter 14.7%, Story Rich 13.6%, Visual Novel 7.7%
- #60 Chants of Sennaar
63% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 32,187 reviews2023
Dev: RundiscPub: Focus Entertainment
Windows
Median: 5.2 hrsMean: 7.0 hrs≥1hr: 87%
In this award-winning puzzle adventure game, play as the Traveler on a quest to reunite the Peoples of the Tower. Observe, listen, and decipher ancient languages in a fascinating universe inspired by the Myth of Babel.
Why similar: Adventure 28.1%, Detective 15.8%, Indie 14.7%, Story Rich 12.3%, Atmospheric 11%