“I watch it for the story!”
Yeah, right.
As a point of fact, when it comes to certain games, this claim couldn’t be truer. Story-driven indies and big titles alike have truly dedicated fanbases, along with a sort of unique issue: that of replay-ability. When the story’s done, it’s difficult to experience it for a second (or third) time—especially when there’s a twist (or three) already exposed.
So, to get that elusive first-playthrough fix, many fans turn to the only available solution: watch somebody else play for the first time. If you’re a streamer looking to crack a certain niche—or just searching for something new to try out—story games are a great way to grow your stream and have a great time along the way.
Fans may tune in for the story, but they’ll stay for your reactions to it.
Sound like an interesting proposition? Hold your fire: we haven’t even gotten to the titles yet. Without further ado, here’s our shortlist of underrated story games to stream.
What Remains of Edith Finch
An intimate (and at times, supernatural) tale of family and fate, What Remains of Edith Finch is a first-person exploration game developed by Giant Sparrow, published by Annapurna Interactiv and adored by fans of its unique execution. Explore the colossal Finch house and the equally colossal Finch family as 17-year-old Edith Finch—the family’s last surviving member—who has returned to her clan’s ancestral home on Orcas Island in the state of Washington. The many set pieces of intimate physical space serve as a backdrop for equally intimate personal stories, creating a narrative infused with unreliable memories and magical realism.
The winner of the British Academy Games Award for “Best Game 2017” and the “Best Narrative” category at both The Game Awards 2017 and the 2018 Game Developers Choice Awards, What Remains of Edith of Finch is a shining example of video-game-as-art—one of many on this list.
The Yakuza / Like a Dragon Series
Also called Like a Dragon in more recent tiles, Yakuza is a game franchise created by Sega that riffs on the crime drama genre, crafting rich plotlines inspired by yakuza films and pre-millennial Japanese crime dramas. Often playing as protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, a reformed yakuza associated with the Kanto-based Tojo Clan, players are treated to story-focused, open-world gameplay punctuated by moments of combat and character customization.
With a backlog to keep even the most consistent streamer busy for the better part of a calendar year, the Yakuza / Like a Dragon franchise has 9 main titles and 11 spin-offs (though some are difficult to procure). As of 2023, Sega has reported that the franchise has sold a total of 21.3 million units in physical and digital sales combined.
Night in the Woods
A Kickstarter-funded creation developed by Infinite Fall and published by Funji, Night in the Woods follows the zoomorphic, cartoonish cat Mae Borowski, who’s just returned home to Possum Springs—where a lot has changed, and sinister secrets are afoot. Join forces with vividly imagined, zoomorphic friends (like a smoking crocodile, a hyperactive fox, and a bear boyfriends) to get to the bottom of the darkness in Possum Springs and find a long-lost friend.
Raising over 400% of its initial $50,000 fundraising goal on Kickstarter, Night in the Woods has earned itself a rabid fanbase and more than a few awards—including “Best Adventure Game" in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards and both the award for "Best Character" (Mae) and "Best Dialogue" in Game Informer's 2017 Adventure Game of the Year Awards.
Spiritfarer
An indie adventure/sandbox-style game developed by Thunder Lotus Games, Spiritfarer puts players in the shoes of Stella, who, together with her pet cat Daffodil, has been granted command of the mythical ship Charon. Stella is deemed the new Spiritfarer: a ferrymaster who must sail high seas to find spirits and grant their last wishes—finally taking them through the Everdoor and into the afterlife.
Imbued with magical powers by the Charon itself, both Stella and her cat must care for all of their crew through a series of management tasks—farming, mining, fishing, harvesting, cooking, and crafting—all while learning more about their backstories to grant their wishes and get them through the Everdoor. Cozy, captivating, and colorful, Spiritfarer was a finalist for the Nebula Award for “Best Game Writing” and the Hugo Award for “Best Video Game” in 2021.
Sleeping Dogs
Developed and published by none other than Square Enix, Sleeping Dogs is equal parts parkour and plotline, martial arts and narrative arts. Set in modern-day Hong Kong (2012), the game follows martial artist and undercover police officer Wei Shen, who infiltrates the Sun On Yee Triad crime syndicate. The story moves forward with quest completions, but the game itself is open-world, allowing players to explore and make decisions (both criminal and honorable) and their own pace.
With iconic (borderline campy) acting and no shortage of fun environmental combat, Sleeping Dogs has become something of a cult classic since its release in 2012. It had favorable reviews then (8.5/10 on IGN, 8/10 on GameSpot)—but it’s all-too-deserving of a new batch of players and reviewers now.
Firewatch
In the slow-burn Firewatch, developed by Campo Santo, players are plopped into the Wyoming wilderness, where they play as Henry: a Forest-Service employee who must man a remote fire tower, communicating sporadically with his supervisor and only source of company, Deliliah. Over the course of the summer, Henry and Delilah are menaced by unseen forces and slowly become motivated to unravel a years-old mystery.
Simple-yet-beautiful in its animation, Firewatch explores the subtle terrors of solitude—and the sobering fact that escapism is often a false promise. Selling well over a million copies to date, it’s the winner of several notable awards, including “Best 3D Visual Experience” at the Unity Awards 2016, “Best Indie Game” at the 2016 Golden Joystick Awards, “Best Debut Game” at the 2017 British Academy Games Awards, and “Best Narrative at the 2017” Game Developers Choice Awards.
Disco Elysium
A dance of detective work with depth to spare, Disco Elysium is a role-playing video game developed and published by ZA/UM. Players assume the role of Lieutenant Double-Yefreitor, an idiosyncratic detective whose skills, faults, and overall identity can be shaped through meticulously detailed, richly imagined skill sets. There’s no combat per se, but the skill sets and robustly written dialogue trees make for an immersive sea of possibilities within the open world of Lieutenant Double-Yefreitor’s city: Elysium.
Featuring an alternate world as seemingly detailed as the real one, and clever approaches to character progression (such as the “Thought Cabinet”: an inventory of thoughts that internalize as the game goes on), Disco Elysium is a bad trip of the best kind. Often cited as one of the best games ever made, it won “Best Narrative,” “Best Independent Game,” “Best Role-Playing Game,” and “Fresh Indie Game” at the Game Awards 2019—to name just a few of its many accolades.
Outer Wilds
Set in a small planetary system stuck in the thick of a strange space-time event, Outer Wilds is an unforgettable—but as many will tell you, not easily repeatable—action-adventure game developed by Mobius Digital and published by Annapurna Interactive. The end result of creator Alex Beachum's master's thesis, Outer Wilds follows an unnamed four-eyed Hearthian space explorer simply called “the Hatchling”.
Exploring the planets on a self-guided, open-world tour, the Hatchling inexplicably dies quite often—why that happens, players must find out for themselves. The process makes for a one-of-a-kind narrative, with a progression that’s as much cyclical as it is linear. At its end (and at every turn) is a revelation that will leave players wanting to experience it again for the first time. (If only time loops showed up here in our world.) Outer Wilds is the winner of “Best Indie Game” at the Golden Joystick Awards and “Best Game,” “Best Game Design,” and “Original Property” awards at the British Academy Games Awards.
The Wolf Among Us
Hard-boiled and just a bit hairy as far as story games go, The Wolf Among Us is an episodic, neo-noir mystery-drama adventure game developed by Telltale Games. Based on the Fables comic book series by Bill Willingham (to which it is a prequel), this fairytale-turned-detective-story follows protagonist Bigby Wolf (formerly the Big Bad Wolf, now the Sheriff of Fabletown) who must investigate a series of mysterious murders.
Joining Wolf in all of Fabletown’s darkest corners, players will meet a familiar (though darkly funhouse-ified) cast of fairytale characters. Combined with the graphic novel-style animation, rich writing, and immersive moments of QTE prompt action, this cast of characters makes all of five episodes of The Wolf Among Us an unforgettable game deserving of the “cult classic” title. Critics agree: during the 18th annual D.I.C.E Awards, The Wolf Among Us series received nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Story and Adventure Game of the Year by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
Omori
Spanning both the dream world and real world with a combination of 8-bit and sketch-drawn aesthetics, Omori is a role-playing video game developed and published by indie studio Omocat. Players control a mute hikikomori teenage boy named Sunny and his dream-world alter-ego Omori, exploring both the real world and the dream world to learn more about Sunny’s life.
With vivid dialogue, engaging turn-based combat, and nuanced treatment of themes such as anxiety, depression, and trauma, Omori is as heartbreakingly human as the webcomic that inspired it. Earning high praise among fans and outlets, it’s sold well over a million copies since its release in 2020.
Citizen Sleeper
Set in a not-so-fun future where humans can sell their consciousness to be uploaded into laboring robots, Citizen Sleeper is a dystopian role-playing video game created by Jump Over the Age and published by Fellow Traveller. Players control a "Sleeper," a human whose mind has been digitized and uploaded into a robot body to be controlled by the Essen-Arp corporation. This particular Sleeper has escaped indentured servitude onboard a freighter and has arrived at a space station called the Eye, where a few goals present themselves: survival, and ultimately, freedom.
With mechanics based around dice rolls, resource management, and decision making, Citizen Sleeper stands out in its storytelling and simple-yet-beautiful visuals, leaving most players feeling the pull of “one more turn.” More under the radar than many titles on this list, it holds an impressive 82/100 aggregate review score on Metacritic.
Play, React, Clip—With Cutlabs
Like all good story games, these titles deserve time to play out. That doesn’t mean you can’t create some solid-gold reaction clips along the way. Use Cutlabs to make fully edited clips in a single click, with the help of advanced AI. Streamline your streaming—so you can focus on the story.