26 Story-Heavy Games To Play If You Love Life Is Strange

The prominent rise of the gaming industry over the last few years has enabled game studios to create meticulously detailed character models with impressive motion capture. It has also left them able to afford skilled voice actors and scriptwriters. This has resulted in games being able to tell more immersive and captivating stories than ever before, exemplified by titles like Life Is Strange.

Life Is Strange was developed by Dontnod Entertainment and tells one of modern gaming’s most well-constructed stories. Life Is Strange fans who are looking for something else to play in the same genre can look into numerous other titles that offer similarly impressive and encapsulating narrative experiences.

Updated January 9, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: Many development studios have followed the same path as Life Is Strange, taking players beyond the trend that started with unique artwork, unconventional storytelling, and creative integration with other development styles. Independent and triple-A titles have been launched that use a similar aesthetic and have made a similar impact on the gaming world, with successful, story-rich games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 being some of the best examples.

26 Oxenfree

Unique Visuals And An Intriguing Coming-Of-Age Saga

Oxenfree is a graphic adventure game that was originally launched in January 2016 for OS X, Windows, and Xbox One with other platforms getting their own version the following year. The game puts players in the shoes of a teenager named Alex, who accidentally lets a paranormal force loose on an island and must find a way to stop it.

Oxenfree turned heads upon launch with its unique visuals. The players have to guide Alex and his friends as they explore a mysterious island and discover how to contain the mysterious dark power, and their discoveries form the basis of the story.

25 Broken Age

Modern Point And Click With A Compelling Story

The first episode of Broken Age was one of 2014’s most highly-anticipated launches, as the game was the first point-and-click adventure to be worked on by Tim Schafer since Grim Fandango. The hype for Broken Age was reflected in the game’s crowdfunding performance, as it became one of the highest-funded video games on Kickstarter at the time.

The game didn’t reach the heights of the classic Grim Fandango. However, it’s still a tremendous modern point-and-click game like Life Is Strange that is well worth playing for anyone interested in the genre.

24 Baldur’s Gate 3

A Myriad Of Possibilities Depending On Your Choices

The official launch date was in 2023, but Baldur’s Gate 3 was in development for several years, which might have something to do with how polished the finished product is, especially when it comes to the detailed storyline. The Early Access version, which consisted of the narrative’s first act, has been available since September 2020, closer to the time when Larian originally intended the launch.

This game is already famous for the myriad of possibilities that are opened up or closed off by every choice the character makes as they progress through the story, along with the equal amount of choices when it comes to gear and customization. This is an RPG game that really takes roleplaying and narrative seriously.

23 Gone Home

Artistic Merit And A Complex Story

This game was launched for Windows in 2013 but was on all the available platforms as of 2018. The story takes place in 1995, which is why the setting has a late 20th-century aesthetic which adds to the immersion factor. Gone Home is a point-and-click mystery-solving puzzle game that focuses on a lonely house in Oregon.

The main character comes home from a long absence to find her family has vanished without a trace. The artistic merit and complex story are the game’s positive features, but those looking for some tension and combat might be slightly disappointed.

22 Night In The Woods

Bright And Cheerful Design That Builds A Profound Story

Night in the Woods uses a bright and cheerful cartoon-like design to build a serious and profound story. It follows the story of a young woman who has recently returned home after dropping out of college. She finds unexpected changes and strange occurrences taking place, and the what and why is a mystery she has to unravel.

This Life Is Strange-like game was a hit with critics, exemplified by its multiple award wins, and players loved the unique artwork that made the game stand out from the crowd.

21 Tell Me Why

An Episodic Adventure Featuring Twins And Telepathy

Tell Me Why was developed by Dontnod Entertainment, the same studio that made Life is Strange, making it easy to recommend to fans of the series. In keeping with the episodic nature of the story, each “chapter” was launched a few weeks apart in the fall of 2020.

Tell Me Why is an episodic adventure separated into three chapters that follow a pair of twins with the supernatural ability to communicate telepathically. The game is notable for being the first AAA game launched to feature a transgender main character.

20 The Wolf Among Us

A Complex Horror Serial Narrative

The Wolf Among Us was developed by graphic adventure and storytelling specialists Telltale Games. It was launched episodically, part of the effect of being a complicated serial narrative, between October 2013 and July 2014. The retail version hit stores a few months later in November.

The Wolf Among Us puts players in the shoes of Bigby Wolf, who was formerly the Big Bad Wolf from fairytales and folklore, and tasks them with investigating various murders.

19 Firewatch

An Exploration Game That Evolves Into A Rich Story

Firewatch was developed by Campo Santo and first launched on PC and PlayStation 4 in February 2016. It launched on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch later down the line.

The game kicks off with a somber text adventure that explains why the protagonist decides to escape his normal life and take a job as a forest fire lookout. Firewatch initially appears to be a casual exploration game like Life Is Strange but soon delves into an intriguing and intense mystery adventure.

18 Beyond: Two Souls

A Complex Story Featuring Hollywood Stars

Beyond: Two Souls is an interactive drama starring Elliot Page and Willem Dafoe. The game was developed by Quantic Dream, the same team that made Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human, so it seems to be a recurring theme with products from this studio.

Like Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human, the game received somewhat of a “love it or hate it” reception of both its gameplay and storytelling. It’s not for everyone but overall a good selection for players who like a complex story.

17 Last Day Of June

A Tragic Story With An Uplifting Moral Lesson

• Launch Date: August 31st, 2017
• Developer: Ovosonico
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch

How many games are based on music? This one is, and it’s one of the details about it that is so beautiful and brilliant. Last Day Of June is based on Drive Home, an album by Steven Wilson that was inspired by the atmospheric and experimental work of the progressive 1970s rock band Pink Floyd.

The story of Carl and June is a tragic one, as the title suggests because this is the name of a character and not a reference to the month of the year. The plot has an evitable ending, but the moral of the story is that even when the outcome seems bleak, there are still choices and hope for the future.

16 What Remains Of Edith Finch

Unravel The Mystery Of Each Family Member’s Death

What Remains of Edith Finch was first launched in April 2017 for Windows and PlayStation 4, with all other platforms getting the title by 2022. It tasks players with returning to the protagonist’s family home as they investigate numerous premature deaths that have occurred and are said to be the result of a curse.

What Remains of Edith Finch impressed fans and critics with its story and the great variety of gameplay mechanics. Players have to use every ability that’s available to experience and unravel the retellings of each family member’s death.

15 Quantum Break

A Protagonist Who Can Manipulate Time

Quantum Break had a large weight of expectations on its shoulders leading up to its launch. This was the first action-adventure title from Remedy Entertainment since the highly-regarded Alan Wake.

Like Life Is Strange, 2016’s Quantum Break puts players in control of a protagonist who can manipulate time. Despite this unique mechanic, the game’s most interesting aspect is that it features an integrated live-action television show, where the actors perform the player’s in-game choices.

14 Until Dawn

Interactive Drama With An Emphasis On Horror

Until Dawn was developed by Supermassive Games and launched exclusively on the PlayStation 4 in August 2015. The interactive drama has similar gameplay to titles like Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human, with quick-time events being central to the game’s action sequences and decision-making.

However, Until Dawn differentiates itself from the aforementioned interactive dramas with its emphasis on horror, which helps ramp up the intensity of the decision-making.

13 Red Dead Redemption 2

A Parallel Universe Of The American Frontier

The first installment in this now extensive franchise is also a fair example of an excellent story-heavy game, but there’s a consensus that Red Dead Redemption 2 does virtually everything better than its predecessors. Despite the title, this is the third video game in the series and a prequel to the initial one that was released in 2010.

A refreshing change from the usual fantasy or medieval setting that gets so much attention in all video games, the Red Dead Redemption games use the style and aesthetic of the Old West. To be specific, it’s a parallel universe of the American frontier in the late 19th century, and players can alternate between the main story, side-quests, and exploring the open world map.

12 Heavy Rain

Several Different Characters And Their Unique Stories

The highly influential Heavy Rain tends to get a bit of a bad rap today, though the fact of the matter is that this genre of video game wouldn’t exist without it. Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain begins with a father tragically losing his son before his life spirals out of control shortly after. The game puts players in multiple other characters’ shoes, which was a unique feature for its time.

Heavy Rain may not have the polish that Life Is Strange and other recent games possess, but it still tells an interesting, powerful story that will have most players gripped from beginning to end.

11 Vampyr

A Great Story, Character Customization, And Plenty Of Combat

A lot of story-rich games are designed to be beautiful, artistic, and suitable for the whole family, but this isn’t one of them. Vampyr is a selection for those who appreciate the horror side of gaming, and the plot also has plenty of mystery and thriller elements for those who want a more sophisticated game with an occult aesthetic.

The game is also an RPG and adventure game, so in addition to a great story, there’s also some character customization and plenty of combat. The player controls Jonathan Reid, the main character, a doctor who contracts vampirism and struggles between his Hippocratic Oath and his blood lust.

10 The Walking Dead

An Apocalyptic Story That Pulls On The Heartstrings

Although it seems like a distant memory now, it was only a decade ago when films, books, and video games were being inundated with stories featuring zombies, the undead, or infected villains.

When playing The Walking Dead today, the characters don’t seem surprised that a zombie apocalypse is taking place and many of them just accept what’s happening.

This particular element may have aged badly, though the rest of the first season still holds up, as it tells a fantastic story that isn’t afraid to pull on the heartstrings. The subsequent seasons weren’t as well-received as the first, but they’re still worth checking for those who found season one enjoyable.

9 The Awesome Adventures Of Captain Spirit

The Same Universe And Lore

• Launch Date: June 25th, 2018
• Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One

2018’s The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is an obvious choice. It was developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix, the same teams that worked on Life Is Strange, and is intended to be a part of the same franchise.

The game wasn’t as critically acclaimed as its predecessor, but the game is still worth checking out for anyone who loved Dontnod Entertainment’s gameplay style in the Life Is Stange series. Moreover, the games are set in the same universe, so it will certainly be interesting to anyone wanting to know more about the game’s world.

8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Complicated Decision-Based Storytelling

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt certainly differentiates itself from Life Is Strange with its gameplay that supplements frequent combat sections with common RPG elements. However, The Witcher 3 earns a spot on this list through the similarities in decision-based storytelling.

CD Projekt Red’s adventure sees the protagonist Geralt finding himself in numerous complex situations where he needs to use his judgment rather than his sword to find a solution. Along with the main story, the game has many memorable side quests, particularly the Bloody Baron and Ghosts Of The Past questlines.

7 Alan Wake

Inspired By The Work Of Stephen King

Alan Wake puts players in the shoes of an author, as he and his wife travel to a town named Bright Falls in hopes of helping his writer’s block. Things soon turn sinister as Alan’s wife goes missing, and strange, unexplainable events start to occur.

The game utilizes Resident Evil 4-like combat as players tackle numerous enemies throughout their journey to save her and resolve the horrifying mystery inspired by the work of American author Stephen King.