The gameplay of a title might be the deciding factor as to whether a game is enjoyable or not, but it's the story that makes us all remember the game for generations to come. After all, it's easier to remember the sadness we felt when a character dies or the shock we get upon a new plot twist. For example, Detroit: Become Human is a masterful experience in this regard.
It's a story and narrative-driven game through and through. There's really nothing quite identical to it in experience apart from the other titles its developers have made. Still, if you're aching for some similar works that scratch both your sci-fi itch and craving for an excellent story, here are the best video games that compare well with Detroit: Become Human.
Updated July 5, 2023, by Jouanna Bondakji: Detroit: Become Human is one of David Cage's more popular narrative-driven games. Though there's nothing quite like a game made by Cage himself (for better or worse), there are many games you can play that have similar themes, choices, and multiple endings. Whether you're looking for those or just a cool sci-fi setting to explore, we've added even more entries to quench your desire for games with stories to tell.
26 Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter
One of the main points of intrigue in Detroit is the choice mechanic. Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter offers the same, because your decisions affect how the story goes. Naturally, it's all about investigating, so you'll have to do a lot of astute observing if you want to be able to come to the right conclusions.
As the title would suggest, throughout the game, you investigate and uncover dark secrets about families, including Sherlock's own. A woman named Alice seems especially adamant on meddling in Sherlock's relationship with his adopted daughter, and you slowly find out more about her as you play through different cases.
25 Nier: Automata
Like in Detroit, you follow the stories of three androids in Nier: Automata. The circumstances are a little different, though, as there are no humans around anymore. If you're craving more stories about existentialism and whether androids are capable of feeling the same things as humans, this game doesn't pull any punches when getting into it.
Its gameplay is more RPG-centered in that you level up, acquire different weapons, and equip different chips to give you all kinds of abilities in battle. Nier: Automata also has side quests, but they're not just there to fill up space. Each side quest has something different to say, and some may even challenge your beliefs.
24 Cyberpunk 2077
Despite a rocky start at its initial release, Cyberpunk 2077 has become a thrilling, action-packed sci-fi adventure worth checking out. Like Detroit: Become Human, Cyberpunk 2077 explores a futuristic world and focuses on how technology has shaped our reality, for better and worse. You play as a cyberpunk mercenary, trying to do what they can to survive life in the unforgiving Night City. This is an open-world experience, so it has a larger scope than Quantic Dream's title, but you'll still find plenty of similarities within it.
Cyberpunk 2077 is full of engaging characters to meet, storylines to explore, and multiple endings to reach. So, just like Detroit: Become Human, you're encouraged to play the game repeatedly to see other aspects of the narrative unfold.
23 As Dusk Falls
If Detroit: Become Human has you itching for another narrative that is truly impacted by your decisions, check out As Dusk Falls. There isn't a science fiction focus, but the game still has many branching paths as the lives of two families continue to entangle over 30 years. Starting with a disastrous robbery, the story spirals from there, and your decisions will impact the fate of many compelling characters introduced.
Like Quantic Dream's title, As Dusk Falls has many storylines you might miss during just one playthrough. From secret romances to shocking revelations, there is plenty to uncover in future playthroughs as you attempt to reach the different dramatic endings of this memorable game.
22 Deliver Us The Moon
Deliver Us The Moon is another atmospheric, story-driven game like Detroit: Become Human, but instead of staying on Earth, you'll be exploring life on the moon in this near-future setting. You are in for an emotional story, fascinating characters, and challenging themes to contemplate.
Deliver Us The Moon has you playing as an astronaut tasked with saving humanity from extinction. With Earth's resources depleted, you are attempting to visit the World Space Agency on the moon and discover what happened to the energy source found there. Deliver Us The Moon is a shorter experience than Detroit: Become Human, but stunning and worth investing time in.
21 Season: A Letter To The Future
In Season: A Letter To The Future, you set out from a secluded village for the first time to explore the wider world and document it before an inevitable cataclysm destroys it all. This game focuses on exploration and documentation as you take photos, converse with interesting characters, and get lost in the beautiful world around you.
Although not as cinematically dramatic as Detroit: Become Human, it is still full of emotionally complex characters and a narrative that will have you hooked from beginning to end. You are in for a game that is just as much about the journey as the destination. Season: A Letter To The Future is a memorable experience that beginners should take their time with and savor .
20 Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
If Detroit: Become Human has you eager for more science fiction epicness, look no further than Mass Effect. The Legendary edition allows you to play all three games of this excellent trilogy. You play as Commander Shepard and follow their heroic adventures throughout space.
Mass Effect is an incredible RPG series filled with lots of action. But just like Quantic Dream's title, there are still countless stories to unfold. There are many characters to interact with and plenty of world-building lore to learn about. You often need to make tough decisions focused on the many characters you've befriended along your journey. You'll likely get invested quickly in this world.
19 The Quarry
If you are eager to play something far spookier than Detroit: Become Human, there's The Quarry. Despite a horror focus, the game is similar to Detroit in many ways. You will have quick-time events to complete and multiple protagonists that you will make the decisions for throughout. It is also very cinematic, hooking you into the tense atmosphere immediately.
As with Quantic's work, this tense game is full of impactful choices. This might even lead to the fatal demise of any of the protagonists. The story begins with Laura and Max heading to a summer camp to become the new counselors, but their trip does not quite go to plan.
18 Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is a narrative-driven detective game set in a mysterious world full of fascinating characters to encounter. The game is very dialogue-heavy, as you will talk to everyone you meet and search for clues. Every decision you make will have an impact both on the story and your character's personality.
If you enjoyed playing the role of a detective in Detroit: Become Human, this is the game for you. Here, you fill the shoes of a confused detective who has woken up with no memory of his life before now. Despite this, he still needs to solve a murder case. Even without the science fiction elements of Detroit, Disco Elysium is still a wild ride full of mystery and suspense.
17 Heaven's Vault
Heaven's Vault is a beautiful adventure game available on PC and consoles. Like Detroit: Become Human, it is a story-driven experience with some science fiction elements. In it, you play as Aliya, an archaeologist attempting to decipher the hieroglyphic language of a long-lost society. With the help of your robotic companion, you'll find more and more pieces of the puzzle as you progress.
If you enjoy uncovering mysteries and learning about the past, this is a fascinating game to play next. Its non-linear approach allows you to really make this story your own, too.
16 Road 96
Road 96 is a road trip adventure set in the '90s. You play as different teenagers eager to escape their country's cruel authoritarian government, but as you progress, you learn that there might be another way to make a change. It has similar themes to Detroit but without a science fiction backdrop.
As with Quantic Dream's title, Road 96 has multiple endings for you to reach. The variety isn't as wide for this adventure, but it still is fun to replay and get each possible outcome. You'll meet a wonderful selection of compelling characters, and your interactions with them will influence the story you experience. It is a heartfelt game, but one with plenty of chaos and comedy too.
15 Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
This is an old rough gem back from 2005. Fahrenheit, also known as Indigo Prophecy, is a game that was ahead of its time. Thankfully, it has a remaster in the form of Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered for multiple platforms.
It's a roleplaying game that is story and dialogue-heavy, and features branching decision paths and detective work. It also lets you take control of the narrative using four playable characters. While the graphics are old and dated, its replayability is on par (perhaps even better) than that of Detroit: Become Human.
14 The Last Of Us
If you're all about the emotions (or possibly even the psychological distress) that video game stories can bring you, look no further than The Last of Us. Not many video games can match the dramatic presentation of this post-apocalypse survival game. That's already a commendable achievement considering the game came out in 2013.
Do give The Last of Us a try, even if it's only for the story alone. You might find that it can even surpass the writing and impact of Detroit, even if there are fewer choices. And if you enjoy it, there's a sequel to add even more emotional drama to your life.
13 Life Is Strange
If impactful and branching story choices are what made you love Detroit, then you're pretty much guaranteed to like Life is Strange. It comes with a twist, though. In Life is Strange, you can rewind time to affect the past, present, and future, meaning the story choices you can make in this game are staggering.
You play as Max Caulfield, a photography senior who's discovered that she can use her powers to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a classmate. Eventually, this opens Max up to a whole new facade of their town, Arcadia Bay. Oh, and since it deals in linear time travel, Max can mess up the future.
12 Tell Me Why
Tell Me Why is made by Dontnod Entertainment, the same studio that brought you the Life is Strange series. It follows two twins, Allison and Tyler, who have a supernatural bond. There are some mysteries surrounding their childhood home, and the two use their bond to discover the answers to them.
The gameplay of this title is similar to its predecessor, but the consequences of any decisions you make are not as impactful as in Life is Strange, though they do change the storyline a bit. One thing Tell Me Why has in spades is emotional storytelling, and similar to Detroit: Become Human, you'll find yourself becoming emotionally invested in its characters.
11 TellTale Games' Titles
When it comes to Telltale Games (The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead, Tales From The Borderlands, Batman: The Telltale Series, Game of Thrones), the storyline unfolding is the real gameplay. Most of them are interactive stories whose outcomes you can affect depending on the actions you choose for your characters.
As for the Telltale Game closest to Detroit, it would probably be The Wolf Among Us or Batman. The former involves a jaded and weathered detective who frequently interacts with janky modern takes on fairytale creatures, while the latter is, well, Batman in a narrative video game.
10 Life Is Strange 2
For fans of Life is Strange and anyone looking for similar gameplay, it should be no surprise that its sequel is a perfect choice. Life is Strange 2 introduces new characters for you to follow, with player-made choices continuing to impact the overall plot.
Additionally, Life is Strange 2 gifts you with yet another stunningly touching story that has you really feeling for the characters and their situation. Fair warning, much like the first Life is Strange, this sequel is sure to punch you in the heart a little.
9 L.A. Noire
So you like playing the good cop? Detroit lets you do that with Connor (sort of), as he's tasked with chasing rogue Androids like a Bladerunner. Still, if you want a more intricate detective experience with interrogation and lots of paper trails (or blood trails), L.A. Noire might address your gameplay needs better.
It lets you play LAPD inspector Cole Phelps as he tracks down crime after crime in the Golden Age of post-war Los Angeles circa the 1950s. What makes L.A. Noire stand out from other games is that you can analyze the emotions on the faces of characters to detect if they're lying. This was all thanks to the groundbreaking MotionScan technology, which captured the nuances and muscles of facial expressions for the actors.
8 Deus Ex Games
In all respects, the Deus Ex games, particularly Human Revolution and Mankind Divided, are more fleshed-out story-driven games. They're also accompanied by stellar gameplay that lets you choose whether you want to go stealthy or lethal. That means you can finish the whole game without killing anyone, which might be important to the narrative, depending on your playstyle.
As for the story, you'll find no shortage of intrigue and conspiracies in Deus Ex. The whole premise of the game revolves around the abuse of cybernetics and other cyberpunk tropes. For that matter, it can be darker and more serious than Detroit: Become Human, since society's troubles are the game's meat and dessert.
7 State Of Mind
Here's another hidden gem if you can't get enough of Detroit's general atmosphere. State of Mind is a multiplatform action-adventure game that launched in 2018, the same year as Detroit, which is why this game probably went by nearly unnoticed. That isn't to say it's a subpar game. It's actually highly rated, which is always an awesome achievement for an indie game.
State of Mind follows the exploits of journalist Richard Nolan in Berlin during the year 2048. The world is on the brink of an artificial apocalypse due to many issues, but machines are the icing on top of that cake. As Nolan, it's up to you to uncover the chaos behind the curtains in this dystopian future.