Highlights

• Choices in games often lack meaningful impact, but some titles actually take into account how you play your characters, making every decision feel important.
• Games like Game of Thrones and The Quarry let your choices determine character survival and how the story plays out.
• In games like Divinity: Original Sin 2, Chrono Trigger, and Red Dead Redemption 2, your choices shape the overall experience and impact the narrative, character development, and game world.

It's difficult to make choices in a game matter. Many have tried and failed, where the decisions result in only vaguely different endings or don't really have an impact at all.

However, there are several titles that don’t just pretend that your choices have meaning. Instead, they actually take into account how you choose to play your characters and adjust the game accordingly. As a result, it makes every big decision feel incredibly important as at any moment you could irreversibly change the in-game universe or alter the main narrative. This is a collection of these sorts of titles.

Updated March 20, 2024 By Ben Jessey: When you make a choice in a video game, you naturally want it to mean something. This doesn't happen in every game, but it does in the ones we put on this list. In this update, we've added several more to the collection.

Crusader Kings 3

Crusader Kings 3 is a deep strategy game about ruling nations and siring heirs. Naturally, being a ruler of an entire nation means making plenty of tough decisions, and this game doesn't shine away from that. In fact, much of the experience revolves around making choices.

You can decide to form alliances, go to war, alter religions, and do pretty much anything else that an old-school ruler would've been capable of doing. All of it is about building up your nation - or causing as much chaos as possible, as you can rule how you want.

Frostpunk

City-building games are often low-key affairs, as you typically just build a nice-looking city for your people to live in. Yet, Frostpunk is a little different. It's also a survival game in which you have to keep your citizens alive in hazardous conditions.

This is because it's set in a world ravaged by a volcanic winter. As such, you need to manage your resources and make difficult moral decisions. Some of these choices are really tough, as you sometimes have to be cruel to one person to benefit the entire group. It isn't a game for indecisive players.

Mafia 3

Mafia 3 isn't a game loaded with different choices. Yet, there are a set of key ones relating to your underbosses. Your underbosses are your closest allies in your crusade to take over the city of New Bordeaux and get revenge on those who wronged you. You do this by completing various missions that involve a bit of stealth and, occasionally, some third-person shooting.

During some of these missions, you take over a racket. Then, you have to give that racket to one of your underbosses to control, and you get to choose which. It isn't always an easy decision because your allies are pretty temperamental. So, if you avoid giving them any rackets for too long, they will not only leave your crew, but you may have to kill them. This can impact how the game ends, as does another choice that won't be spoiled here.

Undertale

Undertale is a unique RPG that follows a boy who has ended up in a strange underground place. While down there, you (aka the boy) have to make a multitude of choices. The game keeps note of these decisions, even if it doesn't provide you with the consequences straight away. In fact, in several cases, you have to wait a while before finding out the choice you made actually matters.

For certain decisions, you don't find out the consequences until the very end of the game. For instance, how you treat the bosses you fight impacts the game's conclusion. If you spare them all, then you will get a different ending from bloodthirsty players who decided to kill everyone.

Starfield

There are certain things you expect to see when you play a traditional Bethesda RPG. And just because Starfield is a sci-fi affair containing plenty of space travel does not mean it doesn't continue those traditions. It certainly follows the Bethesda staple of including decisions that really matter.

It isn't just the big main story choices, either. There are plenty of decisions to make in the side quests, too. Most of them make a big difference to your experience as they affect the worlds you visit and the people you meet.

Road 96

Road 96 is a unique game set in a fictional country. It isn't the greatest place to live, as proven by the fact so many people want to leave, including all your characters. The people in question are teenage hitchhikers.

As them, you must make a series of choices in an attempt to flee the horrible nation successfully. What you say and do to the people you meet during your escape attempt directly impacts what ending of the game you get.

Game Of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series

In the Game of Thrones Telltale game, you play as several members of the Forrester family and someone close to them. The clan is in serious trouble, and your ultimate goal in the narrative adventure is to acquire help.

Yet, this is the Game of Thrones universe, so merely keeping characters alive is a challenge. In fact, plenty of your choices impact whether certain characters live to the end of the story or not. There are also decisions that impact various other things. Altogether, they affect what ending you unlock.

The Quarry

Summer camp is the perfect setting for a horror story. The one in The Quarry contains several teenage counselors that serve as the playable protagonists. You control them all at different points in the tale. And there is little time to actually manage the camp, as there is something unnerving going on at the place.

So, instead of running an enjoyable camp, your objective is to stay alive. This isn't exactly easy, as many of your choices in this interactive narrative adventure can lead to deaths.

The Walking Dead

TellTale's The Walking Dead is more of a collection of games than a single one. This is because there are four seasons of this narrative adventure experience, along with a couple of spin-offs. The main seasons focus on young Clementine, who finds herself amid a zombie apocalypse.

Her primary goal is simply to survive. To accomplish that, you need to make a litany of difficult decisions that impact her and the people around her. They don't all have a significant effect, but the biggest ones usually do.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is an isometric turn-based RPG set in a fantasy world called Rivellon. It's a beautiful world, but it is currently under attack from creatures known as Voidwoken. Your customizable protagonist is the only hope to save the place. That is the main premise of the story, but there is a lot more going on in this dense universe.

While adventuring, you make an abundance of choices that impact the overall experience. Not every decision is a binary one that you're prompted to make. Simply the actions you choose to take while exploring impact your adventure.

Chrono Trigger

An early example of a game containing a significant amount of player choice is Chrono Trigger. This 1995 2D RPG follows a group of adventurers who learn that a global catastrophe is going to occur.

So, they intend to use their time travel ability to visit different eras and come up with a plan to stop the world from devastation. There are several different ways for the narrative to play out. Which one you get depends on the actions you take throughout the tale.

Grand Theft Auto 5

In Grand Theft Auto 5, you control a trio of protagonists who all have distinct personalities. Yet, one thing they share in common is a willingness to partake in criminal activity, particularly the kind that gains them a significant amount of money. Thus, they go on several heists throughout the story.

Not only do you take part in the heists themselves, but you also do some of the planning, which means you have to make some big decisions. What method do you use? Who do you want on your crew? These choices impact how the heist plays out and how successful it is.

As Dusk Falls

As Dusk Falls is all about choice. After all, the main thing you do in the game is make decisions that heavily impact how every scene plays out. Even choices that seem small sometimes end up being really important. So, you get plenty of influence over the main storyline.

The tale revolves around two families who meet on one faithful day in 1998. The first half of the adventure shows what happened on that day. The second half is set many years later and shows how the events impacted those involved.

Nier: Automata

Nier: Automata's story is about a major conflict between machines created by aliens and androids crafted by humans. It sounds simple enough, but it actually turns out to be one of the most complex narratives in recent gaming history. And you have to do multiple playthroughs to see and understand everything.

During those runs, you can get a litany of different endings. They trigger based on the actions you choose to make while playing. For instance, if you decide to remove the chip that allows your Android character to function, the game immediately concludes. So, be careful what you choose to do in this action RPG.

Red Dead Redemption 2

This open-world Western game isn't one people often consider when speaking of choice-based games. After all, it isn't like you're being bombarded with binary decisions every two minutes. The honor system is much more organic than that, as it tracks all your actions. So, if you want high honor, don't shoot a lot of innocent people.

Whether you're honorable or not, the overall story is about the adventures of the Van Der Linde gang and their struggles to survive in the changing world. You play as Arthur Morgan, and your level of honor impacts how the world sees and talks about the man. Plus, it also impacts the ending.

Prey (2017)

Prey entirely takes place on a Space Station that's been taken over by a dangerous alien force named Typhon. Your goal is to get rid of them all by any means necessary. You aren't the only living person on the station, though. While making your way through the story, you meet several different people.

Most of the choices in the game revolve around these fellows, as you're continually tasked with deciding if you should help them and how much assistance you should provide. Your actions in these situations impact how the story plays out.

Life Is Strange: True Colors

The Life Is Strange series is known for its choice-based gameplay, and True Colors is no different. In this one, you control Alex Chen, who reunites with her brother in a small mining town called Haven. It's worth noting that Alex is no ordinary individual. She has a supernatural ability to recognize and feel someone else's emotions.

She uses that to try to figure out all the secrets in this seemingly happy town. Along the way, you must make several big decisions. They impact the lives of the various other characters and your relationship with them. You see how they all feel about you towards the end of the game.

Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain is an interactive narrative adventure that revolves around a serial killer called the Origami Killer. They are known for murdering their victims by drowning them in rainwater and leaving a piece of Origami at the scene.

You play as a few different protagonists committed to figuring out the identity of the killer and putting an end to their crimes. Their level of success depends on you. Your choices and button-pressing skills impact how each protagonist's story plays out. As a result, there are several different endings you can get.

Mass Effect 3

By the third Mass Effect game, Commander Shepard has proven themselves to be the most important person in the battle against The Reapers. As the sentient machines are actively invading in ME3, the protagonist's importance increases even more.

So, throughout the action RPG, you make a litany of choices that directly impact how ready you are for the war, which dictates what endings are available. On top of that, you also need to decide the fate of several races during the game. You can even effectively make a few species extinct by making certain choices.

The Stanley Parable

In The Stanley Parable, you control a silent protagonist whose actions are narrated by actor Kevan Brighting. The narrator tries to lead you down a specific path, but you don't have to listen to him.

So, you're continually choosing whether or not you follow his instructions. And these decisions alter what ending you get. Not that you'll stick with that conclusion, as any time you reach the end of a path, the game resets. Therefore, the game is all about discovering different endings by making distinct choices.

The Outer Worlds

Not every single decision you make in The Outer Worlds is significant. Yet, the biggest ones heavily impact the in-game world, especially when it comes to the ending.

Virtually the fate of every place you visit and faction you meet depends on the actions you make throughout the game. And on a smaller scale, your choices also impact what everyone thinks of you on a personal level. So, you should be careful about your decisions in The Outer Worlds.

Man Of Medan

After Man of Medan's prologue, things seem peaceful as a group of young adults go on a diving trip together. Things don't remain pleasant for long, though, as the main characters quickly find themselves in trouble.

Most of their problems occur after they hop aboard a creepy old naval vessel. And it's up to you to keep them safe despite the terrors they face. In fact, the lives of all of the main characters are in your hands. Which of them survives directly affects what ending you get.

Dishonored

Few games handle choice quite like this Arkane Studios title. The world of Dishonored is molded by you, but not by your words, it's based on your actions.

For example, if you decide to kill lots of people during the story, you will start finding a lot more rats and unsavory creatures roaming around. Alternatively, the streets will be pretty clear during a stealth run-through. Your chaos level also impacts guard patrols, people's opinions of you, and the game's ending.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 deals with personal choices that not only affect the main quest but the side quests too. For example, you'll get a chance to save your neighbor who's experiencing some severe personal issues, but will you, as V, actually make the right choices to do so?

Cyberpunk also has various endings, and the journey you take V and Johnny Silverhand on up till that point will determine which of them you witness. So, what you do throughout the story actually matters; though don't worry too much about picking a life path because that doesn't.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

The Assassin's Creed series hasn't always been known for giving you control over the events that occur throughout any given game. But things have changed a little in recent instalments, like this Viking adventure shows.

The conclusion of Eivor and Sigured's adventure is directly determined by a collection of decisions you need to make during the story. Alongside that, you have plenty of little choices to make that impact things like who lives? Who controls what? And who is allied with who?

Hitman 3

While not particularly thought of as a choice-based game, Hitman 3 is entirely dictated by how you decide to play. On every level, there are several ways to take down your targets, and some are very different from one another. For instance, in the Dartmoor mission, you can conduct an entire murder investigation, including talking to suspects and finding clues, and it's all completely optional.

Plus, you're required to make a big choice at the end of the game. Will you kill a character or choose a kinder fate for him? That's one big clue to look out for when it comes to the conclusion. There's even a 'secret' ending to unlock, making for a total of three.

The Wolf Among Us

The Telltale games have often been quite mixed in terms of story and choice-driven narratives, but few others do it as well as The Wolf Among Us. This title is much more of a strict detective story than most other adventures, following your sleuth to catch a murderer in the strange fairytale-filled version of New York.

What makes these choices matter is the lack of time you have to make them, as most of the game’s big decisions have timers to prevent you from thinking too long about certain subjects. You’re left to make your own impulsive decisions, and while some can lead to newer plot details, there are tons you can miss if you don’t think through your actions.

Fallout: New Vegas

Most of the newer Fallout games can be somewhat on-rails with their stories. The main overarching plot doesn’t usually change based on your decisions, and the simplistic good or evil style choices of Fallout 3 left many fans underwhelmed. Fallout: New Vegas, however, is the exact opposite.

Nearly every decision has a huge amount of grey area surrounding its morality, and how it’ll help you. You can get close with certain characters, befriend several factions that lead you to conflict with others, and you can kill nearly every NPC you see to make even more different stories and endings. It’s an unlimited supply of choices and has tons of decisions in what builds and perks you choose, and it ends up being a remarkable personal experience with each playthrough.

XCOM 2

The story of XCOM 2 itself doesn’t change at all based on your actions, and failing enough missions simply means you fail your run in this potential combination of roguelike and strategy game. The choices come entirely in the gameplay, however, as you end up needing to make tactical decisions that affect your entire campaign.

You’ll always end up getting thrown new variable enemies and resource handicaps, and while some are random you can often choose what afflictions you’ll have to deal with as you fight off the alien invasion. Combined with an amazing soldier customization system, you can even make a remarkably personal army of friends or characters that add to the uniqueness that comes in each run.

Until Dawn

Until Dawn is a fairly short-story game (around 10 hours, give or take) with almost infinite possibilities. It centers around a group of teens that go away to a cabin a year after their friends disappeared there, ready to spend a few nights partying to honor their memory. Of course, this sounds like a disaster recipe, and it is. It’s a beautiful homage to horror movies in the same vein.

You play as each of these characters through chapters and the goal is to keep as many alive as possible. But Until Dawn doesn’t make it easy, and even seemingly insignificant dialogue choices can have a huge impact later. The title prides itself on accurately and intensely conveying the butterfly effect and oh, does it do it brilliantly.

Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human is perhaps one of the most intense games that deals with player morality and choices. There are three separate stories in this adventure that eventually intertwine.

The overall premise is based on the idea that androids might be a thing one day and if so, what are their rights? Should they be treated as humans? Is it possible they can feel like humans? If you have a heart at all, this game will make you cry multiple times thanks to some great social dilemmas and beautifully detailed characters.

The Witcher 3

Moving into the world of RPGs and open world, The Witcher 3 is absolutely worth a playthrough. The main narrative does have three very distinct outcomes: one happy, one bittersweet, and one sad. Each of them is incredibly satisfying compared to many other multi-ending games.

Even the expansions have multiple endings depending on your choices, both in and out of the new content. Many of the choices you make are ones that you wouldn’t expect to alter the story either, so your ending tends to come as a surprise compared to other choice-heavy titles. Therefore, you better pay attention when playing if you want the happy endings!

Mass Effect 2

You spend most of Mass Effect 2 building a team full of specialists to take on the evil collectors. And in the process, you grow closer to these new allies as you gain their loyalty and simultaneously learn more about them. In the end, though, all of their lives are in your hands.

During the final mission, any of them can die, and it all depends on the decisions you've made and continue to make. The game is also filled with plenty of other choices that impact the Mass Effect universe. You won't see some of the consequences of your actions until you play Mass Effect 3.

Dragon Age: Origins

In terms of combat, Dragon Age: Origins is a pretty standard open-world RPG, but its endings and main story are compelling enough to keep you engaged to the very end of the lengthy experience.

Yet, it isn’t just different endings that made this one so great. There are plenty of character customization options that affect the story, romance, and friendship options. By letting you organically blend with your party, it makes for a way stronger and more personal experience than games that just repeatedly throw social dilemmas at you.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Deus Ex is an old PC game full of both combat and narrative choices, but the more recent Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a great way for players to enter this universe. The setting is definitely an interesting one as cyberpunk themes just lend themselves well to complicated psychological dilemmas.

Beyond the story, though, this RPG presents you with a lot of brilliant combat choices. It helps that there is a spectacular range of stealth and action options. So, you can dictate exactly how you want Adam Jensen to go about his business. And whichever skills you pick will make every boss and mission an utterly unique experience.

Beyond: Two Souls

Beyond: Two Souls is another game by the wonderful company Quantic Dream, so you know this means that it’s worth purchasing if you love choice-filled narratives. Starring Elliot Page as the lead, you follow Jodie as she gets roped into a paranormal military conflict due to her spirit-bound ghost, as well as working with your guardian and mentor played by Willem Dafoe.

The cast of this title is a lot of what makes it so different from other Quantic Dream titles, as this game comes across more like an interactive action movie than the others. Speaking of action, the most exhilarating scenes offer plenty of different routes for you to take, which lets you become either a master of your powers or a human bound with a curse.

Life Is Strange

If you haven’t heard people rave about Life Is Strange, then where have you been? People love this game, and rightfully so. The concept of this puzzling story is pretty unique. It’s about a character who can rewind time and play out choices differently.

Throughout it all, you're forced to make plenty of complicated choices. These decisions impact the outcomes of each character and the overall story. Every episode consistently reminds you of your previous actions, which really makes you think about every decision you make.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons are all about having freedom and making choices. Therefore, it's no surprise that an RPG set in the same universe as Baldur's Gate 3 involves a similar focus on player choice. These decisions can significantly alter how the main story and certain side quests play out.

There are also plenty of choices to make in regard to exploration and combat, too. For instance, making smart decisions in the various turn-based battles you get into can make fights significantly faster and easier.