There is no single best story game for every player. If you want a current starting point, consider Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, which won BAFTA’s 2026 Narrative award; if you prefer a different genre or storytelling style, recent BAFTA winners and nominees offer strong alternatives. The guide below distinguishes award recognition from personal fit and gives you a practical way to choose.
How to choose a story game
“Best” depends on the kind of story you want to play through. TechRadar’s 2025 guide says it weighs evocative writing, dynamic world-building and distinctive characters, while also acknowledging that taste shapes what counts as the best storyline. Use those qualities alongside a few practical questions:
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- Structure: Do you want a branching story shaped by choices, or a more authored, directed narrative?
- Genre and tone: A fantasy role-playing game, science-fiction adventure and historical drama can all be story-led, but they offer very different moods and settings.
- Agency: Decide whether you want decisions to influence events or mainly want to follow a carefully composed plot.
- Reading and dialogue: Some games deliver much of their story through conversations and text; others lean more on action, scenes and exploration.
- Platform: Check that the specific game and edition are available for your system. Platform listings can change over time.
These are comparison criteria, not objective scores. Awards can help identify games recognized for narrative, but they cannot predict whether a particular story will suit you.
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BAFTA’s Narrative award provides one useful recognition signal, not a definitive ranking. Its recent winners include:
#1 Best Overall
| Year | Winner | What the award tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Recognized by BAFTA for Narrative; an award does not establish universal appeal. |
| 2025 | Metaphor: ReFantazio | Recognized by BAFTA for Narrative; consider whether its genre and style match your preferences. |
| 2024 | Baldur’s Gate 3 | Recognized by BAFTA for Narrative. |
| 2023 | IMMORTALITY | Recognized by BAFTA for Narrative. |
See BAFTA’s Narrative award records for the award context. Treat the winners as a varied shortlist rather than a ranked list: a recognition for narrative does not mean each game tells the same kind of story or will appeal to the same player.
Story-led picks across different styles
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II — historical drama
BAFTA’s 2026 Games Awards longlist describes the story through Henry of Skalitz and themes of revenge, betrayal and discovery. It is listed for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Choose it if that historical premise appeals; the award recognition is a signal of narrative achievement, not a guarantee that its particular setting and approach are for you.
Rank #2
- Become a cyber detective or powerful hacker to solve diabolical digi-mysteries.
- Embark on a thrilling adventure where the line between the real and digital worlds is blurred.
- Featuring more than 300 digital to collect, raise, and digivolve!
- Build an all-star Digimon team to take on opponents in classic turn-based battles.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — a doomed world and a quest
BAFTA’s longlist frames this game around a doomed world and the quest set within it. The listing names PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Its premise makes it a distinct alternative to a historical drama, though the listing itself does not establish how much narrative choice it offers.
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Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector — science fiction
BAFTA’s longlist describes a human-mind emulation in an artificial body moving through a setting of habitats and characters. It lists PC, PlayStation 5, Switch and Xbox Series X|S. Consider it if you are drawn to a science-fiction setting and character-focused premise.
Rank #3
- EPIC STORYTELLING: Immerse yourself in a rich narrative-driven experience where your choices shape the destiny of the characters and the world.
- EXPLORE A VAST WORLD: Embark on a thrilling journey through a beautifully illustrated and ever-expanding fantasy realm.
- STRATEGIC DECISIONS: Engage in strategic gameplay as you navigate quests, encounters, and mysteries to fulfill your character's destiny.
- SOLO OR COOPERATIVE PLAY: Enjoy the game solo, or team up with friends for a cooperative adventure filled with twists and surprises.
- REPLAYABILITY: With multiple characters, quests, and outcomes, each playthrough offers a fresh and dynamic adventure.
Metaphor: ReFantazio, Baldur’s Gate 3 and IMMORTALITY — award-recognized alternatives
These three games won BAFTA’s Narrative award in 2025, 2024 and 2023 respectively. Their award histories make them useful starting points for exploring recent narrative recognition, but the award record alone does not provide a like-for-like comparison of genre, tone, player agency or platform. Check each game’s current platform and edition details before choosing.
Mass Effect 2 — ensemble cast and dialogue choices
TechRadar’s 2025 guide highlights Mass Effect 2 for its ensemble cast and dialogue choices, making it a distinct option if character relationships and conversation decisions are central to what you enjoy. That guide lists PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC; confirm current support and the edition available for your platform before buying.
Rank #4
What awards can—and cannot—tell you
BAFTA’s Narrative award is an attributable form of recognition, and its recent winners give you several different starting points. It is not a universal quality ranking or a substitute for matching a game to your preferred genre, tone and style of play.
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Steam’s “Outstanding Story-Rich Game” is a separate storefront award category. Cyberpunk 2077 won it in 2021, a dated result rather than evidence that it is the best story game now. Steam’s category description celebrates narrative-heavy games, but its copy is category text, not a named critic’s assessment. See The Steam Awards 2021.
Best Value
- The KerPlunk game kids love featuring the Hi-Tech Edition Buzz Lightyears and crane inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5!
- Roll the die and remove a stick of the matching color. If any Buzz Lightyears fall, you must keep them.
- When all the Buzz Lightyears have tumbled down, the player with the fewest wins!
- Clouds on the sticks let colorblind players easily identify which stick to pull.
- Fun for the whole family, kids and adults alike, easy to learn and perfect for family game night or party play!
For a broader set of current examples, BAFTA’s 2026 Games Awards longlist names platforms alongside concise premises for several story-led games. These are listed platforms, not a promise that every edition or form of support will remain available indefinitely.
Quick recommendation by preference
| If you want… | Start with… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A recent game recognized for narrative | Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | BAFTA’s 2026 Narrative award winner; a historical story centered on Henry of Skalitz. |
| A science-fiction premise | Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector | BAFTA’s longlist describes a human-mind emulation in an artificial body among habitats and characters. |
| A quest in a doomed world | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | That is the premise emphasized in BAFTA’s longlist description. |
| An ensemble cast and dialogue choices | Mass Effect 2 | TechRadar’s 2025 guide singles out those qualities. |
| A game honored for narrative in an earlier year | Metaphor: ReFantazio, Baldur’s Gate 3 or IMMORTALITY | Each won BAFTA’s Narrative award in 2025, 2024 or 2023. |
Check the platform and edition before you commit
Availability and platform support can vary by game, edition and date. BAFTA’s 2026 longlist lists Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector for PC, PlayStation 5, Switch and Xbox Series X|S, while it lists Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. TechRadar’s 2025 guide lists Mass Effect 2 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC. Confirm the listing for your region and exact edition before purchase.
For additional candidates and its own selection criteria, consult TechRadar Gaming’s 2025 best story games guide. Its list is an editorial selection, not a consensus ranking.
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