There are countless games on the market to play for those who enjoy making hard choices and seeing the world around them change with consequence.
There’s no better feeling, or grander pressure, than a game where your choices actually matter. Being the architect responsible for a failing or prospering world, or the characters within it, can really weigh heavily on your morality and make you feel immense responsibility, which is why it can be so fun and memorable to play games in which your actions and choices have direct consequences that impact the story and the world. Below, we’ve outlined some great games where your choices actually matter, and every choice you make will directly impact your life and the lives of those around you (in-game, of course).
No, I’m Not a Human
No, I’m Not a Human is a very short, but very replayable indie game where players are tasked with staying inside their house and looking through their front door’s peephole at night to see who’s come knocking. There are countless of people trying to get invited into your home to survive a changing world at the end of times, but not everyone trying to get in will be human. Players must make quick-witted and gambled decisions on who to let in their home, as you might just be letting in a Visitor that will kill the innocent humans within your home when you close your eyes for sleep. Even when you’re awake, you only have limited dialogue options and energy to try and figure out who the Visitor is, and failing to find them is bad news. Paranoia runs rampant in No, I’m Not a Human, and every choice you make could result in the death of an innocent, by a Visitor’s hand, or even by your own if you’re quick to judgment. It’s haunting to realize you’ve killed one of your own, and disturbing to think that a monster is among you.
Dishonored
Dishonored is an absolute classic, and a must-play for fans who like first-person action games that let you play your own way. Whether you like to run around and stab things, or stick to the shadows so that nobody ever sees you throughout the entire playthrough, Dishonored allows for it all. Within Dishonored, players will be tasked with cleaning up Dunwall of corrupt politicians who betrayed you and the Empress, and while there’s no real choice of dialogue, there is a clear choice of actions. The people you save, the side missions you indulge in, and the people you kill all result in different outcomes. Missions can drastically change depending on whether you dedicate yourself to violence or exploration, and you’ll see the gnawing rats of Dunwall fester in every choice that proves you to be a bitter killer or a righteous bringer of justice.
Tyranny
If you really want an experience where your decisions shape the world and force you to play with the consequences that you created, then Tyranny is the perfect RPG. There are some mind-boggling and dangerous choices you can make that are so meaningful and world-altering, and your morality will dictate the companions, people, and world itself. As an arbiter of law, the world you inhabit is corrupted with war, so why not indulge in your power to survive the system or dismantle it? Every decision you make has far-reaching consequences for those who enjoy CRPGs. Exceptional world-building and lore provide you with all you need to know to dictate your playthrough. Will you be a loyal servant, or rebel to shape a new world in your image, the image of the people, or those who act as the oppressors?
Alpha Protocol
Alpha Protocol is immensely complex in the choices you can make, which adds so much to its replayability. Alpha Protocol has you take the role of agent Michael Thorton, cast out by his government, and forced to go rogue in order to stop an international catastrophe. A spy-thriller where your conversations with other characters and actions directly impact the narrative far more than any gun could, Alpha Protocol allows you to create your own spy and even your own story to ensure that each mission carries the consequences of the previous one. Every decision could spell doom for yourself, those around you, or the world, so it’s best to bring a sharp wit and your free will to see what outcomes you get across this epic journey. It’s ambitious, and each playthrough will be dictated by how you play to weave an interesting story throughout based on what you do and say. There’s even a timer on your interactions to really put the pressure on, and to show how influential every little decision can be.
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game
Fallout is a cultural footprint in gaming, and the original game is all the proof you need as to why. Not only is the world-building rich and filled with satire, but the gameplay and its narrative are the reasons the CRPG genre was revitalized. Fallout allows you to create a character across so many different stats that every playthrough becomes unique simply based on how stupid your character is.
