10 Best Story-Driven Games to Play If You Love The Last of Us
You finished The Last of Us, closed the app and now you are sitting there with that empty feeling, wondering what on earth you can play next that hits the same notes. It is a very specific itch, and most game lists just throw random action titles at you and hope one of them sticks.
This list gives you ten games that share the same heart: stories about people on the edge, the bonds that keep them going, and worlds that feel dangerous and lived in. Each pick is numbered in a countdown from No. 10 to our No. 1, and every position comes with a reason you can argue with.
A quick word on the link to The Last of Us. We are comparing tone and theme only. These games share a mood, a protective relationship at the centre of the story, or a world hit by disaster and hard times. None of them are made by the same developer as The Last of Us, so think of this as a recommendation for fans rather than a family tree.
Every entry covers the story setup, what works, who will enjoy it and where you can play it today. We only list platforms and release years we could check against official pages, Wikipedia and trade coverage. Where a platform could not be confirmed, we say so instead of guessing. We also do not quote review scores in this article, because a made-up number is the fastest way to lose a reader’s trust.
Some of these games are long and some are short. A few ask for patience at the start, while others pull you in within the first hour. The best pick is the one you will actually finish, so read the setup lines first and decide what suits your evenings and your attention span.
What ties the list together is the kind of storytelling you loved in The Last of Us. You get characters who make hard calls for good reasons, relationships that carry the weight of the whole game, and settings where the world itself feels like the enemy. Some picks lean into survival, some into revenge or honour, and a couple focus on a more personal story about family and growing up. Each entry says which of those it is, so you can pick the mood you want tonight.
Ready for the first pick? Let’s get into it 👇
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10. Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is set in 1274 on the island of Tsushima, where the samurai still live by old rules of honour. Jin Sakai is the last surviving member of Clan Sakai and the nephew and ward of Lord Shimura, the island’s jitĹŤ. When a Mongol fleet led by the ruthless Khotun Khan lands on the shore, the five great families try to hold them back at Komoda Beach. They are overwhelmed. Jin is left badly wounded, the Khan takes control of the island, and Jin has to decide how far he is willing to go to win Tsushima back.
The open world is the star. Sucker Punch fills the island with long fields of swaying grass, wind that gently points you towards your next goal, and small villages with their own worries. Jin’s sword fighting is sharp and satisfying, with stances that suit different enemies.
Why it ranks here: It is the most polished action game on this list, but it sits at the bottom because its story is about a country at war rather than two people holding onto each other. Life Is Strange, directly above it, is quieter and more personal, with choices that sit closer to the heart.
Who should play it: Anyone who loves samurai stories, stealth-and-combat action and exploring a big open world at their own pace.
Where to play: PlayStation 4 (2020), PlayStation 5 (Director’s Cut, 2021) and PC (Director’s Cut, 2024). Source: Ghost of Tsushima on Wikipedia.
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9. Life Is Strange
Max Caulfield is an 18-year-old photography student who returns to Arcadia Bay, Oregon, to attend Blackwell Academy. She discovers she can rewind time, and she reconnects with her childhood friend Chloe Price. Together they look into the disappearance of a student named Rachel Amber while strange weather and unsettling events spread through the town. Max has to decide when to use her power, and every choice she makes comes with a cost she has to live with.
The dialogue feels like real teenagers talking, with awkward pauses, in-jokes and the kind of honesty that makes you wince. The rewind mechanic turns small decisions into big ones. Chloe’s friendship with Max is the emotional core, and the game is good at making quiet moments land. The first episodes arrived in January 2015.
Why it ranks here: It is the closest on this list to The Last of Us in its focus on a bond between two people, but its tone is more teen drama than survival. It sits below Death Stranding because that game builds a much wider sense of a world, and above Ghost of Tsushima because its choices feel personal rather than epic. If you want a story that stays with you after the credits, this is a strong pick.
Who should play it: Players who enjoy character-driven stories, teen drama and mysteries with a touch of the supernatural.
Where to play: PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (2015), with iOS (2017) and Android (2018) versions. Source: Life Is Strange on Wikipedia.
8. Death Stranding
Sam Porter Bridges, played by Norman Reedus, is an independent courier who hauls cargo across a devastated America for the Bridges company. Invisible creatures called the Beached Things roam the land after a catastrophic event. Their rain ages anything it touches, and consuming a living person causes a massive explosion. Survivors live in isolated Knot Cities, which together form the United Cities of America, and they depend on porters like Sam to keep supplies moving between them.
Walking is the game. Sam’s trips across mountains and rivers are slow, and you have to plan routes, balance your cargo and avoid falls. That sounds like a chore, but the feeling of linking broken places back into one country gives every journey a strong pull. The loneliness and the way the game rewards helping strangers are hard to forget.
Why it ranks here: It is the most unusual game here and has the strongest sense of loneliness, which connects it to the bleak mood of The Last of Us. It ranks above Life Is Strange because its world and mood are far bigger, and below Days Gone because Days Gone is easier to get into.
Who should play it: Players who enjoy slow, atmospheric journeys and games that reward curiosity more than fast combat.
Where to play: PlayStation 4 (2019), PC (2020), PlayStation 5 (Director’s Cut, 2021) and Xbox Series X/S (2024). Source: Death Stranding on Wikipedia.
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7. Days Gone
Set in post-apocalyptic Oregon, Days Gone follows Deacon St. John, a former outlaw biker turned bounty hunter. Two years after a pandemic turned much of humanity into zombie-like creatures called Freakers, Deacon learns that his wife, Sarah, long presumed dead, may still be alive. He sets out across the wilderness to find her. Along the way he meets survivors who need help, and he has to work out who to trust in a world where the infected are only part of the danger.
The biggest draw is the Freakers, which gather in huge herds and can overwhelm you in seconds. Crafting, fuel and motorbike repairs add a survival layer that makes every ride count. Deacon’s bike is central to the experience, and the game is at its best when the road is empty and danger is still close. Some missions and fights feel repetitive, and the opening can be slow to build momentum, but the atmosphere makes up for a lot.
Why it ranks here: It is the most direct action-survival game here, and it sits below The Walking Dead because its choices carry less weight. It ranks above Death Stranding because its loop of riding, scavenging and fighting is easier to get into right away.
Who should play it: Players who want a zombie-survival open world with motorbike rides, bounty hunts and a rugged, lonely lead.
Where to play: PlayStation 4 (2019), PC (2021) and PlayStation 5 (remastered, 2025). Source: Days Gone on Wikipedia.
6. Telltale’s The Walking Dead
Lee Everett is a Georgia college professor who is charged with murder and about to be sent to prison when the walker outbreak begins. After escaping, he finds a young girl, Clementine, hiding in her treehouse because her babysitter had turned and her parents were away. Lee promises to reunite her with her parents as the outbreak spreads through Georgia, and he becomes her protector in a world with no rules left.
Telltale’s format is talk, choose and live with it. Most of the game is conversation, and you often have to decide quickly what to say. The first season came out in April 2012, and the dialogue is the main draw. The relationship between Lee and Clementine gives the story its weight, while the zombies act as a backdrop for the moral questions.
Why it ranks here: The bond between an adult and a child is the closest match to the protective centre of The Last of Us, which is why it sits this high. It ranks below A Plague Tale: Requiem because that game’s stealth and set pieces offer more variety, and above Days Gone because its choices land harder. Its limited action keeps it below the bigger games above it.
Who should play it: Players who like story-led games with lots of dialogue, hard choices and a focus on one relationship.
Where to play: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Source: The Walking Dead video game series on Wikipedia.
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You May Also Love
If the Last of Us mood is what you are chasing, these picks from our archive cover the same ground from different angles.
- TV Review: The Last of Us Season 1 – A Masterful Adaptation That Transcends Its Video Game Origins
- The Last of Us Season 2 Review: A Triumph of Adaptation and Emotion
- Wake of Corrosion: A Deep Dive into the Post-Apocalyptic Audio Drama
5. A Plague Tale: Requiem
Six months after the events of the first game, Amicia and her younger brother Hugo are fleeing Inquisition soldiers across Provence. Hugo carries a plague-related affliction called the Macula, which lets him command the rat swarms that devour anyone caught in darkness. The siblings are searching for a cure. The rats shun light, so Amicia must keep the two of them lit while using her sling, crossbow and alchemical mixtures to outwit both soldiers and the swarm.
Requiem is bigger and more confident than the first game. The levels open up with more routes and more ways to approach each problem, and the lighting puzzles make every flame feel like a lifeline. It came out in October 2022, and Amicia’s protective streak is still the heart of it. The way the game handles fear, love and frustration between the two siblings keeps you going.
Why it ranks here: It is the most varied stealth game in this set, which is why it sits above The Walking Dead. It ranks below the first Plague Tale because Innocence has the more focused, personal opening, where the bond between the siblings is introduced. Requiem gives you more to do, but Innocence hits harder emotionally.
Who should play it: Players who want stealth, light puzzles and a tense story about siblings in a dark medieval world.
Where to play: PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S (2022), with a Nintendo Switch cloud version (2022). Source: A Plague Tale: Requiem on Wikipedia.
4. A Plague Tale: Innocence
In November 1348, 15-year-old Amicia de Rune must protect her five-year-old brother Hugo during the Hundred Years’ War in France. Hugo has been ill since birth, and the Inquisition is hunting him. Swarms of rats spreading the Black Death fill the countryside. Their mother, Beatrice, an alchemist, sends the siblings to find a doctor who might help, and they set out into a dangerous land with only each other to rely on.
Innocence came out in May 2019, and it is the game that makes you care. Amicia is not a superhero. She fights with a sling and a handful of improvised tools, and the stealth is tense. You hide in long grass, use fire to keep the rats back and guide soldiers into traps. The quiet moments between the siblings do the heavy lifting, and the medieval setting feels lived in.
Why it ranks here: It has the most personal opening on this list, and its bond between an older sibling and a younger, ill child is close to the emotional weight of The Last of Us. It sits below God of War: Ragnarök because that game has a bigger scale and a more ambitious payoff, and above Requiem because its story is more focused.
Who should play it: Players who want a grounded stealth game with an emotional story and a strong sense of place.
Where to play: PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (2019), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S (2021), and a Nintendo Switch cloud version (2021). Source: A Plague Tale: Innocence on Wikipedia.
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3. God of War Ragnarök
Set three years after the previous game, Kratos and his teenage son Atreus are hiding in Midgard, which has become a frigid wasteland during Fimbulwinter, a three-year winter that began when the last game ended. Odin, the king of Asgard, is the main antagonist, a manipulative god obsessed with stopping his own death at Ragnarök. Thor is the secondary antagonist. Kratos and Atreus must visit all nine realms of Norse mythology to stop Ragnarök from destroying them.
This is a bigger, more confident sequel. The combat has more weapons, and the realms feel distinct from one another. What makes it strong is the father-and-son story. Kratos is trying to be a better father than he was, and Atreus is trying to find his own place in a world that keeps asking him who he is. The dialogue has real humour.
Why it ranks here: It is the strongest father-and-son story in the top half of this countdown, and that is why it ranks third. It sits below the 2018 God of War because the sequel’s scale can dilute the tight focus that made the original so personal. It sits above Innocence because its emotional payoff is bigger and its action gives you far more to do. Play the 2018 game first, and this entry becomes an easy call.
Who should play it: Players who want an epic action adventure with a strong father-and-son story, ideally after playing the 2018 game.
Where to play: PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 (2022), and PC (2024). Source: God of War Ragnarök on Wikipedia.
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2. God of War
Kratos, a warrior who has left his past as a god of war behind, lives in ancient Scandinavia with his wife, Faye, and their son, Atreus. After Faye dies, Kratos and Atreus set out to scatter her ashes from the highest peak in the nine realms. Along the way they face monsters and Norse gods, and Kratos keeps his past a secret from Atreus. The journey becomes as much about two people learning to trust each other as it is about the fights.
It is one of the best-crafted action games around. The combat rewards timing and planning, the Leviathan Axe is satisfying to throw and recall, and the camera stays close to Kratos as he moves. What makes it great is how slowly the story unfolds. Kratos is not a talker and Atreus is a curious, stubborn kid, so the conversations between them carry the emotional core. It was released in April 2018.
Why it ranks here: It is the closest on this list to the emotional approach of The Last of Us, with a gruff adult learning how to care for a child. It sits below Red Dead Redemption 2 because that game’s world is bigger and more immersive, and above God of War: Ragnarök because its story is tighter and its father-and-son conversations feel less stretched.
Who should play it: Anyone who wants a grounded, character-led action adventure with a father-and-son story at its centre.
Where to play: PlayStation 4 (2018) and PC (2022). Source: God of War (2018) on Wikipedia.
🎧 Before we reveal our No. 1 pick…
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1. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set in 1899 in a fictional version of the United States, as the Wild West era is ending. Arthur Morgan is a member of the Van der Linde Gang. After a robbery goes wrong in Blackwater, the gang must flee while federal agents and bounty hunters chase them across the country. As divisions grow within the gang, Arthur has to choose between his own ideals and his loyalty to the people who raised him.
The world is the reason this game is number one. Rockstar builds a huge landscape that you can live in, and the way you travel through it changes how the story feels. The writing is patient and mature, and many of its best moments are small: a campfire conversation, a long ride through snow. It is slow at times, but the payoff lands.
Why it ranks here: It beats God of War because its world is more immersive and its characters feel like a family in trouble. Its story also asks harder questions about loyalty and identity. It sits above God of War: Ragnarök because it does not rely on a fantasy setting to carry the emotion, and above A Plague Tale: Innocence because its scope and character work are far bigger.
Who should play it: Anyone who wants a long, character-driven adventure with a mature story and a world that feels like a place to live in.
Where to play: PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (2018), and PC (2019). Check your preferred store for current versions. Source: Red Dead Redemption 2 PC coverage at Video Games Chronicle.
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Final Thoughts
Looking back at the countdown, a clear thread runs through the strongest picks: characters shaped by loss, relationships that have to survive danger, and worlds that never let you forget how fragile everything is. Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War are the best examples, because they put the bond between characters first and let the spectacle serve it. The rest of the list branches out from there, with different levels of survival, stealth and emotional honesty.
Different picks suit different viewers. If you want a long, rich world to get lost in, go straight to No. 1. If you want a father-and-son story that hits at the right moments, the 2018 God of War is a near-perfect starting point. For a stealth game built on a sibling bond, the A Plague Tale games are the sweet spot. If you want something quieter, built on dialogue and choices, The Walking Dead and Life Is Strange do that best, and Death Stranding is the one to pick if you enjoy walking a lonely road.
Why does Red Dead Redemption 2 take the top spot? It combines the emotional depth that fans of The Last of Us will recognise with a world detailed enough to disappear into. Its best scenes linger, its characters have more to lose, and nothing else on this list builds such a strong sense of a whole life lived inside a game. It is the pick we would hand to a friend first.
Now it is your turn. Which of these have you played, and which one would you move up or down? If you have a favourite story-driven game that deserves a place, tell us in the comments and let us know what we missed. Your suggestions are the best way to find the next game for your list.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which game should I start with if I only have a weekend?
Pick a game you can dip into without losing the thread. Ghost of Tsushima lets you run through its island in short bursts, and its open world rewards wandering. A full playthrough is a long commitment, so a weekend is best used to get into the story and the feel of the game. If you want choices and conversation that move quickly from the first hour, The Walking Dead and Life Is Strange are built around exactly that.
Do I need to play God of War (2018) before God of War Ragnarök?
It helps a lot. Ragnarök is set three years after the 2018 game and picks up from where that story left off, with Kratos and Atreus hiding in Midgard during Fimbulwinter. You can follow the basics without it, but the father-and-son relationship lands harder if you have seen how it started. The 2018 game is on PlayStation 4 and PC, and Ragnarök is on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC, so you have easy ways in.
Is Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S?
The versions we could verify for this article are PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, which launched in October 2018, and PC, which followed in 2019. We did not confirm a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S version, so we have not listed one. Check your preferred store for the current versions before you buy, because editions and availability can change.
Are the two A Plague Tale games connected?
Yes. A Plague Tale: Requiem continues the story of Amicia and Hugo six months after the events of Innocence. You can pick up the basic situation without the first game, but the bond between the siblings and the reasons they are running are set up in Innocence. If you want the full emotional weight, start with Innocence, which came out in May 2019. Requiem followed in October 2022.
Do I need to watch the TV show to play Telltale’s The Walking Dead?
No. The game tells its own story, with Lee Everett and Clementine at its centre. You do not need to know the TV show to follow what happens, because the game introduces its situation from the first episode. The first season came out in April 2012, and the series has been released on PC, Mac, iOS, Android, several PlayStation and Xbox generations, and Nintendo Switch, so there are several ways to play it.
Can I play Death Stranding on PC?
Yes. Death Stranding came to PC in 2020, and a Director’s Cut followed on PC in 2022. The game first launched on PlayStation 4 in 2019, and the PlayStation 5 Director’s Cut arrived in 2021. It is also available on Xbox Series X/S, which launched in 2024. If you prefer a keyboard and mouse or a PC setup, the PC version is the simplest route in.
Is Days Gone worth playing on PC?
The PC version came out in May 2021, two years after the PlayStation 4 launch in April 2019. It is a good choice if you prefer PC and want a survival open world with motorbike riding and bounty hunting. A PlayStation 5 remaster followed in April 2025. Check your preferred store for the version you want, and read a few reviews before deciding, since the game’s pace is not for everyone.
Is Life Is Strange available on phones?
Coverage we checked lists iOS (2017) and Android (2018) versions, alongside the original 2015 release on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Mobile availability can change, so check your phone’s app store before you buy. If you are new to the story, the console and PC versions are the ones most players talk about.
Which version of Ghost of Tsushima should I buy now?
Look for the Director’s Cut on your store page. It came out on PlayStation 5 in August 2021, and a Director’s Cut arrived on PC in May 2024, developed by Nixxes Software. The original release was on PlayStation 4 in July 2020. If you already own the PlayStation 4 version, it is still a strong way to play the story, and the same core adventure is there.
Where can I check reviews and scores for these games?
Start with Metacritic, which collects critic reviews and scores for games, and then read full reviews on IGN, GameSpot, PC Gamer or Eurogamer. We have not quoted scores in this article, so the reviews will give you the most current opinions. Read a few from different outlets, and check the release year and platform, because older reviews can refer to earlier versions of a game.
More Places to Find Great Games
- IGN: game news, reviews, guides and video coverage across PC and console.
- GameSpot: reviews, previews and news for games on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo.
- Metacritic: an aggregator that collects critic reviews and scores for games.
- Wikipedia: release histories, developers, publishers and platform lists for individual games.
- Steam: Valve’s PC store, with store pages and player reviews for games on PC.
- Eurogamer: games news, reviews and features with a UK base.
- PC Gamer: PC gaming news, reviews, guides and hardware coverage.
- Rock Paper Shotgun: PC game news, reviews and features with a strong focus on PC gaming.
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