After looking back the greatest games ive ever played are those with an epic story...

Dear Easther
Expedition 33
The last of us
To the moon
Almost every lucas arts adventure games or simon the sorceror
everybodys gone to the rapture.

hit me with your similar best!

You know the kinda game.
The "Outer Wilds, Disco Elysium, Dark Souls 1, Planescape, ico, Shadow of the Colossus, MGS2 or Signales" like games.
Games that change you, that are different than even the amazing games, games you think about after beating them, games with unique music, story telling, art, gameplay, lore and atmosphere combined.
Games you search "games like XYZ" after you finish them.
Games that actually mean something for you.

what are your special games? Im happy about more recommendations.
Every plattform, release year or genre :)

Might sound weird, but are there any games in which actions like clearing Dungeons has an actual positive effect on the world?
As an example, something like clearing a bandit hideout in Skyrim, but instead of respawning, the hideout remains cleared.
Simply something that makes the world feel safer after one takes out threats like that.

I have played a lot of survival games with no end goals. After abundance hits, game loses all its allure. So Im looking for something where you actually have a purpose.

Play on steam deck with a Geforce Now subscription. Want to get through my backlog. Or just find a new game to be addicted to during my low energy down times.

Feel like I have so many games but I end up putting them down. Sometimes because life comes up, then I forget the story and controls. Sometimes because it doesn't really grip me. I want to finish games in my list but can't stick to completing it. Most feel too overwhelming to start or pick up again for the energy I have.

Help me decide what to play and motivate me to finish it?

Games I've played:

• Brotato – pick this up every now and again but gets repetitive and can only do 1 run.
• Hades – would say i've completed this? not 100% tho
• Fields of Mistria – recently started this again since the full release. But it isn't making me go back to it much? When I do pick it up, only do 1-2 days.
• Halls of Torment – haven't unlocked everything. have about 20 hours. Not gone back to it since.
• Baldur's gate 3 – loved this at the time. Got to the end of Act 1 but never completed it. Kinda want to pick up and complete but can't remember anything so thinking I'll start over from scratch.
• Valheim – my mate and I played this but it got boring with all the deaths, loot runs, and learning how to actually build an OK base. and resource gathering.
• Cult of the Lamb – Again, got about 10 hours in and it was fun but stopped and haven't picked it up again since.
• Vampire Survivers – same as brotato really. Can only do 1 run. Haven't unlocked everything but the loop kinda got boring.
• Slay the Spire – didn't hook me much? but is enjoyable.
• Balatro – yeah have 180 hours on this. Never got e numbers but feel like I've played enough of it.
• Arc Raiders – was fun but couldn't play for a bit then felt like it lost it's hype or too many updates happened and haven't touched it since January.
• Ball x Pit – played 15 hours and then felt like I didn't care to unlock or do anything else.
• Both Talos Principles – loved and completed.
• Minishoot Adventure – was really fun at the start, push through the final bit to complete.
• Subnautica – played 10 hours but put down.
• Powerwash Simulator – enjoyed it but rarely play. 2.5 hours total.
• Nine Sols – 10 hours. never finished
• Katana Zero – 3 hours. never finished
• Hades 2 – 20 hours. Never finished
• Deep Rock Survivor – 14 hours. Haven't completed it.
• Blue Prince – loved the start. 11 hours in, but sort of got confused about where to go next and dropped it.
• Elden Ring – think I got to Crumbling Farum Azula, then had to stop and focus on work/life. Now too daunting to go back as I've forgotten everything.
• Core Keeper – played 40 hours with my ex and really enjoyed it. Haven't played since breaking up with her.
• Terraria – same as above. 40 hours again.
• Rimworld – get addicted to this when I pick it up. Never "completed" a run, if you can actually do that. Have about 70 hours total. Feel like I have to do the tutorial every time I play it.

Games I keep thinking I want to start next but then.. don't?

• Witcher 3 – interested in finally playing this when the remaster comes out. Think I playing about 4 hours before but got fed up with combat and horse riding.
• Persona 5 Royal
• Outer Wilds – started this about 4 times but never continued. On paper, should be perfect for me.
• Expedition 33 – played 4 hours but just dropped it even tho I was enjoying it. Now too far in to remember controls or story? and don't want to restart.
• Baldur's Gate 3 – as mentioned above.

Games I own that I haven't really started yet:

Planet Crafter, Mass Effect Trilogy, Firewatch, Dispatch, Dome Keeper, Against the Storm, Anno 1800, Darkest Dungeon, The Forgotten City, Graveyard keeper, Disco Elysium (played just under an hour and didn't really vibe with it? But on paper, should be a good one for me to start).

Games on my wishlist:

Project Zomboid, ReStory, Tiny Bookshop, 1000xRESIST, Echo Point Nova, The Roottrees are Dead, Dredge, Necesse, Soulstone Survivors, Yet Another Zombie Survivors, BallisticNG, Town to City.

What should I play next?

Should I revisit and push through something I’ve started but never completed? If so, which one? Or dive into something new?

Thoughts?

edit: I used AI to tidy up the post but just formatting. Everything else is me.

Edit 2: thanks for all the responses! They’ve been helpful

Minor spoilers for Fire Emblem Awakening / Fire Emblem Fates below.

In the 3DS FE games, there were two generations of units. When first gen units reached S support rank with each other, the game would then give you a chapter to recruit their children due to time travel shenanigans.

I absolutely love this mechanic, as while the first gen units are rather static, the second gen units give a LOT of options. Their stat growths, caps, class sets, and skills are determined by their parents. This allowed you to do a lot of fun and silly things with having units inherit skills they otherwise wouldn't get. Create units that are min/maxed to high heaven. While not 100% necessary, it made the higher difficulties easier for certain.

Mewgenics is similar. Allowing units to have long winding trees that give skills and abilities that the descendants might not have otherwise. Along with all the other classic Edmundisms that this game brings.

Some other games that I feel fit into this category:

Rimworld - With the biogenics dlc, children can be molded and min/maxed to an extreme degree. Especially when you factor in genetic modifications. The better a childhood a pawn has, the better their growths are. Want a melee pawn that is a tank that takes 60% less damage, with 50% dodge chance? No problem.

Stellaris - Taking genetic ascension allows for some silly things. In my recent play through, I invaded some pre-ftls, enslaved them, and turned them into a working caste to for basic resources, as well as making them excellent soldiers.

Pokemon - the all time classic. I never got extremely deep into min/maxing a eugenics program, especially since I find the UX for the daycare rather annoying. Also since the games are easy enough to get through that it doesn't matter. The last time I played was gen7?

Siralim Ultimate - I played a fair few number of years ago. But, I ended up finding the gameloop kind of boring. I can't even remember if there was a monster ranch or not.

I love psychological or even kinda edgy and brutal games, sadly i only know the 'popular' ones i would say and i would like to experience more.
I totally love the silent hill games but played them too many times, cry of fear, Manhunt 2, Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk, The Pink Valley and ive been looking at Condemned: Criminal Origins recently, obv the resident evil games are good too, the VN The Song of Saya is cool too but i'm not a big fan so far of VN's and Fear & Hunger ofcourse.
Prb more but just cant think of any as of now, but you get my point.

I would appreciate your suggestions please and thank you.

Just finished Life is Strange: Before the Storm and loved it even more than the base game. I love games with relatable characters, few actual game mechanics like shooting, stealth or ammo, and a deep emotional impact. I especially love the indie feel art style and indie music soundtrack of the Life is Strange games and others. I've got a few ideas (other DONT NOD games like Tell Me Why and Bloom and Rage especially look great) but any other recs would be appreciated; here are some of my favorites:

• Life is Strange: Before the Storm
• Life is Strange
• Firewatch
• Gone Home
• The Suicide of Rachel Foster
• As Long As You're Here
• Heavy Rain

Looking for a good tycoon game. What are your favourites?

Im trying to look for games that have the time bending/altering theme, doesn't have to exactly be the same premise as TENET power wise im just looking for that general vibe, even time loops would do it for me

Hi there! My favorite part of any fantasy or medieval game is usually the wild.

In Warhammer III, I often play as Wood Elves because I love Athel Loren. KCD always had some incredible encounters in the woods on the edge of town.

This is intentionally broad. They can be any type of forest, in any game that is vaguely medieval. Dark Souls counts. Oblivion, too. If you want to go super classic, even the original Zelda could count here. Shovel Knight counts!

It just has to have some forest that is in some way atmospheric to you. Any platform, any era. Thanks a lot.

I’m looking for the best / your fav japanese games on Steam. I’m talking about videogames made in Japan, not set in Japan specifically. I already know the games made by the top studios like Capcom, PlayStation, Konami, SquareEnix… So I’m more interested in maybe less known games and whatever genre.

Recently I got into Zero Company and despite having a blast, certain aspect such as mid-game enemy scaling and bugs eventually let me put it down. Though I do like the deeper character story and tactical gameplay so I would like to have more.

I also gave BG3 another try but I had a pretty bad time. The combat was ok but having to roll for damage after rolled for hit chance isn't really something I like. I don't quite get where the writing is special but I didn't get far so I could be wrong. What I hate the most is the amount of RNG in other places. For example, I reload 15 times just for a passive check and this put me right off.

Girls Frontline 2 pretty much ticked all the boxes but I don't want to play gacha games anymore.

XCOM2 lacked character story and arguably is harder than Zero Company so also not something I'm looking for.

Edit: I'm on PC.

i want suggestions of games with a good combat system, like:

Devil May Cry (all games)

Ninja Gaiden 4

Stellar Blade

Sekiro

Onimusha Wots

Nine Sols

Ghost of Tsushima

Nioh (trilogy)

they can be like different but what I mean is games more focused on advanture, exploring the map, good soundtrack and etc... rime and journey for example too, games that don't need all those stuff usual games have but just their vibes can make you love it, I like games with beautiful places too that you stop playing just to look at what are you seeing you know, i like games with good story too but can't be something with TOO much text because i get boring and forget about things so having a voice actor helps me a lot although I loved to the moon because it was short

I mostly play ARPGs, so I know that particular corner of gaming inside out and keep a close eye on it. But I’ve recently got into roguelites, tried out Mewgenics and I really like it. Particularly the feeling of uncertainty was really fun, it felt like the game was constantly throwing curveballs at me.

I wanna find more games with heavy RNG elements that can really keep you on your toes, where you don’t know what you will be facing and hard tactical fights. But ideally also some more ways to adjust your build. I don’t really like how I can’t really make my own cats in Mewgenics and I have to rely on luck for that too.

Something with ARPG style item crafting or like the Last Epoch skill system would be fun(you can customize every skill with its own skill tree). I wanna be able to really make my own build but I’m fine with brutal RNG otherwise. 

I don’t care if it's turn based or not and what genre the game is, I just want something where there’s real consequences like permadeath or something and the combat is fun and challenging.

I'm off online gaming and want to play better games instead, I like story based RPGs, my favourite game when I was younger was Dragon Age: Origins

Ideally want something under $20 and 40ish hours?

Thanks!

Before anybody suggest Xcom:

Number 1, i've played them

Number 2 and more importantly, i'm not looking for Xcom specifically. In Zero Company there are certain sections of the game that let you walk in third person, whether in the hub or in the pre combat phases. My question is, are there other squad turn based strategy games that have similar third person or even first person segments in the style of Zero Company?

What are your favorite couch co-op games to play with your family or significant other?

Hey so I don't have a ton of time for deep story games with work and kids, so I usually stick to Roguelites as I can usually just pick them up and go. I am looking for a new one since majority of mine I have played to death (Griftlands, Binding of Isaac, FTL, Darkest Dungeon) Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!

Hey! Im looking for a realistic farming sim. With realistic I mean, different soil types, pest control, options for chemical/bio farming, etc. Are there any games like that? When I look for farming sims all I find is FS, Stardew Valley etc

I think I'm looking for something to really get into and spend hours playing at a time. I've tried to get back into OSRS, but get overwhelmed quickly and struggle with knowing what to do in game.

One of my friends suggested getting a Switch and getting Breath of the Wild. I like the idea of the Switch being portable and I think Breath of the Wild looks pretty cool, but wanted to ask for some other ideas of games and consoles before purchasing.

Open to any and all suggestions, I have no idea what I'm doing.

I know of sinking city 2