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What are the best Episodic games on Steam?

8

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Considered

16

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Sep 12, 2021

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8 Games Considered

Best Episodic games on Steam	Price	Steam Rating	Genre
-- The Walking Dead	-	Overwhelmingly Positive	Narrative, Adventure, Survival Horror
-- The Wolf Among Us	-	-	-
-- Life is Strange	$19.99	-	Adventure, Narrative
-- Life is Strange: Before the Storm	$16.99	Very Positive	Adventure, Narrative
-- Kentucky Route Zero	$24.99	Very Positive	-

The Walking Dead

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Difficult Decisions

The Walking Dead requires that the player make decisions throughout, these typically will be in the form of action or conversation options. In many of these situations there is no obviously correct or best choice yet these decisions must be taken in stressful situations often giving a matter of seconds. They can be morally testing as you can attempt to do what is 'right', what is best for the group or what is best for yourself as well having differing repercussions on how your character is perceived by different people. See More

Top Con

Superficial player impact

While the game may on the face of it appear to have far reaching consequences for the decisions taken by the player. At times it can appear that these consequences cause mainly only superficial differences as the story progresses. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre:Narrative, Adventure, Survival Horror

Top Pro

Engrossing Storyline

The Walking Dead tells a genuinely gripping story which can be a testing and exhausting experience for the player. It is told through the interactions between people fighting to survive in a new world in which resources are scarce and threats can come from both the living and the undead. Perhaps the major strength of the game in creating a compelling story telling experience is that it causes the player to care about the characters involved. This is an all too uncommon experience in gaming, and in The Walking Dead adds much greater meaning to the decisions which must be made along the way. See More

The Wolf Among Us

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A really enjoyable interactive story

The Wolf Among Us is a murder mystery story that has great characters, action-packed moments, and really interesting twists. What's even better is that you can affect how the story plays out with dialogue options, investigation choices, and even actions during a fights or chase sequences. Your actions as a player have consequences in this story, which feels really nice. See More

Top Con

May be too gruesome for kids

With all of the cursing and the not to mention the severed head, this story may not be appropriate for children. See More

Case Cowboy's Experience

Walking Dead was an awesome experience, but "The Wolf" is truly a masterpiece! Bigby is a great, deep anti hero! You will feel that your choices carry more weight here than in "Walking Dead" series. Two thumbs up! See More

Top Pro

Unusual setting

The story takes place in a fictional part of Manhattan called Fabletown, which is inhabited by humans and creatures from fairy tales and folklore. It's really interesting seeing how everyone makes ends meet in an unfamiliar world. From working as a janitor or a receptionist to running a shady night club and abusing magic for extra profits. It's the type of setting that appeals to both the kid and the adult within you. See More

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Characters feel real

The writing is so well done that the character and their story fell very real, even when realizing the story takes place in a fairy-tale world. This allows for immersion in the game that is often not matched by other point and click adventure games. See More

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In game encyclopedia

For those that want more back-story into the Fables comic there is an in game encyclopedia that allows for a more in depth analysis of the characters and their surrounding story. See More

Top Pro

Refinement of earlier success

With the success TellTale achieved in their Walking Dead series, The Wolf Among US takes every good aspect of that gameplay and refines it even further. See More

Life is Strange

Top Con

Choices feel a little lacking

While there are many choices in Life is Strange, most of them have no long term impact on the story. The only noticeable changes are the dialogue lines and what scenes you get. While this adds some nuances to your journey, the destination is ultimately the same. See More

Top Pro

Great story

Life is Strange expertly portrays a teenagers life during high school, capturing all the good and bad emotions, while also adding a supernatural twist. The main character and her issues are relatable, side characters are interesting, and the plot twists are very unexpected. The story as a whole is very enjoyable, keeping you on the edge of your seat most of the time. See More

Specs

Genre:Adventure, Narrative

Top Con

Some poor writing and unbelievable characters

Many of the characters use dialog and behave unlike how a teenager would making for poor believable characters and story. See More

Top Pro

Choice based gameplay with a twist

Your character can rewind time, so you can undo any recent choice or action, allowing you to try out different ones. This feels really awesome since in most games you'd have to reload your save or replay through entire sections just to view the other choices. See More

Top Pro

A well-polished experience

Excellent voice acting, great story, smooth lighting, detailed object/level design, extensive number of people and objects to interact with, and even amazing music. Everything about the game makes it very enjoyable to play. See More

Top Pro

Great plot and great drama

The story is really engaging, along with the drama which is the most prominent aspect of the game (but don't let that turn you off if you think that drama isn't your thing, because this is so well done). See More

Top Pro

Free chapter available

The first 20% (roughly) of the game is free to try to see if you like it or how well it runs on your machine. Steam will give refunds for games that you didn't like it or had trouble with anyway (as long as you played less than 2 hours of it), but this saves the hassle of refunding, as well as the annoying 2 hour mental timer in your head that you'd be weary of. See More

Top Pro

Attention to detail

Life Is Strange has quite a bit of attention to detail compared to some other games. It has a lot of details that the player can interact with (interact meaning examine or talk to, not anything physics-based whatsoever), things which frequently trigger audible dialogue narrated by the protagonist. It adds to the atmosphere of the game. See More

Top Pro

Amazing overall atmosphere

Between the good voice acting, lighting and object/level design, extensive number of things and people that can be examined or talked to, and music, it really makes one feel as if they're there experiencing the story. See More

Life is Strange: Before the Storm

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Chloe is more likable this time

In the first Life is Strange, many players complained that Chloe was insufferable and selfish as Max's best friend, complaining in order to have more of her time when she might not have deserved it. This time around, watching the events of Before the Storm unfold from Chloe's eyes is enjoyable, largely thanks to how easygoing she is with Rachel--for the most part--and how far she's willing to go to sacrifice for her throughout the plot. Chloe makes dorky jokes that don't always land and back-talks school staff at Blackwell Academy with harmless ease, making her a much warmer, sillier character compared to her prickly, temperamental self in Max's adventure. See More

Top Con

Limited exploration

With much of the focus on the storytelling, it's still unfortunate that Chloe can't leave the designated story areas without turning around and repeating the same line about how she's supposed to focus on her objective. The limited areas to walk around in are understandable, yet disappointing, with missed opportunities for Chloe to walk down the street from her home and see what her neighbors are up to, or for her and Rachel to hang out in more places around Arcadia Bay together. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Adventure, Narrative

Top Pro

Great soundtrack

Daughter, the indie folk band from England, worked on the tracks for Before the Storm, pulling together many of the game's great moments with thoughtful acoustic tunes and moody piano tracks. The more upbeat, hopeful tracks fit in incredibly well with Chloe's adventurous scenes with Rachel, giving a sense of wonder as the two explore Arcadia Bay together. One song in particular, 'All I Wanted', is a memorable, catchy folk track that captures the feeling of Chloe and Rachel supporting one another through their struggles, which is what Life is Strange: Before the Storm is all about. See More

Top Con

Third episode falls flat in some areas

Life is Strange: Before the Storm is an all-around stand-out title, with the first and second episodes building up to an impactful third installment that feels lacking in certain aspects. Without getting into spoilers, there are a few plot holes that aren't wrapped up by the end, and much of the tension in the episode falls flat because of these glaring holes that none of the characters bother to address. See More

Top Pro

Improved writing over the first game

The original Life is Strange suffered from some instances of awkward lines that sounded like a middle-aged adult trying to emulate how teenagers speak; thankfully, Before the Storm has a much clearer, down-to-earth script that helps the characters sound more authentic and real. Rachel's use of "hella" is more amusing this time around, as it gives context as to why Chloe picked up on it and used it frequently in the first game. Overall, each of the characters in the game are more well-rounded across the three episodes thanks to the smooth writing. See More

Top Pro

Choices have consequences

Much like in the first game, Before the Storm features several choices throughout the game that have an impact on future plot points across the three episodes. How these choices end up impacting the ending are debatable, but there are still a myriad of choices that change the outcome of a single playthrough, such as Chloe's decision to handle certain sums of money, or whether or not she's willing to accept her mother's unlikable new boyfriend. Chloe and Rachel's interactions can also be limited to friendship or expanded into a romantic relationship through player choice. See More

Kentucky Route Zero

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Camera movement pulls player in

Unlike a lot of adventure games that have static cameras, Kentucky Route Zero has a camera that pans, zooms and rotates, giving a deeper sense of immersion. See More

Top Con

No puzzles

Deviating from the norm of a point and click adventure, there are no puzzles to be found in the game. So for those looking for a traditional point and click may be disappointed. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Very atmospheric

From the soundtrack and sound effects to the stylistic graphics, Kentucky Route Zero exudes atmosphere. See More

Top Pro

A game about the journey, not the destination

Players can casually play Kentucky Route Zero without being punished. See More

The Walking Dead A New Frontier

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Main character Javi is very likeable

Main protagonist Javi is a bit of screw-up and the black sheep of his family when the story starts. However, as the world starts to fall apart, he quickly grows into his own and becomes a very likeable character. He is forced into many tough situations where he is always putting his family's safety above his own, and as a result, we get to watch him grow as a person. Overall, he is very easy to relate to and it's fun to cheer him along on his journey from goofball to hero. Javi is a great new addition to the series. See More

Top Con

Too many quicktime events

QTEs are used during action sequences, which is fine, but sometimes they are used in places where they are not needed, such as pushing a dumpster to block a doorway or connecting some wires. These unnecessary QTEs disrupt the pace of the story at best, and at worst, completely ruin immersion by having to repeat the same frustrating sequence over and over when you mess up. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Story Rich, Adventure

Top Pro

Great story

TWD: A New Frontier features a brand new story in The Walking Dead universe with an all new cast of characters. This time around, you play as Javi, an ex-baseball player with a gambling problem who is trying to protect his family during the zombie apocalypse. Javi is somewhat of the black sheep of the family, but as the world devolves in chaos, he is forced to step up and protect his sister-in-law, nephew, and niece after his brother disappears. The four of them hit the road together to salvage for supplies and search for a new safe place to call home. During the course of the story, you'll be fighting for survival in this messed up world, meeting interesting characters, running into plenty of problems, and making really tough choices to save yourself and your loved ones along the way. See More

Top Con

Very short

For a $25 game, only having seven to eight hours of playtime among five episodes is pretty poor. Each episode is only 60-90 minutes long, whereas episodes in the other two games in the series were around three hours apiece. While the story itself is great, it is overall much, much shorter than season one and two, which may be a great disappointment to some. See More

Top Pro

Voice acting is incredible

Voice actors deliver their lines with a lot of emotion, never feeling forced or fake. This excellent acting really helps draw you into the story and its characters. There's a lot of great chemistry between the various voice actors as well, resulting in conversations that flow well and sound very natural. See More

Top Con

Some choices will be biased towards Clementine

The whole reason season one and two existed was to tell the story of Clementine. She has grown into the beloved character of the franchise. This third installment in the series, however, has us playing as a new character named Javi. Clementine is still heavily involved the storyline, and this is where the issue arises. Sometimes we are asked to make choices as Javi that involve Clementine. However, since we've built up a strong liking for Clementine over the past two games, it's way too easy to swing all choices in her favor - even if Javi wouldn't actually make those choices himself. This can be bit a immersion breaking and make for some rather biased decisions that make little to no sense in the actual context of the story. See More

Top Pro

Loads of difficult and impactful choices

At the heart of this story-driven game are the wide array of interesting choices you get to make. What you say and do will have an impact on how the story plays out, so it's kind of fun to ponder each one. Characters will remember your past actions and conversations, which means all your decisions and dialogue choices carry a lot of meaningful weight. How you choose to interact with various characters will influence how they treat you down the line. Each episode contains many different dialogue paths, as well as 3-4 major heart-wrenching, tough, and super impactful decisions that literally determine the fate of each character and how the story unfolds. See More

Top Pro

The game is cross-platform

You can play it on PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Kindle Fire HDX, and Android. See More

Top Pro

Huge amount of replayability

Resembling an interactive novel, TWD: A New Frontier plays out as a series of dialogue choices or decisions that result in specific actions. It's pretty interesting to replay the game many times and choose all the different ways of handling situations just to see how they play out. See More

Top Pro

Maintains a sense of familiarity while offering a new perspective

Even though we take on the role of the new character Javi this time around, an old fan favorite, Clementine, makes an appearance and becomes heavily involved in the story as well. The inclusion of Clementine in the story and the newfound relationship between Javi and Clem really adds a wonderful touch of familiarity to the series, while still giving us an all new story to play through. We get to see the world through Javi's eyes, instead of Clem's, which is an interesting perspective shift. See More

The Journey Down

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Quality presentation

The characters are 3D rendered on top of beautiful hand painted backgrounds with it all blending nicely to a very neatly finished look. See More

Top Con

Chapters are extremely short

Even though the game is broken up into separately purchasable chapters, each chapter is pretty short, even when considering all chapters combined the game in full will still be short. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Satisfying puzzles

The Journey Down offers challenging puzzles that give the user quite a bit of satisfaction when solved. Not that they are too difficult but just not that the game hands the answers to the player on a platter either. See More

Top Pro

Unique Style

Self described as an "afro-caribbean" vibe. With character faces that resemble tribal masks as well as the main characters sporting Caribbean accents there is no doubt the game was designed with black culture in mind. See More

Dreamfall Chapters

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Puzzles fit well with the storyline

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

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