Linear Games That Give Players Control & Freedom

While open-world games are popular for their freedom and vastness, linear games have a unique strength: focus. A tightly paced story in a linear game can be more impactful and memorable than one that stretches over many hours. Plus, linear doesn’t mean lacking control – you still make choices and engage with the game, just within a more directed experience.

I’ve been checking out some games that are pretty story-focused, but still let me feel like I’m making the decisions. A lot of games let you build your character, but these ones really let you shape who they are and how the story goes, even though the overall path is pretty set. If you’re looking for something a little less open-world and more focused, but still with a good amount of player choice, I’d definitely recommend giving these a try.

Aliens: Infestation

Keep Going In Death

Aliens: Infestation offers a fresh take on the Aliens universe by letting players control a team of rescuers. It’s a challenging 2D Metroidvania where you explore, search for survivors, and fight off hordes of aliens. A unique feature is the ability to switch between characters, but be warned – if a character dies, they’re gone for good! This makes strategic thinking essential, and the story unfolds differently depending on who survives, adding to the replayability.

Breath Of Fire: Dragon Quarter

Struggle Or Rewind

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is a tough but rewarding role-playing game. Unlike other games in the series, it focuses on exploring a connected series of underground dungeons instead of a large open world. A unique feature is the D-Counter, which fills up with every action you take. If it maxes out, the game ends! Fortunately, you can restart at any time and keep some of your progress, making each attempt a little easier than the last.

Catherine: Full Body

Love Sick

Catherine: Full Body is an updated version of the game Catherine, where the main character, Vincent, is caught between two love interests: his long-term girlfriend, Katherine, and a new woman, Catherine. This new version adds a third option, Rin, but the core gameplay remains the same – your choices determine which story path and ending you’ll get. Throughout the day, you’ll build relationships with one of these three women through text messages and conversations. At night, Vincent enters a dream world where you’ll solve challenging block puzzles, consider relationship advice, and then repeat the cycle all over again.

Detroit: Become Human

Fight For Android Rights

I’ve been playing Detroit: Become Human, and it’s seriously gripping! You get to play as three different androids – Connor, who’s a detective, Kara, who starts out as a housekeeper, and Markus. Markus is the most interesting, though – he’s trying to lead a revolution for all androids, because in this world, they’re treated like second-class citizens. It’s all about choices and how those affect the story, which is awesome.

The game lets you play as different characters in each chapter. Your choices in conversations and actions will lead to very different outcomes, and any character can even die permanently. Once you finish the game once, you’ll unlock a timeline that lets you revisit key moments and make different choices to drastically alter the story on future playthroughs.

Other games from Quantic Dream explore similar ideas, though many feel they aren’t quite as polished or impactful as Detroit: Become Human.

Hotline Miami

Become A Chaotic Killer

Hotline Miami is an action-packed game where you complete levels by eliminating everyone in your path. It’s known for being tough but fair – one hit is all it takes to defeat enemies, but the same goes for you! Success depends on careful planning and using whatever’s at your disposal, whether it’s a gun, a bat, or even a door.

Okay, so learning the levels and figuring out a good plan in Hotline Miami takes a little practice, but once you get it down, you really feel like an action movie hero – seriously, I felt like John Wick clearing a room! You can’t exactly play as a pacifist, but the game gives you a ton of freedom in how you tackle each mission. It’s surprisingly open-ended for how fast-paced it is.

Katamari Damacy

They See Me Rollin’

Katamari Damacy, and its updated version, Katamari Damacy REROLL, is famously strange. The story begins when the King of All Cosmos accidentally destroys all the stars. He tasks his son, the Prince, with rolling up everything on Earth into a giant ball to recreate them.

Every mission has a target goal, and completing more than that earns you a higher score. Players have freedom in how they achieve this, allowing them to create either organized or messy scenes. The levels themselves are designed like small, open playgrounds where you can move around freely and interact with objects however you like.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty

Freedom Through Stealth

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty begins with players controlling Solid Snake on a ship, then switches to Raiden in a larger, aquatic facility. The game focuses on stealth, tasking players with completing missions covertly, but offers multiple combat options. Players can eliminate enemies quietly with a silenced pistol, subdue them non-lethally with tranquilizer darts, or engage in all-out, aggressive combat.

Players can also think about where to hide bodies and how to avoid guards, with plenty of areas to investigate and tools to try. While other Metal Gear Solid games let you approach situations freely, Sons of Liberty gives you even more options and control.

Honorable mention to other stealth-focused franchises like Hitman.

Scribblenauts

Write Your Destiny, Literally

In the game Scribblenauts, players solve puzzles using easy-to-learn controls. Each puzzle presents a task, such as extinguishing a fire or saving a cat.

There are many different ways to solve each puzzle – you could even write down firefighters to put out a blaze, or a ladder to help the hero, Max, rescue a cat! As you progress, the puzzles get more complex, offering a great mental challenge. If you enjoy puzzles, it’s definitely worth trying one of the many Scribblenauts games.

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

A Tactical Twist On Time

Like Detroit: Become Human, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together features a branching storyline with many choices that impact the game. However, the gameplay is quite different – it’s a tactical RPG where you build a team of characters with various skills and classes. During battles, characters move around on a grid and fight using magic, weapons, and special abilities. Improving your team is rewarding, and players who enjoy making story-altering decisions will find a lot to love.

Tactical RPGs usually let you customize your team and choose its members, but they generally follow a straightforward story path. A classic example is Tactics Ogre, and the Disgaea series is another good illustration of this style.

Undertale

Don’t Become The Monster They Think You Are

As a huge fan, I think Undertale really shook things up when it came out. It’s an RPG, but instead of just fighting everything, you can actually talk to monsters and try to befriend them – something you rarely see in these kinds of games. You can still fight if you want, but honestly, just going the ‘neutral’ route isn’t all that interesting. The real magic happens when you try a pacifist run or go full-on destructive, because those playthroughs feel totally different. What’s even cooler is that the game remembers your choices, so your actions actually matter and affect how the story unfolds. Even though it’s not super open-world, it’s easily one of the most important indie RPGs ever made.

2026-01-10 02:35