Players usually want a good story in their games. I can enjoy a good story too, but sometimes I just want to get going and do stuff without listening to several minutes of dialog in-between action.
Do you know any games where there’s no story (or very minimal/skippable one), and the game mechanics alone carry the game?
EDIT: Thank you all for the suggestions. There are some that I’ve never heard of and look very interesting. Will definitely pick some of them up.
I hear ya, I hate when games have too much story. The stories are never any good and usually outright eye-rollingly bad. I particularly hate when they do “…”
Legend of Zelda, the very first one. Yoshi’s Island. FIFA.
Is there a particular genre? I dont pay attention to most game stories. Some of these suggestions have an online mode but ive only played single player.
age of empires 4 (1v1 against ai), 7days to die, vampire survivors, valheim.
I mostly play action games of any kind really. But will try games outside of that too, for example card games, or some strategies. But generally I prefer more action oriented games.
This is such a hard question to answer without more information. There are a literal ton of mechanically good games with minimal/no story across a massive variety of genres. What are you into? Surely your interests run deeper than “don’t make me read, don’t show me a movie”.
I’d start to look into rogue-lites; games that kill you rapidly are less inclined to lore-dump before they get to it, instead either hiding the story around the game world, or giving you snippets between runs. Dead Cells, Bullets Per Minute, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Rogue Legacy, Into the Breach, Enter the Gungeon. That should cover a wide birth of genres, anyway.
Be more specific and we can give you far better recommendations.
Rogue-lites are probably a good suggestion, considering I played and enjoyed Bullets Per Minute and Rogue Legacy. Also Dead Cells is probably one of my favourite. If there’s at least some form of progression then I think I’ll like it so I’ll look into the others you mentioned. Thanks.
If you liked Bullets Per Minute, pick up Metal: Hellsinger. Not a roguelite, but a very well-structured single-player story-minimal (~10-15 second voiced introductions to each level, occasionally a 1-2 minute, voiced cutscene between stages) game. It’s more like Doom - set arenas, with set encounters across varying difficulties - with a more refined, BPM-style “shoot on the beat” system. And it sports an insanely good original soundtrack with guest vocalists from across the spectrum of metal.
The gameplay loop uses getting to interact with the characters and to advance the various subplots as part of your reward/consolation at the end of each run. I’d call that story-heavy.
I just discovered this game this past weekend and it is sooo good. I wanted a fairly mindless “kill a bunch of guys and keep my hand busy” type of game, and that’s exactly what I got.
There’s mostly only some really funny voice over during the missions. EDF6 is already there but the developer always takes his time to translate the game into English.
Rogue Legacy was going to be my suggestion. Such an easy (as in no stories/puzzles to keep track of) game to pick up and play. It’s something that was lost a bit on the second game. But it looks like you’ve played it.
Dungeon Encounters is a pure turn-based RPG with almost no story.
Theatrhythm is a fun music game.
Sound Shapes is a platformer.
Immortal Redneck is a FPS rogue-like.
That’s just what’s in my games list that might be what you’re looking for.
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I hear ya, I hate when games have too much story. The stories are never any good and usually outright eye-rollingly bad. I particularly hate when they do “…”
Legend of Zelda, the very first one. Yoshi’s Island. FIFA.
Deep Rock Galactic
Is there a particular genre? I dont pay attention to most game stories. Some of these suggestions have an online mode but ive only played single player.
age of empires 4 (1v1 against ai), 7days to die, vampire survivors, valheim.
I mostly play action games of any kind really. But will try games outside of that too, for example card games, or some strategies. But generally I prefer more action oriented games.
if you are feeling adventurous i would recommend slay the spire for the card games category
Doom?
Played all except Doom 3. Good games.
Tetris, along with most puzzle games.
It’s seriously hard to beat Tetris.
Jonas Neubauer did.
Definitely doesn’t have any story, that’s for sure.
I mean they made a movie…
Tetris effect is insanely good for the music alone, and with ve the whole thing was an experience
Came here to say Tetris!
Factorio?
The factory must grow
This is such a hard question to answer without more information. There are a literal ton of mechanically good games with minimal/no story across a massive variety of genres. What are you into? Surely your interests run deeper than “don’t make me read, don’t show me a movie”.
I’d start to look into rogue-lites; games that kill you rapidly are less inclined to lore-dump before they get to it, instead either hiding the story around the game world, or giving you snippets between runs. Dead Cells, Bullets Per Minute, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Rogue Legacy, Into the Breach, Enter the Gungeon. That should cover a wide birth of genres, anyway.
Be more specific and we can give you far better recommendations.
Rogue-lites are probably a good suggestion, considering I played and enjoyed Bullets Per Minute and Rogue Legacy. Also Dead Cells is probably one of my favourite. If there’s at least some form of progression then I think I’ll like it so I’ll look into the others you mentioned. Thanks.
Nova Drift is one of my favorite rogue-likes, highly recommended. Check out the youtube channel “Ultra C” for a ton of different rogue-likes.
Nova Drift is great! Easily one of my top played games.
If you liked Bullets Per Minute, pick up Metal: Hellsinger. Not a roguelite, but a very well-structured single-player story-minimal (~10-15 second voiced introductions to each level, occasionally a 1-2 minute, voiced cutscene between stages) game. It’s more like Doom - set arenas, with set encounters across varying difficulties - with a more refined, BPM-style “shoot on the beat” system. And it sports an insanely good original soundtrack with guest vocalists from across the spectrum of metal.
Hades deserves to be in this list if you’ve not played it.
Hades for sure has a story. Probably the best implementation of story in the whole genre.
Yeah it does, but I wouldn’t say it’s the main attraction. It’s good, but I wouldn’t call it story driven.
The gameplay loop uses getting to interact with the characters and to advance the various subplots as part of your reward/consolation at the end of each run. I’d call that story-heavy.
Slay the Spire maybe?
Vampire Survivors
I keep hearing about this one. I need to try it one day.
I just discovered this game this past weekend and it is sooo good. I wanted a fairly mindless “kill a bunch of guys and keep my hand busy” type of game, and that’s exactly what I got.
It’s $5 and brilliant 40+ hour game with excellent mechanical complexity
Minecraft. Cities Skylines. RimWorld. Helldivers.*
*You’re going to need to co-op to have any chance in the mid to late game.
Dwarf Fortress
Factorio. All about letting the factory grow.
I also started playing wizards of legend recently. It takes maybe 20 minutes to get through the tutorial, then it’s just game. I’m enjoying it so far
Oh no there’s a stoty all right. It’s the story of thinking you’re in Castaway, then finding out you’re actually in The Lorax…as the Once-ler.
Earth Defence Force 5
There’s mostly only some really funny voice over during the missions. EDF6 is already there but the developer always takes his time to translate the game into English.
Rogue Legacy was going to be my suggestion. Such an easy (as in no stories/puzzles to keep track of) game to pick up and play. It’s something that was lost a bit on the second game. But it looks like you’ve played it.
Dungeon Encounters is a pure turn-based RPG with almost no story.
Theatrhythm is a fun music game.
Sound Shapes is a platformer.
Immortal Redneck is a FPS rogue-like.
That’s just what’s in my games list that might be what you’re looking for.
Disc room is such a fun game and it has almost no story
If you’re looking for something arcadey and replayable, the Touhou series might be worth looking into. Great music, too.