Best Text-Based games on Steam
Unlike generic lists, our strategy game recommendations use a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews to identify and feature only the best, community-validated text-based games. For those who prefer not to search, lists of the most played, top deals and best free text-based games are available at the bottom of the page.
Filters & Lists
Home Safety Hotline
Hearing noises? Seeing things? Call Home Safety Hotline! Our operators are standing by, waiting to give you the answers you need to protect your home from all manner of pests and household hazards.
Buriedbornes2 - Dungeon RPG -
"The oldest and most abhorrent Prophecy has become reality. This is endless and merciless warfare for Buriedbornes, army can revive forever." The long-awaited sequel to the easy-to-play turn-based dungeon RPG series is finally here!
Seal World
Meet silly seals, eat fibsh, swim, and relax!
Anon's Neko Waifus
Discover an enchanting world where cute neko girls await to steal your heart. Immerse yourself in a tale of romance and emotions. It's the perfect getaway for a good time.
A Date with Death
Fight against & romance the one hunting for your soul in A Date with Death, a romance chat simulator where you date(?) the Grim Reaper himself. Create your own character, decorate your apartment, and chat away with the charming yet dangerous Grim Reaper through text and video calls.
A guard walks into a tavern
You are a guard whose job is to post bounties. Try your best to deal with various matters and make money to raise your family. But remember, when various factions come to you, you will have to make choices!
Hira Hira Hihiru
"Hira Hira Hihiru" is a visual novel set in a fictional Taishō Era. It tells the story of its two protagonists' struggle against Aerodema, a terrifying disease which brings the dead back to life.
Football Manager 2024
Build a world-class team ready to dominate your rivals in football’s most prestigious competitions. Progress never stops when you’re pursuing footballing greatness.
UsoNatsu ~The Summer Romance Bloomed From A Lie~
This is a story about finding love to overwrite the feelings for the one they held dearest. A girls love visual novel about summer, love and adolescence.
AI Roguelite
World's first RPG in which all entities are AI-generated and all game mechanics are AI-directed.
Romance Club - Stories I Play
Immerse yourself in romantic visual stories where you control what happens!
Heads Will Roll: Reforged
Hardcore survival RPG with non-linear story that lets you play as a young medieval soldier who over the course of battles and adventures becomes the most formidable and respected knight of his era. Or, if he’s not lucky enough, perishes in the chaos of the Hundred Years' War.
Vampires' Melody 2
Emerald seas! Blue skies! Sandy beaches! An island adventure in the ocean sounds like a trip to paradise. However, the place is a nightmare with no one to provide any blood for Raylan to feed on after he turned into a vampire by accident, especially since he has another hungry vampire at his side.
Wolvesville
Wolvesville is a multiplayer game for up to 16 players. Each game has different teams such as villagers or werewolves all fighting to be the last team standing. Use special abilities to uncover the roles of other players and convince your fellow players to work with you.
Myths of Rules
This is a text-based adventure puzzle game, where you must struggle to survive in a world filled with ghosts and urban legends. While collecting clues, you'll uncover the truth behind the world and find the way out. The game features a wealth of levels, unconventional rules, and a touch of horror.
ghostpia Season One
"In my dreams, I can get out. In my dreams, I can fit in." 'ghostpia' mixes the adorable art style of an illustrated book with glitches-and-noise effects. There are no choices to be made. There's only a lonely girl in a ghost town and her story full of mystery, friendhood...and a bit of violence.
BOOK OF HOURS
Restore a crumbling occult library by a winter sea. Build the world’s foremost collection of grimoires and arcana. Master the invisible arts. BOOK OF HOURS is a narrative crafting RPG set in a 1930s world of hidden gods and secret histories. What sort of Librarian will you choose to be?
Art Reborn: Painting Connoisseur
Dear curator, you are about to embark on a journey to captivate the audience! You will be in charge of an art gallery.Impress the museum curators around the world with these masterpieces, collect badges, apply for support funds, and learn the value of art!
The Shell Part I: Inferno
Unravel a string of gruesome murders terrorizing Tokyo in this mystery-thriller visual novel. The secrets of a case from six years prior may just be the key to the current unending cycle of tragedy—and the thing that cracks this woeful world’s shell may be one girl’s smile.
Stone Story RPG
An auto-RPG with strategic combat, deep crafting and programming elements, animated entirely in ASCII-art. In a realm of perpetual darkness, a single stone could change everything...
STONKS-9800: Stock Market Simulator
Simulator of an 80s Japanese stock market businessman. Chill, catch a retro vibe and watch your profits grow in the text-based game STONKS-9800.
Nodes Escape
The game presents realistic game graphics through sound effects, narration and imagination. The level design is subtle and challenging, allowing players to challenge their intelligence and logic skills in solving puzzles.Most played text-based games on Steam
Take a look at the top text-based games that are currently attracting the largest player bases on the Steam platform, as of April 30th 2025.
1. Your Chronicle
"Let's begin your own story." This is a text-based idle RPG game. There are already more than 3,000 unique story actions and it's still growing. Your Chronicle is a rpg, idler and text-based game developed and published by Samurai Games. Released on April 04th 2021 has received 1,966 reviews of which 1,573 were positive and 393 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.7 out of 10. The game has hit the top spot as the #1 most played text-based game, thanks to its 2,523 peak concurrent players over the last day.
7.7
1,573
393
2,523
players
2. Trimps
A text-based incremental idle game with a ridiculous amount of unique content. Automate old stuff as you unlock new stuff to keep things interesting for hours and hours, no spam clicking necessary! Trimps is everything you love about your favorite games, distilled to their purest form. Trimps is a idler, strategy and free to play game developed and published by Greensatellite. Released on May 02nd 2022 has received 1,265 reviews of which 1,154 were positive and 111 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. While seeing 813 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #2 among text-based games based on player count.
8.6
1,154
111
813
players
3. Magic Research 2
Welcome to Magic Research 2, an incremental RPG from the creator of Magic Research. Learn countless spells, face powerful foes, and command a team of Wizards who can cast spells for you as you journey to find or create the Philosopher's Stone. Magic Research 2 is a auto battler, idler and text-based game developed and published by Maticolotto. Released on May 21st 2024 has received 449 reviews of which 418 were positive and 31 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. While seeing 318 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #3 among text-based games based on player count.
8.6
418
31
318
players
4. SIGame
Exciting quiz game where you can test your knowledge, compete with friends and smart bots, and explore a variety of topics! SIGame is a trivia, multiplayer and education game developed and published by Vladimir Khil. Released on March 22nd 2025 has received 449 reviews of which 375 were positive and 74 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.8 out of 10. With 308 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #4 spot among the most played text-based games.
7.8
375
74
308
players
5. Football Coach: College Dynasty
A true college football management game. Play as a coach or a school, recruit players, develop your team, and compete for national championships. Build a college football dynasty and become a coaching legend! Football Coach: College Dynasty is a simulation, sports and football (american) game developed and published by Coach Apps. Released on January 16th 2025 has received 1,177 reviews of which 1,130 were positive and 47 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.1 out of 10. With 223 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #5 spot among the most played text-based games.
9.1
1,130
47
223
players
6. Pro Wrestling Sim
Pro Wrestling Sim is a text-based pro-wrestling booking simulator. Control a wrestling promotion, decide your roster, and create storylines, feuds and matches where the winners and losers are in your hands. Pro Wrestling Sim is a simulation, strategy and wrestling game developed and published by Pro Wrestling Sim. Released on March 29th 2021 has received 470 reviews of which 457 were positive and 13 were negative resulting in a rating of 9.0 out of 10. With 130 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #6 spot among the most played text-based games.
9.0
457
13
130
players
7. Incremental Adventures
Lead your heroes in their neverending adventures! A minimalistic Idle game where combat is fully automated. It's up to you to make the most of that automation to reach extremely high numbers! Incremental Adventures is a idler, automation and text-based game developed and published by Gniller. Released on August 11th 2020 has received 774 reviews of which 605 were positive and 169 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.4 out of 10. With 109 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #7 spot among the most played text-based games.
7.4
605
169
109
players
8. Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo is a romantic visual novel set in the fictional Japanese Yamaku High School for disabled children. Hisao's congenital heart defect forces him to move to a new school. Despite his difficulties, Hisao is able to find friends—and perhaps love, if he plays his cards right. Katawa Shoujo is a visual novel, romance and dating sim game developed and published by Four Leaf Studios. Released on August 15th 2024 has received 3,581 reviews of which 3,515 were positive and 66 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.4 out of 10. The game currently holds the #8 spot among the most played text-based games.
9.4
3,515
66
76
players
9. cyberpunkdreams
2090s America, torn apart by war and corporate greed. A lone traveller stands outside the gates of Cincinnati, greatest of the border cities. How far will you go to make it to the top? How far will you go to fulfil your mission? cyberpunkdreams is a cyberpunk, rpg and interactive fiction game developed and published by Late Night Games. Released on May 14th 2021 has received 953 reviews of which 731 were positive and 222 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.3 out of 10. The game currently holds the #9 spot among the most played text-based games.
7.3
731
222
56
players
10. Magic Research
Magic Research is a text-based incremental game about Magic. You are the headmaster of a newly-created institution of Magic. Will you be able to lead your school to win the prestigious Tournament of Magic? Magic Research is a auto battler, idler and magic game developed and published by Maticolotto. Released on March 22nd 2023 has received 386 reviews of which 350 were positive and 36 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.4 out of 10. The game currently holds the #10 spot among the most played text-based games.
8.4
350
36
49
players
Best deals on text-based games on Steam
Discover fantastic savings with the best discounts on a variety of text-based games available on Steam right now, updated on April 30th 2025. Looking for even more deals? Use the search filters to explore a wider range of discounted text-based games.
1. Roadwarden
Roadwarden is an illustrated text-based RPG that uses isometric pixel art and combines mechanics borrowed from RPGs, Visual Novels, adventure games and interactive fiction. Roadwarden is a rpg, text-based and adventure game developed by Moral Anxiety Studio and published by Assemble Entertainment. Released on September 12th 2022 has received 4,126 reviews of which 3,914 were positive and 212 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.1 out of 10. Featuring a massive 91% discount, this game currently holds the #1 spot in the best deals for text-based category.
9.1
3,914
212
-91%
11.11€
1.00€
2. Monsters of Little Haven
At the heart of the action are a twelve-year-old Kenneth and his younger sister Esme, children of the Murphy family, who hit the trail of a mysterious monster following series of entangled events. Monsters of Little Haven is a horror, visual novel and casual game developed and published by Missing Calm. Released on July 09th 2019 has received 401 reviews of which 353 were positive and 48 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.2 out of 10. Thanks to its incredible 80% discount, this game is now the #2 best deal in text-based games.
8.2
353
48
-80%
4.99€
0.99€
3. Nodes Escape
The game presents realistic game graphics through sound effects, narration and imagination. The level design is subtle and challenging, allowing players to challenge their intelligence and logic skills in solving puzzles. Nodes Escape is a word game, puzzle and text-based game developed by 夜喵 and Allen and published by 夜喵. Released on July 14th 2023 has received 486 reviews of which 419 were positive and 67 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.1 out of 10. Thanks to its 50% discount, this game is now the #3 best deal in text-based games.
8.1
419
67
-50%
1.99€
0.99€
Free text-based games on Steam
Check out this fantastic list of free-to-play text-based games you can enjoy on Steam right now, updated on April 30th 2025. Looking for even more free titles? Use the search filters to explore a wider range of free to play text-based games.
1. Your Chronicle
"Let's begin your own story." This is a text-based idle RPG game. There are already more than 3,000 unique story actions and it's still growing. Your Chronicle is a rpg, idler and text-based game developed and published by Samurai Games. Released on April 04th 2021 has received 1,966 reviews of which 1,573 were positive and 393 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.7 out of 10. With 2,523 active players enjoying it for free, this strategy game has reached the #1 spot among the top free text-based games on Steam.
7.7
1,573
393
2,523
players
2. Trimps
A text-based incremental idle game with a ridiculous amount of unique content. Automate old stuff as you unlock new stuff to keep things interesting for hours and hours, no spam clicking necessary! Trimps is everything you love about your favorite games, distilled to their purest form. Trimps is a idler, strategy and free to play game developed and published by Greensatellite. Released on May 02nd 2022 has received 1,265 reviews of which 1,154 were positive and 111 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. Thanks to its free to play tag and a daily player base of 813, this text-based game has secured the #2 spot in the ranking of free text-based games on Steam.
8.6
1,154
111
813
players
3. SIGame
Exciting quiz game where you can test your knowledge, compete with friends and smart bots, and explore a variety of topics! SIGame is a trivia, multiplayer and education game developed and published by Vladimir Khil. Released on March 22nd 2025 has received 449 reviews of which 375 were positive and 74 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.8 out of 10. Thanks to its free to play tag and a daily player base of 308, this text-based game has secured the #3 spot in the ranking of free text-based games on Steam.
7.8
375
74
308
players
4. Incremental Adventures
Lead your heroes in their neverending adventures! A minimalistic Idle game where combat is fully automated. It's up to you to make the most of that automation to reach extremely high numbers! Incremental Adventures is a idler, automation and text-based game developed and published by Gniller. Released on August 11th 2020 has received 774 reviews of which 605 were positive and 169 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.4 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 109 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #4 position in the best free text-based games on Steam.
7.4
605
169
109
players
5. Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo is a romantic visual novel set in the fictional Japanese Yamaku High School for disabled children. Hisao's congenital heart defect forces him to move to a new school. Despite his difficulties, Hisao is able to find friends—and perhaps love, if he plays his cards right. Katawa Shoujo is a visual novel, romance and dating sim game developed and published by Four Leaf Studios. Released on August 15th 2024 has received 3,581 reviews of which 3,515 were positive and 66 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.4 out of 10. The game currently holds the #5 spot among the most played free text-based games on Steam.
9.4
3,515
66
76
players
6. cyberpunkdreams
2090s America, torn apart by war and corporate greed. A lone traveller stands outside the gates of Cincinnati, greatest of the border cities. How far will you go to make it to the top? How far will you go to fulfil your mission? cyberpunkdreams is a cyberpunk, rpg and interactive fiction game developed and published by Late Night Games. Released on May 14th 2021 has received 953 reviews of which 731 were positive and 222 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.3 out of 10. The game currently holds the #6 spot among the most played free text-based games on Steam.
7.3
731
222
56
players
7. The Lancaster Leak - Entity Exam
YOU CONTROL THE FOUND FOOTAGE. Another tape has been leaked, this time a recording of a training protocol. By answering questions and resisting jumpscares, can you beat the Entity Exam? The Lancaster Leak - Entity Exam is a horror, action and text-based game developed by Jeremy Fischer and published by Jflyer Games. Released on February 05th 2024 has received 443 reviews of which 398 were positive and 45 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.4 out of 10. The game currently holds the #7 spot among the most played free text-based games on Steam.
8.4
398
45
1
players
8. Space Bear
Space Bear is a multi-choice text adventure typing game! Sort of. I mean, there isn't many actual choices, and the typing is more "mashing"... Space Bear is a free to play, adventure and indie game developed by Damon Smith and published by Space Bear Games. Released on March 05th 2020 has received 450 reviews of which 442 were positive and 8 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.1 out of 10. The game currently holds the #8 spot among the most played free text-based games on Steam.
9.1
442
8