Key Takeaways
- Discovering alternate endings in video games is a must, with some titles boasting incredible narrative variations.
- Games like Heavy Rain and The Witcher 3 showcase how small choices can lead to big impacts on the story's outcome.
- Baldur's Gate 3 takes the cake with a whopping 17,000 possible endings, urging players to explore different paths.
You've spent hours in a game, finally reaching the end, only to learn that there's more than one ending. Once you discover a video game with alternate endings, it's almost blasphemous not to explore each one.
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If replayability is a strong reason behind playing certain games, dozens of games have endings that reach double digits. To help you discover some, we've narrowed down a countdown to include video games that have incredible narrative variations in their endings. Due to the topic at hand, spoilers will follow.
To contain the countdown, I've eliminated titles like fighting games. These games typically contain dozens of endings related to each character, which can easily expand this list to well over ten.
10 Catherine: Full Body
Dating Can Be A Mess Sometimes
| Endings | 13 |
|---|
Who could have guessed the difficulties of juggling multiple relationships? Well, Vincent could have, seeing as he seems desperate to cheat on his longtime girlfriend. Catherine: Full Body, the remake of the cult classic Catherine, even throws in a new contender: Rin (aka, Qatherine).
The remake of this dark and emotional puzzle game lets us (and Vincent) discover the usual endings on top of new ones for the OG girls and the new girl. How he winds up is up to how you answer all the questions.
9 Heavy Rain
So Many Twists And Turns
Systems
-
- Top Critic Rating: 73/100 Critics Recommend: 44%
- Developer(s)
- Quantic Dream
| Endings | 17 |
|---|
The opening for Heavy Rain is one for the video game history books as it perfectly sets the dark, helpless tone. Mourning the death of your child Jason, and then having Shaun get kidnapped, it's no wonder Ethan didn't snap sooner. Whether you end up good, bad, or somewhere in the middle depends on your investigative skills.
Everything has a consequence. Kissed Madison? You'll see something different. Reject her? Yet another different ending. Poor Ethan and Shaun can end up just like Jason.
8 Papers, Please
Border Control In A Dystopian Universe
Systems
- Developer(s)
- 3909 LLC
| Endings | 21 |
|---|
Who knew how intense border control could get in a dystopian environment? The puzzle simulator Papers, Please takes things to new levels. So much so that there are 21 different ways you can end this indie game, and many are unpleasant for you.
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Prison is a big ending many may see, as well as forced labor, being fired, or even getting killed. Even dying instantly unlocks a rare ending. You have plenty of motivation to replay this simulator and make different choices.
7 NieR: Automata
Decide The Outcome Of The War
Systems
-
- Top Critic Rating: 89/100 Critics Recommend: 93%
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
| Endings | 26 |
|---|
The narrative connection of the NieR games is impressive considering its spin-off roots. That said, NieR: Automata approaches video games with multiple endings in a fun and interesting way. Said to contain 26 endings, not every variation is serious or even canon.
It demands multiple playthroughs because you're unable to unlock certain endings if you don't go through the game more than once or twice. It can be as simple as killing a specific person to as comical as running from a boss fight.
6 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Geralt’s Choices Will Impact Everyone
Systems
-
- Top Critic Rating: 93/100 Critics Recommend: 95%
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
| Endings | 36 |
|---|
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a prime example of how your small choices can have big impacts. There are three "main" story endings, but the scenarios that make up the epilogues will expand that count to 36.
Geralt's words and actions influence his companions and the world around him. You can support Ciri or drain her of her confidence, and that'll completely change the ending scenes you'll get. Even who you date will determine a different epilogue slide.
5 Detroit: Become Human
Control The Fate Of Mankind And Androids Alike
Systems
-
- Top Critic Rating: 79/100 Critics Recommend: 71%
- Developer(s)
- Quantic Dream
| Endings | 85 |
|---|
Quantic Dream is at it again. From the moment you start Detroit: Become Human, the gravity of choice is made clear. It's no surprise that there are 85 variations to the ending of this ambitious video game, a massive undertaking compared to Heavy Rain. With three POVs, the slightest decision or missed QTE can spell a difference.
Markus can become a peaceful android, leaving pleasant ripples behind. Or he can become violent, giving a bad outlook for the rest of his kind. Kara can die before ever being with the other deviants. Connor's death is the only one not permanent, but considering he's less himself each time, you can lose him too in a way.
I will admit I didn't get the best ending possible my first time around, as a couple of failed QTEs saw Kara's life cut short near the middle or so of the game. However, the variety of endings surprised me less than how the interactions with Chloe changed in the startup menu depending on your choices in-game.
4 Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Different Endings Across The Universe
Systems
-
- Top Critic Rating: 85/100 Critics Recommend: 96%
- Developer(s)
- Gemdrops, Inc.
| Endings | 99 |
|---|
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a remake of the ‘90s classic RPG Star Ocean: The Second Story , and embraces the usual expansive number of endings. As it can follow different characters through a sprawling adventure across the galaxy, the use of multiple endings keeps players returning for more.
You can manipulate many endings based on how little or how many friendship points you have with the rest of the characters. There is even a solo ending for each of the 13 characters on top of paired endings.
3 The Quarry
A Night Filled With Horror
Systems
-
- Top Critic Rating: 79/100 Critics Recommend: 78%
- Developer(s)
- Supermassive Games
| Endings | 186 |
|---|
As a horror game with several playable characters, The Quarry naturally contains more than one ending. Your choices mean everything, even with QTEs. There are roughly 186 ways the ending can change within the dozen "true" endings.
Lift the curse, kill the family, keep the curse, and even lose all of your friends. Just about everybody can die if you're not careful. If you've only seen one or two endings, it's worth jumping back in to discover more .
2 Until Dawn
This Group Of Friends Doesn’t Seem Very Friendly
Systems
-
- Top Critic Rating: 79/100 Critics Recommend: 74%
- Developer(s)
- Supermassive Games
| Endings | 256 |
|---|
Speaking of horror video games, Until Dawn is much like The Quarry with multiple endings. Slip up on a QTE during an intense chase, and you can kiss some of these characters goodbye. The game merely adapts to each death rather.
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Now, 256 seems like a high number. Similar to some other games on this list, there are about three "true" endings: everyone lives, everyone dies, or only some die. Among those endings come the variations. You'll notice it more so during the epilogue interviews.
1 Baldur’s Gate 3
That Parasitic Tadpole Doesn’t Quit
Systems
-
- Top Critic Rating: 96/100 Critics Recommend: 98%
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
| Endings | 17,000 |
|---|
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. The number of endings for Baldur's Gate 3 is 17,000. In an interview with IGN, the devs mentioned there are 17,000 ending variations. Granted, not all are major. Subtle changes lie here and there, but enough to warrant more than a few playthroughs.
Whether you're an origin character or not already sets the foundation for your future endings. You can even do an "evil" run, killing more people than you save. Or perhaps you're willing to become a Mind Flayer to finish the job? There are quite a few ways this epic tale can end.
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