Best Nonlinear 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 nonlinear games. For those who prefer not to search, lists of the most played, top deals nonlinear games are available at the bottom of the page.
Filters & Lists
Salt 2: Shores of Gold
Salt 2 is an open world pirate game focused on exploration, survival, crafting, and RPG elements. Set sail across an infinite world with just you and your ship. Explore islands filled with quests, caves, towns, pirates, and secrets. Level up skills, craft, hunt, fish, loot, and decorate your ship.
Idle Skilling
Idle Skilling is the ultimate Idle Game with years of content! Meant to be played for 5-10 minutes a day, you gradually unlock new skills like mining, fishing, pet breeding, crusading, potion-making, lab-research, construction, and more! With new updates coming, you'll never run out of stuff to do!
Skinwalker Hunt
Skinwalker Hunt is a horror themed hunting game from the creator of Witch Hunt. Main focus of the game is on exploration, non-linear gameplay, and atmosphere.
The Complex: Found Footage
Experience the liminal world of the backrooms through a VHS camera, immersing into a mysterious story and wandering the dream-like structures... Might there be something following you?
Axiom Verge 2
Explore a sprawling, alien world in the sequel to the award winning Axiom Verge.
Boat Crew
Command your crew in Boat Crew, a gripping action-strategy experience amidst the Pacific War. Take charge of a PT boat against Imperial Japan, skillfully managing resources and personnel by any means necessary to ensure victory in this high-stakes conflict.
Ghost Watchers
Ghost Watchers is a co-op online horror game. You will explore and hunt ghosts in abandoned houses
Ctrl Alt Ego
Innovative genre mashup (first-person immersive sim puzzler FPS RPG) with emphasis on problem-solving and creativity. Unique vibes and original mechanics that you won't have experienced before. One of the best games of 2022 according to various credible sources!
METAL MAX Xeno Reborn
Metal Max Xeno Reborn is an action JRPG with real-time battle and vehicle combat elements. Join Talis, a lone hunter, and search for allies in a vengeance-charged war against monsters & robotic enemies. Learn new skills and collect and customize tanks as you journey through a devastated world.
The Inheritance of Crimson Manor
Explore a beautiful and Enigmatic Victorian Manor with a dark secret, In this gothic horror story first person exploration puzzle game filled with fine art, secret passages and mysterious mechanical puzzles playing as the executor of the last will from the enigmatic Railroad Magnate Hadley Strange.
Haiku, the Robot
Delve into the depths of a mechanical world in this cute, adventure-exploration game. Explore and fight in a land full of corrupt robots and machinery. All while seeking answers to the mysteries around you.
Crystal Project
Crystal Project is a non-linear JRPG where you are the maker of your own adventure. Explore the world while you find Crystals, unlock classes, learn abilities, and create a strategy capable of taking down the world's toughest bosses. Or just stick to exploring; it's up to you.
Beholder 3
When a high-ranking security officer saves you from prison, you end up a pawn in her schemes. Now you must eliminate anyone standing in the way of her secret plans and try to get your life back while working two jobs. No tenant, employee or superior is safe from your spying.
Who's Lila?
A reverse-detective adventure, where you control your character's face
Tiny Combat Arena
Tiny Combat Arena is an approachable combat flight simulator sporting a stylized look and various game modes. Dogfight your way in the Arena and in Quick Action or craft your own scenarios and take part in a vast war with objectives and friendly armies to support.
PowerSlave Exhumed
PowerSlave Exhumed is a KEX Engine port of the classic console game perfectly blending both the PlayStation & Saturn versions
The Heilwald Loophole
The Heilwald Klinikum used to be one of the most renowned medical facilities in Germany. That all changed when that curious loophole appeared...
SCP: Nine-Tailed Fox
You are a leader of Foxtrot Unit 1 "Nine-Tailed Fox", a highly trained force tasked with re-containing a multitude of terrifying anomalous monsters that have broken loose inside of a top-secret research facility.Most played nonlinear games on Steam
Take a look at the top nonlinear games that are currently attracting the largest player bases on the Steam platform, as of April 15th 2025.
1. Mind Over Magic
Mind Over Magic is a colony sim set at the site of a cursed magic school. Build and optimize your own magical academy, train powerful Mages, and master mighty relics in order to battle through the Underschool, a mysterious underground dungeon that holds the key to liberation from a deadly curse. Mind Over Magic is a survival, building and colony sim game developed by Sparkypants and published by Klei Publishing. Released on February 12th 2025 has received 3,298 reviews of which 2,915 were positive and 383 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.5 out of 10. The game has hit the top spot as the #1 most played nonlinear game, thanks to its 885 peak concurrent players over the last day.
8.5
2,915
383
885
players
2. Another Crab's Treasure
In a vibrant undersea kingdom on the verge of collapse, a hermit crab embarks on a treasure hunt to buy back his repossessed shell. The second game from AGGRO CRAB. Another Crab's Treasure is a souls-like, 3d platformer and funny game developed and published by Aggro Crab. Released on April 25th 2024 has received 16,081 reviews of which 15,243 were positive and 838 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.2 out of 10. While seeing 267 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #2 among nonlinear games based on player count.
9.2
15,243
838
267
players
3. Islands of Insight
Seek out and solve 10,000+ puzzles at your own pace across this sublime puzzle game. Islands of Insight is a puzzle-platformer, nonlinear and puzzle game developed by Lunarch Studios and published by Behaviour Interactive Inc.. Released on February 13th 2024 has received 2,950 reviews of which 2,113 were positive and 837 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.0 out of 10. The game currently holds the #3 spot among the most played nonlinear games.
7.0
2,113
837
58
players
4. The Bible
A digital recreation of The Bible in Kinetic Novel form! Read through and save passages in any order with an original soundtrack, or listen through the greatest story ever told in audiobook form. Featuring an extensive Trivia section to find out how well you really know the stories of Old and New. The Bible is a singleplayer, relaxing and nonlinear game developed and published by Bible Games. Released on November 14th 2022 has received 970 reviews of which 853 were positive and 117 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.3 out of 10. The game currently holds the #4 spot among the most played nonlinear games.
8.3
853
117
23
players
5. 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. Myths of Rules is a word game, psychological horror and nonlinear game developed and published by Sugarcane Games. Released on August 30th 2023 has received 972 reviews of which 868 were positive and 104 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.4 out of 10. The game currently holds the #5 spot among the most played nonlinear games.
8.4
868
104
19
players
6. Taiji
Solve puzzle panels and uncover the meaning of the symbols within. Explore a dense world where secrets are hidden in plain sight. Taiji is a puzzle, nonlinear and difficult game developed and published by Matthew VanDevander. Released on September 09th 2022 has received 1,220 reviews of which 1,114 were positive and 106 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. The game currently holds the #6 spot among the most played nonlinear games.
8.6
1,114
106
13
players
7. Dreamcore
Step into the surreal with Dreamcore, a body-cam styled psychological horror game that plunges you into the eerie beauty of "liminal spaces." Unravel the mysteries of Dreamcore’s non-linear worlds and uncover its hidden secrets. Can you discover what lies beyond the edge of reality? Dreamcore is a exploration, walking simulator and psychological horror game developed by Montraluz and published by Tlön Industries. Released on January 23rd 2025 has received 641 reviews of which 562 were positive and 79 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.2 out of 10. The game currently holds the #7 spot among the most played nonlinear games.
8.2
562
79
10
players
8. The Mobius Machine
Discover a vast alien world. Fight the ferocious local fauna and killer machines. Reveal its secrets and find a way to escape. The Mobius Machine is a side-scroller action adventure, with an emphasis on free-form exploration and intense combat. The Mobius Machine is a metroidvania, exploration and side scroller game developed and published by Madruga Works. Released on March 01st 2024 has received 341 reviews of which 293 were positive and 48 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.0 out of 10. The game currently holds the #8 spot among the most played nonlinear games.
8.0
293
48
10
players
9. Majotori
How many lives will your ignorance ruin? Majotori is a trivia, multiple endings and nonlinear game developed and published by Majorariatto. Released on March 28th 2017 has received 1,892 reviews of which 1,829 were positive and 63 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.2 out of 10. The game currently holds the #9 spot among the most played nonlinear games.
9.2
1,829
63
5
players
10. Turbo Kid
A nostalgic metroidvania adventure with insane weapons, skills, and pixel gore. Ride your BMX and blast your enemies as you discover the secrets of the Wasteland. Turbo Kid is a gore, action and narration game developed and published by Outerminds Inc.. Released on April 09th 2024 has received 421 reviews of which 402 were positive and 19 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.8 out of 10. The game currently holds the #10 spot among the most played nonlinear games.
8.8
402
19
5
players
Best deals on nonlinear games on Steam
Discover fantastic savings with the best discounts on a variety of nonlinear games available on Steam right now, updated on April 15th 2025. Looking for even more deals? Use the search filters to explore a wider range of discounted nonlinear games.
1. Another Crab's Treasure
In a vibrant undersea kingdom on the verge of collapse, a hermit crab embarks on a treasure hunt to buy back his repossessed shell. The second game from AGGRO CRAB. Another Crab's Treasure is a souls-like, 3d platformer and funny game developed and published by Aggro Crab. Released on April 25th 2024 has received 16,081 reviews of which 15,243 were positive and 838 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.2 out of 10. Featuring a massive 53% discount, this game currently holds the #1 spot in the best deals for nonlinear category.
9.2
15,243
838
-53%
29.77€
13.99€
2. Turbo Kid
A nostalgic metroidvania adventure with insane weapons, skills, and pixel gore. Ride your BMX and blast your enemies as you discover the secrets of the Wasteland. Turbo Kid is a gore, action and narration game developed and published by Outerminds Inc.. Released on April 09th 2024 has received 421 reviews of which 402 were positive and 19 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.8 out of 10. Thanks to its 25% discount, this game is now the #2 best deal in nonlinear games.
8.8
402
19
-25%
19.52€
14.64€
3. Mind Over Magic
Mind Over Magic is a colony sim set at the site of a cursed magic school. Build and optimize your own magical academy, train powerful Mages, and master mighty relics in order to battle through the Underschool, a mysterious underground dungeon that holds the key to liberation from a deadly curse. Mind Over Magic is a survival, building and colony sim game developed by Sparkypants and published by Klei Publishing. Released on February 12th 2025 has received 3,298 reviews of which 2,915 were positive and 383 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.5 out of 10. Thanks to its 25% discount, this game is now the #3 best deal in nonlinear games.
8.5
2,915
383
-25%
22.99€
17.24€