Almost every video game fan can list a handful of titles that are known for their amazing narrative, imaginative plot, and engaging storytelling. A good story can make a world of a difference as it can carry games that would otherwise not be as highly praised, making up for lackluster graphics or clunky gameplay. However, how many gamers can think of amazing games that have little to no real story?

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A game that has no real plot but still manages to hold players' attention does this purely off of amazing game design and addictive mechanics. Sometimes, a game doesn't need an entire storyboard to maintain its interest; sometimes, all that is needed is a quick premise, and the player will be set on their way.

9 Among Us

Proves That A Social Deduction Game Doesn't Require A Story

Among Us has no real story or plot, just a simple premise. Among the spaceship's crew are imposters, and players must get rid of one another to win. The crewmates must complete their tasks (without getting killed) or correctly vote out the impostors in order to win. Meanwhile, the randomly selected impostors must make themselves seem trustworthy, getting the crewmates to turn against one another after committing each stealthy kill. Once most of the crewmates are dead and an even number of impostors and crewmates remains, the impostors win the game.

Social deduction is the main star of the show in Among Us. While the gameplay mechanics are fairly simple, it is the actual interaction between players that makes it as engaging as it is.

8 A Little To The Left

A Puzzle Game That Doesn't Hold The Player's Hand

A Little to the Left is all about feeling a sense of great satisfaction when things are in the exact place they need to be. The puzzle game begins with no story, no dialogue, and no real instructions or rules. A Little to the Left allows the levels to speak for themselves, presenting a problem and allowing the player to find the solution on their own.

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Without any guidance, the player must find some kind of pattern or order to the scattered mess in front of them, placing them in a satisfying sequence that holds some line of logic. In certain levels, there is more than one solution, keeping players on the lookout for any alternatives that may not be as obvious during the first pass.

7 Dance Dance Revolution

A Rhythm Game That Features Great Gameplay And No Story

Dance Dance Revolution is a music game that tests players' hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and sense of rhythm. DDR features a wide variety of high-energy songs for players to choose from and requires gamers to press the correct directional button (either on a handheld controller or dance pad) on beat/at the right time to fully complete a song/stage.

DDR is all about the vibes, the music, and feeling the rhythm. Although there are a few different characters to choose from, there isn't any story to go along with the gameplay; it simply features great music and teaches players the best dance moves.

6 Balatro

A Rogue-Like Deck Building Game That Simply Doesn't Have Room For A Story

Balatro is a poker-themed deck-building game. In a game where every single hand, play, and item counts, there's just no room for story. It is a card game that is heavily based on poker and shares many of its rules with traditional poker but also offers a twist.

In between rounds, players can access the shop where they can purchase special cards and vouchers. These special items can then alter the rules (restricted to the current run) that can offer unique bonuses or boosts for the player's score.

5 Animal Crossing: New Horizons

A Life Simulation Game That Gives Players Complete Freedom

While there is a bit of a premise at the very beginning of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the other hundreds of hours players log into the game are all about "me time," whether it be redecorating the house, town planning, or looking for new neighbors to move in. At the beginning of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the player visits a new island where they are tasked with creating a livable and welcoming environment that will soon flourish into a beautiful community of adorable animal folk.

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Once the player has completed most of the beginning tasks, they are free to do what they please. While Tom Nook does dictate some of the player's main choices and actions at the beginning of their island journey, the majority of the game has no real plot to move things further, other than the player's own drive to keep bettering their ever-growing island.

4 Party Animals

An Endlessly Fun Party Game That Doesn't Need A Story

Who needs a story with gameplay like Party Animals? A hilarious party game to play with friends, Party Animals keeps things simple and throws players into the heat of the battle with no lore or exposition. Gamers must simply eliminate all other players and be the last one standing to be named the winner. The variety comes from the various stages, characters, modes, weapons, and unpredictability of the (intentionally) wonky physics. Every match is a completely new experience and guarantees a hilarious competition between friends.

The hilarious visual of floppy, adorable animal pals trying to beat each other until they ragdoll into submission speaks volumes by itself; no lore or plot needed.

3 Rhythm Heaven

A Rhythm Game That Doesn't Rely On A Cohesive Plot

• Platform: Nintendo DS
• Released: July 31, 2008
• Developer: Nintendo Software Planning & Development, Nintendo, TNS
• Genre: Rhythm

Rhythm Heaven is a rhythm game that consists of multiple microgames. Rhythm Heaven features mini-games (set to catchy original music) that the player must master in order to unlock the next mini-game. After the player has completed the entire set of four mini-games, a remix then unlocks, allowing gamers to practice all four mini-games in tandem with one another, upping the difficulty.

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Each level and set of mini-games features adorable characters, satisfying beats, and surprisingly intense challenges, all set to infectious little tunes. Although each mini-game has its own little "story," there isn't any actual cohesive plot that follows each remix level.

2 The Sims 4

A Life Simulation Titles That Provides Endless Freedom

The Sims 4 can have as much or as little "story" as the player wishes. It takes players into a world where they can create their own cast of characters (Sims), whether it be a group of misfits that end up becoming a found family or a ragtag crew of friends that decide to move in together.

The Sims 4 community is still alive and well despite its 2014 release date, with players contributing their own unique challenges, such as making their Sims have as many babies as possible, building houses with a specific theme, or even killing all their Sims in the most ridiculous ways fathomable. The game simply has no story because it acts as a blank slate, ripe for imaginative players to create their own vision.

1 Tetris 99

A Puzzle / Battle Royale Hybrid That Focuses Solely On Gameplay

Tetris is one of the most (if not the singular most) iconic/famous puzzle games involving blocks. Without any exposition or "fluff," Tetris 99 puts a twist on the classic game by turning it into a battle royale and allows players to get right into the action; no backstory is needed. A group of 99 players are pitted against one another to organize the falling blocks as the speed slowly increases.

Once the tower of blocks reaches the top of the screen, the player is eliminated. The gamer who survives the longest, successfully clearing each line of blocks faster than everyone else, is declared the overall winner.

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