15 "choices matter" games where your choices actually don't matter

About this gallery:

For this list, we’re diving into games where you’re asked to make big decisions—ones that feel like they’ll totally shape your ending—but, in the grand scheme of things… they don’t actually matter.

We decided to include only one game per franchise and to organize the list chronologically. Think we missed a game where your choices barely affected the story? Mention it in the comments!

| © Telltale Games

15. Chrono Trigger (1995)

Ah, the trial in Chrono Trigger—a brilliant moment that made you feel like every little choice would ripple across time. Sneak a snack from that innocent vendor? Witness testimony is coming for you. Leave Marle behind for a second? Expect a guilt trip. But despite all the hoopla, Crono’s verdict ends up being more or less the same, and your choices barely matter in the long run. Still, it’s a fun reminder of how ‘choices’ often end up as cute distractions instead of branching paths. | © Square Enix

14. BioShock Infinite (2007)

In BioShock Infinite, players make seemingly meaningful choices, like deciding whether to throw a baseball at the lottery or picking a pendant for Elizabeth. But here’s the twist—the choices have about as much weight as a feather. No matter what you do, Booker and Elizabeth’s story barrels down the same twisted path. By the time the credits roll, you’re left wondering why you stressed about these tiny choices when the game had already made up its mind. | © 2K Games

13. Fallout 3 (2008)

Fallout 3 promised a radioactive wasteland of choices and consequences, but the ending boiled down to a classic red vs. blue vs. green scenario—sound familiar? Sure, you might make all sorts of impactful-seeming choices in the wasteland, but when it comes to the final moments, the game basically shrugs. It’s either activate the purifier, let someone else do it, or doom the land to radiation—real tough moral dilemma. All roads lead to... well, almost the same place. | © Bethesda Game Studios

12. Arkham City Catwoman DLC (2011)

The Catwoman DLC in Arkham City gives players a bold choice—to save Batman or leave him to the Joker's mercy. Of course, this could have been an iconic twist on the “choose your own adventure” formula, but the game yanks the rug out immediately. If you decide to walk away, it literally rewinds to make you pick the ‘right’ choice! Nothing like forced replay to break the illusion of free will. | © Rocksteady Studios

11. Skyrim (2011)

In Skyrim, every decision is epic, right? Well, not really. Sure, you can join the Thieves Guild or fight with the Companions, but the world seems to forget all your choices once the next dragon shows up. Joining the Empire or the Stormcloaks should mean the fate of Skyrim, but instead, it’s a minor skirmish in the grand scheme of things. Tamriel has bigger problems, and your choices? Mostly just window dressing. | © Bethesda Game Studios

10. Spec Ops: The Line (2012)

Spec Ops: The Line offers plenty of choices… to do terrible things. It critiques the idea of player agency by asking you to commit horrifying acts and then berating you for them. You think you’re in control, but the game slyly nudges you into the abyss regardless. You’re supposed to feel bad about it, and you do—maybe too bad to play again. Every choice is a trap in disguise, but it’s all part of the game’s dark message. | © Yager Development

9. Mass Effect 3 (2012)

The ending of Mass Effect 3 is infamous for promising galaxy-shaking choices and delivering three colored explosions that all end the same way. You’ve forged alliances, made enemies, and lost friends, only to be given a simplistic decision that barely reflects your journey. Bioware tried to patch the blow with DLC, but fans still remember the sting. Choose your color, Commander—just don’t expect it to matter. | © BioWare

8. Telltale's The Walking Dead (2012)

Telltale's The Walking Dead built its reputation on gut-wrenching choices, and while some choices do impact scenes, the big plot points are set in stone. Save one friend? Another falls. Protect Clementine, and hope it means something? Well, in the end, Telltale’s storytelling follows a pretty linear path, where your choices only shape the journey, not the destination. It’s a fantastic journey, even if your choices are only along for the ride. | © Telltale Games

7. Deadly Premonition (2010)

This cult classic thrives on quirky characters and bizarre scenes, but if you’re expecting your decisions to hold weight, think again. The game lets you choose how to approach cases, but it ultimately leads you right back on track. Francis York Morgan may believe in the power of choice, but Deadly Premonition has its own plan, and it doesn’t include player agency. | © Access Games

6. Telltale's Game of Thrones (2014)

Telltale’s Game of Thrones adaptation brought Westeros’s drama to gaming, promising the weight of choice in a brutal world. But no matter your decisions, you’re swept along a tragic course that rarely changes. Just like the series, this game reminds players that no one is safe and nothing they do matters—not really. Even the ‘important’ choices feel pre-scripted. | © Telltale Games

5. Far Cry 4 (2014)

Far Cry 4 offers a bold start—you can end the game within the first 15 minutes by just waiting! But aside from that, the rest of the game’s choices, like picking sides in the civil war, don’t carry much consequence. The villain, Pagan Min, will always be watching from his throne, regardless of your choice, and you’re left wondering if you really made a difference. | © Ubisoft

4. Dark Souls 3 (2016)

FromSoftware’s Dark Souls 3 delivers multiple endings, but unless you’re deeply invested in the lore, they all seem equally vague and, frankly, bleak. Whether you become the next lord or leave the throne, the world of Lothric trudges on, unchanging. It’s a choice, sure, but with an air of “it’s all meaningless” that’s perfect for the Dark Souls series. | © FromSoftware

3. Call of Cthulhu (2018)

Call of Cthulhu immerses you in a Lovecraftian mystery, offering dialogue choices and investigative paths, but don’t expect much payoff. The horror lies in realizing your choices do little to change your fate. You’re headed toward madness either way, with only slight variations in how it plays out. It’s atmospheric, unsettling, and, in classic Lovecraftian fashion, a bit pointless. | © Cyanide Studio

2. Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)

Cyberpunk 2077 promised life-changing choices with its lifepaths and branching story, but most choices are cosmetic until mid-game. Pick Corpo, Nomad, or Street Kid, and your journey to befriend Jackie Wells is pretty much identical. Eventually, your choices do branch out, but the early hype set expectations sky-high. In Night City, your path feels more like a neon-colored funnel. | © CD Projekt Red

1. Hogwarts Legacy (2023)

Hogwarts Legacy lets you join whichever Hogwarts house you want, but once you’ve picked your dorm, the main story unfolds the same way for everyone. Whether you’re a Slytherin or a Hufflepuff, your choices have minor impact on quests, but no effect on the main story. You may be wielding magic, but when it comes to shaping your fate, it’s mostly wand-waving without the spark. | © Warner Bros. Games