10 Best Obsidian Games Of All Time

Obsidian Entertainment has one of the greatest comeback stories in video game development history, and it’s hard to believe that at one point the studio had so many canceled projects it nearly bankrupted itself. In an epic return to glory, the crowdfunded Pillars of Eternity project would set Obsidian on course to produce some of the most popular cult hits in modern gaming.

Since their acquisition by Microsoft, there seems to be something in the water over at Obsidian, producing some absolutely incredible games over the years. Most recently, The Outer Worlds 2 released to critical acclaim, adding to Obsidian’s growing library of top-tier original works.

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Wait, That Was Obsidian?

South Park: The Stick of Truthis definitely not the first game you think of when you think of Obsidian Entertainment, but they absolutely knocked it out of the park with this hilarious RPG. The oddball match-up turned out to be an incredible surprise for fans of Obsidian and South Park, letting players experience their favorite television show in an entirely unique way.

While Ubisoft and South Park Digital Studios released a sequel, Fractured But Whole, Stick of Truth is widely lauded as the best South Park game in existence, largely because of Obsidian’s visionary and singular style that masterfully captured the essence of South Park and gave players an all-around enjoyable RPG experience set in the iconic town of South Park, Colorado.

Neverwinter Nights 2

A Cult Classic RPG Utilizing Dungeons & Dragons 3.5e Mechanics

Neverwinter Nights 2 was released in 2006 and is a classic RPG built upon BioWare’s original D&D adaptation, with deeper narrative complexity and moral choice systems, hallmarks of Obsidian’s design philosophy. Unlike its predecessor, it emphasized party-based storytelling and cinematic dialogue rather than pure dungeon crawling.

Obsidian actually inherited the Neverwinter Nights 2 project on a tight deadline after BioWare handed over the license, resulting in an ambitious but bug-laden launch. Despite technical issues, critics praised its writing, branching quests, and faithful incorporation of Dungeons & Dragons 3.5e mechanics.

Over time, community patches and the Mask of the Betrayer expansion turned Neverwinter Nights 2 into a cult classic, and an enhanced version was just released earlier this year for all major platforms.

Tyranny

Evil Reigns In This Essential Isometric CRPG

Tyranny, released in 2016, is an isometric CRPG that flips the genre’s moral conventions. Evil has already won, and you serve the empire, ruthlessly and unquestionably enforcing tyranny during your journey. Built on the Pillars of Eternity engine, it has real-time combat and intricate branching narratives where every choice reshapes the world’s political and social order.

Developed by a small Obsidian team after Pillars of Eternity’s success, Tyranny was designed to explore moral ambiguity rather than the standard good-versus-evil tropes seen in many RPGs.

Tyranny received critical praise for bold storytelling, reactive world-building, and strong writing, though some criticized its short runtime and abrupt ending. Over time, as many Obsidian RPGs have, it gained a cult following for its unique premise and quintessential choice-driven gameplay.

Pillars Of Eternity

Both The Original & Deadfire Are Must-Play Obsidian Masterpieces

If you’ve never had the chance to play Pillars of Eternity, it’s the quintessential Obsidian experience. Pillars of Eternity was a love letter to classic RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment. Funded through a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, it marked Obsidian’s comeback after years of canceled projects and financial uncertainty.

Set in the richly detailed world of Eora, the game features real-time combat (with pause), deep character customization, and complex storytelling that’s highly reactive to player choices, and its success more or less revived the CRPG genre as a whole.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire expanded on that foundation with open-world exploration across a vast archipelago, ship management, and enhanced AI-driven combat, though it never reached the same level of acclaim as the original. Together, the two games form one of Obsidian’s defining achievements: a modern reinterpretation of classic RPG design emphasizing consequences and world-building on a grand scale.

Grounded

An Obsidian Survival Game Based On Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

Grounded and Grounded 2 are two of the few games from Obsidian that aren’t full-fledged RPGs, and both games are highly underrated as far as Obsidian games go. The premise is relatively simple, and was inspired by one of the most iconic 90s movies of all time, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids starring the incomparable Rick Moranis.

Players are shrunk down to mini-versions of their characters and forced to survive the dangers of the backyard, resulting in an entirely original survival action game franchise that’s beloved among players. While Obsidian is largely known for its RPGs, Grounded showcases the studio’s capacity to take on alternative genres in a big (or tiny) way.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic II – The Sith Lords

The Obsidian Project That Put Them On The Map

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords, was Obsidian Entertainment’s debut title back in 2004. It immediately put the studio on the map and largely set a precedent for what fans should expect. Tasked by LucasArts to develop a sequel to BioWare’s hit KOTOR on a tight schedule, Obsidian delivered a darker take on the Star Wars IP.

The game explored the moral ambiguity of the Force, questioning Jedi dogma through nuanced characters like Kreia, who is still regarded as one of Star Wars’ most fascinating mentors. Despite technical issues and a rushed launch, critics and fans praised its writing, atmosphere, and morally gray focus.

Over time, KOTOR 2 – The Sith Lords has become a cult classic, and its success is a major reason Obsidian became synonymous with narrative-driven RPGs, regardless of the studio’s later struggles with canceled projects.

Avowed

Step Into The Pillars Of Eternity Universe & Get Your Hands Dirty

Avowed’s release early this year seems like another lifetime, but it was easily one of my personal favorite RPGs of the year. This fresh take on the Pillars of Eternity universe actually threw players into the midst of the fantasy realm of Eora, letting you design unique builds and experiment with various playstyles.

While Avowed might have been a somewhat divisive title for fans upon launch, with some players arguing it fell short of other beloved Obsidian hits on this list, it still holds up against some of this year’s most popular games. Avowed deserves recognition for helping refine Obsidian’s style and is a prime example of how the studio differentiates itself in a crowded space.

Pentiment

Obsidian’s Historically Immersive Narrative-Driven Masterpiece

Pentiment was a passion project led by director Josh Sawyer, a key mind behind Fallout: New Vegas (see below) and Pillars of Eternity. Developed by a small internal team, it diverges from Obsidian’s typical RPG formula and instead leans into a narrative-driven whodunit-style premise without a focus on combat or RPG mechanics.

Set in 16th-century Bavaria, players investigate murders and social tensions through illustrated manuscript-style visuals inspired by medieval art. Dialogue choices, time, and interpretation of evidence drive the story’s outcomes.

Despite its modest scope, critics praised Pentiment for its bold creativity, meticulous historical authenticity, and emotional storytelling. It’s easily one of Obsidian’s most artistically experimental works, and highlights the studio’s range. Compared to Obsidian’s larger RPGs, Pentiment is a thoughtful, intimate masterpiece that showcases their versatility.

The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds Games Are Peak Obsidian

The Outer Worlds has become one of Obsidian’s most hailed RPGs of all time, and with the release of The Outer Worlds 2 just last week, the IP shows no signs of slowing down. While The Outer Worlds 2 is having a somewhat inauspicious launch with lower-than-anticipated player numbers, the sequel has classic Obsidian written all over it.

For the uninitiated, The Outer Worlds is a first-person sci-fi RPG set in a corporate-controlled colony called Halcyon, at the edge of the galaxy. Players can align with megacorporations, rebels, or go it solo, shaping Halcyon’s fate in the process. Blending dark humor, satire, and moral ambiguity, it delivers a sharp critique of unchecked capitalism and corporate dystopia. Also, it’s hilarious.

Fallout: New Vegas

Arguably The Best Obsidian Game Ever Made

Fallout: New Vegas is widely regarded as Obsidian’s magnum opus. Built on the Fallout 3 engine but infused with Obsidian’s signature branching storytelling, it delivers unmatched reactivity. Set in the post-apocalyptic Mojave Desert, players shape the fate of New Vegas through alliances with factions like the NCR, Caesar’s Legion, or the enigmatic Mr. House.

Fallout: New Vegashas earned critical and fan acclaim for its writing, character depth, and consequence-driven design. Over time, New Vegas has achieved cult-classic status, often cited as one of the greatest RPGs ever made and the defining example of Obsidian’s narrative and world-building mastery.