Top 20 Video Games That Change Significantly On A Second Playthrough

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - May 5th 2025, 22:03 GMT+2

Cropped Slay the Princess — Slay the Princess (2023)

At first glance, *Slay the Princess* seems like your standard “go into the woods and kill the ominous-sounding entity” kind of tale. But play it again, and you’ll quickly realize the game has been quietly judging your choices—and it remembers. Your second run isn’t just different; it’s downright unhinged in the best way. Dialogue shifts, your character seems to gain meta-awareness, and the game gleefully twists its own logic to throw you off. It’s like the developers are winking at you from behind the screen going, “Oh, you thought you understood this?” You didn’t. But now you might. Maybe. Probably not — and that’s exactly how *Black Tabby Games* wants it. | © Black Tabby Games

Baldurs Gate 3 — Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)

Your first playthrough of *Baldur’s Gate 3* is likely a beautiful mess of accidental NPC deaths, forgotten quests, and mild romantic drama with a vampire. But come back for round two, and it’s like stepping into a parallel universe. You start seeing the layers: alternate quest lines, wildly different character arcs, and new ways to solve (or ruin) the same situations. A second run reveals just how ridiculously reactive this game is—you can play as a villain, a savior, or a chaotic neutral mushroom-obsessed bard, and the world rolls with it. Also, now you know where the traps are. Mostly. Just as *Larian Studios* planned it. | © Larian Studios

Cropped Alan Wake — Alan Wake 2 (2023)

*Alan Wake 2* is like a horror novel that rewrites itself when you read it again—and you are *very much* the character being rewritten. The first playthrough is already drenched in surrealism and unease, but on the second, patterns start to emerge. You notice symbols, foreshadowing, and narrative loops that were just noise before. Suddenly, you're spotting narrative fingerprints everywhere and wondering if Alan’s story is yours, or if the game is writing *you* now. It’s a meta horror fever dream, and the second playthrough doesn’t offer answers so much as deeper, weirder questions. Just the way *Remedy Entertainment* likes it. | © Remedy Entertainment

Cropped Returnal — Returnal (2021)

Sure, *Returnal* looks like a roguelike, but it's here for good reason: it *changes*—narratively and tonally—on a second playthrough. The looping isn't just a mechanic; it’s baked into the story, Selene’s psyche, and the haunted house sitting smack in the middle of the bullet hell chaos. The first run is survival. The second? That’s when you start to connect dots and notice the psychological horror bubbling underneath the surface. It’s like the game is asking, “Are you sure you’re playing this... or is it playing *you*?” Exactly the kind of mind-bend *Housemarque* had in mind. | © Housemarque

Cropped Mass Effect 3 — Mass Effect series (2007–2021)

You can’t really “get” *Mass Effect* in one go. Sure, you can finish the trilogy (and *Andromeda* if you’re brave), but it’s that second trip through the Normandy that makes you realize how many branching paths you missed. Paragon vs. Renegade isn’t just a vibe—it’s a completely different story arc. Relationships evolve in surprising ways, characters live or die (or awkwardly fall through plot holes), and the galaxy feels more alive because now, *you* are more aware. Plus, let’s be honest: you totally romance someone different the second time around. We all do. And *BioWare* knew you would. | © BioWare

Detroit Become Human — Detroit: Become Human (2018)

On your first run of *Detroit: Become Human*, you’re probably trying really hard to be a good android. You’re sweating over dialogue trees, second-guessing every QTE, and agonizing over whether you should save the fish. But on the second playthrough? Oh, now you’re experimenting. What happens if you go full chaos with Connor? What if Kara doesn’t run? What if Markus becomes Robo-Messiah or Robo-Menace? The branching narrative blooms into an entirely different story with wildly different endings—and now, you know how to push the buttons to get there. *Quantic Dream* gave you the script. What you do with it next is deliciously up to you. | © Quantic Dream

THE QUIET MAN — The Quiet Man (2018)

Okay, look—*The Quiet Man* is... not exactly a critical darling. The first time you play it, you’ll probably spend a good chunk of the experience wondering if your audio is broken. (Spoiler: it’s not.) But here’s the twist: finish it once, and the second playthrough unlocks sound, dialogue, and actual context. It goes from a bewildering silent film to a mildly coherent narrative experiment. Is it brilliant? Is it a disaster? Is it *both*? You decide. Either way, it’s a second-playthrough experience by design—and that earns it a weird little place on this list. Just how *Human Head Studios* intended, we assume. | © Human Head Studios

Cropped Nier Automata — NieR: Automata (2017)

If you think you’ve “finished” *NieR: Automata* after the credits roll the first time, sit down—we need to talk. That was just the prologue, friend. Each subsequent playthrough unlocks not only new story beats, but entirely new characters, mechanics, and devastatingly emotional gut-punches. Your second (and third, and fourth...) run reframes everything: your enemies, your purpose, and that hauntingly beautiful world. Oh, and the game saves can delete themselves when it’s all over. You know, for maximum existential impact. It’s chaos wrapped in philosophy—and *PlatinumGames* wants you to feel every bit of it. | © PlatinumGames

Dishonored 2 (2016)

The first time you play *Dishonored 2*, you're probably a careful, blink-happy assassin trying not to upset the Chaos Meter too much. But on that second run? Oh, you let loose. You try the other protagonist. You go loud. You test out that one ridiculous power combo you were too afraid to use before. Suddenly, entire mission paths open up, story outcomes shift, and NPCs remember what kind of murderer—er, "hero"—you really are. It’s a game that practically begs you to go back and be your worst self. *Arkane Studios* knows you will. | © Arkane Studios

Oxenfree (2016)

*Oxenfree* is the kind of game where the story sticks with you... and then creeps back into your brain when you're trying to sleep. On your first playthrough, it’s a spooky little radio ghost story. But on the second? The time loops get deeper, the characters subtly react to your knowledge, and the game starts breaking its own rules. The new game plus isn’t just a repeat—it’s a continuation, like you’ve stepped into a stranger version of your own save file. The line between “new” and “remembered” blurs. It’s clever, eerie, and totally intentional. *Night School Studio* wants you to play it twice. Trust them. | © Night School Studio

The Witness (2016)

At first, *The Witness* seems like a peaceful little island of puzzles—calm, serene, suspiciously obsessed with line mazes. But on your second visit, the real game begins. You start to notice environmental puzzles hidden *everywhere*—in trees, shadows, even the sun. It goes from a “walk around and solve stuff” game to “every pixel is a test and nothing is sacred.” You begin questioning reality, architecture, and possibly your sanity. And then you find the secret ending, which basically tells you that *you’ve been watched all along*. Yeah. *Thekla, Inc.* built this place just to mess with your head—in the best way. | © Thekla, Inc.

Cropped Undertale — Undertale (2015)

*Undertale* remembers. It remembers what you did last time. Who you spared. Who you killed. Who you *tried* to kill. Your first playthrough might have been neutral or pacifist, and the game was already pulling emotional strings. But on the second playthrough—especially if you go Genocide Route—it transforms into something else entirely. Characters behave differently. The music shifts. The game punishes you (emotionally) for your curiosity. And if you think you can just reset it all? Think again. *Toby Fox* didn’t just make a game—he made a guilt simulator. | © Toby Fox

Cropped Dragon Age — Dragon Age series (2009–2014)

The *Dragon Age* games are basically a giant “choose your own medieval soap opera” engine, and a second playthrough is where things really get spicy. Change your origin in *Origins*, your allegiances in *DA2*, or your inquisitor’s race and religion in *Inquisition*—and suddenly, you're seeing entirely different quests, romances, and world reactions. Dialogue trees go wild, companions turn on you (or into lovers), and yes, you’ll spend far too long choosing which mage or Templar faction to tick off this time. Second playthroughs are where *BioWare*’s writing really flexes—and the drama doubles. | © BioWare

The Stanley Parable (2013)

You can’t really “replay” *The Stanley Parable*—you *must* replay it. That’s the joke. The first run introduces you to the story of Stanley, a man who may or may not be a prisoner of narrative design. But every replay breaks more rules: doors appear and vanish, narrators argue with you, and existential chaos ensues. The second playthrough is where you start intentionally disobeying instructions just to see what happens—and the game rewards your rebellion. It’s not about beating the system. It’s about poking it with a stick until it starts laughing back. And that’s just how *Galactic Cafe* likes it. | © Galactic Cafe

Dark Souls 1 — Dark Souls (2011) (and other Souls games)

Your first *Dark Souls* playthrough is survival mode: you’re confused, under-leveled, and frequently pancaked by a knight the size of a minivan. But round two? Oh, now you’re dangerous. You understand poise, i-frames, and where to find that ring that makes the swamp slightly less hellish. More than that, the lore begins to click. Items you once ignored now whisper ancient secrets. Bosses feel like old rivals. And New Game Plus? It hits harder. You *feel* smarter. You’re *not*—but you feel it, and that’s what matters. *FromSoftware* doesn’t just want you to suffer. It wants you to *grow*. | © FromSoftware

Cropped Fallout New Vegas — Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

Your first time through *Fallout: New Vegas*, you’re probably too busy trying not to die of gecko bites or deciding which post-apocalyptic outfit screams “I have charisma.” But on the second run, you realize just how many storylines you completely missed. Entire factions, endings, and deeply chaotic decisions (nuke town or nah?) are waiting in the Mojave desert. Want to go full NCR loyalist? Become Caesar’s right-hand sociopath? Rule Vegas yourself? All valid options. It’s the kind of game where your second playthrough doesn’t just show you new content—it makes your first run feel like the tutorial. *Obsidian Entertainment* knew exactly what it was doing. | © Obsidian Entertainment

Bioshock — BioShock (2007)

The first time you play *BioShock*, you’re just trying not to get spliced to death while figuring out why this guy keeps yelling “Would you kindly?” at you. But once you know the twist—and oh boy, what a twist—that second playthrough hits differently. You start noticing the breadcrumbs: the way people talk, the strange obedience, the manipulation hiding in plain sight. Suddenly, Rapture isn’t just a fallen utopia—it’s a narrative trap you *willingly* walked into. The story flips, your perception flips, and your admiration for the writing triples. *Irrational Games* didn’t just build a world—they weaponized replays. | © Irrational Games

Cropped Star Wars KOTOR — Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 (2003) & 2 (2004)

*Knights of the Old Republic* is already iconic on the first playthrough—but the second? That's where the Force really kicks in. Choosing the Light or Dark side drastically alters your companions, dialogue, and ending. And once you *know* the massive twist in the first game, suddenly every line of dialogue has this delicious double meaning. The sequel, *KOTOR II*, adds even more depth—morally grey choices, party loyalty, and philosophical ponderings about the Force that are way deeper than you'd expect from a lightsaber sim. *BioWare* (and later *Obsidian*) made sure the second run makes the galaxy feel twice as dangerous—and ten times more interesting. | © BioWare & Obsidian Entertainment

Resident Evil (2002)

The *Resident Evil* remake isn’t just a graphical upgrade—it’s a whole new beast. The first time around, you’re struggling to stay alive, counting bullets like gold, and screaming when a zombie gets back up (curse you, Crimson Heads). On the second playthrough, though, you start choosing the *other* character, unlocking different storylines, new areas, and alternative boss fights. The mansion doesn’t feel any safer—it just feels sneakier. Secrets you missed before come to light, and the horror feels *smarter*, like it knows what you think you know. That’s the *Capcom* magic—old-school fear, modern replay value. | © Capcom

Cropped silent hill 2 — Silent Hill 2 (2001)

Your first trip through *Silent Hill 2* is unforgettable: fog, guilt, and that thing with the pyramid head that haunts your dreams. But it’s the second playthrough that changes everything. The game has multiple endings—*based* on your behavior. Stare at a knife too long? Spend too much time injured? Yeah, it’s watching. And it’s judging. Replay it, and you’ll see how subtly your choices shape James’ descent (or recovery). The horror isn't just external—it's psychological, deeply personal, and eerily responsive. *Team Silent* crafted a masterpiece that doesn’t just get better on the second run—it *reveals itself*. | © Konami

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Some games aren’t truly understood until you play them twice. Whether it’s hidden story twists, branching narratives, alternate mechanics, or subtle world changes, certain video games reveal their full brilliance only after that first run. In this list, we’re highlighting 20 unforgettable titles that transform when revisited — offering new perspectives, challenges, or even rewriting your understanding of the entire experience.

Note: We’ve excluded roguelikes from this list for obvious reasons — their replayability is built-in by design, and we're focusing on games that surprise you with intentional, story- or gameplay-driven changes on subsequent playthroughs.