History Main / StoryBranching

->''"Ah! A choice! We get to make a decision. From here the story is in our control. How important we musntn't squander the opportunity."''

It may fall into StoryBranchFavoritism if one of the branches receives more focus from the creator than the others. Subtropes include MultipleEndings (where plot branches occur at the finale, [[LastSecondEndingChoice or just prior to endgame]], leading to different {{denouement}}s), MultipleGameOpenings (where the story starts along a branch), BigFirstChoice (where the story has a major split after a warm-up period), MultipleChoicePast (when the history of a character can vary), SecretLevel (where the plot gains an additional episode under certain conditions), and AlgorithmicStoryBranching (where the branching is based on numeric calculations, rather than binary choices). Compare and contrast {{Gamebooks}}, the manner in which branching plotlines appear in other media, and StaticRoleExchangeableCharacter, where the story remains mostly linear, but extremely variable thanks to letting the player assign different actors to different key roles in it.

In games with competitive elements, such as a timer or ScoringPoints, this trope quickly falls apart, as there will often be an optimal scoring path that players ''must'' choose in order to obtain the best scores.

Compare/contrast EmergentNarrative. The amount of Story Branching determines the degree of ''plot'' (non-)linearity. See SlidingScaleOfLinearityVsOpenness for the possible degrees of ''exploration'' (non-)linearity, and CombatDiplomacyStealth for a way to introduce ''gameplay'' non-linearity. See also StoryToGameplayRatio.

RouteBoss is a subtrope, where in certain boss battles are only available on certain story branches. Compare ChoiceAndConsequenceSystem.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}: The Hard Corps'', at the end of the first stage you have the choice of either going after Deadeye Joe or saving the alien cell. At this point, the only impact it has on the game is the second stage (which depends on the choice you make) and whether or not Deadeye Joe appears at the end of the fourth stage. Afterwards, you have the choice of surrendering or fighting to the end. This choice, along with the choice at the beginning of the game, determines how the plot unfolds for the rest of the game. Also, there's a secret story path that doesn't regard the first decision, and it is hidden in the third stage.

** Downplayed once again in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesKuroNoKiseki'' where the "Law, Gray, and Chaos" Alignment (or "LGC Alignment" as it is referred to in-game) only affects which group will the protagonists join for only a specific part of the game. Otherwise, the game's story mostly plays out the same.

* In ''VideoGame/ChoiceOfGames'' and its labels [[VideoGame/ChoiceOfGames Hosted Games]] and [[VideoGame/ChoiceOfGames Heart's Choice]], most stories have greater or lesser branching based on your stats and previous decisions, though the "conventional" pattern is to have a largely linear story that aggressively merges any short branches back into the main story, with MultipleEndings based on your stats and choices. Some break this down into multiple complete ending branches.

* In ''VideoGame/ChoiceOfGames'', most stories have greater or lesser branching based on your stats and previous decisions, though the "conventional" pattern is to have a largely linear story that aggressively merges any short branches back into the main story, with MultipleEndings based on your stats and choices. Some break this down into multiple complete ending branches.

** ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' has four major branching points: [[spoiler:whether to defect from UPEO to General Resource with Dision; whether to defect from GR with Dision ''again'' to Ouroboros; whether to follow Park's orders and to kill Fiona or to defect with her to Neucom; whether to defect from Neucom with Cynthia to Ouroboros]], leading to five different FactionSpecificEndings. There are also minor branchings, which converge back into the main plot after one or two missions.

** ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' has four major branching points: [[spoiler:whether to desert UPEO for General Resource with Dision; whether to desert GR with Dision ''again'' for Ouroboros; follow Park's orders and kill Fiona or desert with her to Neucom; whether to desert Neucom with Cynthia to Ouroboros]], leading to five different FactionSpecificEndings. There are also minor branchings, which converge back into the main plot after one-two missions.