I, like many here, read CYOA hard copy books when I was a young warthog. Fast forward 20 years and I found Choices That Matter on Google play. They have 2 full stories and one that’s being updated weekly. Now that I’ve reread the two completed stories 6 ways to Sunday, I’m looking for recommendations for my first Choice of Games book. Found this forum looking for books. I’d like a finished one, and prefer Sci fi or fantasy or horror to other genres. Love everything though. So, recommendations from the community are welcome 
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For one of each, I’d say (off the top of my head): Apex Patrol, Sabres of Infinity and Zombie Exodus - are all well worth a read!
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Study In Steampunk is excellent for experiencing CoG/HG games that branch greatly.
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On the main site, you can access the demos for each book (or most have demos in the play store/istore if you’d prefer to download one by one). I’d suggest giving them a read to narrow down which ones might interest you. For fantasy in particularly there’s heaps out there and which one you’ll like is pretty individual to taste. For example from the range you listed combining genres as much as possible (sci fi, fantasy, horror) I’d probably point you at games like metahuman, choice of deathless (both futuristic fantasy) or Highlands deep water (dark fantasy) but there’s heaps of others out there worth reading, and you’ll get a different answer off who ever you ask.
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Any list anyone submits is probably highly subjective. Personally I’ve read a ton of CoG and HG titles and only had two really bad experiences.
So you can’t go very wrong IMO.
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Choice of Robots and Study in Steampunk.
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Samurai of Hyuga is very well written
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Welp, I’ll recommend the usual trio I’ve come to worship love.
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Zombie Exouds: Safe Haven
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Community College Hero
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The Lost Heir
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Tin Star (western), Choice of Robots (sci fi), and Choice of Deathless: City’s Thirst (western/fantasy-ish) are my personal favorites. Community College Hero (superhero) is also really good, but the story isn’t complete, so far only part 1 has been released. @Spire is right, though, it’s hard to go wrong.
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Normally, there’s a topic for each big game. You should go and see before buying.
Objectively, the best would be:
-Hosted Games: Study in Steampunk.
-Choice of Games: Choice of Robots.
You also have the series, but I advise to start by games without sequels.
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Empyrean is a good steampunky sci-fi story and A Midsummer Night’s Choice is a dreamlike fantasy one.
I always say Slammed! as well, it’s about wrestling but it’s just good OK.
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Empyrean is probably the worst game to start. The stat system is horrible even if the story is pretty good for a steampunk setting.
Excellent, thanks peeps! I read Kais Chronicles which was fantastic, and Magium. Then I downloaded Highlands, Deep Waters. Silly me, because I’m not a Lovecraft fan haha. So I’ve declined to purchase it and continue on. Next up, Superhero Community College. Although I have my eye on a few others from this list. I noticed Delight Games has a premium pack. Reckon CoG has ever considered one?
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There’s bundles on steam, and on the unofficial discord server we mused about themed bundles as a general thing.
With each author being a bit different from the next and everyone having different tastes I’m not sure that’d work out. For example, I liked the Heroes Rise Trilogy well enough while other people seem to dislike it vehemently. Conversely I never got into Community College Hero which a lot of people seem to have enjoyed. If you bundled those… well you’d be bound to leave someone unhappy. If there was more of a company style or it was a real bargain, maybe. But as it stands I can’t see it working out.
It’s a bit obtuse for sure, but OP could still have a good time with it even if they don’t get the exact end they wanted.
For example, I liked the Heroes Rise Trilogy well enough while other people seem to dislike it vehemently.
Who…who dislikes Heroes Rise? I’ve never heard one bad thing about it, lol. Thought it was the most popular series lol.
As for recommendations, well…I’m prettt objective, considering I’ve played every single one at least once. It really depends on what you’re into. There’s only a few that I have nothing nice to say about, but I will keep those thoughts to myself.
I’d say Choice of Romance - CoG - is fantastic to get into for intrigue. It isn’t big on action, but, hoo boy, you can murder people in the name of gold digging, so.
The Choice of Vampire games are the two largest and most branching games in either Hosted or Choice, in my opinion. Tin Star is quite large, but it’s a very streamlined game, whereas with the original Vampire, you can literally play an entirely different first half of the game.
I’m not usually big on gender-locked-as-male games, because I find them difficult to fully empathize with and enjoy, but Lords of Aswick is easily one of the best written pieces of fiction I’ve ever read.
In a similar vein, so is the Lost Heir series. The related game, Life of a Wizard, plays more like a game of DnD, which is neat, too.
Finally, the game that affected me the most, emotionally, is Fatehaven. It was exceedingly well-done and does not get enough praise.
This is, by no means, a comprehensive list. I really have played every single one of the available games at least once, and I’ve played a lot of the unavailable games as well 
Hi. You rang? (there’s an entire thread with crosslinks full of criticism about it)
Long story short:
Inconsistent, contradicting world-building, massive railroading (as in it’s more a plain novel than a CYOA) that mocks and scolds you if you stray from the envisioned path, plotholes, fake-social-awareness and lots and lots of really really problematic content.
Back on topic:
Choice of the Cat is also very adorable and has multiple branches with lots of little details changing on every playthrough
Well, definitely not the place to get into it.
Anyway, I can’t believe I forgot to mention Way Walkers! I’m still aching for the third game.
“One day,” she whispers wistfully. “It’ll happen eventually, and it will be amazing. There is no rushing a perfect product.”
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Well you may want to try something like Zombie Exodus and Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven. They have many ROs, many branching paths, highly interesting characters (including a ghost who can only be seen by you and your little sister), Safe Haven has the options of how you manage supplies, everyday problems, such as fear of heights, short temper, a pet, your nephew etc., and there are things like choosing who lives and dies.
As for being a fan of choice-based games, I recommend installing Choices: Stories You Play.
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