Monster Hunter Stories features a completely new gameplay structure compared to the previous titles in the series.

Beyond the main story, the player can engage in sidequests, called subquests, which provide items and experience points upon completion.

[3] The game starts with the main character (whose gender can be selected by the player) and their friends, Cheval and Lilia, looking for a monster egg.

Traveling outside the village to tame monsters, they soon come across the Black Blight, which they are able to purify by using their Kinship Ore to resonate with a larger, natural formation of the mineral.

Eventually, they encounter Doctor Manelger, a mad scientist who is attempting to create artificial Kinship Ore and bend monsters to his will.

To stop the Black Blight, the Protagonist decides to look for the egg of a legendary white dragon, Versa Pietru, that was once tamed by the very first Rider, who is called Redan.

Manelger gives the egg to Cheval, who is wielding the artificial ore, and the creature hatches and immediately grows to an enormous size.

Cheval finally realizes his foolishness, while the Protagonist rushes to defeat Makili Pietru before it can infect the entire world.

The reasoning behind the switch from the Hunter role to a Rider one was to give the spotlight to the monsters, along with the idea of petting them and seeing things from their point of view.

The game was subsequently ported to iOS and Android devices with improved graphics, an updated user interface, and other features.

[19] A remastered version of the title was released for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on June 14, 2024, alongside the PS4 port of its sequel, Wings of Ruin.

[20][21] Similar to previous Monster Hunter games, the player can obtain armor, items, and clothing themed to other franchises through collaborations.

Stories has items based on Puzzle & Dragons X, Chibi Maruko-chan,[22] Shōnen Jump,[23] and The Legend of Zelda, the last of which is exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS version.