Society is very result and achievement-focused, and that same thing can be found in a lot of games. You must win to progress to the next level, to get the ending you want, or the rewards you’re after. A lot of the time, that can feel like the most important aspect, so much so that the rest of the game becomes almost irrelevant.
8 Open-World Games With the Best Exploration, Ranked
Exploring an open world in a game is half the fun of this format, and these games did the best job of making that exploration rewarding.
There are, however, some games that fight against this mentality. Either they force you to slow down by punishing attempts at speeding things up, or they masterfully distract players with surprise-filled open-world environments, deep and fun side activities, or simply the appeal of making your own adventure. Here’s which games will make you appreciate the journey over the destination.
Subnautica
Getting Off The Planet Is Secondary With A Whole Ocean To Explore
As the survivor of a crash landing on an aquatic planet, it might feel easy to hyperfocus on finding a way to escape in Subnautica. However, playing like this doesn’t do justice to the sheer depth (pun intended) this game has as an open-world survival craft.
It’s so easy to get sucked into just crafting these incredible underwater bases and upgrading your suit and your gear that escaping ironically becomes somewhat secondary. The exploration alone is exciting enough to find new (and absolutely terrifying) life forms, and let’s just say anyone with thalassophobia will be having the worst time of their life diving into the darkest depths of Subnautica.
Elden Ring
Only A Few Bosses Are Necessary, But Why Not Slay Them All?
Elden Ring and its DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, are yet another perfect example of a game that can be completed relatively fast or incredibly slow. Rushing through the mandatory bosses is possible, but that also means players will miss out on a ton of side locations and optional bosses, as well as loot.
This is a game that really encourages you to look around, to see what’s right around the next corner. With no dedicated quest screen, it’s also best to take your time with it if you’d like to experience some of the game’s obscure and twisted lore. It’s easy to miss NPCs and their changing locations when rushing about.
No Man’s Sky
Artemis Path? More Like Your Path
No Man’s Sky delivers a whole, vast galaxy ready for exploration to your doorstep, so it’s pretty easy to get sidetracked in this game. Yes, there’s some story and quest content to explore, for example, in the form of the Artemis Path, but those moments are far from being the highlights of the game.
The focus is on you and what you want to become and do in this world. Build a space base, upgrade your ship, discover new planets, species, biomes, or just become an evil looter and pirate if you so choose. There’s no race to an “end” here; it’s about the player’s journey and their mark on the galaxy.
Death Stranding
Slow And Steady Wins The Delivery Race
If there’s one game that shouldn’t be rushed through to the end, it’s Death Stranding. A lot of the gameplay is built around purposefully slowing the player down, forcing them to be strategic about how they prepare for the road and how they traverse the gorgeous environment.
While there’s a solid and deep story peppered in, a lot of the game is focused on delivering cargo safely while avoiding danger (at least at first) in the wild. It’s one title that will make you appreciate the slowness of things and the journey instead of the final outcome. Move too quickly or sloppily, and the cargo will suffer.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Plot Isn’t The Main Event, Hyrule Is
A game greatly praised for its exploration and adventuring, Breath of the Wild is a game where the plot often ends up taking a backseat as players get utterly sucked into the open-world environment. Part of its charm is the variety when it comes to traversal: by foot, on horseback, climbing, or flying with a glider.
All this, and you can go anywhere freely, at any point in the game, with no imposed restrictions or order. Complete side quests, or get creative while solving puzzles, run around to see what surprises are hiding behind the next corner, from towers to villages to enemies—Hyrule is your oyster, and it’s easy to forget that yes, there’s an actual main quest to follow, too.
Sable
A Desolate And Beautiful Journey
A charming indie title with a unique art style, Sable’s story is of the titular protagonist on the path of Gliding. The desolate desert holds not just views that will make players stop on their journey, but also points of interest inviting more exploration.
You’ll be biking through the desert when something new pops on the horizon, and that’s the sort of childlike wonder this game is going to inspire. Rushing through it with impatience will spoil the experience. And it doesn’t just stop there, with its branching story paths and puzzles that invite you to return for more.
The Long Dark
Make Your Mark In An Unforgivable World
The Long Dark is a bit of a unique one here, as the game comes with an episodic campaign, as well as a sandbox survival mode. The story itself is fairly average, but it sheds some light on the background of the world, with lore dropped here and there.
8 Best Open-World Games With Dynamic Worlds
These open-world games impress with their dynamic worlds, providing players with immersive places that live and breathe without them.
However, sandbox survival, with its freedom and open-endedness, is where the real meat of the game is, as you manage your needs and resources from calories to gear. Permadeath is a thing, so every decision made feels important. The world is surprisingly large, full of natural hazards, but also side activities to keep you alive, ranging from hunting to fishing, and the gameplay features are highly customizable. At their hardest, it presents some of the most fun challenges hardcore survival gaming fans will know. It’s a game where just doing your own thing feels far more rewarding than following the episodic story.
Minecraft
Beating The Ender Dragon Is Only The Start
One could argue Minecraft doesn’t have a beginning and end, and while that’s partially true, beating the Ender Dragon does roll the credits of the game. So, in some way, slaying the dragon is considered the end. Getting there can be incredibly fast, as many speedrunners have proved throughout the years, but that’s not the point of Minecraft.
The sandbox game shines the hardest when players take their time and make the journey their own. There’s no rush to find a stronghold and get to the End. Instead, explore all biomes and all the new structures that have been added throughout the years, from Ancient Cities to Trial Chambers. Even if players do get to the end, a lot of fans argue that finishing the dragon and getting the elytra is only the beginning, because being able to fly is what makes building and exploring easier.
Kenshi
Your Unique Journey Is Kenshi’s Greatest Offering
Kenshi does not have a main story, and that works greatly to its advantage as a game that truly, in every sense of the expression, is about the journey. And what a journey it will be. Players will suffer, and they will suffer more, and then, they will suffer even more. It’s not a game for those seeking power fantasies in an RPG setting. No, Kenshi will teach you humility, grit, cunning, and strategy.
The sheer possibilities in Kenshi are staggering. While players have total freedom to do whatever they want, from being a lowly thief to leading a simple life as a farmer, the game reacts to that freedom of choice accordingly. If you’re not prepared, you may end up in slavery, killed, or eaten alive. However, those who manage to survive will look back on their wild journey through Kenshi with great fondness. It is, in many ways, the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure game.
Outer Wilds
Don’t Look Up The Solution, But Slowly Figure It Out
Something strange is going on in the world of Outer Wilds, and it’s the player’s job to figure out the secret behind the time loop they find themselves trapped in. With the help of a spaceship, the main character explores their system and the various planets and their secrets in hopes of solving what exactly is happening.
Although the game can be solved quickly in under an hour if players just spoil themselves to the solution, this is one of those titles that is far more rewarding to play through slowly, without looking up anything online. It’s the very essence of a game that’s all about the journey of putting the pieces together, a journey of trial and error, as well as players will likely die and restart the day again, and again.
7 Open-World Games That Mastered The Art Of Slow Exploration
There have been some truly breathtaking open-world games over the years, and these titles let you explore at your own pace.
