Although expansive open worlds might appear captivating, remember that the size alone does not dictate quality. What truly matters for an open-world game is the range of experiences and interactions it offers within its environment. The breathtaking landscapes or colossal map dimensions are merely backdrops; it’s the actions you can perform in the world that truly make a difference.
Although games such as Final Fantasy XV and Just Cause 4 boast vast open worlds for players to traverse, there aren’t typically numerous activities or interactions available within these spaces beyond simple wandering.
Rather than striving to amaze players with vast landscapes, smaller open-world games focus on packed environments. Each section is brimming with activities, ensuring there’s always something engaging for the player to explore at every corner.
As an enthusiast, I’ll be sharing my take on the tiniest open-world games, utilizing either fan-provided or official size estimations, or else making approximate assessments based on the game’s overall scale.
12. Outer Wilds
An Explorable Diorama
In essence, the game Outer Wilds is often referred to as a compact open-world title due to its design, which allows for extensive exploration within a limited timeframe of approximately 22 minutes.
If you’re not familiar with the game, I won’t ruin the surprise for you. Instead, why don’t you give it a try and discover the game on your own?
One might expect that Outer Wilds, similar to other space exploration games like No Man’s Sky, would have a comparable size. However, what sets Outer Wilds apart is that it offers fewer celestial bodies reachable in under a minute or so for travel.
In this compact universe, where planets barely exceed a kilometer in size and are only a few kilometers apart from one another, traveling through space happens quite swiftly.
However, despite its small size, be mindful that every celestial body within it, such as the Hourglass Twins and Dark Bramble, hides mysteries just waiting to be uncovered on your journey of exploration.
Outer Wilds offers a unique, one-of-a-kind adventure that may not have an expansive game world, yet every single corner is filled with intricate details that can only come from dedication and affection.
11. Sleeping Dogs
Hong Kong Represent
The map in United Front Games’ Sleeping Dogs closely resembles the main island of Hong Kong. It features four regions that can be explored, which are modeled after the actual districts of Hong Kong Island. Consequently, Sleeping Dogs provides a rather authentic depiction of the city I was raised in.
In both the virtual world of games and reality, Hong Kong’s compact size is deceptive. Instead, its dense population and heavy traffic ensure its bustling streets and thoroughfares are always alive, resulting in a vibrant city that remains awake around the clock.
The game “Sleeping Dogs” meticulously captures the unique atmosphere of its districts with a map roughly 3 kilometers in width and totalling around 8 square kilometers. The bustling commercial and cosmopolitan feel of Central is skillfully portrayed, while North Point presents a grittier, more industrial and working-class ambiance.
Too bad Sleeping Dogs won’t have a follow-up; if it did, we could anticipate a more extensive representation of Hong Kong, encompassing Kowloon, New Territories, and maybe even Lantau Island. Maybe they would’ve also included the MTR metro system for a truly immersive experience.
Sleeping Dogs offers an exceptional gaming experience with its well-developed combat system, hacking, and lockpicking mini-games. These features allow for stealthy exploration of perilous and concealed locations.
10. Bully
Stay In School
Occasionally, people fondly compare it to a more family-friendly alternative of Grand Theft Auto, but Rockstar’s Bully is widely recognized as one of their finest productions.
Sadly, we highly doubt that this underrated gem is getting a remaster or a sequel anytime soon.
The game “Bully,” set in the quaint New England town of Bullworth and its nearby boarding school, Bullworth Academy, is teeming with intriguing non-player characters and a town that feels authentic. What’s truly remarkable is that this game was developed as far back as 2006.
Apart from traversing the multi-tiered college grounds to delve deeper into accessible learning spaces like classrooms and administrative areas, the player is additionally allowed to wander around the town of Bullworth. However, this freedom might lead to encounters with police officers who are keen on maintaining academic discipline.
9. Grand Theft Auto 3
“I See Nothing But Good Things For You, My Boy.”
Over time, the Grand Theft Auto series, as well as many other games produced by Rockstar, has gained a reputation for offering rich and expansive open worlds for players to traverse. However, this wasn’t consistently true across all the games in the series.
3D open-world games were a rarity before the turn of the millennium. However, it was Grand Theft Auto 3 that broke new ground in the gaming world by giving players the freedom to traverse every nook and cranny of Liberty City.
Although it may seem smaller compared to more recent editions of Grand Theft Auto, Liberty City offers a playable cityscape spanning approximately 4.38 square kilometers, providing players back then with a sneak peek into the groundbreaking features that would later be showcased in games like Grand Theft Auto 5.
8. Subnautica
Try Not To Have Thalassophobia Challenge: Impossible
In the game Subnautica, finding yourself shipwrecked on an unfamiliar alien planet is only the start of your troubles. You’re compelled to delve deep beneath its surface and make do with the plants and creatures that inhabit these mysterious depths, always wary that you might become someone else’s dinner at any moment.
In the game ‘Subnautica’, everything – the caves, reefs, and remnants – is set on an underwater plateau known as “The Crater”, which spans 2 kilometers in width. Swimming from one end to another isn’t time-consuming if you use a vehicle like the Seamoth. The surface of The Crater is relatively barren, but delve deeper and you’ll discover the mysteries that this planet holds.
Should you venture beyond the rim of the Crater, you’ll encounter nothing but the ominous, abyssal depths, but only after you’ve heard a chilling warning: “Caution: You’re entering an ecological wasteland. Your chances of survival are rapidly diminishing.
Exploring the tranquil depths of Subnautica might seem like a peaceful pastime, but it can be downright terrifying, given the presence of colossal creatures reminiscent of Lovecraftian nightmares, with no viable means of self-defense available.
Are you sure you want to risk your life exploring the depths?
7. The Witness
It’s All About Perspective
As the horizons before us seem to shrink, it doesn’t necessarily imply a reduction in their intricacy.
Rather than being mistaken for the major antagonist in “Destiny 2” or an episode from “Love, Death, and Robots”, “The Witness” is a game that centers on intricate panel puzzles, allowing players to decipher the rules independently across an approximately 2-kilometer square island.
Crafted by Jonathan Blow and released by Thekla Inc., the enigmatic island within “The Witness” game might appear modest in size, yet it offers ample space for exploration and challenges players with over 500 intricate puzzles hidden throughout its terrain. Each puzzle is progressively more difficult than the last.
Drawing influence from Cyan’s “Myst,” the intricate puzzles in “The Witness” have sparked a divisive response within the gaming community ever since its debut. Whilst some admire the ingeniousness and thought-provoking aspects, others find it excessively challenging and overhyped.
6. Assassin’s Creed Unity
Vive La Revolution
Just like previous Assassin’s Creed games are rooted in real-world history, Unity transported the series to the turbulent era of the French Revolution, meticulously recreating a highly detailed version of 18th-century Paris.
In Unity’s Paris, you’ll find both civilians and adversaries mingling along twisting lanes and crisscrossing passageways, creating an intense, close-quartered feeling that mirrors the confined atmosphere of bustling urban districts, making you feel like you’re truly part of the city’s vibrant life.
Stepping up the gleaming stone structures, finding myself perched atop one of the numerous edifices in Paris, I can’t help but feel like I’ve entered an expansive urban jungle gym – tailor-made for a parkour aficionado like me!
Despite its size, measuring approximately 2.4 square kilometers, it ranks among the tiniest maps in the series.
5. Disco Elysium
White Mourning
In the small district of Martinaise, nestled within the larger city of Revachol, you find yourself. You’re an amnesiac police officer, with a unique identity that could be a superstar, apocalypse-survivor, sorry soul, honorable figure, artist, or homeless wanderer. Your mission is to explore Martinaise as you work to unravel the enigma of a man found hanging.
In your itinerary, you’ll find that the single destination is Martinaise, a location broken down into three distinct zones as depicted on the map: the primary Harbor District, the economically struggling Fishmonger Quarters, and a desolate Church site.
Each region, adorned with its own pre-drawn backdrop, carries a distinctive tale that resonates with the sociopolitical strife experienced by the inhabitants of Martinaise. Despite no official size measurement for Martinaise or Revachol, it doesn’t take much time to traverse from one end of this district to another.
In our ranking system for Martinaise, we’re using the distance determined by a confirmed Visual Calculus check as a reference point. This calculation suggests that the sniper’s nest and Whirling in Rags are about several hundred meters apart. With this as a basis, we consider the rest of Martinaise to be slightly larger than this distance.
Due to its compact size, Martinaise has a vibrant yet edgy atmosphere, as you find yourself right in the heart of a labor dispute that could potentially plunge the entire city into tumultuous disorder.
4. Batman: Arkham City
Justice… For Gotham!
Undeniably, one of the most recognized sets of games inspired by superheroes, the Arkham series, is consistently cherished for its faithful representation of the Batman image that fans have long admired.
In the sequel of the series, Arkham City transitions the gameplay experience from a structured, level-by-level format to an open-world setting, where you explore a self-contained metropolis serving as a super-maximum security prison for Gotham’s most notorious villains.
As a gamer, I’ve got to say, even though Arkham City might seem small at just about one square kilometer (roughly 0.93km), it’s brimming with distinctly themed zones that are easy to spot and give a clear hint about the kind of foes I’ll be facing there.
Arkham City not only paved the way for how the entire series approaches exploration and open-world gameplay, but also solidified its grimy, grungy, and ominous visual style across the franchise.
3. Shenmue
The Gaming Industry’s Version Of “The Room”
Shenmue is an action-adventure game that was first released in 1999 on the Dreamcast platform. Due to its high production costs and moderate public response, Shenmue failed to achieve the success Sega desired, despite eventually receiving a sequel many years later.
Despite its poorly executed voiceovers and fights not measuring up to those in Virtua Fighter, Shenmue has garnered a dedicated fanbase primarily due to its compact, engaging environment.
As a passionate fan, I’d like to share why Shenmue stands out for me – it’s the intricate life-simulation that breathes authenticity into every Non-Player Character (NPC), each with their unique routines. This attention to detail, some might say, leans towards an intense realism, creating an immersive experience that truly draws you into the game world.
As a gamer, I’d say that Shenmue’s map might seem small compared to other games on this list, but it takes only about three minutes to sprint across the suburban town of Yokosuka. Yet, don’t let its size fool you; Shenmue packs a punch with its immersive gameplay and engaging storyline that make it a standout title, despite its compact map.
Enthusiasts adored the game “Shenmue” to such an extent that they successfully crowd-funded its third installment in 2019. However, the game’s overall quality may still be something that needs to grow on people.
2. A Short Hike
Take Some Time And Destress
In simple terms, “A Short Hike” is a charming indie game developed by just one person named Adam Robinson-Yu. If you don’t get sidetracked by the game’s interesting characters and optional quests, you might finish it in about an hour, plus or minus some time.
The tranquil narrative of the game centers around Claire, a youthful avian character, who has journeyed to Hawk Peak Provincial Park as a summer escape from urban life. Her aim is to ascend Hawk Peak to locate a cellular signal, anticipating a crucial phone call thereupon.
The tale concludes delightfully, wrapping up in a touching finale. Throughout the game’s progression, you find yourself immersed in a beautiful park that sits on an island teeming with intriguing landmarks to explore and friendly characters to converse with.
Due to its labyrinthine pathways and steep terrain, the island appears far more expansive than its actual size suggests. While the primary adventure can be completed swiftly with an abundance of Golden Feathers, there’s a wealth of additional content to uncover within this park if you’re willing to explore thoroughly.
1. Yakuza 0
Less Is More In Kamurocho
In any environment, the majority of games from the Like a Dragon series are set in bustling cities rich with engaging mini-games and side stories within the context of a gripping crime saga.
Across various settings, the core of the Like a Dragon game franchise lies in urban landscapes brimming with entertaining minigames and subplots amidst an intense crime narrative.
As a gamer, here’s how I might put it: Each game I play seems to draw heavily on real-life locations that I recognize. For instance, Sotenbori feels like a digital replica of Osaka’s vibrant Dotonbori district, while Izesaki Ijincho bears a striking resemblance to Yokohama’s Isezakicho. And most recently, it’s like stepping onto the streets of Honolulu when I play in Hawaii! It’s fascinating how developers manage to blend fiction with reality so seamlessly.
It’s hard to overlook Kamurocho as one of the most emblematic settings in the Yakuza series, modeled after Tokyo’s Kabukicho area in Shinjuku. Surprisingly compact, comprising just a few blocks, Kamurocho exudes vitality regardless of the hour.
In Kamurocho, there’s never a dull moment. From belting out tunes at the karaoke bar, socializing at hostess clubs, playing arcade games, or trying your luck with gambling, the Yakuza series offers more than just action RPG combat. It provides an engaging, realistic experience that makes you yearn to explore its bustling cities, as if they were actual destinations you could visit in reality.
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2025-03-23 18:11