Best Single-Player Games That Are Huge

Summary

Huge single-player games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim offer players hundreds of hours of exploration and gameplay.
No Man’s Sky boasts an infinite universe that players can explore freely, build, trade, and engage in space combat.
Games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt offer immersive worlds with intense combat and masterful storytelling.

In simpler terms, when video games are expensive, players typically want a product that offers excellent value, often equating to numerous hours (hundreds being common) of gameplay, infinite replayability, or vast worlds to discover. While many multiplayer games fulfill these criteria, there’s also a plethora of massive single-player games that can provide entertainment for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours.

When determining if a game is “massive,” several aspects may be taken into account, including strong sales figures, significant cultural influence, and extensive playing time. These single-player games are all massive in terms of financial success, historical significance, and the numerous hours of playtime available, and they are ranked based on a mix of these elements, as well as their overall quality and general impression.

Games akin to Minecraft offer a delightful single-player journey, yet it’s their multiplayer aspects that truly stand out, making such games with similar characteristics unsuitable for this particular list. However, games featuring minimal multiplayer components can still be taken into account.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

A Large World To Conquer In Brutal Battles

Despite not being the most acclaimed game in the series, “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla” is exceptionally well-received, making it one of Ubisoft’s highest-grossing titles, and it is packed with content. The game takes place during the Viking conquest of Europe, offering numerous expansive maps to traverse in Norway, the British Isles, and even some mythical realms.

In Valhalla, players often find themselves immersed for more than a hundred hours alongside Eivor Varinsdottir. Despite this extensive playtime, there’s still much to discover within the game, particularly with the inclusion of the expansive DLCs. The vast world is far from barren and offers a delightful experience to explore. Moreover, the combat, though brutal, is incredibly rewarding when fully engaged.

No Man’s Sky

Perhaps The Largest Game Map Ever – An Infinite Universe

The enormously expansive universe of No Man’s Sky is beyond comprehension, and there’s simply no way for any human to ever fully traverse it. This game, which has undergone a remarkable transformation since its initial release, is cherished by the countless individuals who have bought a copy.

In this vast cosmos, adventurers have the liberty to journey and discover, constructing on distant planets, bartering resources with passing traders, and entering space battles when required. While there are minimal multiplayer aspects, the game is predominantly a solo expedition where players are free to explore, uncover secrets, and survive on their own.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Three Major Cities & Plenty Of Activities

In comparison to contemporary games, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas might appear modest in size, but given it’s over two decades old, the game world is impressively large. Spanning across three distinct cities, each offering different identities, activities, and unique rural landscapes, Carl Johnson’s journey within this game is filled with numerous activities to engage in.

Just as various features of the game can be tailored, CJ’s character is equally adaptable – from his looks and physique to his connections with friends, lovers, and more. The game offers a vast array of missions, heists, happenings, and recreational activities, including the highly-acclaimed gang warfare feature, where the Grove Street Families strive for dominance over territories in Los Santos or protect their own strongholds.

Cyberpunk 2077

Night City Is Breathtaking & Full Of Life

Anticipation for Cyberpunk 2077 was immense due to its grand scale, lofty aspirations, and fascinating backdrop. Now regarded as one of the top RPGs out there, it’s made a strong impact on the market, even with some rocky initial stages. The city of Night City is vast, vibrant, and brimming with minute details, while the expansive land outside the city serves as an alluring playground for curious players.

In this expansive gaming universe, there’s a wealth of activities for V to engage in, ranging from main quests to side missions, not forgetting various other pursuits scattered throughout the futuristic city. Some of these activities might even surprise V along the way. With so much content, it can easily take over 100 hours to fully explore, yet many players find themselves drawn back multiple times, experimenting with diverse choices and character setups.

Super Mario Odyssey

The Biggest Mario Game So Far

Due to its free-roaming style, Super Mario Odyssey is likely to keep players engaged for quite some time, particularly those who aim to find every power moon and uncover all the secrets it has hidden within. The game offers fourteen main kingdoms or worlds to explore during the main storyline, with an additional three that can be unlocked and mastered by our mustachioed hero later on.

In each kingdom that Mario explores, you’ll find numerous missions, side quests, and various creatures, NPCs, and items to acquire by tossing Cappy at them. Not just is there a wealth of activities, but Super Odyssey stands out as one of Mario’s most successful adventures, and it’s widely recognized as one of the greatest games ever created.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Action & Adventure In A Large Open World

In “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and its sequel, “Tears of the Kingdom,” Hyrule has never looked more impressive and extensive. Exploring this vast world takes a considerable amount of time and energy, whether you’re soaring through the skies from tall vantage points, or taming and riding horses to reach distant locations. Every step of the journey is enjoyable.

Each region within the kingdom exhibits unique characteristics, including distinct populations, cultures, and weather conditions, along with numerous activities to explore. In sales, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild boasts nearly twice the total of its nearest rival in the series, making it a significant factor contributing to many individuals owning a Nintendo Switch.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Genre-Defining Fantasy Game

Although it doesn’t boast the biggest map among games in the Elder Scrolls series, and some players might favor Morrowind or Oblivion, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim stands as a monumental game in terms of sales and cultural influence. Despite being over a decade old since its initial release, Skyrim continues to be re-released and frequently replayed by numerous gamers, maintaining its relevance in countless video game conversations and publications.

The snowy region, blanketed in snow, is undeniably a fascinating place to discover and unlock its hidden mysteries, which could easily consume several hundred hours during a single game session. Expansion packs extend the gaming experience even more by introducing an additional island called Solstheim, along with numerous significant storylines to traverse.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Masterful Storytelling, Branching Narrative, & Immersive World

The game that made The Witcher series well-known worldwide, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, is frequently praised as one of the best open-world games and offers some of the most intense battles in gaming. It’s effortless to get absorbed in the intricate and extensive regions, each teeming with adventures and mysteries to occupy Geralt of Rivia.

The heavily populated scenery surpasses that of its predecessors and Skyrim in size, with the Toussaint region in the Blood and Wine expansion being larger than many standalone games. Recognized as one of the most popular games from the past ten years, its compelling storyline is frequently compared to other games boasting powerful narratives.

Pokemon Red And Blue

Catch & Train Iconic Monsters In These Classics

Back in 1996, Pokemon Red and Blue were instrumental parts of a global pop culture sensation. Many of the series’ most memorable characters hail from these Game Boy classics, and since then, the franchise has soared in popularity. However, no Pokemon games have managed to sell as many copies as these original releases did.

Given the hardware constraints of the Game Boy, an impressive amount has been packed into the Kanto region, featuring towns, non-playable characters (NPCs), gyms, and the initial 151 Pokémon. However, to fill up the Pokédex completely, players would often need to trade with their friends using the Game Link cable. Despite this, these games are primarily perceived as single-player experiences, with only minimal multiplayer features intertwined.

The Sims

Endlessly Replayable Life Simulator

Even after more than two decades, “The Sims” continues to be a widely beloved video game franchise. Now in its 4th main installment, it has spawned numerous spin-offs, ported versions for various consoles, and numerous expansions over the years. The original game offers split-screen multiplayer on consoles, but generally speaking, it is a single-player game that can provide endless entertainment across a lifetime.

The open-ended gameplay in this series grants players complete autonomy over their Sims’ lives, including jobs, pastimes, relationships, and home design. Subsequent releases have significantly broadened these possibilities, fostering greater creativity, variety, and character development paths. However, it was the initial release that captured the most interest and remains noteworthy for its extensive gameplay even by today’s standards.

2025-08-25 13:37