The Best Open-World Games That Left Steam Early Access

Summary

Early Access allows game devs to involve communities in game development based on feedback.
While some early access games are abandoned, many succeed and offer vast open worlds.
Games like ARK: Survival Evolved, Rust, and The Long Dark immerse players in their rich environments.

The Steam Early Access system serves as a beneficial development methodology for game creators, enabling them to provide players early access to their games during the active development phase. This allows developers to engage more closely with the community, addressing feedback, rectifying bugs, or modifying core game mechanics based on player input. Furthermore, it provides a means for smaller studios to finance their projects when they might have struggled to release them otherwise.

Despite the prevalent horror tales within the gaming community about Early Access titles that are eventually abandoned and neglected, there are an equal number of triumphant stories as well. Numerous games that successfully emerge from Early Access provide players with vast open environments, allowing them to become engrossed for hours while they traverse fresh and distinctive locations.

10. ARK: Survival Evolved

Surviving A Dino-Infested Island

Early Access Release: June 2, 2015
Full Release: August 29, 2017

Studio Wildcard’s ARK: Survival Evolved places players in a struggle for existence across islands teeming with dinosaurs and extraordinary beasts. The game gained immense popularity upon its Early Access debut in 2015, primarily due to its unique dinosaur capturing feature.

Players can make friends with an array of dinosaurs, from humble Lystrosaurus to massive Giganotosaurus, across the game’s various islands. Each dinosaur usually brings a unique talent to the table, such as the Doedicurus’ exceptional stone-collecting skills that surpass its contemporaries, encouraging players to cultivate a variety of dinosaurs on their ranch.

9. Rust

PvP Open-World Warfare

Early Access Release: December 11, 2013
Full Release: February 8, 2018

Facepunch Studios’ Rust, famously known for its tough survival gameplay, often leaves players in a challenging situation. They are initially placed in randomly generated environments, equipped only with their own skin, and must navigate through harsh terrains, hostile non-player characters, and other competitors to endure.

In this game, it’s clear that other players pose the most significant danger, particularly in PvP combat. Newcomers playing on their own should either excel at forging friendships or mastering stealth, as going solo can lead to being targeted for attacks.

8. The Long Dark

Man Versus Nature

Early Access Release: September 22, 2014
Full Release: August 1, 2017

Hinterland Studios’ game “The Long Dark” stands out from other open-world survival games because it eliminates supernatural elements such as zombies and monsters. Instead, after a geomagnetic catastrophe, players find themselves in the harsh Canadian wilderness, battling against nature itself.

In the realm of “The Long Dark,” there’s an atmosphere that is starkly bleak and chillingly cold, yet it is visually stunning, with an impressionist artistic touch. Players have the freedom to traverse this frozen expanse in a sandbox survival setting or delve into its narrative mode, known as Wintermute.

7. Raft

Sailing Across The Ocean

Early Access Release: May 23, 2018
Full Release: June 20, 2022

Redbeet Interactive’s Raft is relatively sparse compared to other open-world games, primarily due to the setting – the vast ocean. Players find themselves adrift on a makeshift raft, needing to gather resources from drifting debris while steering clear of man-eating sharks and other perils lurking beneath the waves.

In contrast to its sea-based backdrop, the world in Raft is far from desolate. Gamers can uncover islands and remnants of civilization, and even plunge below the water’s surface to find additional resources, tougher adversaries, and hidden mysteries.

6. Kenshi

Be Who You Want

Early Access Release: March 20, 2013
Full Release: December 6, 2018

In a vast playground spanning approximately 870 square kilometers, Lo-Fi Games’ game titled “Kenshi” offers one of the biggest sandboxes in gaming. Unlike other games where a single character is destined for greatness, survival in Kenshi’s expansive realm requires effort from the players themselves.

In the game Kenshi, luckily, players have considerable freedom to shape their own experiences, carving out unique paths for themselves. By organizing teams in real-time strategy (RTS) gameplay, they can traverse the land assuming various roles, such as a humble trader or a destructive warlord. The possibilities are endless within this game.

5. The Forest

Cannibal Island

Early Access Release: May 30, 2014
Full Release: April 30, 2018

In Endnight Games’ title The Forest, characters find themselves stranded on an island inhabited by cannibals and mutants following a plane crash that snatches their son away. Since there’s no set path leading them, players have the liberty to explore wherever they wish and engage in whatever activities they prefer on this mysterious island.

As a gamer, I find myself stranded on an island, my primary mission is to search for my lost son, but survival becomes the immediate priority. Every day, the local cannibals grow more hostile, making it essential to gather resources and construct a fortified base for protection. Scattered across the island are treacherous caves, hiding valuable resources and tools that will be crucial in extending my stay in this cannibalistic paradise.

4. Don’t Starve Together

Survive Randomly Generated Worlds

Early Access Release: December 15, 2014
Full Release: April 21, 2016

Klei Entertainment took their original single-player survival game, Don’t Starve, and developed a new version called Don’t Starve Together, which is essentially a continuation but with the addition of multiplayer functionality.

Venturing through the supernatural wilderness of the series alongside friends significantly enhanced the gaming experience. Now, players can collaborate on numerous activities, such as farming and defeating bosses. The multiplayer aspect of ‘Don’t Starve Together’ offers fans a chance to optimize their efficiency by choosing characters with skills that work well together.

3. The Planet Crafter

Terraforming Planets

Early Access Release: March 24, 2022
Full Release: April 10, 2024

Miju Games’ “The Planet Crafter” offers a relaxed gaming environment, where the goal is to transform an initially lifeless planet into a lush and welcoming habitat for its inhabitants.

Through gathering essential resources, players can construct machines that revitalize the planet. These seed dispersers stimulate plant growth in their vicinity, massive drills draw gases from beneath the soil to modify atmospheric composition, among other things. Over time, players get to witness the development of entire ecosystems and the emergence of new animal species, all unfolding right before them.

2. Slime Rancher

Slime Planet

Early Access Release: January 14, 2016
Full Release: August 1, 2017

In the game developed by Monomi Park titled “Slime Rancher“, players step into the shoes of Beatrix LeBeau, embarking on an adventure to establish a slime farm across the distant expanse known as the Far, Far Range. While exploring the open-ended playground of “Slime Rancher“, you’ll encounter numerous adorable, diverse creatures called slimes.

In the game called Slime Rancher, players can fill their farm with a variety of creatures, ranging from harmless Pink Slimes to powerful Boom Slimes. These diverse slimes can be combined to create larger hybrids known as Largo Slimes. While managing these adorable pets, players also have the chance to traverse the game’s world, discovering hidden secrets and valuable items that aid their adventure.

1. Subnautica

Exploring A Thalassophobia Simulator

Early Access Release: December 16, 2014
Full Release: January 23, 2018

In the hands of different players, the underwater exploration game ‘Subnautica’, developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, can either be a captivating journey or a source of terrifying imagery. This is due to the fact that the game takes place in the immense ocean of an alien planet, where players must delve into its depths to discover why their spacecraft crashed there.

As a gamer, I must admit, exploring the depths of Subnautica can be downright nerve-wracking on its own. But what really adds to the heart-pounding adventure are the colossal leviathans lurking beneath the waves, ready to pounce at any moment. Since Subnautica doesn’t offer a traditional combat system, it’s essential for players like me to master evasion techniques if we want to stay alive and keep exploring this mysterious underwater world.

2025-03-14 07:15