Open-World Games With Mountains So Big They Make Everest Look Small

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A record-breaking 274 climbers summited Mount Everest on May 20th, marking the largest group to reach the peak on a single day.

Every spring, people climb the world’s tallest mountain, and these incredible feats demonstrate the amazing limits of human strength, determination, and courage. Actual mountaineering is incredibly difficult and dangerous, something very few people will ever try – and I’m definitely not one of them! Luckily, thanks to open-world video games, we can all experience the thrill of facing seemingly impossible peaks without leaving the comfort of our homes.

Most games create the illusion of large mountains, but a few actually feature peaks that dwarf even Mount Everest. While these in-game mountains reach heights exceeding 8,849 meters—higher than Everest—they are, of course, purely fictional.

The mountains get progressively bigger.

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More Games

Cairn

Mount Kami (9,005 Meters)

No game is a better fit to start with than Cairn, which uniquely focuses on the experience of mountain climbing. Many open-world games, like Breath of the Wild and Skyrim, include mountains as part of their scenery and sometimes even allow players to climb them. But because most games don’t make mountaineering a central part of gameplay, reaching the top usually doesn’t feel very rewarding – you might just need to pack a few snacks like soup or risotto.

Unlike many games, Cairn is entirely focused on the challenge of climbing Mount Kami from start to finish. The developers at Game Breakers have created a remarkably detailed mountaineering experience, especially for an open-world game. It demands careful planning with every action – even something as small as hand placement or shifting your weight. You’ll need to secure anchors and manage your stamina and supplies carefully, or you won’t survive.

Kerbal Space Program

The Ridge of Bop (21,758 Meters)

Bop, a moon orbiting the planet Jool, would normally be a fairly ordinary, potato-shaped rock. However, it’s dominated by a huge, prominent ridge that covers about a third of its 65,000-meter surface – essentially making it a mountain-shaped continent. While it doesn’t look overwhelmingly dramatic in pictures, the view from the top of the ridge would likely be spectacular. Considering the playful and realistic nature of the game Kerbal Space Program, this unusual feature feels perfectly in line with its style.

Space Engineers

Olympus Mons (21,900 Meters)

Here’s something fascinating: Olympus Mons, a massive volcano, actually exists on Mars! It’s almost 22,000 meters tall – about three times the height of mountains like K2 and Everest. Because the game Space Engineers aims for realism, it includes a scaled-down version of Mars and Olympus Mons on its map. This famous mountain isn’t just found in realistic sci-fi games like Minecraft; it also appears in titles like Red Faction and Surviving Mars. Interestingly, even Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare named a supercarrier after Olympus Mons.

Because Olympus Mons is a shield volcano, it doesn’t look as dramatic up close as mountains like Everest. Instead of a towering peak, it appears as a very long, gentle slope. This slope continues for a vast distance, slowly rising to an enormous height.

I wasn’t able to find a picture of Olympus Mons, but there are several videos of it on YouTube.

Elite Dangerous

Mount Neverest (50,000 Meters)

Elite Dangerous is a highly-rated online space game and considered one of the best space exploration titles ever made, and it’s still popular after over ten years. It features an incredibly vast map, allowing players to journey across the Milky Way and discover amazing sights. While mountainous planets are common, one particular landmark stands out due to its enormous size. Dubbed ‘Mount Neverest,’ this anomaly is so huge it can make entire planets appear small.

A Reddit user named AarkTheDragon shared a post nine years ago describing an enormous mountain in the game. It was said to be about 50,000 meters tall – over five times the height of Mount Everest! Eventually, the mountain was removed from the game Elite Dangerous, and it became something of a legendary landmark among players.

Mount Neverest was basically a glitch. A really, really cool glitch, mind you.

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2026-05-23 20:38