Best Open-World Games Where You Play As A Nomad

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the nomadic lifestyle in gaming has always held a special place in my heart. From the frozen tundras of The Long Dark to the vast deserts of Kenshi, there’s something undeniably thrilling about setting off on a journey with nothing but the clothes on your back and the promise of adventure ahead.

One of the best features of any open-world game is the act of exploration, with any open-world worth its salt offering up stretches of land to journey, brimming with interesting locations and things to do within them. Many of these titles also allow players to purchase and/or build their own home within their worlds, and this is particularly true of open-world RPGs.

Living in a home you’ve built or bought can bring great satisfaction and provides a space for relaxation and storage, yet there’s something alluring about the nomadic lifestyle within these virtual worlds. Games like Kenshi offer base-construction, but most of your gameplay time is spent wandering, while games such as The Long Dark let you rest anywhere, but nudge you to keep moving to stay alive.

6 Stalker: Shadow Of Chernobyl

Nomadic Questing Across The Supernatural Zone

Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl can be described as a legendary, though somewhat unpolished, first-person open-world survival game set in the notorious Zone. It’s filled with intricate interactions among various factions, menacing creatures, and immersive surroundings. Unlike other games, players don’t have a permanent home in Stalker, instead wandering its mystical terrain as a transient explorer, finishing missions and taking breaks at campfires alongside fellow Stalkers.

The captivating ambiance found in the game “Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl” might be its most powerful aspect, as every foray into the Zone frequently becomes a challenging and uncertain trek across uncharted lands. Each friendly encampment that the player discovers, typically serenaded by an acoustic guitar played by a non-player character (NPC), offers a comforting respite, providing a feeling of security and relief.

5 Caravan SandWitch

A Combat-Free Sci-Fi Adventure With A Rumbling Caravan

Without the pressures of battle, the game known as Caravan Sandwich offers a serene and tension-free environment, inviting players to immerse themselves in captivating exploration across a visually breathtaking open world. In this peaceful adventure, the main focus is on foot and caravan-based exploration, where the caravan provides a unique twist, making exploration feel more like a game instead of just traversal. However, it’s important to note that Caravan Sandwich might not appeal to everyone given its minimal combat elements.

The wandering journey through various landscapes in the game titled “Caravan Sandwich,” where gathering items and interacting with diverse individuals becomes part of its charm, is one aspect that sets it apart. Yet, what truly makes “Caravan Sandwich” stand out is its relaxed ambiance, particularly its eccentric, vibrant cast of characters. This distinctive quality is further emphasized by the game’s absence of player death, which means that the risks are minimal and trying new things never results in failure.

4 Days Gone

Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse From The Back Of A Motorcycle

In this solitary, open-world zombie survival experience set in the Pacific Northwest, you embark on an exciting solo journey. The vast landscapes you traverse are often engaging to explore, made possible by the primary means of transportation provided – a motorcycle. Throughout the game, you navigate through the world, battling waves of zombies and hostile gangs. A significant aspect of the gameplay involves exploration, where you need to conserve your bike’s fuel and occasionally pull over at camps for directions.

Days Gone isn’t overly complex, offering typical open-world action and a common zombie narrative. Yet, its distinctive nomadic gameplay – facilitated by the incorporation of a motorcycle and an unpredictable environment – gives it a compelling playthrough.

3 Caves Of Qud

Adventuring Across A Retro-Futuristic Land Of Unknown Opportunity

In a distinctive blend of originality, Caves Of Qud stands out as an exceptional open-world game, characterized by intriguing mutants, advanced cybernetics, eccentric non-player characters, captivating narrative, and a harmonious fusion of procedurally generated and handcrafted content. Immersive exploration is a significant aspect of Caves Of Qud, inviting players to delve deep into its intricate network of labyrinthine caves and diverse landscapes, often leading to becoming utterly lost but always rewarding the intrepid adventurer with rich details, lore, unique artifacts, and peculiar characters. The world is a mesmerizing blend of science-fiction and fantasy, offering a dense tapestry of lore and endless opportunities for discovery.

In essence, the game titled “Caves Of Qud” focuses primarily on exploration within a roguelike framework, eschewing base-building or housing elements commonly found in many RPGs. Instead, gamers are dropped into the world of Qud to freely roam and camp at their convenience. While it maintains traditional roguelike gameplay, “Caves Of Qud” offers a lenient “roleplay” mode that makes the experience more inviting and transforms it into a regular RPG-like adventure for players to savor.

2 Kenshi

A Sandbox-RPG That Starts Players With Nothing And Encourages Exploration

Kenshi is an exceptionally ambitious open-world sandbox RPG set in a strikingly unusual and oddly captivating environment. The barren, post-apocalyptic landscapes of Kenshi are brimming with intriguing locations to discover and NPCs to engage, but there are more perils than friendly encounters. Consequently, exploration can be perilous, yet players frequently find themselves wandering the world in search of new teammates and tracking down bounties.

In the game of Kenshi, players can establish bases, but they initially start off as wanderers, moving from one town to another. It’s quite common for players to spend significant amounts of time wandering aimlessly, as constructing and defending a base is not an easy task.

1 The Long Dark

A Tranquil Survival Game That Keeps Players On The Move

In the aftermath of a devastating natural catastrophe, the game titled “The Long Dark” immerses players into a struggle for survival within an unforgiving and frozen landscape. Extreme cold, hunger, dehydration, and hazardous wildlife pose significant challenges to gamers in “The Long Dark“, making shelter a vital necessity. Yet, the need for movement is constant, as resources will eventually run out in the nearby vicinity.

Due to the limited availability of resources, players often find themselves needing to move from place to place, which is their only means of survival. These travels between safe havens are particularly perilous, as they expose the player to harsh conditions, but such risks are a regular part of the game.

2024-09-22 12:33