Best Open-World Games Where You Play As A Nomad

A key part of what makes open-world games so enjoyable is the freedom to explore large and interesting landscapes filled with things to discover. It’s common for these games to also let you buy or build your own house, adding another layer of immersion and personalization to the experience.

Building or buying a home in a game can be satisfying, offering a safe place to relax and store things. However, there’s also a unique appeal to a wandering lifestyle. Games like Kenshi let you build bases, but you’ll spend a lot of time traveling. Similarly, The Long Dark allows you to rest almost anywhere, but survival often depends on constantly moving.

Honorable Mentions: Open-World Games That Capture The Nomad Lifestyle (Even If They Are Technically Not About Nomads)

If you enjoy the idea of traveling alone and having no permanent home, these open-world games might be perfect for you. While the characters often have backgrounds, they live lifestyles that feel like those of wanderers.

Conan Exiles
Days Gone
Fallout: New Vegas
Green Hell
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Mad Max
My Time at Sandrock
Outward
Red Dead Redemption 2

6. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

Nomadic Questing Across The Supernatural Zone

Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl is a classic open-world survival game, though it’s a bit rough around the edges. Set in the incredibly dangerous Zone, the game features a complex world filled with unique groups, dangerous creatures, and immersive environments. Players don’t have a fixed base in Stalker; they wander the supernatural landscape as nomads, completing quests and finding rest at campfires with other survivors.

One of the best things about Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl is how completely it draws you into its world. Every trip into the Zone feels like a long, dangerous adventure through an area where anything can happen. When you finally reach a friendly settlement – often with a relaxing guitar melody playing – it’s a welcome relief, offering a moment of safety and calm.

The other games in the series share a similar atmosphere, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the largest game in the series by far. Call of Pripyat is another excellent installment, known for its expansive, open world.

5. Caravan SandWitch

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

Caravan SandWitch offers a peaceful and calming experience centered around exploring a beautiful open world. Instead of fighting, the game encourages you to wander on foot or with your caravan, which makes discovering new areas more engaging. However, if you’re looking for action, Caravan SandWitch might not be the game for you, as it intentionally avoids combat.

What sets Caravan SandWitch apart is its focus on wandering and discovery – you travel with a caravan, gather items, and encounter interesting people. But it’s the game’s relaxed pace and especially its cast of charming, unusual characters that really make it stand out. Plus, because there’s no risk of character death, you’re free to experiment and explore without worrying about harsh penalties.

4. Death Stranding

Travel Across America, Connecting People

When people think of games about wandering and exploration, Death Stranding often comes to mind. The game focuses on traveling across a broken, post-apocalyptic America. You play as Sam, a delivery person who brings vital supplies to isolated communities and builds communication networks to connect them. The gameplay centers around constant movement, discovering new landscapes, and carefully planning each journey.

While you’ll eventually gain faster travel options, most of Death Stranding involves carefully walking across the landscape, trying not to damage the items you’re carrying. You’ll sometimes encounter other people—or even more frightening things—but much of the game is a solitary experience. It’s a surprisingly peaceful and calming journey, focused on your connection with the environment.

3. Caves Of Qud

Adventuring Across A Retro-Futuristic Land Of Unknown Opportunity

As a huge fan, I can tell you that Caves of Qud is unlike anything I’ve ever played. It’s this amazing open-world game with mutants, cybernetics, and just the strangest, most memorable characters you’ll ever meet. The writing is beautiful and really draws you in. What’s really cool is how the game world is made – it’s a mix of stuff the game generates and things the developers carefully created, which makes exploring so much fun. Seriously, you can easily get lost for hours in the huge, winding caves and across the really diverse landscape. The world feels so alive, packed with history, cool items, and interesting people, and it blends sci-fi and fantasy in a way that just works perfectly.

Unlike many other RPGs, Caves of Qud focuses on exploration rather than building a base or home. You’re immediately dropped into the world to wander and set up camp wherever you find a suitable spot. While it still feels like a classic roguelike, Caves of Qud also offers a more relaxed “roleplay” mode, making it easier to pick up and enjoy as a traditional RPG.

2. Kenshi

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

Kenshi is a vast and ambitious open-world RPG set in a truly unusual and often bizarre world. Its harsh landscapes are filled with interesting places and characters, but danger lurks around every corner. Players will spend a lot of time exploring, searching for companions and taking on bounty hunts, though it can be incredibly risky.

So, in Kenshi, you can build a base, but honestly, you start the game as a wanderer, just traveling between towns. And you’ll probably stay that way for a long time! Building a base isn’t easy, and keeping it safe is a whole other challenge. It takes a lot of effort to settle down, so most of us spend hours just roaming the world at first.

1. The Long Dark

A Tranquil Survival Game That Keeps Players On The Move

In The Long Dark, you’re thrown into a world after a great disaster, and your main goal is simply to survive. It’s a brutally cold and challenging place where you’ll constantly battle the elements, hunger, and wild animals. Finding or building shelter is vital, but you’ll have to keep moving to find new supplies as resources dwindle.

Okay, so things get tough pretty quickly in this game. Resources start running out, which means you can’t just stay in one place. You have to move around, constantly searching for new supplies. Honestly, the traveling between safe spots is the most dangerous part – the weather and everything else really get to you. But it’s a risk I keep taking because, well, if I don’t move, I don’t survive.

2025-12-10 23:37