Many people think of open-world games as being full of weapons and fighting, where exploring means battling enemies. While that’s often true, some open-world games take a different approach. They leave out weapons entirely, and instead focus on things like discovering new places, moving around the world, solving puzzles, and enjoying the story.
These open-world games focus on exploration and discovery instead of fighting. You can solve puzzles, help people, or just enjoy the scenery, and the fun comes from being curious and figuring things out. If you want to explore a detailed world at your own speed without using weapons, these games offer a rewarding and immersive experience.
We’re concentrating on games that don’t rely on weapons, rather than those without any fighting at all. While Disco Elysium does have weapons, they aren’t used in the typical way. I also didn’t include Donkey Kong Bananza because it was hard to say if it really fit – Donkey Kong can pick up and throw things, which could be considered using a weapon.
Outer Wilds
A Self-Contained Galaxy Where Players Can Go Wherever They Want
Outer Wilds is a unique open-world game that deserves attention. Instead of collecting items, you gather knowledge as you explore a small solar system. This information is key to unraveling a central mystery: a sun exploding and a repeating 22-minute time loop, and it’s how you progress through the game.
What truly sets Outer Wilds apart is the freedom it gives players. You’re given minimal guidance, allowing you to explore, investigate, and piece together the game’s mysteries at your own pace, creating a unique experience. Importantly, the game focuses on exploration and discovery, completely foregoing combat and weaponry, which would feel unnatural within its world.
Eastshade
Focuses On Simple Exploration And Helping People Out
If you’re looking for a relaxing and heartwarming game where you play as a painter, Eastshade is a great choice. You’ll explore a beautiful fantasy world filled with talking animals and have the opportunity to help them. The game lets you simply wander, explore, and uncover secrets at your own pace, without any pressure or violence. It’s more than just a walking simulator, though – there are things to discover and puzzles to solve!
Eastshade isn’t for everyone – its relaxed pace might not appeal to those seeking fast-action gameplay. However, if you’re looking for a peaceful, open-world experience centered around exploration and painting, it’s a unique and focused game that delivers exactly that.
Sable
A Relaxing Sandbox Game With A Focus On Exploration
Sable offers straightforward gameplay where you explore a large desert landscape on a hoverbike. You play as a character completing a special ritual, which mainly involves traveling around to find a mask. This mask is key to proving her worth to her people.
What truly sets this game apart is its blend of puzzle-solving, exciting platforming, and a touching story about growing up. While there’s a little bit of pressure at times, Sable is mostly a peaceful and thoughtful experience focused on self-discovery.
A Short Hike
A Small, Simple Open-World Game About Climbing A Mountain
If you’re looking for a cozy, small-scale open-world game with a heartfelt story – one that isn’t about saving the world or battling hordes of enemies – you should check out A Short Hike. You play as Claire, who’s just arrived at a park and wants to hike to the summit to get cell service. While that might seem simple, there’s a meaningful reason behind her journey. Along the way, she learns to appreciate the present moment and the beauty around her.
In A Short Hike, players collect golden feathers to upgrade their character’s climbing, flying, and jumping skills. They need these upgrades to reach the top of a mountain and get cellphone service. The game is short and relaxing, creating a comforting and peaceful experience – it’s one of the most calming open-world games available.
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Grow Home (And Grow Up)
An Ubisoft Open-World Game Without Any Weapons Whatsoever
Ubisoft is known for its action-packed, weapon-filled open-world games, and that’s perfectly fine. But Ubisoft Reflections created two unique games focused on movement instead of fighting, and both were excellent. I especially enjoyed Grow Home, but Grow Up is just as good. The core idea is simple: you climb, glide, and sometimes fall as you travel between floating islands.
In Grow Home, players have complete freedom to choose their own path. Exploring the world driven by curiosity creates a truly memorable experience, and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment as your character learns new skills, gains better movement options, and helps the central plant grow.
The Witness
Explore The World And Find Puzzles To Solve
Created by the makers of Braid, The Witness is a puzzle game designed to challenge players’ minds. You’ll explore an island packed with tricky puzzles that require careful thinking and perseverance. While the island is divided into distinct areas, it’s still an open world, though the game offers a little more guidance than many similar games.
The Witness is ideal for players who love exploring while solving puzzles, particularly those who prefer a combat-free experience. The game’s open world is packed with distinctive puzzles that can be challenging, but figuring them out is incredibly rewarding when the solution suddenly clicks.
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
A Zen Open-World Game About Saving A Nature Reserve
While the game Alba: A Wildlife Adventure presents a problem for its main character to solve, it mostly feels like a peaceful, open-world experience – and it’s just as calming as that sounds. You’ll spend time exploring a lovely island, but you soon discover that a planned luxury hotel threatens to destroy the local nature reserve.
Naturally, the hero of the story is passionate about protecting the environment and works to get the townspeople on board. This creates a relaxing and enjoyable experience for players, who’ll appreciate the game’s beautiful art style and the friendly characters they meet along the way.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles
A Fun Adventure Where Players Capture Sprites To Clear The Murk
So, I got shipwrecked on this island called Gemea, and it’s totally covered in this gross, dark stuff called the Murk. Luckily, the way to fix things is pretty straightforward – I just need to collect a bunch of these little creatures called Sprites to clear out all the corruption. It’s basically a Sprite-collecting adventure to save the island!
This charming game begins an exciting journey where players try their best to protect a beautiful island from a spreading darkness called the Murk. Unlike many open-world games with violence and harsh settings, Yonder offers a peaceful, weapon-free experience that’s enjoyable for everyone.
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2026-02-04 01:35