Games That Let You Be Whoever You Want

People play games for many reasons, but a common one is the desire to escape reality and feel powerful. It’s fun to create your own stories and explore open-ended games, especially when you can have a unique experience to share with others. While not all games offer this level of freedom, some are specifically designed to let you become anyone and forge your own path.

This collection includes different kinds of games. Some have strong storylines and restrictions, while others are open-ended, letting you explore and do almost anything you want. When deciding which games are best, I’ll be looking at how much you can customize your character and how much freedom you have to shape your own experience within the game’s world.

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

Be The Medieval Warrior You Want To Be

Ever wished you could live in the Middle Ages? Then you should check out Mount & Blade: Bannerlord 2. While it has quests and a story, the game truly lets you forge your own path. It’s incredibly rewarding to progress from a nobody to a powerful ruler – you can become anything you want, starting with absolutely nothing.

It’s really enjoyable to watch players choose their own adventures – some strive to conquer and rule vast empires, while others prefer a simpler life of protecting people and upholding justice. The large-scale, real-time battles are a major highlight. If you love history, this game is for you, but be prepared to invest time in mastering its combat and skill systems to succeed.

Kenshi

Build Your Own Story In A Cruel World

Let me start by saying that Kenshi is a challenging game, and while it offers incredible freedom, you’ll need patience and determination to overcome its harsh world. There are no helpful quest markers; you’re dropped into the game and left to forge your own path. It’s completely up to you to create your own story.

What kind of character do you want to create in this challenging fantasy world? Whether you play as a liberator or a ruthless villain, you’ll have to earn your progress. Nothing comes easy in this game – you’ll need to use strategy and put in time and effort just to survive basic encounters.

The Sims 4

Create Whoever, Do Whatever

It’s no surprise that The Sims franchise appears on this list. Let’s focus on The Sims 4, which has more expansion packs than any other game in the series. It’s a life simulation game where you can create countless unique Sims and place them in a variety of pre-built worlds. You can also customize those worlds and build up your neighborhoods with new families.

The game’s expansion packs add a lot of fun new features, like being able to follow your Sims to work, experience high school life, or even explore the paranormal. When you combine that with mods and custom content, the possibilities in The Sims 4 are nearly endless. I might be a little crazy, but I love downloading violent mods and taking revenge on anyone who tries to enforce neighborhood rules!

Everything

Every Object And Being Is The Main Character

Everything is a truly unique game, and it absolutely earns its place on this list thanks to its incredible concept. It lets you be absolutely anything you can imagine – an animal, a plant, even a rock, or a simple form of life from the early universe. In Everything, the possibilities are endless.

The gameplay isn’t overly complex, but experiencing the game’s universe alongside its narration is surprisingly calming and even meditative. It’s definitely not for all players, but if you’re looking for something different and unique to play, I recommend giving this strange, immersive, and surprisingly insightful game a try.

Fallout: New Vegas

Immensely Vast RPG Options

I often talk about how great Fallout: New Vegas is, and I really think Obsidian Entertainment created something special that will be hard to replicate in RPGs for years to come, though Baldur’s Gate 3 has come close. Like other Fallout games, it puts you in a dangerous, post-apocalyptic world, but this time you have a personal mission: you play as the Courier, who was robbed and left for dead, and you’re out to find out why.

Even though the game starts with some limitations on your character, I still wanted to highlight it because of the incredible freedom it offers in defining your Courier. It’s a truly excellent RPG, offering meaningful choices directly tied to your skills and stats. Every action has consequences, and the game world constantly reacts to your behavior, tracking your reputation. You can choose to be ruthless and ally with dangerous groups like the Powder Gangers, or be a charismatic hero who resolves conflicts peacefully and helps everyone you meet. You could even play a character with very low intelligence, struggling to communicate. Despite being an older game, the sheer number of options is impressive, and hopefully, we’ll see a fantastic remaster soon.

inZOI

Create Anyone, In Highly Realistic Style

KRAFTON’s inZOI is a really exciting contender to The Sims, and that’s great to see. Even if the game doesn’t fully come to fruition, it’s bound to push the life simulation genre forward with some healthy competition. While making these kinds of games is tough, inZOI has already impressed in its early stages. It boasts an incredibly detailed character creation system – you can easily spend hours perfecting your Zoi with all the customization options available.

With the addition of early modifications, like more hairstyle options, this game is incredibly immersive. The character creation in Zoi is also really detailed, letting you create a character that truly reflects your vision. While the game currently has some limitations regarding locations and jobs, the direction it’s heading is promising, and I recommend watching inZOI closely in 2026.

Elden Ring

The Tarnished Is Whoever And Whatever You Want Them To Be

Like many games, Elden Ring defines a core identity for your character – you’re always the Tarnished, no matter how you customize their appearance or starting skills. However, the game offers incredible freedom in how you play. With a massive selection of weapons, armor, abilities, spells, and especially with the new content from the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, there are endless ways to build and personalize your character.

What I love about Elden Ring is how you can really build your character around anything you find – a cool spell, a powerful weapon, whatever! That’s where the game’s freedom shines. Sure, there are different paths and choices that lead to specific endings, but for me, it’s the deep character customization and being able to specialize that really lets you decide what kind of Tarnished you want to be.

Baldur’s Gate 3

One Of The Deepest And Diverse RPG Experiences

Man, Baldur’s Gate 3 is something special – it just clicked. You start with this whole thing where you’ve got a Mindflayer tadpole in your brain, which kicks off the main story, but honestly, it’s what happens around that which is amazing. Your character’s race, class, what you’re good at – all of it really changes how the story unfolds. I love that you can talk your way out of fights, or even turn enemies into allies! You can totally play as a ‘bad guy’ if you want, and the game doesn’t judge you for it. It’s all about making choices and seeing where they lead.

Alternatively, you can be a true hero, finishing every task and overcoming all obstacles. And with one of the best character customization systems ever seen in a video game, you have the tools to do it. It’s the perfect way to live out a Dungeons & Dragons adventure, and I’m convinced you’ll agree.

2026-01-17 14:39