Games That Let You Play However You Want

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Gamers now have much more freedom in the games they play. While older games often followed a single, set path, that’s now just one option among many, and doesn’t suit all players.

Players today often prefer games that let them explore and make their own choices, rather than following a strict storyline. If you enjoy that kind of freedom, the games listed here are excellent choices.

Minecraft

The Ultimate Sandbox

Minecraft is a truly limitless sandbox game. Released by Mojang Studios in 2011, it places you in a unique, randomly created world and lets your creativity run wild – especially with all the new features added over time.

In Minecraft, you can do almost anything you imagine – from building a home and crafting powerful tools to raising animals, battling monsters, and playing with friends. It’s a game where creativity truly comes to life.

RimWorld

A Sci-Fi Story Generator

RimWorld is a colony simulator that stands out by calling itself a “story generator.” Developed by Ludeon Studios, the game lets players create their own narratives, similar to Minecraft, but it also features an AI that acts as a storyteller. This AI observes your actions and throws unexpected events your way, tailoring the experience to your colony and its inhabitants to keep things interesting.

RimWorld is a deeply engaging game with a lot to offer – from diverse landscapes and essential survival challenges, to combat, trading, building, and much more. Players often find themselves spending hundreds, even thousands, of hours lost in its world.

Kenshi

A Post-Apocalyptic World to Find Your Place In

Kenshi, from Lo-Fi Games, is a unique RPG where you control a squad. What sets it apart is its lack of direction – it doesn’t hold your hand, which many players who enjoy truly open, free-form games appreciate.

Kenshi drops you into a harsh, post-apocalyptic world where just staying alive is a constant struggle. You begin with no special abilities, but can become anything from a farmer or trader to a fighter, thief, or even a slave – depending on the choices you make and how careful you are.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Bethesda’s Masterpiece Is Still Worth a New Playthrough

“Hey, you. You’re finally awake.” This line is instantly recognizable to many gamers, likely because countless players have heard it each time they start a new playthrough. While Skyrim does have a main story and specific quests, players aren’t required to follow them. Even if they do, how they complete those quests can vary greatly depending on how they’ve developed their character.

For a lot of players, the real fun in Skyrim isn’t about completing the main story. Instead, they enjoy simply living a life within the game’s beautiful medieval world – things like building a home, trading goods, or pursuing a craft. Bethesda’s RPG offers a lot of freedom to create your own experience.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Use Your Imagination to Solve Puzzles and Defeat Enemies

When Breath of the Wild first came out, it was quickly hailed as one of the best games ever made. Like the original Legend of Zelda, it gave players incredible freedom to explore and complete objectives however they wanted. What really set it apart from other open-world games was its brilliantly crafted world, considered by many to be one of the most impressive in video game history.

While the first game was a huge hit, it created high expectations for its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. Luckily, Nintendo delivered! The new game greatly expands the world with extensive cave systems and really embraces player freedom. It gives you tons of tools and abilities to build weapons, vehicles, and all sorts of contraptions. This lets you approach challenges in almost endless ways, and finding your own solution can be even more rewarding than following the game’s intended path.

Hitman World of Assassination

Explosive Rubber Ducks, Homing Briefcases, Cannonballs, and More

You might think a game about a deadly clone assassin would be grim and intense, but the Hitman series is surprisingly playful. This focus on absurdity is a big reason why the missions are so enjoyable and have kept players coming back for years.

Hitman World of Assassination is the complete Hitman experience, combining the content from Hitman (2016), Hitman 2, and Hitman 3 into one great package. The game features fantastic, intricately designed missions with tons of ways to complete them – many with unique dialogue and cutscenes. You can go undercover as important people, use unusual weapons like a remote-controlled briefcase, or experiment with the game’s many other tools to find the most inventive and over-the-top solutions for each level.

The Sims 4

The Iconic Virtual Life Simulator Is Still Best in Class

The Sims is a popular video game series where players can create and control virtual lives – or just enjoy causing a little trouble for the characters who live them.

The Sims series started in 2000 with the original game, which quickly became the best-selling PC game ever, even outselling Myst within two years. While The Sims 4 came out in 2014, it’s still the latest installment, and frequent expansions and updates keep it a leading life simulation game.

Crusader Kings 3

Rule However You Choose

What truly sets Crusader Kings 3 apart from most strategy games is that it remains enjoyable even when things go wrong. Losing land, being dethroned, facing betrayal, falling into debt, or even your character’s death aren’t setbacks – they add to the experience. These events create dynamic consequences, interesting storylines, and opportunities to play as a new character, making failure just as compelling as success.

Unlike most strategy games where you command a nation or group, Crusader Kings 3 lets you play as individual characters and continue as their descendants after they die. This creates a uniquely personal experience and often leads to unforgettable stories.

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2025-12-02 11:36