Which Open-World Game Should You Play Next?

Open-world games are a huge category with many different types of gameplay. Some players enjoy building and surviving in games like Minecraft and ICARUS, while others prefer story-driven action RPGs such as Cyberpunk 2077 or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Open-world games have become incredibly popular over the past twenty years, meaning there are tons of options available. If you’re still excited about exploring large game worlds, here’s a list of suggestions. We’ll be looking at different types of open-world games, not just specific titles.

If You’re Into Survival Games And Crafting

These Games Will Challenge Your Wits And Creativity

Survival and crafting games are incredibly popular, and many of them take place in large, open worlds. You’ll typically need to find a safe place to build a base and gather resources to survive. These games offer a lot of freedom in how you overcome challenges. While classics like Minecraft and Terraria are well-known, here are some other options if you’re looking for something new, even if you find the easier settings difficult.

Green Hell: Against venomous frogs, dangerous predators, and hostile locals, you need to survive and thrive by building a shelter and ensuring you receive all four nutrients in order to not start losing your mind.
Satisfactory: An open-world environment to build your very own factory. Automate processes, gather resources, and go as deep as you like in this sandbox game that will appeal to fans of games like Factorio.
ICARUS: Survive on a hostile planet where terraforming didn’t go exactly according to plan. You’ll face environmental hazards and predators in this game that also comes with story missions.
The Long Dark: A winter survival game in the freezing cold wilderness where you need to hunt for food, tend to your needs, and make sure you don’t get cabin fever.

If You Like An Action-Packed Shooter

There Won’t Be A Dull Moment

If you’re an FPS enthusiast looking for a sprawling open-world experience, you’re in luck! While some believe linear games offer tighter action, many open-world shooters deliver fantastic gameplay. A great one needs satisfying and fluid gunfights, plenty of different enemies to challenge you, and a compelling story to keep you engaged. If you’ve already enjoyed classics like Fallout: New Vegas and Borderlands, here are a few more open-world shooters you might want to check out.

Cyberpunk 2077: A visually stunning, action-packed dive into a futuristic, dystopian Night City where you play as a mercenary known as V. Ride vehicles, complete side hustles, and build V into anything from a cyberninja to a strong, melee-based solo.
STALKER 2: The latest in the STALKER series, take on the role of Skif, a stalker on a mission in the dangerous Zone full of anomalies, mutants, and warring factions. Get ready to fight tooth and nail for survival and scarce resources.
Fallout 4: Bethesda’s most recent take on its atompunk Fallout universe, the fourth installment sets you into the Boston area known as the Commonwealth, where you need to find your missing son, but keep getting distracted by side quests.
Far Cry 5: The franchise’s fifth game drops you into Montana, on the site of an over-the-top cult that rules the area. In true franchise fashion, you get a hefty variety of weapons and vehicles to mess around with.

If You’re Not Afraid Of A Dash Of Horror

Not For The Faint Of Heart

Looking for something a little spooky? Many open-world games offer tense and atmospheric horror elements, even if they aren’t strictly horror games. Be prepared for potentially scary and stressful moments! Whether you enjoy intense zombie survival like in 7 Days to Die (which is a fantastic game, by the way!), or prefer a more subtle sense of dread, you’ll find plenty to satisfy your craving for thrills.

The Forest: A plane crash separates you from your son in a strange forest with some extremely unwelcoming locals. Heavy survival crafting gameplay is included here.
Subnautica: Crashlanding on a water planet, you need to find a way to survive and escape by diving into the depths for resources. Better gear means you get to dive deeper, but do you dare?
Dying Light: Kyle Crane is dropped into Harran, a city overrun by the infected. Known for its impeccable traversal gameplay in the form of parkour, it’s a gold standard game among zombie titles that was clearly ahead of its time.
Project Zomboid: A tense and deep survival zombie game in Knox Country, where you, as the sole survivor, need to gather resources and live as long as possible. A charming, isometric game to tickle that nostalgia bone.

If You’d Like To Explore Planets And Stars

We’ll See You Starside

Creating a truly vast and captivating space experience in science fiction games is surprisingly difficult. Many games attempt it, but few fully capture the feeling of limitless exploration. If you enjoy discovering new worlds, visiting alien planets, and piloting spaceships – perhaps while building and collecting items – the following games might be perfect for you. For a captivating, story-driven sci-fi experience, Outer Wilds is highly recommended, but if you’ve already played that, here are some other options to explore different kinds of space adventures.

No Man’s Sky: Arguably one of the best and most vast space exploration games. A highly customizable experience in a sandbox, you can become and do whatever you’d like, from building your own base to flying around freely.
Planet Crafter: A base-building and crafting game about turning an otherwise hostile planet into a livable environment through terraforming efforts. Turn those deserts into lush grass fields. Bonus points for inviting your friends along for co-op.
Starfield: Bethesda’s procedural generation and space travel is decent fun, paired with some classic RPG features of faction quests and a mysterious main quest that has you exploring the universe’s deepest secrets.
Astroneer: Survive, build, and shape your environment in this cutesy and colorful space exploration game. There’s a bit of everything here, from factory-like automation to resource gathering to base-building. An unbeatable wombo-combo.

If A Good Story Is What You’re Really After

Bring Your Tissues, It’s About To Get Emotional

If you really care about a game’s story and world-building, you’ll find plenty of options in open-world games. We’ve already mentioned a few story-rich titles, like Cyberpunk 2077, so be sure to look back at those suggestions. But if you want truly unforgettable narratives, these open-world games will keep you hooked with their characters, twists, and turns – and they’ll likely stay with you long after you finish playing.

Red Dead Redemption 2: Witness the changes in a fictional Old West through the lens of Arthur Morgan and his gang of fellow outlaws. Rockstar Games doesn’t spare you from emotions and detail in this deeply personal story with fantastic side quests.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Inspired and based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series, the third game in the series is more beautiful, deeper, and vaster in every way possible. Follow Geralt as he chases after his adoptive daughter Ciri.
Ghost of Tsushima: Follow the aftermath of a Mongol attack on his home, Jin Sakai is the sole survivor, determined to liberate his home and start anew. Not just an emotional story, but a world that will have you gasping at its beauty.
Horizon Zero Dawn: Aloy’s tale begins in a world ravaged by an apocalyptic event that has left its people in survival mode against machines that roam the lands. The game’s lore and the world’s beauty are some of its greatest highlights.

If You Enjoy A Medieval Fantasy World

Swords And Shields, Magic And Mystery

If you love open-world medieval fantasy games, you’ve probably already played the popular Elder Scrolls series, like Morrowind and Skyrim. If you’re looking for something new in this genre, you’ll find some great options here. Whether you want a fantastical world with lots of character customization or a more realistic experience, we’ve got you covered.

Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon: Drawing inspiration from Arthurian legends, this game is often cited as the next to try after Skyrim. Just prepare for somewhat tougher enemies, and a world that’s a dash darker than you might be used to.
Enshrouded: A great middleground for players who like some survival and crafting on the side, Enshrouded delivers that with plenty of magic and combat in a world tainted by a mysterious Shroud.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance: The first and second installments put you in Henry’s shoes in a medieval world that’s staggeringly deep and beautiful. You won’t find deeper and more realistic swordplay than this.
Elden Ring: If you seek true challenge and might, FromSoftware’s open-world RPG is the perfect nose-dive into a gorgeous but brutally difficult fantasy world where you are a Tarnished seeking glory.

2026-03-23 02:26