Summary
- Open-world games come in varying levels of difficulty and complexity, catering to both casual and challenging gameplay preferences.
- RimWorld, Elin, and Kenshi are examples of open-world games with deep, complex systems and mechanics, offering unique and rewarding experiences.
- Games like Project Zomboid, Caves of Qud, and Dwarf Fortress provide steep learning curves and in-depth survival or management aspects, making them challenging but engaging open-world titles.
The open-world genre of games is diverse and can offer many different levels of difficulty, themes, and overall experiences. Some gamers prefer slower and casual adventures, with little in the way of threats, dangers, or complexity, to sit back and relax while playing.
6 Best Open World Games That Don't Hold Your Hand, Ranked
These open-world games refuse to guide you, as getting lost is the point. From STALKER to Morrowind, they reward the bold and punish the careless.
But at the other end of this vast, interesting genre lie many options for those who seek a bit more of a challenge. Open-world games that set themselves apart by having systems, mechanics, and overall gameplay that are deep, complex, and often quite difficult to grasp at first.
1 RimWorld
The Open-World, Colony Sim Set In Space
RimWorld
- Released
- October 17, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
RimWorld has been one of the most popular open-world, colony sim games on Steam for years and has an overwhelmingly positive review score to prove just why.
RimWorld: 23 Tips For Base Building
In order to create a top-tier base in RimWorld, players should be sure to utilize these helpful tips and tricks.
Taking place in the vast expanses of space, players get to manage a growing group of crash-landed survivors on a distant, randomly-generated planet, but the unique setting is just the tip of the RimWorld iceberg. What starts as seemingly basic building and crafting quickly broadens into full-on colony management, with deep and complex systems relating to the population, climate, disease, and much more. Giving players the freedom to run and manage their colony in whatever way they see fit, with near-endless possibilities.
2 Elin
A JRPG, City-Builder & Colony Management Game All At The Same Time
Elin
- Developer(s)
- Lafrontier
WHERE TO PLAY
- Number of Players
- 1
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, JRPG, Dungeon Crawler, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PC
Elin has flown under the radar since it came to Steam in late 2024, and while it may seem like a bit of a love letter to classic JRPGs, its overall concept is completely different.
The game lets the player establish their own settlement from next to nothing, building the town, welcoming citizens, and watching the population grow and even change. Managing the population, crafting, and building all have a considerable amount of depth, but perhaps one of the most interesting details is how the game changes over time. Elin’s world operates on a schedule, with NPCs forming friendships, rivalries, and even families independent of any actions by the player. It makes for a unique and refreshing experience, making citizens feel almost like real people instead of just NPCs to manage.
3 Kenshi
An Open-World, Post-Apocalyptic RPG With Endless Possibilities
Kenshi
- Released
- December 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Open-World, Survival
- Platform(s)
- PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Kenshi is another indie open-world title on Steam that has gathered some pretty high praise over the years for both its unique post-apocalyptic setting, along with its deep management and RPG elements.
8 Reasons Why You Should Play Kenshi
Kenshi offers a desolate open-world survival experience. Here are some great reasons why you should play this unique game.
The game itself has no true objective, dropping players into the open world with a blank wasteland slate to forge their own path. One of the things it’s become known for is its complex, often harsh and unforgiving mechanics, managing many aspects of their character(s), avoiding or engaging with enemies, tending to hunger and health conditions. The list truly goes on and on, making Kenshi one of the most freeing and difficult open-world titles out there with all its depth and complexity.
4 Project Zomboid
Isometric Zombie Survival
Project Zomboid
- Released
- November 8, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- The Indie Stone
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC
Project Zomboid has been one of the most popular open-world zombie-survival titles on Steam ever since its release in 2013, commonly known for having a pretty steep learning curve due to its in-depth survival systems.
Dropped into the zombie-infested Knox County, Kentucky, with the simple goal of surviving, a task that may sound straightforward but proves to be anything but. Scavenging for weapons and crafting materials, avoiding the undead, and the pretty complex management of many character aspects, like vitals, illness, and even mental health. Project Zomboid may not be for everyone, considering how deep its management aspects can get, but those seeking a real challenge in the open-world survival genre can’t go wrong with this title.
5 Caves Of Qud
A Classic Roguelike With A Retro Style
Caves Of Qud
- Released
- July 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Caves of Qud combines the in-depth gameplay and pixel art graphics of retro roguelike games with an interesting sci-fi fantasy theme and setting.
Caves of Qud: Beginner Tips and Tricks
Here are a few of the most important things every new player should know before setting out in Caves of Qud.
The design of this unique open-world RPG takes inspiration from other roguelike classics, featuring procedural world generation, optional perma-death, and, of course, the true-to-form pixel art visuals. The same traditional roguelike concepts are what make Caves of Qud such a distinctively deep experience, especially with combat. There are near-endless options for character building, like adding bizarre genetic mutations or cybernetic implants, with different combinations for different styles of gameplay. Coupled with the depth and freedom of choice given to the player in almost every part of the game, no two playthroughs of Caves of Qud will ever be the same with its level of complexity.
6 Dwarf Fortress
Who Knew Managing A Fortress Full Of Dwarves Would Be So Complex?
Dwarf Fortress
- Released
- August 8, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Strategy, Simulation
- Platform(s)
- Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Dwarf Fortress is a difficult game to describe, providing an interesting mixture of open-world roguelike, colony, and construction sim all bundled into one game. And despite being released in 2022, its roots go back to a two-person development team in the early 2000s.
With a concept as unique as managing a fortress inhabited by dwarves, it may be natural to expect some level of complexity to go along with it. The systems and mechanics in Dwarf Fortress are intentionally deep, managing the colony right down to the specific needs and personality of each individual inhabitant. The world is randomly generated every time, with each land having its unique histories and civilizations, making it yet another open-world title with near-endless replayability with how different each experience can be.
8 Most Complex Open World Games, Ranked
These are some of the most complicated open-world titles to play.