Summary
- Dungeons of Hinterberg offers short, thrilling dungeon-crawling sessions, perfect for quick play.
- Dredge provides a unique fishing experience with beautiful visuals and a relaxed pace.
- Minecraft's limitless sandbox world allows for endless creativity and play, alone or with others.
The open-world genre holds an array of titles that keep players hooked for countless hours at a time and transform video game sessions into immersive experiences akin to those in the real world. However, sometimes it is nice to hop in for a short while, fight some bad guys, and still experience the joy of traversing these expertly crafted worlds without a huge time commitment.
Best Open-World Games, Ranked
Open-world games give players a ton of freedom to work with. These titles have stood out the most over the years.
Many games demand constant attention and focus on their story, rewarding those who remember specific narrative beats and those grinding out higher gear tiers. Thankfully, there are plenty of open worlds to be explored that can be experienced at a slower pace without detracting from the overall experience, whether it's taking on mighty dragons or clearing another city district of the scum that roams the streets.
8 Dungeons Of Hinterburg
Dungeon-Crawling In The Austrian Alps
Dungeons of Hinterberg
- Released
- July 18, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Puzzle, Hack and Slash
Quite the adventure and perfect for short sessions, Dungeons of Hinterberg thrusts players into the snowy green alps and pits them against slimy and aggressive foes ranging from slithering balls to gigantic snakes.
A breakout indie title and one to pick up, jumping into Dungeons of Hinterburg is quick and easy, with the gameplay revolving around clearing dungeons of various difficulties and challenges. Each dungeon takes no more than 30 minutes to complete, and there is plenty of exploration and a bunch of characters to get to know over time.
7 Dredge
Lovecraftian Fish And Mysterious Locals
Dredge
- Released
- March 31, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
What a unique and special game. Dredge enters a lofty category of exceptional indie games, providing a very simplistic yet immersive fishing experience with an art style that is both gritty and beautiful at the same time. Each trip out into the sea feels different, and, much like in real life, time is limited, so be sure to head back to shore before nightfall comes.
There is so much to uncover in Dredge, from the long list of sea-life aberrations that lie under the water to the little trinkets and story beats that keep the game feeling fresh on each visit to a new area. It really can be played at any pace. With the whole story taking less than 10 hours to complete, there is no rush and no pressure to do things quickly or in a certain way. The world is meant to be explored casually, even if the dangers that inhabit it are nothing to scoff at.
6 Hogwarts Legacy
The Wonderful Wizarding World
Hogwarts Legacy
- Released
- February 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
It is every Harry Potter fan's dream to become a wizard themselves and learn spells at Hogwarts. Well, Hogwarts Legacy is the closest this dream has ever been to reality, allowing pretty much the entire wizarding experience to be played out inside the walls of Hogwarts castle and into the skies and beyond.
Quests, puzzles, enemies, and more await around every corner, some taking just a moment of time to complete and others requiring a bit more investment. At no point does it feel drawn out or boring, as the player can stop at any point in time and pick up their wand where they left it.
5 InFAMOUS: Second Son
Elemental Combat In The Heart Of Seattle
inFAMOUS Second Son
- Released
- March 21, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
This is the third entry in a cult favorite series with some amazing visuals and fantastic combat variety. InFAMOUS: Second Son builds on a lot of the strengths of the first two games and spins off the universe into a standalone ride that any gamer can enjoy.
8 Open-World Games With The Best Introductions, Ranked
These open-world games waste no time in introducing players to a lasting first impression that shows them the good time they're in for.
With a wide-open city to explore, there are so many side-quests to complete, civilians to save, and details to be uncovered. The joy comes from the different choices that the player can make, impacting which abilities can be unlocked—whether good or bad—and there is no need to sit down for hours as each mission can be tackled in a short amount of time and returned to at any point.
4 Far Cry 6
Dictate The Dictatorship
Far Cry 6
- Released
- October 6, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
Another entry in the Far Cry catalog sees players tackling the rule of a vicious leader in the Carribean, fighting militia and acquiring a diverse arsenal of weaponry to take on enemy groups and save the locals from their oppression.
Far Cry has always been a great series for jam-packed worlds of Easter Eggs, small collectibles, missions, and more, and Far Cry 6 is no different. Sometimes, a play session can simply involve running around and picking up hidden items, while another could lead the player on a full-blown explosive onslaught. The options are endless.
3 Cyberpunk 2077
Take On Night City
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
CD Project Red does it again. If The Witcher series didn't hit the right notes, then how about taking all that award-winning game design and thrusting it into a sci-fi city full of cyber augmentations, robots, and a truckload of guns?
The developer's ability to create and fill a world with so much passion and content is remarkable, and fighting through groups of enemies and bosses with modifications and weaponry straight out of a science fiction dream is exciting and satisfying every time Cyberpunk 2077 boots up.
2 Firewatch
Atmospheric And Emotional
Firewatch
- Released
- February 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Suggestive Themes, Nudity, Drug and Alcohol Reference, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
A special game and a delight that can be experienced in a very short time, Firewatch puts players in charge of a watch tower, surveying the surroundings for potential fires, but it quite quickly becomes so much more.
31 Best Walking Simulators That Everyone Should Play
Walking simulators are an acquired taste, but newcomers to the genre or veterans looking for something new to play should check out these games.
Exploring the seemingly empty yet living, breathing world has a feeling like no other, as the player is incredibly alone in the forest but guided and spoken to over their radio, giving a sense of companionship despite their solitary adventure. It is a game about family and love, and by the end of its short runtime, more than a few tears will be falling. Thankfully, after completing the game, a free roam mode becomes available, allowing players to explore the vast forest however they choose.
1 Minecraft
Anything Is Possible In A World Of Blocks
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
The classic sandbox that has defined an entire generation of video games, Minecraft wasted no time in revolutionizing how players interact and play games on a global scale, providing an incredibly simplistic and accessible premise and setting the only limit as the individual player's imagination.
Mine for precious minerals and return to the surface to construct castles, airships, and entire civilizations, or be happy in a modest dirt hut if that gives enough satisfaction. The game's success comes from the ability to play alone or with others and do anything and everything that comes to mind, even if that's making a quaint forest house with a pleasant flowery garden in a single evening.
8 Best Open-World Games That Have Almost No RPG Mechanics, Ranked
For players who love open-world games but don't want to feel overwhelmed with complex RPG mechanics, these are the titles to try out.