The open-world genre is easily one of the most popular in gaming with players enjoying the freedom to create their own adventures. Many open-world games are known for their breathtaking beauty, but this does not necessarily mean they have to be the games with the best graphics.
Open-world games with completely unique art styles and aesthetics can instantly steal the hearts of players, throwing them into worlds that are designed like no other game. Whether these games have cute and cozy visuals or surprisingly dark undertones, the fact that they are unique is often enough to draw players in.
8 Minecraft
Minecraft's art style of everything being made out of simple blocks is arguably its most defining feature, and yet over the years, players have been able to create incredible environments and even complete games.
The simplicity of Minecraft's visuals allows players to run even the biggest worlds on their devices and helps keep the game grounded and lighthearted. The fact that the game is made out of blocks helps players learn to build and improve, no matter their skill level.
7 Valheim
Valheim is an open-world survival game with contrasting visuals as the characters and objects are fairly simple and pixillated, whereas the procedurally generated environments look more like moving watercolor paintings.
As Valheim is made up of biomes that get progressively harder, players get to experience multiple different aesthetics from vast swathes of meadows to snow-topped mountains and the ethereal Mistlands. As the world is sparsely populated, players are able to enjoy mostly unscarred landscapes.
6 Hyper Light Drifter
Modern pixel art games are often cute and cozy with aesthetics and settings to match. Hyper Light Drifter, however, is an open-world action-adventure RPG set in a dark yet vibrant land filled with violence and, of course, desired treasure.
The game's use of neon steampunk colors helps match the energy of the Drifter who players take control of, wielding technology lost to the ages. Hyper Light Drifter's unique visuals are matched by an equally intriguing and deep story that is full of pain.
5 Firewatch
Firewatch is one of the best relaxing slow-paced open-world games and keeps the emphasis on its intriguing story. It also features simple but refined cartoon-like graphics that somehow make every step in this walking simulator feel like a stroll through digital art.
The use of warm colors is a big standout in Firewatch and makes perfect sense given the theme of potential wildfires. With a supervisor only available over a handheld radio, this is a game where players are on their own in the wilderness, allowing them time to soak in the beauty.
4 No Man's Sky
As a procedurally generated space exploration game, it makes sense that No Man's Sky has a distinct aesthetic, and in fact, it is a major draw to newer players. No Man's Sky's soft rendering and serene color palette fit perfectly with the vibe of the game.
The game's colors and overall gameplay are so relaxing that No Man's Sky is considered one of the best games to play after a bad day. As players explore different planets, they will constantly come across new visuals and environments.
3 Sunset Overdrive
Sunset Overdrive is an open-world game with an incredibly stylized punk comic book aesthetic that instantly pops out of the screen, and impressively it has the gameplay to match. The post-apocalyptic world of Sunset City is thoroughly saturated with color, and both visual and sound effects are punctuated with comic book text.
Players can enjoy the unique art style of this open-world game at super-fast speeds as they make use of the game's satisfying air dashes and grinding traversal mechanics.
2 Don't Starve
Don't Starve is one of the best survival games of all time, and is well-known for its Tim Burton-style visuals that make the world equally creepy and whimsical at the same time. The 2D art of Don't Starve would be at home on the pages of any illustrated book and helps players believe they are part of a real story.
Players take on the role of a Gentleman Scientist, but without any further instructions, they must figure things out for themselves, lest they starve and fail to make it home from the strange world they have been trapped in. Like many of the best survival games, maps are randomly generated, making successive playthroughs equally entertaining.
1 Apotheon
Apotheon is an open-world action side-scroller with an emphasis on stealth, but the first thing players will notice is how its design is inspired by the paintings that decorate Ancient Greek vases. These incredibly unique visuals, within the gaming world at least, endear it to fans of historically inspired games.
In Apotheon, players must scale Mount Olympus and take down the Gods who have abandoned humanity, stealing their powers along the way. Every frame of the game could be a scene from a Greek vase and players will marvel as previously static figures come to life and take part in classical combat.