2026 is shaping up to be a big year for fans of indie open-world games, with smaller studios building large worlds to test the adventure, action, and survival instincts of players. The next generation of indie open-world titles puts freedom first, but not the empty kind. Travel takes effort, survival systems demand attention, and progress often comes from understanding the land, the tools, and the risks involved.
Biggest Upcoming Open-World Games With Historical Settings
From Ancient China to the early 2000s culture of America, these upcoming historical open-world games are experiences to look out for.
These worlds ask players to observe, plan, and adapt rather than rush forward. These upcoming indie open-world games show how much the genre has grown. They prove that big ideas do not need massive teams and budgets to feel meaningful.
Permafrost
Battling the Cold And Everything That Comes With It
- Set on a frozen Earth, forcing players to constantly manage cold, hunger, and exhaustion to survive.
- Supports online co-op for four players and features a companion dog that helps carry items and warn of nearby dangers.
Imagine a version of Earth where the moon has been torn apart, leaving the planet trapped in a never-ending winter. This is basically the premise of Permafrost. In this icy apocalypse, players have to constantly manage cold, hunger, and exhaustion levels to avoid a quick death. Permafrost also supports online cooperative play for up to four players. This allows groups to divide tasks like scavenging, hunting, and building, while also sharing warmth and safety.
Best Open-World Games That Let You Hunt To Survive
Making it through these open-world games doesn't come down to questing and exploration. Players will need to hunt for food and materials, too.
One of the most notable mechanics is the companion dog. The developers confirm the dog can help carry items and alert players to nearby dangers, giving both practical utility and emotional support to the experience. The journey involves more than just shivering in the dark with a pet companion. As the game progresses, players can begin to reclaim the world by fixing up old items and constructing sturdy shelters that can withstand the weather. Toplitz Production, the developers of Permafrost, have confirmed that the survival adventure game will be released for Early Access on PC in 2026, though a specific launch date has not yet been announced.
Outbound
Driving Through Utopia
- A camper van that acts as a mobile sanctuary.
- Players can personalize the interior with decorations and even grow small crops on the roof while traveling solo or with a team of three friends across a cozy open world.
Outbound is an open-world exploration and crafting game centered on life on the road rather than survival through danger. The game is set in a bright, peaceful future where humanity lives sustainably alongside nature. Instead of giving players a fixed home, Outbound revolves around a camper van that acts as a fully customizable mobile base. The van is the core of the entire experience. Players live inside it, upgrade it, and rely on it for travel, crafting, and energy storage. It’s also pretty cool that the game uses renewable energy from sources like the sun and wind to keep the vehicle running.
Best Open-World Games Great For Exploring By Car
Exploring these open worlds from behind the wheel is an absolute joy thanks to the beautiful scenery, tight driving mechanics, and more.
The open world is designed to feel calm and inviting. Players can freely drive through different regions and biomes, stopping wherever they want to explore, gather materials, or simply enjoy the environment. There is no fixed path or urgency pushing the player forward. The focus is on curiosity, relaxation, and self-directed exploration. Customization is a major pillar of Outbound. Players can rearrange the van’s interior, place furniture, decorate living spaces, and expand functionality as new tools are unlocked. The roof of the van can also be used creatively, including growing small crops and plants. Outbound supports solo play and cooperative multiplayer with up to four players. Friends can share one journey together, helping manage resources, decorating the van, and exploring the world as a group. All in all, Outbound is basically a cozy, open-world game set in a vehicle for those looking for something fun and relaxing to play.
Erosion
Time Never Stops, Even In Death
- Every time a player fails and dies, the game world jumps forward ten years into the future.
- Players explore a massive wasteland to find a kidnapped daughter.
Erosion introduces a concept rarely seen, which is a world that fundamentally shifts every time the player fails. This title mixes open-world exploration with roguelike and time-shift mechanics. The story follows a parent searching for a kidnapped daughter who has been taken into a mysterious structure known as the Pillar. What sets Erosion apart is how failure directly reshapes the world rather than resetting it. When a player dies, the game does not reload the past. Instead, the world takes a leap forward by ten years. This time shift changes towns, characters, factions, and environments. Some settlements may grow, decay, or disappear entirely.
The world itself is a large wasteland filled with settlements, ruins, and dangerous zones. Players can freely explore, take on quests, interact with factions, and uncover optional stories scattered across the map. Alongside the open world, the game includes dungeon-style areas that lean into roguelike design, offering high-risk encounters with rewards. Combat and progression are supported by a wide range of weapons and abilities. The voxel-based environment is fully destructible, meaning terrain damage is persistent and directly tied to player actions. Destruction is not visual only; it alters how areas function long-term. Erosion is planned for the Spring of 2026, according to Lyrical Games.
Free Stars: Children of Infinity
Build, Customize, And Command Spaceships Across The Galaxy
- Space-faring adventure game where players explore an open galaxy full of systems, planets, alien life, and stories.
- Sequel to The Ur-Quan Masters, with starship combat, interaction with alien species, and optional multiplayer modes like co-op and competitive matches.
Free Stars: Children of Infinity invites players into a broad universe that continues the story begun in The Ur-Quan Masters. It is developed by Pistol Shrimp Games, a team that includes the original creators of the earlier series. The game places players in the seat of a starship captain navigating a vast galaxy filled with star systems and alien species. Free Stars: Children of Infinity is a space exploration game first and foremost. So players can travel freely between systems, visit planets, and encounter a wide range of alien civilizations.
Open-World Space Games That You Can Explore In First Person
These are the best open-world space games with first-person exploration for immersive sci-fi adventures, ship piloting, and planetary discovery.
However, Free Stars: Children of Infinity goes beyond just exploration. Players can build, customize, and command multiple ships, each with distinct strengths and roles. Combat uses a top-down perspective inspired by classic arcade space battles, with an emphasis on positioning, weapon timing, and ship abilities. While the main experience is single-player, optional multiplayer modes are planned, including cooperative and competitive play. Free Stars: Children of Infinity is planned for release in 2026. It is positioned as both a continuation of a classic series and a modern open-world space game built around player freedom.
Outward 2
Stand The Test of Hunger, Thirst, Fatigue, and the Elements
- Players have to manage their hunger, thirst, fatigue, temperature, and the weather.
- Features refined combat with dodging, spellcasting, and two-handed weapon use, plus online and split-screen co-op.
Outward 2 continues the survival-focused RPG design of the original Outward. The game takes place in a dangerous fantasy world where players begin as ordinary people rather than chosen heroes. Preparation and planning are more important than raw power, and the environment can be as threatening as enemies. Survival systems are deeply integrated in Outward 2. Hunger, thirst, fatigue, temperature, and weather all affect movement, combat effectiveness, and decision-making. Traveling under certain weather conditions or without enough supplies can lead to serious setbacks, forcing players to retreat or adapt rather than pushing forward blindly.
The open world encourages exploration with the guidance of a map. But players can’t rely on fast traveling or vehicles, or animals to find their way around. Combat has been refined while staying grounded. Players can use melee weapons, ranged attacks, and magic, as well as perform dodges, spellcasting, and handle dual weapons. Outward 2 supports both online co-op and split-screen play. Friends can travel together, share resources, and survive as a team. The developers of Outward 2, Nine Dots Studio, conducted a playtest for the game in December 2025, with another scheduled for early 2026, while the game itself is expected to be released around Q3 of 2026.
Say Hello To The Next 5 Big Upcoming Open-World Co-Op Games
From relaxing sandboxes to action RPGs, these upcoming open-world co-op games will let you explore massive realms with your friends.