There are all manner of open-world games out on the market, and many of them take place in beautifully realized fantasy worlds. The environments of The Elder Scrolls games, such as Skyrim, are known for their deep worlds, fantasy creatures, and hidden locations that reward exploration.
Best Open World Indie Games
Players who enjoy exploring open worlds shouldn't miss out on the following indie gems.
Due to their nature as large-scale projects, open-world games are few and far between in the indie scene. However, with the evolution of game development and the increasing popularity of indie games, more indie teams are taking on the often monumental task of creating an open world. Many developers achieve this through low-fidelity graphics and a minimalist approach to design that allows them to focus on offering a world that's fun to explore.
5 The Bloodline
A Low-Poly Action-RPG
- Platform(s): PC
- Released: 2023
- Developer(s): Shieldbearer Studios
- Genre: RPG
This low-poly, action-RPG takes place in a complex fantasy world with plenty of quests to complete, enemies to defeat, and skills to unlock. The Bloodline features a combat system reminiscent of games such as Warhammer: Vermintide, with plenty of hack-and-slash gameplay, as well as a variety of ranged options. The gameplay of The Bloodline is relatively focused on its various mechanics and systems, rather than a dramatic narrative, but its world is consistently fun to explore thanks to the game's sandbox elements.
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The Bloodline is still in Early Access at the time of writing and, as a result, is somewhat rough around the edges. However, the game's rich RPG systems and fluid movement controls make exploring its fantastical open-world a rewarding experience.
4 Tales Of Maj'Eyal
A Roguelike Set In An Open, Fantasy World
Tales Of Maj'Eyal
Similarly to games such as Caves Of Qud, Tales Of Maj'Eyal is a traditional roguelike with heaps of ambition, set in a fantasy open world. The game features classic turn-based combat similar to any old-school roguelike but with deep character creation and progression. As with all roguelikes, Tales Of Maj'Eyal features a great deal of procedural generation that grants the overall experience plenty of replay value.
Players can expect to get into plenty of tough — often unfair — tactical battles with a variety of fantasy monsters. However, exploring the game's world can also be rewarding, often allowing players to discover new loot and lore as they traverse its various zones.
3 Dread Delusion
A Mysterious World Painted In Bright And Vivid Colors
Dread Delusion
- Released
- June 15, 2022
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Developer
- Lovely Hellplace
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Featuring a weird and wonderful visual style that combines detailed low-poly models with distinctive character designs and a world painted in bright, vivid colors, Dread Delusion's open fantasy world is a consistent joy to look upon. The strange land of Dread Delusion will likely appeal to those who enjoy the mysterious settings of games such as Dark Souls — there are a variety of quirky characters to meet and hauntingly beautiful locations to discover, and the player's curiosity is almost always rewarded.
Dread Delusion's gameplay and focus on open-world exploration will likely appeal to any fan of old-school Elder Scrolls games. Similarly to the Elder Scrolls franchise, combat is far from the biggest selling point of Dread Delusion, with the world and the lore within being the game's biggest focus. As a result, Dread Delusion may not appeal to players looking for a challenging experience.
2 Kenshi
A Unique, Seamless Fantasy World
Kenshi
- Released
- December 6, 2018
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Developer
- Lo-Fi Games
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Open-World, Survival
Taking place in a unique fantasy world, Kenshi is a relatively inaccessible but tremendously replayable sandbox RPG. Kenshi features no set goals, giving players the simple task of making their own way in its massively hostile world. Each area of the hand-crafted world is unique, offering its own benefits for traveling there — and its own dangers. Kenshi can be extremely unforgiving, and its slow pace won't be for everyone, but the freedom that it offers players is almost unparalleled.
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Kenshi is a party-based RPG that features a variety of skills to learn and activities to partake in, with each location offering its own opportunities. The variety of factions to interact with and simulated elements allow Kenshi's world to feel like a living and breathing place, and the seamless exploration helps to make it an immersive open-world experience throughout.
1 Caves Of Qud
A Well-Crafted Combination Of Procedural And Hand-Made Content
Caves Of Qud
This traditional, turn-based roguelike takes place in a sci-fi fantasy post-apocalyptic open world. This world is packed with memorable locations and populated by a variety of quirky characters and creatures. Caves Of Qud may be structured as a classic roguelike, but it features options to remove permanent death, allowing players to progress through the game like any open-world RPG. The game is entirely turn-based, with players moving about the world on a grid, and combat is relatively simple to control. However, a plethora of combat abilities and an emphasis on resource management and threat assessment add complexity to each encounter.
Both the surface and the ground beneath in Caves Of Qud are filled with content, both hand-crafted and procedural, giving players plenty to explore. Many locations are simple villages and towns, but the world also includes some truly unique areas, such as the Six Day Stilt. Caves Of Qud can be an inaccessible experience, with plenty of ways for the player to die in its harsh open world, but players who persevere will find a deep game that can provide many hours of content. With plenty of monsters to fight, treasure to find, and people to meet, the world of Caves Of Qud is consistently rewarding to explore.
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