Summary
- Disco Elysium - A narrative-focused RPG respecting players' time with optional dialogue and immersive storytelling.
- Dredge - A short exploration game with intuitive controls and forgiving gameplay that respects players' time.
- Sunset Overdrive - A fast-paced action game providing a dynamic, colorful open-world experience from the start.
There are many open-world games, especially in the AAA space, that can be bogged down by bloated worlds and repetitive gameplay that emphasizes grinding over variety. At worst, these games can be rife with filler content, and ultimately result in an experience that disrespects the player's time.
On the other hand, there are numerous open-world titles that present experiences that respect the player's time. These games can be short, dynamic, or simply quick to get to the point. Be it the fast-paced action of Sunset Overdrive or the short exploration of A Short Hike, there's something here for everyone.
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7 Disco Elysium
An Immersive Narrative With Optional Dialogue
Disco Elysium
- Released
- October 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is the definitive edition of the groundbreaking role playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city block to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders, or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.
Full voice acting. All of the city's beautiful people are brought to life with full English voiceover. Play characters against each other, try to help them, or fall hopelessly in love as each word is spoken to you with the appropriate accent and emotion.
New political vision quests. Face the reality of your worldview as your political compass leads you down new paths. Discover more citizens, a whole extra area, and monumental sights as you leave an even bigger mark on the world by chasing your dreams.
Unprecedented freedom of choice. Intimidate, sweet-talk, resort to violence, write poetry, sing karaoke, dance like a beast, or solve the meaning of life. Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is the most faithful representation of desktop role playing ever attempted in video games.
Countless tools for role playing. Mix and match from 24 wildly different skills. Develop a personal style with over 80 clothing items. Wield 14 tools from guns to flashlights to a boombox, or pour yourself a cocktail of 6 different psychoactive substances. Develop your character even further with 60 wild thoughts to think – with the detective's Thought Cabinet.
A revolutionary dialogue system with unforgettable characters. The world is alive with real people, not extras. Ask probing questions, make insightful observations, or express your wildest desires as you play cop or something completely different. Disco Elysium's revolutionary dialogue system lets you do almost anything.
Carve your unique path across the city. Explore, manipulate, collect tare, or become a millionaire in an open world unlike anything you've seen before. The city of Revachol is yours for the taking, one small piece at a time. From the streets to the beaches – and beyond.
Hard boiled, hard core. Death, sex, taxes, and disco – nothing is off the table. Revachol is a real place with real challenges. Solve a massive murder investigation, or relax and kick back with sprawling side-cases. The detective decides, the citizens abide.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
While Disco Elysium is a relatively slow burn, its dialogue-heavy gameplay is far from a wall of text. Not only are the many conversations well-written and fast-flowing, but players are given frequent opportunities to direct the conversation and even end it prematurely.
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In addition, Disco Elysium allows players to explore at their own pace and - more importantly - rewards those who take time to delve deeper into conversations and meander around its lesser-seen nooks. There's plenty to be found, and myriad people to meet, and it's almost always worth taking the time.
6 Dredge
A Short & Forgiving Experience
Dredge
- Released
- March 31, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands, but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark...
Starting from your new home in the remote archipelago, ‘The Marrows’, take to the water and scour the depths for curious collectables and over 125 deep sea denizens. Explore each area while completing quests and visiting neighbouring island regions – each with their own unique opportunities, inhabitants, and secrets.
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Dredge is a short exploration game set in a small open-world archipelago. In Dredge, players are free to sail around the tranquil waters, partaking in a variety of intuitive fishing mini-games before heading to the nearest town to sell their haul. It's a simple but addictive gameplay loop, and while there's certainly a lot of repetition, Dredge respects the player's time.
It does this via its intuitive controls and fast pace, allowing players to quickly get into the game and drip-feeding them new items and upgrades. In addition, Dredge is a relatively forgiving experience, and it's rare that a player will lose cargo or any form of progress so long as they exercise a little caution.
5 Outer Wilds
An Immediately Open Experience
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
A strange satellite photo that can’t be explained. A new museum exhibit that marks the trailhead for one last journey into the wilds. Should you pull at the thread and unravel the solar system’s deepest secret, or is some knowledge better left in the dark?
Welcome to the Space Program!
You're the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, a fledgling space program searching for answers in a strange, constantly evolving solar system.
Mysteries of the Solar System...
What lurks in the heart of the ominous Dark Bramble? Who built the alien ruins on the Moon? Can the endless time loop be stopped? Answers await you in the most dangerous reaches of space.
Echoes of the Eye
The hearthian space program has detected an anomaly that can’t be attributed to any known location in the solar system. Grab your flashlight and prepare to illuminate the darkest secrets of the Outer Wilds...
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Although Outer Wilds does trap players in a time loop, it respects their time in different ways. This title is an open-world exploration game that excels with its immersive atmosphere and poignant tone, offering mystery and tranquility in equal measure.
Exploration is core to the experience, and frequently rewards the player's time and patience with a tremendous sense of discovery. In addition, Outer Wilds gives players almost immediate access to its open-world galaxy, setting them free in their very own spaceship in no time at all. As a result, players don't need to sink hours into the game before getting the full experience.
4 LEGO The Lord Of The Rings
Fast-Paced Levels In An Expansive World
LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game
- Released
- October 30, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Based on The Lord of the Rings motion picture trilogy, LEGO® The Lord of the Rings follows the original story-lines of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, taking players through the epic story events re-imagined with the humor and endless variety of LEGO play.
Trusted with the dangerous task to destroy an ancient magical ring that threatens all that is good, Frodo is forced to leave his peaceful home. But the ring wants to be found and the road to Mount Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed, will be perilous and riddled with Orcs and fouler things. To help Frodo, a Fellowship is formed —Aragorn the Ranger, Gandalf the Wizard, Legolas the Elf, Gimli the Dwarf, Boromir a Man of Gondor, and Frodo’s Hobbit friends Sam, Merry and Pippin. Players relive the legend through the LEGO mini-figures, as they explore wonders, solve timeless riddles, and overcome endless foes in their quest to destroy the Ring.
- ESRB
- E10+ // Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
As with many, if not all, LEGO games, LEGO The Lord Of The Rings respects the player's time with its intuitive controls and forgiving gameplay. Combat in LEGO The Lord Of The Rings holds no punishment for the player's mistakes outside of losing currency/score, so death never results in a loss of progress. As a result, the player's time is always respected.
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While it's true that LEGO The Lord Of The Rings features a great number of collectibles to find across its open environments, players are never forced to find them. In fact, the game can be enjoyed from beginning to end without these collectibles and, as a result, it manages to be a breezy experience that's perfect for fans of the source material.
3 Sunset Overdrive
Fast-Paced Action In A Colorful Open-World
Sunset Overdrive
- Released
- October 28, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
Don’t miss the single-player campaign from the game that IGN awarded Best Xbox One Game of 2014, the game that Polygon rated 9 out of 10, and the game that Eurogamer calls “a breath of fresh air.” In Sunset Overdrive, the year is 2027 and Sunset City is under siege. A contaminated energy drink has transformed most of the population into toxic mutants. For many it's the end of the world, but for you it’s a dream come true. Your old boss? Dead. Your boring job? Gone. Transform the open-world into your tactical playground by grinding, vaulting and wall-running across the city while using a devastating, unconventional arsenal. With hyper-agility, unique weapons, and customizable special abilities, Sunset Overdrive rewrites the rules of traditional shooters and delivers an explosive, irreverent, stylish, and totally unique adventure.
Embrace the chaos of Sunset City through a hyper-colorful, post-apocalyptic single-player campaign and two bonus expansions, Mystery of Mooil Rig and Dawn of the Rise of the Fallen Machines. Outgun crazed mutants, homicidal robots, and villainous thugs on your journeys with the included Weapons Pack.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Open-World
Blasting out the gate with a snappy and action-packed tutorial bursting with vibrant color and a buoyant tone, Sunset Overdrive thrusts players into an explosive apocalypse within minutes of play. With its intuitive and expressive movement controls and fast pace, it's not long before players are bouncing, jumping, and practically flying through the streets of Sunset City.
The fluid movement is the clear standout, offering players exploration that's as dynamic as the combat. It's the sheer pace of Sunset Overdrive and the speed at which it plays its hand that respects the player's time so much, offering an exciting experience from minute one.
2 Fallout: New Vegas
A First-Person RPG With A Quick Start
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to Vegas. New Vegas.
It’s the kind of town where you dig your own grave prior to being shot in the head and left for dead…and that’s before things really get ugly. It’s a town of dreamers and desperados being torn apart by warring factions vying for complete control of this desert oasis. It’s a place where the right kind of person with the right kind of weaponry can really make a name for themselves, and make more than an enemy or two along the way.
As you battle your way across the heat-blasted Mojave Wasteland, the colossal Hoover Dam, and the neon drenched Vegas Strip, you’ll be introduced to a colorful cast of characters, power-hungry factions, special weapons, mutated creatures and much more. Choose sides in the upcoming war or declare “winner takes all” and crown yourself the King of New Vegas in this follow-up to the 2008 videogame of the year, Fallout 3.
Enjoy your stay.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Of all the recent Fallout games, it is perhaps Fallout: New Vegas that respects the player's time the most. This is thanks to a lightning-fast narrative set-up that's both simple and effective, and a fast-paced introduction that gets players through character creation and into the game proper with ease.
The starting area is also immediately packed with opportunities for role-playing and expression, and much of the tutorial is optional. In addition, New Vegas quickly opens up to the player, providing them with a dense world that rewards meaningful and patient exploration.
1 A Short Hike
A Short But Sweet Exploration Game
A Short Hike
- Released
- April 5, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park. Follow the marked trails or explore the backcountry as you make your way to the summit. Along the way, meet other hikers, discover hidden treasures, and take in the world around you.
Explore the island any way you like. Choose your own path to follow and see where it leads you. You never know what you might stumble into! Hike at your own pace — there’s no need to rush to the summit! Take your time fishing along the river banks or swimming by the lakeshore. Collect hidden treasures to reach new heights. Try taking a dive off the mountain peaks to soar above the forests. Chat with the other hikers you meet along your route. You might be able to help each other out!
Listen to a lush original soundtrack by Mark Sparling that progresses dynamically as you explore the wilderness.
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
As its name suggests, A Short Hike is a tremendously small-scale experience. However, what it lacks in scale, it makes up for in heart. This small open-world game is packed with charm and elevated by its simple but elegant design, offering players an exploration-focused experience that's incredibly easy to pick up and play.
The intuitive movement controls and enchanting world offer a wonderfully breezy experience, supported by a cozy atmosphere and an ensemble of charming characters. For fans of exploration and cozy games, A Short Hike is an elegant experience that offers complete respect for the player's time.
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