Summary
- Some of the best open-world games reward curiosity with hidden upgrades and meaningful discoveries.
- Skyrim's unmarked caves hold rich lore and quests for wandering players to stumble upon.
- Elden Ring's interconnected world is designed to reward exploration with hidden treasures and unique encounters.
Open-world games thrive on the promise of freedom, but only a select few truly reward players who choose to stray from the main path. In the best of these titles, curiosity is not just indulged but actively encouraged through hidden secrets, meaningful systems, and world design that reacts to exploration.
Best Open‑World Games for Casual Players, Ranked
Not every open-world game has to be intense and complex. These titles are perfect for casual players who just want to relax.
Whether it’s uncovering powerful gear, unraveling buried lore, or stumbling into entire questlines, these games make detouring a vital and satisfying part of the experience. When done correctly, that extra exploration is met with more than just collectibles. Instead, players are treated to entirely new worlds to discover and rewards that are well worth the detour.
8 Far Cry 3
Exploration Yields Hidden Upgrades And Chaos
Far Cry 3
- Released
- November 29, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Open-World
Far Cry 3 blends open-ended exploration with a variety of emergent systems that reward curious players. Hidden objects, crafting materials, and skill points lie scattered across the map, encouraging detours and risky excursions, while investigating abandoned outposts or diving into hidden caves often yields significant upgrades.
The game's reactive systems, from wildlife encounters to unpredictable enemy patrols, reinforce a sense of discovery. Players who engage with side objectives, like hunting missions and treasure locations, will often find themselves better equipped for tougher challenges, giving a clear feeling of a world that wants to be explored.
7 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Secrets Are Hiding Behind Every Corner
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Skyrim’s map is littered with unmarked caves that are full of loot and enemies for players to discover. There are also entire questlines hidden off the main path that keen-eyed players will be treated to if they decide to take a wander into the wilderness.
8 Best Open-World Games That Are Just Fun, Ranked
These open-world games might not be perfect, but they are simply fun to play. Sometimes, that is more than enough.
Many of Skyrim’s most powerful items and richest lore segments lie in areas never touched by the main story, and the game ensures that inquisitive players are consistently rewarded for discovering them, whether through loot or unexpected storylines born from off-path choices.
6 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Exploration That Encourages A Few Extra Steps
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Released
- May 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Tears of the Kingdom expands on its predecessor by making player experimentation the core of exploration. Curiosity leads to creative problem-solving, whether using Zonai devices or manipulating the environment for traversal and combat, leading the player to discover plenty of extra areas that would otherwise remain untouched.
Hidden shrines, underground labyrinths, sky islands, and more are tucked in the game’s vertical layers, often requiring inventive use of powers to reach. Players who explore deeply will uncover secret weapons and entire regions not tied to the main quest, delivering an experience where the world actively responds to inquisitive minds.
5 Outer Wilds
Curiosity Is The Name Of The Game
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Outer Wilds is structured entirely around exploration and inquiry. There’s no combat, XP, or traditional objectives, only the drive to uncover the mysteries of a solar system caught in a time loop. Every piece of progress stems from following leads, noticing anomalies, or asking the right questions at the right time, creating a unique loop that ties directly into curiosity.
8 Best Games With Hand-Crafted Open Worlds
Creating a satisfying open world that keeps bringing players back for more is no small undertaking.
Investigating strange ruins or tracking planetary events often unlocks new layers of understanding. The game’s non-linear storytelling unfolds organically, rewarding thorough observation and conceptual leaps. Every aspect of Outer Wilds, from the environment to the narrative, is experienced through discovery.
4 Sable
Discovery Without Ever Feeling Pressure
Sable
- Released
- September 23, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Shedworks
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Sable strips away combat and danger to create a world where exploration is its own reward. Players roam a painterly desert landscape, discovering forgotten technology and communities with rich histories through smaller side quests and more personal encounters.
Much of the game’s charm comes from simply wondering what’s over the next dune. From hidden collectibles to snippets of lore, the game encourages players to slow down and savor the journey, rewarding curiosity not with insane weapons, but with a journey of introspection and admiration for the world.
3 Red Dead Redemption 2
Details That Appear In Any Off-Road Adventure
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Red Dead Redemption 2’s world is dense with emergent storytelling, where straying from the beaten path can lead to dynamic events, unique strangers, or hidden treasure maps. The world is incredibly responsive to everything the player does, and those who explore deeply can uncover lore-rich locations and narrative vignettes.
Even small visual cues, like smoke in the distance or a curious structure, often lead to substantial side content. Rockstar’s attention to environmental detail here ensures that the world feels alive and rewards persistent explorers with rare encounters and memorable moments.
2 Elden Ring
Absurd Underground Caverns And Treasures Beyond Belief
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Elden Ring’s massive, interconnected world is meticulously designed to reward exploration. Hidden dungeons, optional bosses, and powerful items are tucked into the world’s forgotten corners, often without markers or prompts. This means that, at any moment, the player could stumble upon an entirely different world and uncover hours of additional content to enjoy.
The game avoids handholding, allowing players to chart their own course, and there are so many scenarios where discovering a seemingly innocuous cave can lead to a multi-stage questline or a pivotal item. The game's open-ended structure encourages players to think laterally and explore thoroughly, rewarding intuition with game-changing finds.
1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A Narrative That Unfolds Through Exploring
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Witcher 3 elevates curiosity into a narrative tool. Optional side quests often match or exceed the main storyline in quality, providing moral complexity and impactful outcomes, and even just wandering into a village may unlock a multi-hour story arc that completely recontextualizes the world.
Points of interest across the map aren’t just filler; they’re often tied to lore, gear, or hidden character arcs. Even question marks on the map frequently yield handcrafted surprises, as the open world respects the player's curiosity more than almost any other RPG, consistently delivering meaningful discoveries.
Best Open-World Games That Make You Feel Unstoppable, Ranked
These open-world games allow players to feel invincible as they obliterate anyone foolish enough to stand in their way.