Tired of linear games? Try Openworld—an immersive genre where you can travel through vast locations and find your own adventures. We’ve compiled the 40 best open-world games for you. Incidentally, completing all the games on this list would take over 400 days without sleep or food.
Content
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Minecraft
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Elden Ring
- Death Stranding
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Fallout 4
- Far Cry 6
- Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
- Watch Dogs 2
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- No Man’s Sky
- Monster Hunter: Wilds
- The Crew 2
- Forza Horizon 5
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
- Borderlands 4
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Mafia: Trilogy
- Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
- Subnautica
- Control
- Atomic Heart
- Genshin Impact
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- NieR: Automata
- Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
- Pacific Drive
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Developer: CD Projekt
Release year: 2015
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
The Witcher Geralt searches for his adopted daughter, Ciri, who is being pursued by the ghostly Wild Hunt. Along the way, he must decide the fate of hundreds of characters, visit various kingdoms, and slay thousands of monsters and wicked men. Visit a multitude of countries on the main continent and beyond, with the total area of game locations exceeding 130 square kilometers. A well-developed role-playing system, a wealth of leveling options, alchemy, memorable, vibrant dialogue and storylines, and the highly engaging card game Gwent— all of this cements The Witcher 3’s place among the top open-world games on PC .
Red Dead Redemption 2
Developer: Rockstar Games
Release year: 2018
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
RDR2 continues the list of great open-world PC games . It’s the end of the 19th century, the end of the Wild West. Arthur Morgan is a member of the Van der Linde gang, struggling to survive in a rapidly changing world. The game offers a vast open world with an unprecedented level of detail. From snowy mountains to arid plains and dense forests, each location comes alive with its own life. Players can hunt, fish, interact with thousands of NPCs, and unravel a truly monumental storyline. An honor system influences interactions with the world, and every decision can have consequences.
The 40 Best Single-Player Open-World Games on PC and Beyond
Tired of linear games? Try Openworld—an immersive genre where you can travel through vast locations and find your own adventures. We’ve compiled the 40 best open-world games for you. Incidentally, completing all the games on this list would take over 400 days without sleep or food.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Developer: CD Projekt
Release year: 2015
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
The Witcher Geralt searches for his adopted daughter, Ciri, who is being pursued by the ghostly Wild Hunt. Along the way, he must decide the fate of hundreds of characters, visit various kingdoms, and slay thousands of monsters and wicked men. Visit a multitude of countries on the main continent and beyond, with the total area of game locations exceeding 130 square kilometers. A well-developed role-playing system, a wealth of leveling options, alchemy, memorable, vibrant dialogue and storylines, and the highly engaging card game Gwent— all of this cements The Witcher 3’s place among the top open-world games on PC .
Developer: Rockstar Games
Release year: 2018
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
RDR2 continues the list of great open-world PC games . It’s the end of the 19th century, the end of the Wild West. Arthur Morgan is a member of the Van der Linde gang, struggling to survive in a rapidly changing world. The game offers a vast open world with an unprecedented level of detail. From snowy mountains to arid plains and dense forests, each location comes alive with its own life. Players can hunt, fish, interact with thousands of NPCs, and unravel a truly monumental storyline. An honor system influences interactions with the world, and every decision can have consequences
Grand Theft Auto V
Developer: Rockstar Games
Release year: 2013
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
Grand Theft Auto V remains one of the best, most detailed, open -world games , spanning approximately 110 square kilometers. Michael, Franklin, and Trevor are incredibly different criminals. Fate brings them together for epic heists in the sweltering Los Santos and its surrounding areas. The game offers a vast open world , full of diverse activities, where you can freely switch between characters at any time. When you tire of playing solo, switch to multiplayer, where hundreds more hours of adventure await.
Minecraft
Developer: Mojang Studios
Release year: 2011
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Android, Nintendo Switch, Wii U
The world in Minecraft is nearly infinite. Once inside, players are free to do whatever they want: explore diverse biomes, dig shafts to the very core, fight monsters at night, travel to other worlds, or simply build a house and plant potatoes and carrots. This is why Minecraft is one of the most engaging open-world games on PC , but there’s no storyline, so you’ll have to find your own entertainment.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Developer: MachineGames
Release year: 2024
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
In Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the player takes on the role of a renowned archaeologist investigating the theft of an ancient artifact, uncovering the Nazis and the mystical Great Circle mechanism involved. This first-person action adventure takes Jones to the Vatican, the Egyptian pyramids, and the Himalayas. It’s not 100% open-world, but almost every location contains additional puzzles and secrets. Additionally, the protagonist must deal with numerous enemies, preferring to eliminate them stealthily, though a spectacular shootout is always an option.
Horizon: Forbidden West
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Release year: 2022
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
In Forbidden West, the young huntress Aloy restores balance to the planet’s biosphere, nearly destroyed by the artificial intelligence Hades. She also struggles to survive in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by savage tribes and deadly mechanical beasts. Horizon offers players a vast open world, an advanced leveling system, and exciting combat using a variety of weapons: from spears and bows with elemental arrows to heavy machine guns.
Ghost of Tsushima
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Release Year: 2020
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Japan, 1274. The Mongol Horde invades the islands. Almost all Japanese resistance is crushed, and a samurai named Jin Sakai begins a guerrilla war. Using a sharp sword and stealth mechanics, he clears his homeland of the Mongols. But the game isn’t built on combat alone: along the way, players will have to complete hundreds of diverse quests, immersing themselves in the world of late 13th-century Japan. And there’s plenty to immerse yourself in—the developers collaborated with experts in Japanese history and culture to accurately recreate the atmosphere and details of the Kamakura period.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release year: 2017
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Developer: Ubisoft Quebec
Release year: 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Leila continues to explore the past, this time the story of an ancient Greek mercenary. The player is given the choice of playing as Alexios or his sister, Kassandra. The hero or heroine leaves their native island and sets out to sail the Aegean Sea during the bloody Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens. Thus begins a long, epic odyssey. The Assassin Brotherhood doesn’t yet exist, so the player must fight its precursor—the equally sinister cult of Kosmos.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release year: 2020
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
In this installment, players will meet a Viking named Eivor (the character’s gender is selectable). The formula for success is the same: a vast open world with travel through ancient England during the Norman conquest, a private ship, fortress captures, mythical creatures, and a hidden blade. Led by the protagonist, the Vikings will build their own colony in England and unite the local kingdoms. In addition to the British Isles, Eivor will visit Norway, Ireland, North America, and even Asgard, Jotunheim, and Valhalla.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Developer: Ubisoft
Release year: 2022
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Mirage takes place decades before Valhalla. The story follows the rise of Basim, who first appeared in Valhalla, where he played a significant role. He must journey from a common street thief to a fearsome assassin. Mirage was originally intended to be an expansion for the previous game, but evolved into a full-fledged project. The developers decided to forgo some role-playing elements, so the gameplay is more reminiscent of the first Assassins.
Cyberpunk 2077
Developer: CD Projekt RED
Release year: 2020
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2
After a series of man-made disasters, life has shifted to vast cities with neon skyscrapers amidst scorched deserts, where everything is controlled by megacorporations. However, the streets belong to armed bandits. V is one such criminal, whose head one day becomes infected with a chip containing the identity of the notorious anarchist from the past, Johnny Silverhand. The construct slowly replaces V’s personality, and the protagonist must deal with it as quickly as possible , or face death. The world in Cyberpunk 2077 is approximately 50 square kilometers in size, but adventure awaits in every alley.
Elden Ring
Developer: From Software
Release Year: 2022
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2
One of the best souls-like games . George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, which inspired Game of Thrones, helped create it. The unnamed protagonist explores a dark, mystical world in which the ruler determines the very essence of existence. By the will of Queen Marika the Everlasting, natural death has been abolished. The hero will visit countless castles, dungeons, and ruined cities, facing off against thousands of enemies in hardcore battles—all in pursuit of the throne.
Death Stranding
Developer: Kojima Productions
Release year: 2019
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, iOS
In Death Stranding, players meet Sam, a courier traveling through a post-apocalyptic world between isolated towns, delivering various goods back and forth. Sam carries with him a baby, BB, who also becomes part of the gameplay, allowing him to see otherworldly creatures. Although the game is single-player, you can leave a mark or message in the open world for other players to help them overcome obstacles… or lead them into a trap.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Developer: Insomniac Games
Release year: 2022
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Release year: 2011
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Skyrim is rightfully among the best PC games with an engaging story and open world , offering incredible freedom of action. Players control the Dragonborn, the chosen one who must save the world from the impending dragon hegemony. The hero can participate in a civil war, join one or all of the organizations, such as the Mages Guild or the Thieves Guild, become a lycanthrope, stop or support a vampire invasion, build a home, and start a family. All of this can be done in any order, by any method, and with any leveling option. The game world covers approximately 40 square kilometers, encompassing various biomes.
Fallout 4
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Release Year: 2015
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
In Fallout 4, the player finds themselves as the last survivor of Vault 111 in a post-apocalyptic, retrofuturistic world devastated by nuclear war. The player’s goal is to search for their missing son in places full of dangers and secrets. The game features a vast open world (80 square kilometers), side quests , resource gathering, crafting, and building a town for survivors.
Far Cry 6
Developer: Ubisoft Toronto
Release Date: 2021
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
On the fictional island of Yara, dictator Anton Castillo rules. He wants to transform the country into a paradise, but uses questionable methods: tyranny, torture, murder, kidnapping, and even the chemical weapon Virustant. Protagonist Dani Rojas initially seeks to escape, but later joins a rebel group to overthrow the regime. The gameplay differs little from previous installments in the series. You explore a vast map (88 square kilometers), eliminate leaders, capture outposts, and hunt. Rojas’s arsenal includes dozens of weapons, including several superweapons, such as the Supremo jetpack and the Furioso mega-flamethrower.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Developer: Konami Digital Entertainment
Release Year: 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a remake of the cult classic MGS 3. The plot is a Cold War-era spy thriller with a healthy dose of silliness. For example, the antagonist, Major Yevgeny Volgin, enjoys bombastic speeches about the power of the USSR and sadistic torture. Gameplay-wise, Snake Eater is a third-person stealth action game where you need to memorize locations, navigate the terrain, and utilize available gadgets. You even need to eat, otherwise enemies can detect you by the growling sound of your stomach! The boss battles are also worth a special mention—the encounters with Old Man The End and the ghostly Grief will be unforgettable.
Watch Dogs 2
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release year: 2016
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Batman: Arkham Knight
Developer: Rocksteady Studios, Iron Galaxy Studios, Feral Interactive
Release year: 2015
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
One of the best open- world superhero games, this is the final chapter of the Arkham series. Batman explores Gotham City, confronting the Riddler, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, and the Penguin. You can navigate the streets on foot or behind the wheel of the Batmobile, and the gameplay consists of cinematic battles, puzzle-solving, investigations, and stealth missions. To defeat the antagonists, you need to upgrade Batman’s skills, vehicles, and arsenal, and in some missions, you’ll have to take control of other characters.
No Man’s Sky
Developer: Hello Games
Release year: 2016
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, iOS
NMS features the largest open world of any game on this list. The universe in No Man’s Sky is infinite: stars and planets are procedurally generated, along with their contents—terrain, biomes, flora, and fauna. Gameplay focuses on exploration, survival, combat, trading, and construction. Players can travel between stars, discover new species, and gather resources to upgrade ships, suits, and weapons. Along the way, they must build outposts, and multiplayer is available if desired.
Monster Hunter: Wilds
Developer: Capcom
Release year: 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Monster Hunter Wilds is the first game in the series with a full-fledged story. A Guild Hunter encounters a boy from the Guardian tribe and agrees to escort him to the Forbidden Lands. Wilds invites the player to explore a vast world with diverse biomes—rocks, deserts, and grasslands. The game combines hunting with elements of Japanese RPGs—cutscenes, charismatic heroes, and simplified combat where hitting vulnerable points allows for powerful combos. If desired, the hunt can be enjoyed in co-op with friends.
The Crew 2
Developer: Ivory Tower
Release year: 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The Crew 2 features one of the largest open worlds to explore—practically the entirety of America, traversable from one end to the other. Players take control of a relatively unknown racer who’s just beginning to make a name for himself. To achieve their goals, players can race not only on cars, but also on motorcycles, boats, and planes. In addition to single-player mode, players can also engage in competitive multiplayer.
Forza Horizon 5
Developer: Playground Games
Release Year: 2021
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
In Forza 5, players cruise across Mexico in cars, motorcycles, boats, and planes. There’s no storyline, but the map is meticulously designed. The cars handle well, and the system is meticulously crafted. And every discipline, whether rally, drift, or speed racing, tests your skills. So, becoming a champion in all disciplines won’t be easy.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Developer: Warhorse Studios
Release year: 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 could be called the Czech Red Dead Redemption 2. The game places an emphasis on realism and historical accuracy —architecture, costumes, customs, and language are recreated as accurately as possible . The game remains set in Bohemia . The sequel’s theme is the thirst for revenge, which has obsessed the protagonist, Henry, since the murder of his parents. Key features of the game include realistic combat that requires precise timing, complex moral choices, and a deep role-playing system. All this makes Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 one of the best open-world, story-driven games on PC.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Developer: BioWare
Release year: 2021
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
The Legendary Edition is an enhanced edition of the iconic Mass Effect RPG trilogy. It includes all the game’s story expansions, allowing players to fully experience Commander Shepard’s story. For those who missed the best sci-fi game of recent years, the captain spends three games trying to save the galaxy from the ancient alien race known as the Reapers, strengthening relationships with various cultures and assembling a team, harnessing the skills of her comrades in dynamic third-person shootouts.
Borderlands 4
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release year: 2025
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
The fourth Borderlands takes place on a new planet, Kairos. Players assume the role of one of the new Vault Hunters—the berserker Amon, the fugitive exoskeleton soldier Raph, the mage Vexa, or the former scientist Harlow. You must defeat the Guardian of Time and his army. The key new feature: characters can now dash, double-jump, and use a grappling hook, adding a dynamic feel to the gameplay. Otherwise, it’s the same action-packed looter shooter with procedurally generated weapons, with over 30 billion variations available.
Hogwarts Legacy
Developer: Avalanche Software
Release year: 2023
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
The action RPG Hogwarts Legacy is set in the 19th century. Players take control of a new Hogwarts student, whose appearance can be customized using the on-screen editor. Along the way, you’ll discover the protagonist’s unique ability, which will help you foil a devious goblin plot. Gamers are thrilled by the meticulously recreated Hogwarts, which they can explore intently as they attempt to complete all the quests, learn all the spells, and collectibles.
Mafia: Trilogy
Developer: Illusion Softworks, 2K Czech, Hangar 13
Release year: 2020
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Release year: 2019
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
In Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, players will travel to a post-pandemic Washington, D.C. As a Division agent, you’ll clear the city’s swathes, battle hostile factions, and restore order. The gameplay blends action and RPG elements: a vast arsenal of weapons, a flexible skill system, and loot of varying rarity allow for unique builds. Adventure in The Division 2’s vast open world, rich with random events, with friends.
Subnautica
Developer: Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Release year: 2018
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
After crash-landing on an uncharted aquatic planet, the protagonist must survive in the mysterious depths of the sea. The objectives are to explore the underwater world , extract resources, build a base with new transport , and find a way to escape the planet. The game’s main draw is a detailed ocean with different biomes, picturesque flora and fauna, and horrors lurking in the depths. A sequel was released several years later, but it significantly lacks the original in terms of story development, scale, and crafting variety.
Control
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Release year: 2019
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
After a conversation with a paranormal entity, Jesse Faden travels to the headquarters of the mysterious Federal Bureau of Control—the Oldest House—to find her brother, whom the Bureau kidnapped many years ago. In this ever-changing building, the heroine discovers a pistol, which is actually an Object of Power, and then passes the Council’s test to become the new director. Still confused? That’s the idea: in this game, you solve the building’s mysteries and uncover the story as you go, using the protagonist’s paranormal powers as your weapon in the fight against the supernatural.
Atomic Heart
Developer: Mundfish
Release year: 2023
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
Genshin Impact
Developer: HoYoverse
Release year: 2020
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, iOS, Android
In Genshin Impact, a traveler and his twin arrive in the fantasy world of Teyvat. There, they are soon attacked by an invincible deity, who kidnaps the protagonist’s sister (or brother). The protagonist awakens 500 years later and immediately sets out to find their missing sibling. Along the way, you’ll meet colorful companions, explore dungeons, and engage in massive battles, all while learning new details about the locals. The “banner” system—the random acquisition of new characters—plays a key role, adding to the game’s excitement
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Developer: BioWare
Release year: 2024
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
In The Veilguard, the hero Rook attempts to prevent the god Solas from restoring the forgotten age of the elves, which would threaten catastrophe for the entire world of Thedas. However, his intervention only summons other gods and leads to a demonic invasion, forcing the former enemies to unite. By the fourth installment, Dragon Age had become an action RPG, simplifying leveling and making combat more dynamic. Nevertheless, the developers retained the complex moral dilemmas, the character relationships system, and the exploration of open locations in search of secrets.
NieR: Automata
Developer: Platinum Games, Virtuos
Release year: 2017
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
NieR: Automata is set in a post-apocalyptic future where Earth has been overrun by machines from an alien civilization. Humanity, having taken refuge on the Moon, sends androids back to their homeworld in an attempt to regain control. The protagonists, androids 2B and 9S, fight to reclaim the planet while uncovering the world’s dark secrets. The game combines various genres, which can alternate within a single mission, and to fully understand NieR: Automata’s plot, you’ll need to play through it at least several times (preferably 26—that’s how many endings it has!).
