Best Open-World Games That Aren’t Overwhelming

Summary

• Open-world games can be overwhelming due to complex mechanics and bloated worlds.
• Titles like Subnautica and A Short Hike offer accessible and thematic experiences.
• Games such as Slime Rancher and Outer Wilds balance accessibility with engaging exploration.

Open-world games have been around long enough for their loops to be familiar to many players. However, be it needlessly complex mechanics, bloated worlds, or tedious gameplay, open worlds can often be overwhelming.

While bigger, ambitious, systems-heavy games have their fans, other open-world titles seek to champion accessible experiences. These are games such as A Short Hike, with its minimalist controls and simple goals, or Outer Wilds, with its exploration-focused gameplay and small scale.

1 Subnautica

An Expansive Title Reigned In By A Thematic Mechanic

Although it does feature a truly expansive setting and the typical grinding that comes with open-world survival-craft games, Subnautica is surprisingly accessible. Set underwater and tasking players with survival, exploration, and base-building, Subnautica is a diverse experience elevated by one of its most thematic mechanics.

Being set underwater allows Subnautica to limit the player’s exploration through an oxygen system; since oxygen is limited, players can only explore so far, giving them clear cutoff points and preventing the open ocean from becoming a daunting prospect.

2 For The King

Overworld Exploration Elevated By Clarity

For The King is a strategy RPG with a roguelike structure and party-based gameplay, featuring a low-poly art style and bright colors that offer a laid-back atmosphere. The game’s simplistic turn-based combat combines strategy and luck with resource management, allowing players a tactical experience without ever overwhelming them.

Exploration in For The King is also tremendously simple, but strategic, allowing players to adventure across a hexagonal overworld map. This exploration is a large part of the game, but the clarity of the map prevents important decisions from becoming stressful.

3 LEGO The Lord Of The Rings

Accessible Gameplay In A Thematic Open-World

Fans of the source material, and especially Peter Jackson’s adaptations, are likely to get a nostalgic kick out of LEGO The Lord Of The Rings. By combining the accessible gameplay of the LEGO game formula with an open world, this unique LEGO title is able to give fans the best of both worlds, without ever becoming overwhelming.

Sure, in true LEGO fashion, there is an abundance of collectible items to find, but the simplicity of the gameplay ensures it’s never overwhelming. Furthermore, the variety of playable characters and mini-games keeps exploration fun.

4 Slime Rancher

Low Stakes And A Simple Gameplay Loop

Part farming-sim, part first-person exploration game, Slime Rancher is a cute and colorful indie title that focuses its efforts on a relaxing atmosphere. The bright colors, character designs, and music work together to set a tone that’s frequently laid-back, which helps the experience from becoming overwhelming.

The gameplay itself is also tremendously accessible and easy to grasp, ensuring players can get stuck in with little learning. In the game, players venture out into the vivid sci-fi world and collect items and personified balls of slime to bring back to their ranch. That’s it. Combined with a slick progression system that has players slowly improving and upgrading their ranch, Slime Rancher is an open-world title that manages to be both accessible and long-lasting.

5 Dredge

Minimalist Gameplay And Simple Controls Make Exploration Easy

Dredge is a mightily accessible and surprisingly cozy open-world fishing game that focuses on intuitive controls and meaningful exploration. The moment-to-moment gameplay is frequently calming thanks to a soothing color palette and satisfying sound design, but there are elements of Lovecraftian horror that give it a certain edge.

The open world of Dredge isn’t tiny, but it’s not so big as to overwhelm the player. However, what prevents Dredge from becoming truly overwhelming is its accessible controls and minimalist gameplay, giving players a simple loop that allows the exploration to take center stage.

6 Outer Wilds

A Small Scale Title With Tremendous Ambition

Steeped in a dense and mysterious atmosphere, Outer Wilds is a melancholic experience that’s drenched in thought and emotion. The music, sound design, characters, and visual style all result in a truly immersive world, but despite Outer Wilds‘ ambitious design, its story is told on a small scale.

Outer Wilds gives players the freedom to explore an entire solar system, but it’s a small one. Furthermore, each planet can be traversed fairly swiftly — this isn’t No Man’s Sky. But what this means is that every location in Outer Wilds looks and feels incredibly distinct. It’s tremendously memorable. This smaller scale also prevents Outer Wilds from becoming overwhelming, only furthered by the fluid gameplay that allows players to travel without limitation.

7 A Short Hike

Minimalist Design And A Simple Goal

A Short Hike is a minimalist indie title through and through, featuring a unique pixelated art style and gameplay that’s both satisfying and easy to learn. In the game, players are given the simple task of reaching the summit of a mountain. However, they’ll need to search their surroundings for collectibles to complete their task.

The simplicity of the end goal is backed by an intuitive control scheme and a small open world that’s fun to explore without ever being overwhelming. The clarity of the design and the world itself makes exploration a freeing task, and one that’s never frustrating. Furthermore, A Short Hike is an appropriately short experience, preventing the simple idea of playing it from becoming daunting.