7 Best Open-World Games With Minimal Storytelling, Ranked

Summary

• Rust focuses on survival game mechanics in a harsh, dangerous open world without deep lore.
• No Man’s Sky offers deep space exploration with minimal storytelling, focusing on discovery and resource gathering.
• Valheim’s Norse mythology-based story takes a backseat to survival elements like resource gathering and exploration.

While there are many genres in gaming that provide players with a great experience, few have as many different elements as the open-world one. Titles in this genre typically have tons of NPCs, side quests, weapons, armor, and overall fast-paced gameplay.

Although many open-world games focus on developing an interesting narrative, others take huge risks and forego having a story completely, making an effort to deliver an outstanding gameplay experience to make up for their lack of a narrative. This type of open-world game is usually a hit or miss without an in-between. Here are some of the best open-world games with minimal storytelling.

7

Rust

A Survival Title Without A Great Deal Of Lore

• Great survival game mechanics
• There are many threats, including animals, other players, and even radiation

Rust is one of those survival games that, instead of presenting players with a deep, complicated backstory and lore, prefers to focus on the gameplay experience. Players will be tasked with surviving in a harsh, inhospitable open-world environment full of various threats such as animals, radiation and, of course, other players.

Rust offers a complete survival experience that will teach players not to trust anyone and try their best to gather as many resources as they possibly can. Players can choose to take on the world alone, or form alliances to increase their chances of survival.

6

No Man’s Sky

Deep-space Exploration Has Never Been More Fun

• Players must gather valuable resources
• The Artemis Path offers a decent storyline, even when it’s not the central aspect of the game

No Man’s Sky has what is arguably, one of the most complete and complex space exploration experiences in gaming. Every planet in the game is procedurally generated, and it’s estimated that there’s a total of 18 quintillion planets available for players to explore. This, naturally, eliminates the need for a deep storyline, as there are enough things to discover to carry the entire game.

As players explore the universe, they’ll have to find oxygen and other precious resources, like Nanites and some other valuables that will allow them to craft more things. Although there’s a storyline in the game known as the Artemis Path that will have players uncover various mysteries, the plotline isn’t as complex as in other games, and exploration and crafting remain the main focus of No Man’s Sky.

5

Valheim

Vikings Must Prove Themselves Worthy Of Valhalla

• Gathering resources is a central aspect of the game
• Players must survive the various dangers lurking in the shadows

Valheim presents players with a story that is heavily based on Norse mythology and the tales of the afterlife. In a nutshell, the game states that, when Vikings are slain, they must prove themselves to be fit for the halls of Valhalla. To render themselves worthy, they must survive and endure the various evils in Valheim.

While this little backstory is very interesting, exploration, resource gathering and management, and other survival aspects remain the central elements of the game, sending the narrative to the back seat. Players who are struggling with the game at any point should try to find and craft the best iron weapons in the game to improve their odds.

4

Terraria

An Entertaining Game That Rewards Exploration

• Crafting, building, resource gathering, and exploration are key elements of the game
• Minimal storytelling

Although many players argue that Terraria is not actually an open-world title, but rather a very vast and complete sandbox, it still delivers an outstanding experience that is really fun. Like other games in its genre, Terraria relies heavily on exploration, survival mechanics, crafting, building and mining. The storytelling is minimal, making the previously mentioned elements the central pieces of the puzzle that makes up this game.

Although Terraria is very fun to play, some might find it tedious after a while. For those who are in that situation, there are many entertaining ways to spice up Terraria’s gameplay.

3

The Forest

A Father’s Efforts To Find His Lost Son

• Eric must survive the island as he searches for his son
• Players must gather resources to increase their chances of survival

While survival games on mysterious islands after a plane crash are nothing new, The Forest takes this concept and brings it to a whole new level. This game’s story focuses on the player character named Eric LeBlanc, who’ll have to survive on an inhospitable island that’s infested with cannibalistic monsters. Hoping to find his son, Timmy, Eric will do anything in his power to find a way out of the island.

Although the premise of this game already sounds quite complex, the storytelling is actually minimal, forcing players to focus more on the survival mechanics available, and on the gathering of resources, such as sticks, which can be used for various purposes.

2

Satisfactory

Building Factories And Increasing Efficiency Is Key

• Players can explore an alien planet to uncover various secrets
• Building and expanding factories is key

Similar to other games in its genre, Satisfactory focuses on factory building, as well as on exploration and a bit of combat. This game allows players to either enjoy the experience on their own or play with their friends while exploring an unknown alien planet.

As players gather more resources to build their factories, they’ll be able to expand them in almost any way they want, allowing them to increase their efficiency and make the most out of their efforts every time. Satisfactory has minimal storytelling, and instead chooses to focus on the efforts of industry.

1

Minecraft

Arguably The Best Title In Its Genre

• This title has inspired so many others over the years
• Resource gathering is a central component of the game

It’s impossible to talk about open-world games that focus on resource gathering and crafting without mentioning the massive hit that is Minecraft. Since it was first released in 2011, this title has amassed a massive following, inspiring additional content, pop culture references, and even an upcoming movie.

Like other games in its genre, Minecraft has minimal storytelling and instead focuses on resource gathering and the crafting of various worlds that are only limited by the imagination of those who want to build them from the ground up.