The best open world games that are about the journey

Society is very focused on results and achievements and the same can be found in a lot of games. You must win to advance to the next level to achieve the desired ending or the rewards you desire. It can often seem like the most important aspect, so much so that the rest of the game becomes almost irrelevant.

However, there are games that combat this mentality. They either force you to slow down by punishing attempts to speed things up, or they masterfully distract the player with an open world full of surprises, deep and fun side activities, or simply the appeal of creating your own adventure. Here are the games that will make you appreciate the journey across the finish line.

Subnautica

Exiting the planet is secondary with an entire ocean to explore

As a survivor of a crash landing on a water planet, it may feel easy to focus on finding a way to escape Subnautica. However, such gameplay doesn't do justice to the sheer depth (pun intended) that this game has as an open-world survival craft.

It's so easy to get caught up in just creating these incredible underwater bases and upgrading your suit and your gear that it ironically becomes secondary. The exploration itself is exciting enough to find new (and utterly terrifying) life forms, and let's just say that anyone with thalassophobia will have the worst time of their life when they delve into the darkest depths Subnautica.

Elden Ring

Only a few bosses are enough, but why not kill them all?

Elden Ring and its DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, are another perfect example of a game that can be completed relatively quickly or incredibly slowly. Walking through mandatory bosses is possible, but it also means that players miss out on a lot of side locations and optional bosses, as well as loot.

This is a game that really encourages you to look around to see what's just around the next corner. Without a dedicated quest screen, it's also best to take your time with it if you'd like to experience some of the game's obscure and twisted lore. When you're in a hurry, it's easy to miss NPCs and their changing locations.

No Man's Sky

The path of Artemis? More like your journey

No Man's Sky brings an entire, vast galaxy ready to be explored right to your doorstep, so it's pretty easy to get sidetracked in this game. Yes, there is some story content and quests to explore, such as the Artemis Path, but these moments are far from the highlights of the game.

The focus is on you and what you want to become and do in this world. Build a space base, upgrade your ship, discover new planets, species, biomes or just become an evil robber and pirate if you choose. There is no race to “the end”; it's about the player's journey and his footprint in the galaxy.

Death Stranding

Slow And Steady Wins The Delivery Race

If there's any game that shouldn't be rushed to the end, this is it Death Stranding. Much of the game is built around purposefully slowing down the player, forcing them to be strategic as they prepare for their journey and traverse the beautiful environment.

While there's a solid and deep story behind it, much of the game is focused on safely delivering cargo and avoiding danger (at least initially) in the wild. It's one title that will make you appreciate the slowness of things and the journey instead of the end result. Move too quickly or carelessly and the load will suffer.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Plot is not the main event, Hyrule is

A game highly praised for its exploration and adventure, Breath of the Wild is a game where the plot often takes a back seat as players are completely drawn into the open world environment. Part of its charm is the variety in terms of traversal: on foot, on horseback, climbing or gliding.

All this and you can go anywhere freely, at any point in the game, with no imposed restrictions or order. Complete side quests or get creative with puzzle solving, run around to see what surprises are around the next corner, from towers to villages to enemies – Hyrule is your oyster and it's easy to forget that yes, there's also an actual main quest to follow.

Sable

A Bleak And Beautiful Road

A charming indie title with a unique art style, Sable's the story is about the titular protagonist on a sailing journey. The barren desert offers not only views that make players stop on their way, but also interesting places that encourage further exploration.

You'll be driving through the desert when something new appears on the horizon, and that's the kind of childlike wonder this game inspires. Rushing through it impatiently will spoil the experience. And it doesn't stop there, with its branching story paths and puzzles that keep you coming back for more.

Long darkness

Make your mark in an unforgiving world

Long darkness is a bit unique here as the game comes with an episodic campaign as well as a sandbox survival mode. The story itself is fairly average, but it does shed some light on the background of a world where lore is dropped every now and then.

However, sandbox survival with its freedom and openness is where the game is at as you manage your needs and resources from calories to gear. Permadeath is a thing, so every decision matters. The world is surprisingly large, full of natural hazards but also side activities to keep you alive, from hunting to fishing, and the game features are highly customizable. At its hardest, it presents some of the funnest challenges known to hardcore survival fans. It's a game where just doing your own thing is much more rewarding than following an episodic story.

Minecraft

Defeating the Ender Dragon is just the beginning

It could be argued Minecraft it has no beginning and no end, and while this is partially true, defeating Ender Dragon throws the game credits. So somehow killing the dragon is considered the end. Getting there can be incredibly fast, as many speedrunners have proven over the years, but that's not the point Minecraft.

A sandbox game shines best when players take their time and make their own journey. There's no rush to find the fortress and get to the End. Instead, explore all the biomes and all the new structures that have been added over the years, from ancient cities to test chambers. Even if players make it to the end, many fans say that completing the dragon and getting the elytra is only the beginning, as the ability to fly is what makes building and exploring easier.

Kenshi

Your unique journey is Kenshi's greatest offering

Kenshi it doesn't have a main story, which is very beneficial as a game that is really, in every sense of the term, about the journey. And what a journey it will be. Players will suffer and suffer more and then suffer more. It's not a game for those looking for powerful fantasy in an RPG setting. No, Kenshi it will teach you humility, audacity, cunning, and strategy.

Absolute possibilities in Kenshi they are stunning. While players have complete freedom to do whatever they want, from a simple thief to the simple life of a farmer, the game responds to this freedom of choice accordingly. If you are not prepared, you may end up enslaved, killed, or eaten alive. Those who manage to survive, however, look back on their wild journey Kenshi with much love. It is, in many ways, the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure game.

The outer wilderness

Don't look for a solution, but slowly find one

Something strange is happening in the world The outer wildernessand the player's task is to figure out the secret of the time loop in which they find themselves trapped. With the help of a spaceship, the main character explores their system and various planets and their secrets in hopes of solving what exactly is going on.

While the game can be solved quickly in less than an hour, if players are just spoiled for choice, this is one of those titles that is much more rewarding to play slowly without looking anything up online. It's the very essence of the game, which is all about the journey of putting pieces together, a journey of trial and error, as well as players likely to die and start the day over and over again.