While El Nino The climate phenomenon is nothing new, the 2026 version is expected to be one of the most severe in a very long time, and the Climate Prediction Center estimates an 82% chance of it appearing between May and July. Unfortunately, it's probably inevitable at this point, and there's not much that can be done beyond just being prepared.
In tense times like these, open world games can help provide comfort in a way that no other medium or even genre can. They allow you to live in another world that follows a routine, feels safe and is subject to your whims and preferences. Depending on what someone is looking for, they can enjoy a peaceful Sim without the stress and frustration, or they can blast their way through an entire series of action-packed games that refuse to slow down for a second.
If you're not sure what to play, here are a couple of games that can keep you distracted while acting as a sanctuary.
No online-only titles like NTE and Genshin Impact; offline play only.
No Man's Sky
The limitless escape
El Niño is beyond our control, and helplessness can set in if someone starts to feel trapped in their own home. Unfortunately, there isn't much anyone can do other than prepare as best they can for the most likely scenarios; but at least we can use our moments of relaxation to enjoy a digital sense of freedom. No Man's Sky brings the universe into your living room or bedroom, and it's all yours. Since it's pretty much impossible to see everything, the game basically never ends, and it also allows players to define their type of journey.
8 Best Survival Games for Slow Exploration
These survival games should not be rushed and will reward players who take their time and explore carefully and thoroughly.
Thanks to a wide range of difficulty options, players can transform themselves No Man's Sky to an exploration-only experience that keeps stress levels to a minimum. Players set the pace, their goals and priorities as they move from one planet to another.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles
Explore, Farm and Live (Slowly)
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles casts players as a traveler shipwrecked on a wondrous island filled with friendly NPCs and animals (or monsters). Almost completely devoid of dark moments, this slow open world game is mainly sweet, light and peaceful.
Life or farming sims excel at providing a steady rhythm of minor achievements that provide a sense of accomplishment without requiring too much time or effort from players, usually through daily activities. Over there scratches that itch while not gluing players to their yard; instead, exploration is the focus, with everything else secondary.
Without battle or enemies, Over there lives up to its name by only letting you wonder to your heart's content.
At first I thought to choose Breath of the Wild or The tears of the kingdom because they are the typical “go anywhere” exploration games… but everyone knows those games. I don't want this article to be all big names.
The Planet Crafter
Turn an unforgiving world into your paradise
There are about a million open world survival games out there, and many of them are actually pretty good. Subnautica, Project Zomboid, Sons of the Forest, Astronomers, Far Cry Primaland Stranded Deep have been turning players into survivors for years, and I'm sure they'll turn a few more by the end of 2026. Although they share similarities with most of these games to some degree, The Planet Crafter stands out for a couple of reasons.
Best Open-World Games for Casual Players, Ranked
Not all open world games need to be intense and complex. These titles are perfect for casual gamers who just want to relax.
First, it has no horror elements or even enemies to fight, meaning you just have to focus on surviving. Second, the core of the game revolves around terraforming a largely dead planet, one drill at a time. Along with expanding your range and resources, this loop provides constant satisfaction as you watch your pressure, heat, and oxygen numbers increase. Even better, the planet gradually begins to transform as it becomes more alive, visually showing you the fruits of your labor. Finally, The Planet Crafter is not only about surviving in a harsh climate, but also about thriving.
Like the sound of The Planet Crafter but don't feel like playing a survival game? No worries at all, as you can just go with “Creative Mode” and enjoy a pure base building and crafting game without any pressure.
Donkey Kong Banana
Beat that stress away
Sometimes nothing hits quite like going on a (controlled) freeway. Donkey Kong Bananas game loop basically boils down to “DK smash”, which shouldn't be enough, but somehow it is. Although the story is better than it initially appears to be, Bananas appeal is just how satisfying the central mechanic is.
DK can punch through most floors, walls and rocks, with almost any action resulting in Gold, Gems, Chips, Fossils or Bananas. This bike is so addictive that it becomes almost impossible to resist the urge to dig deeper and deeper into the ground, especially since that commitment is almost always rewarded. Donkey Kong Banana isn't extremely long by open world standards, and its vertical world design makes its scope feel smaller than it actually is, but it makes every minute feel magical.
Tchai
Escape to a fantasy island (and then escape into dozens of different things)
Finally, here's a game that celebrates Pacific culture, specifically New Caledonia. Set in a fictional archipelago that is breathtakingly beautiful, Tchai tells the simple story of the girl of the same name as she tries to save her father from a god who feeds on the souls of children.
Tchia also has the ability to soul jump, which allows her to take over the bodies of animals and inanimate objects. Not only is this a great concept to build a game around, but Tchai lets players really have fun with it. You can soul jump into a bird and fly through the sky, then transform into a deer and gallop through a meadow, before becoming a coconut. Just moving around is exciting and liberating, and the latter is enhanced by the fact that the game encourages players to take the time to truly enjoy all that this world has to offer.
The 10 Greatest Open World Masterpieces of All Time, Ranked
Let's take a walk in the hall of fame of open world games and appreciate the greatest masterpieces of the genre of all time.
