Best Open-World game about the journey

The community is very result and performance focused, and the same is true in many games. You have to win to advance to the next level, to get the ending you want, or the rewards you're after. A lot of the time it can feel like the most important aspect, so much so that the rest of the game becomes almost irrelevant.

However, there are some games that fight against this mentality. Either they force you to slow down by punishing attempts to speed things up, or they masterfully distract players with surprise-filled open-world environments, deep and fun side activities, or simply the appeal of making your own adventure. Here are the games that will make you appreciate the journey over the destination.

Subnautica

Getting off the planet is secondary with an entire ocean to explore

As a survivor of a crash landing on a water planet, it can feel easy to hyper-focus on finding a way to escape in Subnautica. But playing like this doesn't do justice to the deep depth (pun intended) this game has as an open world survival craft.

It's so easy to get sucked into just creating these incredible underwater bases and upgrading your suit and gear, which ironically becomes secondary. The exploration alone is exciting enough to find new (and absolutely terrifying) life forms, and let's just say that anyone with thalassophobia will have the worst time of their life and dive into the darkest depths of Subnautica.

Fire Ring

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

Fire Ring and its DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is another perfect example of a game that can be completed relatively quickly or incredibly slowly. It's possible to rush through the mandatory bosses, but it also means players will miss out on tons 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 around the next corner. With no dedicated quest screen, it's also best to take your time with it if you want to experience some of the game's obscure and twisted lore. It's easy to miss NPCs and their changing locations when rushing around.

No Man's Sky

Artemis way? More like your way

No Man's Sky delivers an entire, sprawling galaxy ready for exploration to your doorstep, so it's pretty easy to get turned off in this game. Yes, there is some story and quest content to explore, such as in the form of the Artemis Path, but those moments are far from the highlights of the game.

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

Death Stranding

Slow And Steady wins the Delivery Race

If it's a game that shouldn't be rushed through to the end, it is Death Stranding. Much of the gameplay is built around purposefully slowing down the player, forcing them to be strategic about how they prepare for the road and how they traverse the gorgeous environment.

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

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The plot isn't the main event, it's Hyrule

A game very famous for its exploration and adventure, Breath of the Wild is a game where the action often takes a back seat as players become completely absorbed in the open world environment. Part of its charm is the variety when it comes to traversing: on foot, on horseback, climbing or flying with a glider.

All this, and you can go anywhere freely, at any time in the game, without any imposed restrictions or order. Complete side quests, or get creative while solving puzzles, run around to see what surprises are hiding around the next corner, from towers to villages to enemies – Hyrule is your oyster, and it's easy to forget that yes, there's an actual main quest to follow too.

Sable

A desolate and beautiful journey

A charming indie title with a unique art style, Sables the story revolves around the titular protagonist on the path of slippage. The desolate desert not only has views that make players stop on their journey, but also points of interest that invite further exploration.

You'll be riding your bike through the desert as something new appears on the horizon, and that's the kind of childlike wonder this game will inspire. Rushing through it with impatience will ruin the experience. And it doesn't just stop there, with its branching story paths and puzzles that invite you to return for more.

The long darkness

Make your mark in an unforgiving world

The long darkness is a bit of a unique here, as the game comes with an episodic campaign, as well as a sandbox survival mode. The story itself is pretty mediocre, but it does shed some light on the background of the world, with lore being dropped here and there.

Sandbox survival, with its freedom and open-endedness, is where the real meat of the game is, though, as you manage your needs and resources from calories to gear. Permadeath is a thing, so every decision made feels important. The world is surprisingly large, full of natural hazards, but also side activities to keep you alive, everything from hunting to fishing, and the game features are highly customizable. At its hardest, it presents some of the funnest challenges fans of hardcore survival games will know. It's a game where just doing your own thing feels far more rewarding than following the episodic story.

Minecraft

Beating the Ender Dragon is just the beginning

One could argue Minecraft has no beginning and no end, and while partially true, beating the Ender Dragon rolls the game's points. 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.

The sandbox game shines brightest when players take their time and make the journey their own. There is no rush to find a foothold and get to the end. Instead, explore all the biomes and new structures that have been added over the years, from ancient cities to court chambers. Even if players get to the end, many fans argue that finishing the dragon and getting the elytra is just the beginning, as being able to fly is what makes building and exploring easier.

Kenshi

Your unique journey is Kenshi's best offer

Kenshi has no main story, and it works very much to its advantage as a game that is truly, in every sense of the term, about the journey. And what a journey it will be. Players will suffer, and they will suffer more, and then they will suffer even more. It is not a game for those seeking power fantasy in an RPG setting. No, Kenshi will teach you humility, grit, cunning and strategy.

The great possibilities in Kenshi is astounding. While players have complete freedom to do whatever they want, from being a lowly thief to living a simple life as a farmer, the game reacts to that freedom of choice accordingly. If you are not prepared, you may end up enslaved, killed or eaten alive. But those who manage to survive will look back on their wild journey through Kenshi with great fondness. It is, in many ways, the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure game.

Outer Wilds

Don't look up the solution, but figure it out slowly

Something strange is going on in the world Outer Wildsand it is the player's job to find out the secret behind the time loop they are trapped in. Using a spaceship, the protagonist explores their system and the various planets and their secrets in hopes of solving what exactly is going on.

Although the game can be solved quickly in under an hour if players just indulge themselves with the solution, this is one of those titles that is much more rewarding to play through slowly, without looking anything up online. It's the very essence of a game that's about the journey of putting the pieces together, a journey of trial and error, and players are likely to die and start over again and again.