Outer Wildsis my favorite game ever made. It’s such a unique, unbelievably interesting experience of exploring planets for information that allows you access to places you could always reach.
I absolutely love the non-linear exploration and feeling of discovery, and while I’ve never found an exact match for that in any other game, some games go for a similar vibe.
9 Open World Games With Zero Hand-Holding
If you trust your players, the game might just end up better for it.
It’s usually just scratching the itch of a game that feels likeyou’re exploring a world without any hand-holding voice telling you exactly where to go at all times, but some games nail other aspects too.
All ten games here have some spark in them that made me think of Outer Wilds, and while none of them are going to be a perfect match for perhaps the most unique game ever made, they’re pretty damn good.
10No Man’s Sky
Among The Stars
No Man’s Sky
I think these two games are similar with an asterisk, asNo Man’s Skydoes have that same space travel through some extensive ship controls, and interesting, unfamiliar planets to explore.
It doesn’t hit the narrative beats at all, and it’s got a bit too much direct guidance, butonce you get set free in the open space with billions of planets to explore, it feels like complete freedom.
Flying through space and just exploring the different places I find is one of the best parts of this game, and the extra base building and quests on top of that are fine additions to the flight.
If you absolutely love thefeeling of soaring through the starsand want something more than the relatively small planets in Outer Wilds, then I think you’ll enjoy just cruising around here.
Ship Shape
There’s something aboutDREDGE’sexploration that brings about a similar fear that Dark Bramble did. There’s always something in the water that feels intimidating, and even then, there’s always a bigger fish.
With this one, the sailing and open exploration between all the islands is where it reminded me of Outer Wilds. Finding something in the distance, finding the means to reach it, and going there is a rather simple pleasure.
11 Most Emotional Video Game Openings
How are you supposed to play the rest of the game when you’re so busy drying your tears?
Unlike No Man’s Sky, there’s an actual story going on here, but it’s more so a ton of lore sprinkled onto a half-decent plotline. All together, it makes the game incredibly interesting to explore. Just don’t expect to be sobbing at the credits.
Really, I’m here for the cryptids in the water, the absolutely disgustingly great artwork, and sailing across the sea only to bump into a rock once and have my engine break and leave me incredibly slow.
Unending Hallways
Super Mario 64
You may be wondering how the hell aSuper Mario 64Rom Hack is here, but I’m pretty sure anyone who’s played both B3313 and Outer Wilds understands this choice, as they have a shockingly similar aura.
It brings about this feeling of unfamiliar nostalgia on top of the exploration that can be confusing, whimsical, and horrific all at the same time. It’s genuinely impressive, and absolutely one of the most unique platformers I’ve played.
The castle goes from a simplistic level hub to a non-Euclidean nightmarepalace where you can go the same way several times and end up on a different level on each path, which just makes figuring out the layout incredibly satisfying.
Just like Outer Wilds, there’s a method to the madness, and you’re able to figure out how things work with enough experimentation and exploration. It’s still a 3D platformer at its core, but I think it works just as well.
7Subnautica
An Ocean of Possibilities
Subnautica
For another open-world game with a strong tinge of horror,Subnauticafeels like it conquers the terrifying prospect of the ocean, which is rather similar to how horrifying space can be.
It’s not super story-heavy and isfar more focused on survival, but that makes the struggle to live inan ocean of unfamiliar creatures, sunken structures, and hostile environments even more engaging.
Once you’ve gotten yourself established and use a Seamoth to navigate around the sea and avoid encountering terrifying sea creatures, it can have a surprisingly similar effect to exploring Dark Bramble.
Subnautica almost feels like the counterpart to Outer Wilds, with a similar style of exploration and the same mildly hostile but very engaging world, but instead of making you feel at ease for the majority, your time spent in serenity is very short-lived.
6Animal Well
Navigation Online
Animal Well
Of all the titles to be labeled a “Metroidbrainia”,Animal Wellis easily the most deserving.It actually feels like a Metroid game, if the goal were to have the player’s knowledge be the main thing gating off progression.
It has that same non-linear, open structure of most Metroidvanias, withitems that gate progression primarily being puzzle mechanics that only allow you a new tool to factor into your planto get through a room.
It’s a genius way to make the game feel infinitely more satisfying to solve, while also avoiding the feeling many of these games have, where you feel like you aren’t making progress because there aren’t any items or upgrades.
Plus, it has a creepy white animal that is debatably a wolf, and some of the eeriest yet interesting vibes I’ve seen. It nails that same subtle horror you’d come to expect, while making you always want to keep exploring.
5Rain World
Wherever You Are Now
Rain World
I think, in terms of open-world games, the most open game I’ve ever seen in my entire life isRain World. The world you’re in is absolutely massive, and the only thing stopping you is the world itself.
There is never any arbitrary barriers, there is simply an entire ecosystem of predators on the hunt for their next meal, and you just happen to bea prey animal trying to survivethe hostile environment.
You cango anywhere, see the incredible sights around the world, and get eaten by a lizardthat you neglected to notice was just off-screen and deciding to come through the very pipe you were about to enter.
The atmosphere is terrifying, the game is excruciatingly difficult at times, and the lore and story are so in-depth and built into the world that you’ll need to get a degree on Slug Cats to understand it all.
4Return of the Obra Dinn
Story Unsolved
Return of the Obra Dinn
One of the biggest appeals of Outer Wilds is the non-linear storytelling that forces you to piece everything together yourself, and that kind of story is the entire focus ofReturn of the Obra Dinn.
You’re tasked with solving a murder mystery on a completely abandoned pirate ship, with the ability to see little snapshots of past events, but never with the full context to figure everything out.
It’s a head-scratching process, piecing together every little bit of information, trying to find the role and name of everyone on board, and figuring out who got killed by a gun or by a massive sea beast.
It’s funny that this game has the complete opposite vibe of Outer Wilds, yet anyone I know who enjoys one will most certainly enjoy the other. The process of piecing a story together yourself is simply incredibly enjoyable.
3Void Stranger
Blocked Out
You might see Void Stranger and think it’s just an unassuming,Zelda-likepuzzle game focused on taking the floor and putting it somewhere else, and while that’s partly true, it’s alsoan intensely narrative-focused, mind-bending experience.
The main similarity between these two games is the mystery of trying to solve them and attempting to get the best ending through rather unconventional means, making it one of those things that’s hard to speak on.
9 Open World Games With No Fast Travel
It’s about the journey, not the destination.
This is another game where everyone who enjoys it signs a contract that necessitates they guard spoilers like their life depends on it, so I’ll simply say that Void Stranger is both a head-scratching puzzle game, and an incredible mystery.
If you want more traditional puzzles in a super charming style with a story that will likely wreck you just as much as Outer Wilds, then Void Stranger is an easy recommendation that I refuse to say much about.
Reset The Cycle
As I get further into this list, the more I realize I’m mostly unable to give story details, as all these games share that same tight-lipped fanbase as Outer Wilds. That said, you absolutely need to play OneShot.
It’s gotsome of the most mind-boggling puzzles I’ve ever seen in a game, going far beyond the bounds that most other games have ever gone, while delivering an effective and heartbreaking narrative.
The entire point is roaming around these worlds, solving puzzles, piecing together the lore, and using that to progress as you help one of the most endearing characters ever put into a video game.
It will make you feel stumped at every turn, it’ll make you feel stressed and happy simultaneously, and while I was exploring for the first time, it gave me that same feeling Outer Wilds did when I had first played it.
1In Stars And Time
Everlasting Mystique
In Stars and Time
I think I’m in the clear to share the mildest spoiler ever, so I’ll say that In Stars And Time is another gamewhere you’re trapped in a time loop, but spinning the entire concept of a normal turn-based RPG into something new.
If Outer Wilds was a deconstruction of typical adventure games, then In Stars And Time does that same amount of playing around with its genre, making something completely new while never dropping the fundamentals.
It’s similarly about exploring, making choices, and doing your best to make every loop different, while still being a turn-based RPG where you need to actually learn the combat and approach it with some tact.
It’s beautifully charming, the characters are absolutely lovely to have around in your endlessly looping monochrome days, and it will absolutely imbue you with that same sense of half-dread, half-relaxation, full-curiosity.
10 Best Annapurna Interactive Games, Ranked
Annapurna’s massive catalogue proves a bit intimidating, but what are the best games they’ve put out?
