Summary
Open-world games can often offer players immense replay value, especially those that feature RPG mechanics that facilitate multiple approaches. However, some players may be turned away fromlarger open-world games due to their intimidating scaleand frequently bloated nature.
Thankfully, there are a great number of smaller open-world games that provide more focused experiences. While smaller games can sometimes have less replay value, these titles offer plenty of reason to revisit them after a first playthrough.
A Short Hikeis a short, cozy exploration game with a winning ambiance and intuitive controls. This title is quick to learn and provides immediate fun with its charming characters and fluid movement, elevated by a clear and simple gameplay loop.
WhileA Short Hikeis a short experience, its gameplay is so refreshing, its atmosphere so tranquil, that it’s often worth revisiting. The value comes from its short and snappy length and the comfortable nature of its charming environments, as well as the welcome familiarity of its colorful characters.
Westerado: Double Barreledharnesses a clear love for classic westerns and nostalgic arcade shooters, offering a simple gameplay loop wrapped in pixel-art charm. The game’s open environments support a unique structure, tasking players with finding and hunting down a ruthless outlaw.
Westerado’ssimple design makes fora wonderfully accessible experiencethat remains engaging thanks to its added layer of mystery. Since players must find and pursue a different outlaw with every playthrough,Westeradois able to offer a small open-world experience with plenty of replay value.
This minimalist soulslike excels with its unique soundtrack, warbling visuals, and charming theme. Supportingits stylish presentation, however, is a finely-tuned gameplay loop that provides a simple but engaging adaptation of classic soulslike mechanics.
Though its open-world environments are small,White Lavenderis full of whimsy, with plenty of wacky characters to meet and enemies to fight. The replay value comes from its RPG elements, which allow players to approach the game from a variety of angles.
For The Kingis a strategy RPG with a roguelike structure and an open-world map. In the game, players take control of a party of three adventurers, battling enemies across the land and delving into dangerous dungeons along the way.
This title excels with its accessible combat, offering a distinctive blend of strategy and luck that allows for moments of unpredictable excitement. As a roguelike,For The Kingboasts plenty of replay value, supported by a wide array of classes and items, as well as the addition of co-operative play.
The open-world map ofBattle Brothersis quick to travel across and small in scope, but it is dense with settlements and points of interest to explore and interact with. More importantly,Battle Brothersisa combat-focused experience, and its open-world only works to support it.
In the game, players manage and command a company of mercenaries, working to complete dangerous contracts across the land. It’sthe random elementsat play and the deep RPG systems that giveBattle Brothersits replay value, further elevated by multiple end-game scenarios and starting positions, as well as customizable difficulty.
Disco Elysiumisa melancholic adventuregame with a poignant soundtrack and evocative writing, excelling with its simple loop and complex web of dialogue and RPG systems. From its opening vignette,Disco Elysiumplays at a slow pace, but it’san intentionally slower burnthat constantly works to pique the player’s curiosity and motivate them through its painterly world.
The world itself, while open in its environments, is small. However,Disco Elysiumis so dense with points of interest, unique characters, and imaginative environments that it’s easy to get lost in despite its small size. Furthermore, the game boasts plenty of replay value with its deep RPG character progression — a system that allows for multiple approaches.
The Long Darkis a hardcore survival game that excels with its quiet, harsh, and hostile world. In the game, players must battle the elements, wild animals, and unforgiving simulation, making the best of their surroundings in order to survive for as long as they can.
The Long Darkisn’t the smallest open-world experience, with a variety of expanses spread throughout its world. However, it’s broken up into digestible regions, each uniquely memorable, that keep exploration compact. The replay value comes primarily from its survival mode, which allows players to enjoy the game indefinitely with a variety of difficulties.
With its procedural world, ramping difficulty, and diverse gameplay,Terrariais a highly replayable open-world experience. This survival-craft game champions intense boss fights and creative base-building in equal measure, giving players plenty of opportunities to express themselves both in and out of combat.
Be it delving into dangerous caves, developing a burgeoning town, or fighting a challenging boss,Terrariaexcels with its multi-faceted gameplay. Best of all, the game can be enjoyed aloneor played cooperatively.
