Best Open World Games on Steam: 14 Picks to Explore

The best open world games on Steam all share one quality: they show you something on the horizon and let you decide whether it’s worth the trip. What players love about the genre is that freedom: the side path that becomes a three-hour detour, the ruin nobody pointed you toward, the story that happens because of where you chose to wander. Here are 14 picks, strongest all-rounders first, with what you actually do in each and who it suits.

Open world RPGs you can lose a hundred hours in

These are the games most people mean when they talk about the genre: large maps, character builds, quests everywhere, and a world that rewards curiosity. If RPGs are your home turf, our best RPG games on Steam list covers the wider genre too.

ELDEN RING

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ELDEN RING earns its spot near the top of any list of the best open world games on Steam because it nails the feeling of discovery. The Lands Between join open fields and large, multi-layered dungeons without loading breaks, and the game rarely tells you where to go. You simply ride toward whatever looks interesting.

What you do: explore, fight demanding enemies and bosses, and build a character from a huge mix of weapons, armour, spells and summons. Combat is about timing, reading attacks and choosing when to strike. It suits players who enjoy a challenge and like learning a world through trial and error. Steam lists single-player plus online co-op and online PvP, so you can call in help or face invaders.

Cyberpunk 2077

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Where ELDEN RING sprawls outward, Cyberpunk 2077 stacks upward. Night City is a dense, vertical megacity of power, glamour and body modification, and its streets are where most of the stories happen. It’s the pick for players who want an open world that feels lived in rather than empty.

You take jobs, shape your character through upgrades and choices, and explore a city that rewards poking into side streets. It fits fans of story-heavy RPGs and first-person action. Steam lists it as single-player only, available on Windows and macOS.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

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Skyrim is the template a lot of later open world RPGs followed: pick a direction, find a cave, get pulled into a questline you never planned on. The Special Edition bundles the base game with its add-ons and remastered visuals, and supports Bethesda’s Creations for extra quests, gear and areas.

It suits anyone who wants classic fantasy freedom without steep difficulty, and players who like tinkering with mods. It’s single-player on Steam. If it’s your favourite, our games like Skyrim list goes deeper into the same style.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

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No dragons, no magic: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II sets its open world in 15th-century Europe and follows young Henry through a story-driven journey. If what you love about open worlds is the sense of really living somewhere, this one fits.

Expect grounded medieval combat, quests woven into village and castle life, and a pace that asks you to slow down. It suits patient players who enjoy history and immersion over spectacle. Steam lists it as single-player with full controller support.

Fallout: New Vegas

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Fallout: New Vegas is older than everything else here, and it’s still one of the sharpest examples of an open world built around choices. The Mojave Wasteland is pulled between rival factions fighting over New Vegas, and you decide who wins, or whether you take the Strip for yourself.

You explore desert towns, the Hoover Dam and the neon Strip, mixing gunplay with dialogue and faction politics. It suits players who care more about writing and consequences than modern graphics. Single-player on Steam.

Story-driven action sandboxes

A sandbox is a game that hands you tools and space and lets you choose your approach. These three wrap that freedom around a strong central story.

Red Dead Redemption 2

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Red Dead Redemption 2 is the slow, rich end of the genre. It’s 1899, and Arthur Morgan rides with the Van der Linde gang as lawmen and bounty hunters close in, while tensions inside the gang threaten to split it apart. The open world is the American heartland, and the game gives you room to hunt, wander and get distracted between story missions.

It suits players who want a cinematic story and don’t mind a deliberate pace. Steam lists single-player plus Red Dead Online, where you can ride solo or form a posse, with online co-op and PvP. Steam also lists in-app purchases.

METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN

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The Phantom Pain turns open-world missions into puzzles you solve your own way. Set in 1984, it follows Snake, nine years after the fall of Mother Base, as he builds a new private army and hunts the group known as XOF.

What you do: scout a target, pick an approach, and handle the mess when plans go wrong. It suits players who enjoy stealth and planning more than running and gunning, and it is one of the better choices if you want the best single player open world games on Steam with tactical depth. Steam lists single-player and multi-player, plus in-app purchases.

Dying Light

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Dying Light makes movement the main event. It’s a first-person survival game in a city overrun by the infected, and parkour lets you climb nearly any building to escape or reach remote spots. The streets feel very different depending on how high up you are.

You scavenge supplies, craft weapons and fight hordes, with the city growing far more dangerous after dark. It suits action fans who like zombie settings and fluid traversal. Steam lists single-player, online co-op, online PvP, Steam Workshop support and a level editor, on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Exploration-first worlds driven by curiosity

These games trade quest logs and loot for wonder. The world itself is the puzzle, and your own curiosity is the main thing pushing you forward.

Outer Wilds

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Outer Wilds is an open world mystery about a small solar system caught in an endless time loop. You’re a new recruit at a fledgling space program, and every planet hides places that change as time passes: a city swallowed by sand, a world crumbling under your feet.

There are no upgrades to grind. Your progress is what you learn, so the joy comes from piecing clues together. It suits players who love detective work and space exploration. Single-player, and Steam marks it as gamepad recommended. Our mystery games like Outer Wilds list has more in this vein.

Subnautica

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Subnautica is an open world that goes down instead of out. You crash-land on an alien ocean planet and dive through coral reefs, kelp forests, caves, lava fields and deep trenches, managing oxygen as you go.

It’s survival crafting (gathering resources to build gear and keep yourself alive): you craft diving equipment and submersibles, then build habitats on the sea floor. It suits players who enjoy tension and awe in equal measure. Steam lists it as single-player with VR support, on Windows and macOS.

Sable

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Sable is the calmest game here. You guide Sable through her Gliding, a coming-of-age journey across deserts dotted with old spaceships and ancient ruins, riding a hoverbike and climbing monumental structures to uncover who she is behind her mask.

There is no rush and the world sets the mood, helped by a soundtrack from Japanese Breakfast. It suits players who want quiet exploration without combat pressure. Single-player with full controller support. Fans of gentle games might also like our best cozy games on Steam.

Sandbox worlds you shape yourself, solo or with friends

These worlds give you the least direction and the most control. Some are procedurally generated, meaning the game builds landscapes from rules rather than handcrafting every corner, so no two journeys look quite alike.

No Man’s Sky

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No Man’s Sky offers a procedurally generated universe of planets and lifeforms, and you can fly from space down to a planet’s surface without loading screens. Years of free updates have expanded it a great deal since launch.

You explore, gather resources, build bases and travel between stars, with as much or as little structure as you like. It suits players who want an endless sandbox to drift through. Steam lists single-player, online co-op, online PvP and cross-platform multiplayer, plus VR support on Windows and macOS.

Valheim

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Valheim is a survival exploration game for 1 to 10 players, set in a procedurally generated afterlife inspired by Norse myth. Each biome has its own resources and threats, and you advance by defeating bosses called the Forsaken.

You build longhouses, craft gear and sail toward new lands, ideally with a group. It’s one of the best open world games on Steam for friends who want a shared project. Steam lists a release date of Sep 9, 2026, with single-player and online co-op on Windows, macOS and Linux. See our survival games like Valheim for similar picks.

Kenshi

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Kenshi is a squad-based RPG with no fixed story at all. Its store page describes a seamless world stretching over 870 square kilometres, and you can be a trader, thief, farmer, warlord or someone’s lunch.

You start weak and build a squad that grows stronger with experience, set up bases, research technology and deal with rival factions. It suits players who love emergent stories and colony management, and who can handle a harsh start. Single-player, with Steam Workshop support and a level editor. Fans of colony sims like RimWorld often enjoy it.

How to choose among the best open world games on Steam

A big map is not the same as a world you’ll enjoy. Before buying, ask yourself what kind of freedom you want:

• Freedom to fight your way: ELDEN RING, METAL GEAR SOLID V and Dying Light let you choose how to handle each encounter.
• Freedom to shape a story: Fallout: New Vegas, Cyberpunk 2077 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II make your choices matter.
• Freedom to just look around: Outer Wilds, Sable and Subnautica reward curiosity over combat.
• Freedom to build: Valheim, No Man’s Sky and Kenshi let you leave a mark on the world.

A worked example

Say you loved Skyrim but felt the combat was the weakest part. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II keeps the immersion while making fights more grounded. If instead you loved Skyrim’s sense of stumbling onto danger, ELDEN RING gives you that with tougher combat. If what you actually loved was the exploring, not the fighting, try Outer Wilds or Sable.

Trade-offs to weigh

• Pace: Red Dead Redemption 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II are slow by design. That’s the appeal for some players and a dealbreaker for others.
• Difficulty: ELDEN RING and Kenshi can be punishing early on. Skyrim and No Man’s Sky are far more forgiving.
• Age: Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim are older games. Their worlds hold up, but expect older visuals.

Which open world games on Steam can you play with friends?

If you want the best open world games on Steam multiplayer-wise, Steam lists online co-op for five of the picks. Here’s how they compare:

For more group picks, see our best co-op games on Steam and the best survival games on Steam.

Common mistakes when picking an open world game

• Chasing every map icon. Many players burn out by clearing side content in order. Follow what interests you and leave the rest.
• Judging by the first hour. Kenshi, Subnautica and Outer Wilds start small and confusing on purpose. Give them a few sessions before deciding.
• Assuming co-op means the full campaign. Check each game’s Steam features. Red Dead Redemption 2’s co-op lives in Red Dead Online, separate from Arthur’s story.
• Ignoring platforms. Most picks here are Windows only on Steam. Cyberpunk 2077, Subnautica, Outer Wilds’ peers and No Man’s Sky list macOS; Dying Light and Valheim also list Linux.
• Expecting free games. None of these picks is free to play, so watch for sales on their store pages.

Whichever you pick, each game’s card shows its Steam screenshots and trailer, so you can get a feel for the world before you commit. For more lists like this, browse the best games on Steam.

Questions and answers

What is a good open world game to start with on Steam?

It depends on what you want from the freedom. For a big story with a living world, Red Dead Redemption 2 or Cyberpunk 2077 are strong starting points. For classic fantasy roaming, Skyrim Special Edition is easy to pick up. If you want challenge, ELDEN RING. If you prefer exploring for its own sake with no combat pressure, Outer Wilds or Sable suit you better.

What are the best single player open world games on Steam?

Several of the strongest picks are single-player only on Steam: Cyberpunk 2077, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Fallout: New Vegas, Subnautica, Outer Wilds, Sable and Kenshi. ELDEN RING and Red Dead Redemption 2 also have full single-player campaigns, with online modes you can ignore if you prefer to play alone.

Which open world games on Steam can I play with friends?

Steam lists online co-op for ELDEN RING, Red Dead Redemption 2 (through Red Dead Online), No Man's Sky, Dying Light and Valheim. Valheim is built around groups of 1 to 10 players, and No Man's Sky also supports cross-platform multiplayer. For dedicated co-op exploration with a group, Valheim and No Man's Sky are the most natural fits.

What are the best open world shooter games for PC?

From this list, Cyberpunk 2077 and Fallout: New Vegas mix first-person gunplay with RPG character building, and Dying Light pairs first-person combat with parkour across a zombie-infested city. METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN leans toward tactical stealth, letting you plan how to approach each open-world mission. Red Dead Redemption 2 offers Western gunfights in a story-led world.

Are there free open world games on Steam?

None of the 14 games in this list is free to play on Steam; each is a paid game. Prices and sales change often, so check each game's Steam store page for the current cost. If budget matters, older picks with long histories, such as Fallout: New Vegas or Skyrim Special Edition, are worth watching during Steam sales.

What is the #1 rated game on Steam?

There is no fixed answer, because Steam review summaries update constantly as new reviews arrive, and rankings shift with them. The better approach is to check the review summary on each game's store page, read a few recent reviews, and match the game to what you enjoy, whether that is challenge, story, exploration or building with friends.