Games that let players set their own goals

Strictly linear games are all well and good, but they can sometimes struggle with replayability. You may know, for example, that the main story of the game has 30 levels. By completing them, you may have seen everything the title has to offer. There may be challenges or other difficulty options, but is that enough to keep you in the game? That is for the player to decide.

Alternatively, if you are able to define your own specific goals, you can effectively continue playing for as long as it takes to accomplish them. It helps to ensure that they are actually practical to get, but these games accommodate the way of thinking very well.

5

Minecraft

Create, Live, Repeat

as it seems Minecraft It's going to be around forever. The key to its success is something that is very difficult to emulate: being everything to every player. There are those who have little interest in Creative Mode but who have spent hundreds of hours in Survival, and vice versa. Between these two offerings, Minecraft has successfully catered to millions of fans.

Whether you want to slay a mighty ander dragon or build an ancient Roman city complete with elaborate fortresses and arenas, Minecraft has you covered. It's a fascinating lesson in how structured game design can be restrictive, and players can build things that developers couldn't imagine if they were given the tools and freedom to do so. Just watching other players online in creative mode can give you an idea for a project that might consume the next six months of your time.

4

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Mission accomplished (or not)

As with the game Animal Crossing: New HorizonsIt's probably best if you go into it with a defined goal and end game in mind. If you don't, you may find yourself going back to the game on a daily basis forever, and then it risks becoming a chore. Maybe you want to complete your museum, for example, the seasonal nature of bugs and fish will take a year of non-time travel games. Alternatively, you may have a vision for a perfect island design (more customizable than ever for terraforming mechanics), for others to visit and admire your genius through Dream Islands. Heck, why not collect those awesome rare items as much as you can?

Your goals are entirely up to you. Some players engage in the practice of ruthlessly 'trading' villagers to build their dream inventory, regardless of who they are. The ultimate achievement, for still others, is to populate your island with a village of only one species. Your goal, after all, may be to inundate your home with excited octopi villagers on your birthday, and who can deny such a dream? The game is still being updated and getting stronger.

3

RimWorld

Struggle with the sheer unpredictability of space

Games often task the player with managing and trying to maintain a group of colonists and survivors, and it's hard to imagine a more hostile environment than the setting in which such a title is set. RimWorld It's one of those experiences where you rarely win outright, and much of your time in the game will be spent trying to react to spontaneous disasters and fight the inevitable.

That's not to say, though, that there isn't a lot of freedom in choosing how your colony develops, the primary focus of nature and its inhabitants, and other important elements. Another major one is the ending. If you have industrious colonies, they may be able to make the pieces you need to build a spaceship, enabling their escape. You can also lead them to attack the Mechhive, and thus bring about the end of the mechanoids. As long as their basic needs like food are met, and they are protected, they are content to center their domain around scientific research, growth, or whatever you want.

2

Slim Rancher 2

What does ranching success look like? You decide

Slime Rancher titles are known not only for adorable slimes, but also for the open nature of the experience. The goal is to eventually find out what happened on Rainbow Island and defeat that tricky end boss, but in the meantime, it's mostly about developing your farm. You can achieve this however you want, from selecting a favorite type of slime to focusing your efforts on hunting a wide variety of open-world areas.

You can, of course, optimize your output by specifically prioritizing the highest-value plots, but this seems contrary to the spirit of the game in some ways. It's about the charm of experience, Slim's different personalities, and getting out into the open world is the best way to embrace that.

1

green hell

One of the most brutal survival experiences

As mentioned, RimWorld Set in an incredibly dangerous environment, it's best to rise to the challenge of survival. green hellOn the contrary, it takes place here on Earth, but is almost as dangerous. Jake Higgins is a scientist who has entered the Amazon rainforest in an attempt to find his wife, but beyond the story mode, developer Creepy Jar gives the player a task: make the best of this hostile environment.

While managing illnesses and injuries, your own sanity, and important tasks like learning to boil water, start a fire, and getting enough nutrients in your diet, you're free to explore as you wish. There are some large, elaborate bases that players can create using sophisticated materials and mechanics. You can also take on the role of a hunter and turn the tables on hostile locals. It's the bonus mode Spirits of Amazonia that offers the most variety, though, where players enhance their relationships with local tribes by performing a wide range of challenges, from hunting animals to solving puzzles in the environment. You can choose which activities to engage in, or you can explore the world at your leisure. Whatever you choose as your goal, the Green Hell will test you in all kinds of ways.