Great new open-world games that no one noticed

The game industry has grown significantly over the past few years, with many developers entering the space to showcase their work and, hopefully, bring something new to the table. in Open world genreCompeting with some big names can be difficult, because without a big IP behind your project, standing out from the crowd at launch can feel almost impossible..

However, even if these games aren't putting up crazy numbers or drawing huge audiences, they're still pretty awesome and show a level of quality and uniqueness that definitely deserves a lot of attention. From survival horror to tactical RPGs, there is so much greatness just around the corner waiting to be discovered.

DuneCrawl

Explore the sand together

• Fight on both legs and giant crabs.

• Co-op campaign and a PvP battle royale mode.

DuneCrawl is a cute but crazy adventure game that sends you into the middle of a sandy wasteland, with a trusty crab to help you and your friends find treasure. The basic gameplay loop revolves around moving between locations on the map, completing quests, and exploring hidden dungeons filled with loot and plenty of enemies.

The best part comes from the hilarious action that happens in every encounter. While you can play it solo, I've always found it more fun playing with others, as you can fight together and push into the unknown, all in the name of adventure and fun.

Deep craft

Large scale automation goodness

• A procedural world ready to explore and build.

• Huge production chains that span the map.

Deep craft What do you get when Subnautica and Satisfactory Merged into an automatic aquatic masterpiece. The sea is your canvas, and your job is to explore and build advanced production lines out of nothing, turning an empty alien world into an industrial empire.

There is a lot of modularity in the construction process, and I love how easy it is to design and plan large projects, without things falling apart at the seams. The world plays a big part in your automation journey, and exploring the underwater environment can be just as rewarding as building the base, creating nice looping movements and constantly changing builds with each session.

Lay of the Land

A fantasy voxel adventure

• Huge manufacturing capacity.

• Physics drives almost every gameplay interaction.

If modified Minecraft Not your cup of tea, then maybe Lay of the Land Voxel is the sandbox that will fill that imaginary void. The physics are kind, as everything from enemies to surrounding tiles can be manipulated and moved in a realistic way, adding a level of depth to both your build and world exploration.

What I value about the game is its dedication to polish, which is helped by the simplicity of the experience. There aren't thousands of individual objects or crazy mechanics to learn, just a relaxing and inviting pixelated landscape ready to be conquered by those hungry for discovery.

Project: Mist

Eerie Beyond Belief

• The terror of existence in the open field.

• Giant creatures lurking in the mist.

Project: Mist Combines an open-world existence with an intense horror environment that makes every step into the wilderness feel like a tense battle of wits. Set on a strange island inhabited by alien creatures, it's your job to fight back and uncover the sinister secrets lurking beneath the surface.

The world is truly remarkable, and I had a lot of fun walking between the different locations, from harsh woodlands to more industrial underground laboratories. There's a lot to love, and while there are some rough edges that should be leveled during the Early Access period, the existing experience has enough excitement to keep any survivalist fan invested for hours.

A tale of silent depth

Nowhere is safe under the sea

• Turn-based RPG gameplay.

• Roguelike run loop.

Turn-based open-world games are pretty hard to come by these days, though A tale of silent depth Proving that they can actually be incredibly fun under the right circumstances. With a procedural ocean before you, the remnants of humanity holding on for dear life, you and your crew must chart a course and avoid the aquatic dangers lurking around every corner, from pirates to nightmarish creatures.

A traditional roguelike at heart, no two runs play the same, and much of the variety comes from the captain you choose and the sheer number of build paths you can follow. I've only scratched the surface after a handful of adventurous runs, some fruitful and some short-lived, and it's clear the ocean floor has a lot more to offer down the line.

The Wilds of Dakryma

Puzzles on a gigantic scale

• Humorous and light hearted adventure.

• Multiple unique environments.

Finding a unique puzzle game can be as difficult as the in-game conundrums, but when you find that perfect match, it feels like the stars have aligned. The Wilds of Dakryma Many fall into that category. Not only is there a large and whimsical landscape to explore, but the puzzles (and the mechanics that go with them) are genuinely interesting and satisfying that can be compared to very few other games in the genre.

You start with a basic set of alchemical abilities and gradually become more powerful, thanks to some useful potions and the help of your trusty sidekick, opening up more possibilities and even more secrets. Everything from the movement to the world building is top-notch, and as someone who has been a fan of puzzle games for the longest time, I can honestly say that this is one of the best you can find out there today.

hypnosis

Closer to Megalophobia

• Huge structures to explore in depth.

• Branching dialogue paths and multiple endings.

hypnosis Weird and weird in the best way. The environments are largely immense and oppressive, presenting a distinct lack of logic where it can be difficult to know what you're looking at. Once you start walking around and meeting the inhabitants, things get more and more awkward with each passing second.

The semi-open nature of the world means there's always a new location to explore, without the chaotic landscape becoming too overwhelming and impossible to cope with. I'm blown away by the huge ambitions the game has achieved, and I'm excited to see what comes after early access from a dev team that has already proven itself to be truly special.