Open-world games typically feature expansive worlds withmultiple biomes and points of interest, which contain hidden secrets for the player to find. For the sake of convenience, almost all games in the open-world genre employ an in-depth map system, including quest markers, HUD elements, and minimaps to help players navigate their expansive worlds. Though, not always for the better.
If not used sparingly, these elements can quickly overcrowd the screen, overshadowing an otherwise excellent game. Luckily, that is not the case for all open-world games. Some forgo the use of maps entirely, allowing players to completely immerse themselves into the virtual reality. Or if they do use maps, it’s in a very limited fashion.
6Outward
Finding Adventure One Landmark At A Time
Outwardis anindie open-worldaction RPG that immerses players in a remarkable world of might and magic, filled with unique lore and memorable biomes. WhileOutwarddoes have a map, it can’t be used to navigate in the same way as most games.
The caveat toOutward’s map is that the player’s location is never marked on the map. The only way to use it is to try and match the in-game landmarks with the ones drawn on the map. This forces players to stop and observe their surroundings and actually pay attention during exploration. This also makes finding caves, dungeons and ruins a pleasant surprise rather than an expected outcome.
5Dark Souls
An Interconnected Maze
Dark Soulsis an era-defining game by all rights, spawning dozens if not hundreds of clones over the years since its initial release. A big part of what makesDark Soulssuch a standout success is thelack of handholding FromSoftware baked into the game.
From the very start until the very end, players need to rely completely on their memory to figure out where, exactly, they are in the game world. Owing to the interconnected, convoluted nature of the setting, every path eventually loops and leads back to the start, and it is very, very easy to get lost. Since there is no tool to navigate, memorizing landmarks, names of places,secret routes, and shortcutsbecomes as important a part as the combat itself. While bothDS2andDS3also don’t have a map, the originalDark Souls’implementation of this mechanic remains the gold standard even after all these years.
4Minecraft
The Ultimate Survival Sandbox
Minecraftis a game that doesn’t need an introduction. It is hands down the most influential game of all time, having appeal for every type of gamer, young and old alike. A key feature ofMinecraft’s worlds is that it doesn’t provide players with a map that can be used with a click of a button. The entire game is balanced around playing blind without knowing what’s around the corner. While it’s possible tocraft an in-game map—with a compass and some paper—it only shows the immediate surroundings. Players will need to explore far and wide with an upgraded map to mark down everything. Even if this map is fully completed, it only shows the surface; anything underground remains hidden until it’s discovered via mining.
Additionally,Minecraftallows players to identify the exact location of any spot in the game thanks to itscoordinates system, which gives the exact X, Y, and Z coordinates of any spot in any given seed. This comes in especially handy when playing with friends in order to pinpoint the exact location of a co-op partner at a glance.
3Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Authentic Medieval Roleplay
Kingdom Come: Deliveranceis amedieval fantasy action role-playing gamethat strives to be as close to reality as possible. The protagonist, Henry, starts off as a simple Blacksmith’s son and rises in the ranks as a soldier throughout the course of the story. Everything Henry does is within the realms of possibility, something that could be achieved by a sufficiently motivated peasant in the medieval age.
In keeping with the theme of realism,Kingdom Come: Deliveranceonly offers players a very, very simple map that only shows the location of the player in relation to the rest of the world and the general location of quests when they’re activated. There is even an option to completely turn off quest markers and the map function for even more immersion. And since quests always have contextual clues and detailed instructions on where to go and what to do, attentive players will always know exactly what needs to be done. A quest in this game is never as simple as ‘capture the thief’; it’s always more like ‘there was a suspicious figure lurking by the town magister’s house around midnight, and he’s likely to return again at the same time tomorrow.’
2Outer Wilds
A Universe Of Secrets Waiting To Be Discovered
Outer Wildsis one of the hardest games to write about because explaining what the game is to someone who hasn’t played it ruins the fun of discovering the mysteries of the title. It is a game best experienced by going in blind, with no expectations.
Keeping true to this idea,Outer Wildsis perhaps the best example of a game that’s built from the ground up with pure exploration in mind. There are no quest markers to point to objectives, only clues and vague hints pointing towards where players could go next, never whether or not they should.Exploration is the very first priority ofOuter Wilds, and it shows. While there is a Galaxy map players can open, it only shows the broad strokes of where the player is in relation to neighboring planets; the vast majority of exploration remains unspoiled.
1Subnautica
Endless Depths Of Uncharted Waters
Subnauticavery deliberately doesn’t give players a map to aid in their underwater exploration, forcing them to rely instead on self-placed markers, contextual clues, and raw memory to figure out what went where.
Thelack of a map is part ofSubnautica’s core philosophy, and if there was one, it would not be nearly as good of a game as it is now. A major pull ofSubnauticais that feeling of being all alone in an endless ocean without nothing but a fabricator, a flimsy submarine, and a vague idea of where to go. If the game held players' hands and walked them through every step of the journey, it would destroy the romance of this underwater adventure entirely.
