If you hate linear and structured gameplay, then an open-world game is the perfect choice for you. You can explore the map freely, you are perfectly autonomous.
If you’re curious to learn what’s the biggest open-world game ever created, keep on scrolling through this list.
List of the biggest open-world games
- No Man’s Sky: map size is still unknown
- 1.5 billion sq. miles: Minecraft
- 62,000 sq. miles: The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
- 15,000 sq. miles: Guild Wars Nightfall
- 5,560 sq. miles: Fuel
- 1,900 sq. miles: The Crew
- 700 sq. miles: Final Fantasy XV
- 618 sq. miles: Test Drive Unlimited 2
- 500 sq. miles: Asheron’s Call
- 400 sq. miles: Just Cause 3
- 240 sq. miles: True Crime: Street of LA
- 200 sq. miles: Burnout Paradise
- 135 sq. miles: Operation Flash Point: Dragon Rising
- 105 sq. miles: Ghost Recon Wildlands
- 103 sq. miles: Arma 3
- 84 sq. miles: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- 80 sq. miles: World of WarCraft
- 55 sq. miles: Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag
- 49 sq. miles: Grand Theft Auto V
- 43 sq. miles: Fallout 4
- 31 sq. miles: Far Cry 2
- 22 sq. miles: The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
- 16 sq. miles: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- 15 sq. miles: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
- 15 sq. miles: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky is the biggest open-world game ever created. It features a procedurally generated universe with billions of planets that players can explore. Its map size is still unknown.
The game’s vastness is due to its use of procedural generation algorithms, which create a seemingly endless number of planets to discover.
What is a procedurally generated universe in games?
A procedurally generated universe is a digital world that is created using algorithms instead of being designed manually by game developers.
Mathematical rules and parameters generate the universe’s content, like planets, terrain, creatures, and more.
The algorithms can generate a vast number of unique and diverse elements within the universe.
This means that each planet or environment in the universe becomes distinct from others, with almost limitless combinations of features.
Minecraft
Minecraft is one of the biggest open-world games ever created. It features over 1.5 billion square miles. By comparison, the next game on the list, The Elder Scrolls II Daggerfall features a 62,000-square-mile map.
⇒ Fun fact:
- The Earth has a surface area of 197 million square miles. Minecraft is about eight times larger.
Pretty cool, isn’t it?
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is a role-playing game that takes place in a fictional continent called Tamriel. The title is famous for its massive and detailed open world.
Players can explore a vast game world that is generated dynamically, providing an enormous amount of content and countless possibilities.
Daggerfall’s gameplay depth is further enriched by its intricate skill system.
Guild Wars Nightfall
Guild Wars Nightfall is a popular online role-playing game where players enter the fantasy world of Elona, a land under the shadow of an ancient god of darkness named Abaddon.
As a player, you can create a character from various professions, each with its unique abilities and playstyle.
The game offers a diverse range of professions like warriors, spellcasters, archers, and more, allowing you to choose a role that suits your preferred playstyle.
The main story of Guild Wars Nightfall revolves around your character’s journey to become a hero and save Elona from the threat of Abaddon.
Fuel
Fuel is an open-world racing game that offers a unique and vast game world set in a post-apocalyptic setting. In Fuel, you’ll find yourself in a massive and diverse environment, spanning over 5,000 square miles (14,000+ square kilometers).
This makes it one of the largest open-world games ever created.
The game takes place in a future where environmental disasters have drastically changed the world.
As a player, you participate in various racing events and challenges across different terrains, including deserts, forests, mountains, and more.
Fuel offers a wide range of vehicles to choose from, including motorcycles, buggies, trucks, and even monster trucks.
One of the standout features of Fuel is its emphasis on exploration. The vast open world is filled with hidden collectibles, landmarks, and shortcuts that you can discover while racing or simply exploring.
What makes open-world games so special?
An open-world game allows you to explore the entire map in a non-linear manner. Open-world games offer you interesting ways to interact with the broader level or even the entire map while ignoring your main objective.
By comparison, a story-based game forces you to stick to the main path or objective. You can’t really explore the map in much detail. Basically, the game subtly directs your steps to ensure you remain on the main path.
Which of these games have you played? What’s your favorite open-world game? Let me know in the comments below.
Note: This guide was updated in June 2023.
False. No Mans Sky is the biggest open world game it’s the size of the Milky-way galaxy