Open-world games give you a vast area to roam around and explore. Some of these games take place on a contained planet, while others let you venture into space and reach brand-new planets. What’s more, some open-world games even let you reshape the ground underneath your feet.
Here, we are going to take a look at some of the best open-world games that let you reshape nearly everything around you. This includes buildings and structures, as well as the land itself, which is known as terraforming. Overall, these games let you build, bend, and reshape to your heart’s content.
Minecraft is perhaps one of the most iconic games on our list. In this sandbox survival game, you may do literally anything you want. There is no story or goal; just build and have fun. You can totally destroy everything in the environment, and then build it back up again.
Using the wide variety of blocks, you can terraform entire biomes to match your vision. You can also start small and create little houses and villages. The real fun begins when friends join and you reshape the world together.
Terraria is oftendescribed as a 2D version of Minecraft, and honestly, it’s a fitting description. In Terraria, you’ll also be able to recruit NPCs to join you, defeat bosses, and ultimately progress to the final boss in the game. Of course, you may take plenty of detours along the way.
Don’t think that the 2D graphics limit the world here. You can quite literally tunnel down into the depths of Hell, collecting a variety of new blocks and items to take back to the surface with you. Additionally, you may even launch yourself into the sky and discover structures that lay atop clouds.
Astroneer combines planet exploration with terraforming. This is a relaxing survival game that lets you build your base and explore deep into the core of a planet. With your Terrain Tool, you can terraform the environment in order to make pathways or dig deep holes.
This is also a great game to check out if you like the automation genre (such as games like Factorio or Satisfactory). After exploring, return to your base to set up your crafting stations, and then let the automation begin! Once you have enough resources, you’ll also be able tovisit new planets and start again.
What if you could also go into space in Terraria? If you are interested in the outcome here, look no further than Starbound. There is a little more story involved in Starbound, but once you get started, you can travel across the universe and visit any planet you want. You’ll also be able tobuild up your ship, recruit a crew, and even start a colony.
While on a planet, you may terraform and build, or just cause some chaos. The planets in the universe contain a variety of races for you to encounter. You’ll also be able to choose your own race at the start of the game, with each having its own perks.
Next up, we have Valheim. This is a Viking-themed open-world game with classic survival aspects. You’ll chop wood, mine, build a base, and venture to new biomes to defeat powerful bosses. In addition to building the Viking hall of your dreams, you’re able to shape the ground to your liking.
Want your base to have a deep trench going around it? Go for it! Prefer a base on top of a tall mesa? you may do that too! There is no technologically advanced tool to terraform with though, you’ll move earth the old-fashioned way.
With a name like The Planet Crafter, you can expect to see some terraforming. The goal of the game is to turn a relatively barren planet into a lush and habitable environment for humans. Watching the planet grow around you is such a satisfying experience that will leave you hooked for hours on end.
Unlike some other open-world games, you won’t find monsters or weapons here. If combat adds a bit of unnecessary stress to your gaming experience, then this comes as good news! The Planet Crafter is a great game to play with a group of friends as well.
2Eden Crafters
Eden Crafters is very similar to The Planet Crafters, but there is a bit more automation involved. If you love both The Planet Crafters and Satisfactory though, then this game is perfect for you. Your goal is to make the planet habitable for human life, which can involve impressive factories.
While automation is a selling factor for a lot of players, the terraforming is just as good. Don’t let the similarities fool you though; Eden Crafters is a wonderfully unique experience that you can play either alone or with others.
Last but not least, we have Dragon Quest Builders. This is essentially a Dragon Quest and Minecraft hybrid, but you can still feel that classic JRPG vibe that makes Dragon Quest iconic. You’ll be able to build and explore, as well as complete story quests along the way.
If you’ve ever been excited to play Minecraft and then got overwhelmed at the sheer amount of things to do, then Dragon Quest Builders is the perfect game for you. The structure of both games is great if you need a narrative or goal to follow.
you may alsoplay Dragon Quest Builders 2, which many people regard as the better of the two. You can start with the second one, but if you want to experience as much Dragon Quest as possible, just play both.