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Games With A Strong Focus On Exploration And Discovery - Enjoy The Thrill Of Adventure

Games with a strong focus on exploration and discovery are all about immersing the player in a rich and detailed world and giving them the freedom to discover it at their own pace. These games typically feature vast open worlds, intricate environments, and hidden secrets that players can uncover as they explore.

Author:Buttskin Family
Reviewer:Caden Steelheart
Mar 08, 202465 Shares4.6K Views
Games with a strong focus on exploration and discoveryare all about immersing the player in a rich and detailed world and giving them the freedom to discoverit at their own pace. These games typically feature vast open worlds, intricate environments, and hidden secrets that players can uncover as they explore.

Most Immersive Games For Exploration And Discovery

Here are ten examples of games with a strong focus on exploration and discovery:

The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim

Skyrim, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, is a massive open-world game set in the land of Tamriel, where the player assumes the role of the Dragonborn, a character with the power to absorb the souls of dragons. The game offers a vast and immersive world, filled with mountains, forests, caves, and dungeons to explore. Players can engage in various quests, interact with NPCs, and customize their character's abilities and equipment.
Skyrim's focus on exploration and discovery is evident in its vast and detailed world. The game features hidden locations, such as caves, ruins, and hidden treasure chests, that are not marked on the map, encouraging players to explore and discover them on their own.
Additionally, the game has a rich backstory, which can be uncovered through reading books, talking to NPCs, and completing quests. Players can discover hidden lore about the game's world and the characters that inhabit it, adding depth to the game's narrative.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, developed by Nintendo, is another game that emphasizes exploration and discovery. The game takes place in a vast open world known as Hyrule, where the player takes on the role of Link, a hero tasked with rescuing Princess Zelda and defeating the evil Calamity Ganon. The game features a seamless and immersive world filled with varied environments, from forests and mountains to deserts and oceans.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Official Trailer

The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild's focus on exploration is evident in its non-linear gameplay and open-world design. The game encourages players to explore every corner of the world, with no restrictions on where they can go.
Players can climb mountains, swim across rivers, and glide through the air with a paraglider, allowing them to access areas that would be inaccessible in other games. The game also features a variety of shrines, each with its unique challenges and puzzles, encouraging players to explore and discover new gameplay mechanics.

Relive the Story of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

No Man's Sky

No Man's Sky, developed by Hello Games, is an open-world exploration game set in a procedurally generated universe. The game allows players to explore a vast and diverse universe, with each planet offering its own unique set of flora, fauna, and terrain.
Players can traverse these planets on foot, in vehicles, or in spaceships, discovering new creatures, resources, and environments along the way. The game also includes a survival aspect, where players must manage resources and hazards to stay alive.

Why You MUST Play No Man's Sky In 2023 | (Review) | The Biggest Game You'll EVER Play!

Subnautica

Subnautica, developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, is a survival game set on an alien ocean planet. The player takes on the role of a lone survivor of a crashed spaceship, tasked with exploring and surviving in a vast underwater world.
The game features a deep crafting and building system, allowing players to create their own bases, vehicles, and equipment to aid in their exploration. The world of Subnautica is rich with wildlife, secrets, and ancient ruins, providing players with a sense of wonder and discovery as they explore its depths.

Subnautica Gameplay Trailer

Minecraft

Minecraft, developed by Mojang Studios, was first released in 2011 and has since become one of the best-selling video games of all time. The game is set in a randomly generated world made up of blocks, which players can break and place to create structures and tools. The game has no specific goals or objectives, allowing players to explore and discover the world at their own pace.
One of the key features of Minecraft is its survival mode, where players must gather resources, craft tools and weapons, and defend themselves against various monsters that come out at night. However, the game also includes a creative mode, where players have unlimited resources and can build anything they want without any restrictions.

Official Minecraft Trailer

Journey

Journey, on the other hand, is a much more minimalist game developed by Thatgamecompany and released in 2012. The game is set in a vast, mysterious world, and players take on the role of a robed figure traveling through it. The goal of the game is not clearly defined, and the player's objective is to explore the world and uncover its secrets.
Journey is known for its stunning visuals and evocative soundtrack, which creates a sense of wonder and mystery as players explore the game's world. The game also features a unique multiplayer component, where players can encounter and assist other players on their journey without any form of communication.

Journey™ Launch Trailer

Firewatch

Firewatch is a first-person adventure game developed by Campo Santo and published by Panic. Set in the late 1980s, the game follows the story of Henry, a man who takes a job as a fire lookout in the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. As he spends his summer in the wilderness, he begins to uncover strange occurrences and mysterious events.
The game is all about exploration and discovery. As Henry, players must navigate the wilderness, solving puzzles and interacting with the environment to uncover clues and unravel the game's story. Along the way, players will encounter a cast of unique characters, each with their own backstory and motivations.
One of the game's most significant strengths is its sense of immersion. The wilderness is beautifully rendered, with lush forests, sparkling lakes, and stunning vistas. The game's excellent voice acting and writing make it easy to become invested in the story and the characters, and the game's ending is sure to leave players with a lasting impression.

Firewatch - September 2016 Trailer

Abzu

Abzu is another excellent example of a game with a strong focus on exploration and discovery. Developed by Giant Squid Studios and published by 505 Games, the game is an underwater adventure that takes players on a journey through a vast and mysterious ocean.
As the game's protagonist, players must swim through the ocean, interacting with various sea creatures and uncovering the game's story. The game's stunning visuals and serene soundtrack create a calming and relaxing atmosphere, making it easy to become immersed in the game's world.
The game's exploration mechanics are simple but effective. As players explore the ocean, they will encounter various points of interest that allow them to interact with the environment and uncover new secrets.

ABZÛ - E3 2016 Launch Trailer | PS4

The Witness

The Witness, developed by Jonathan Blow and released in 2016, is a puzzle game set on a mysterious island filled with complex puzzles that players must solve in order to progress.
The island itself is vast and beautiful, with stunning visuals and an immersive atmosphere that encourages exploration. As players solve puzzles and progress through the game, they uncover clues about the island's history and the purpose of the puzzles they are solving.
One of the most impressive things about The Witness is its sense of scale. The island is massive and filled with hidden secrets and Easter eggs, making exploration a key component of the game. The puzzles themselves are also incredibly well-designed, with a gradual difficulty curve that challenges players without being overly frustrating.

The Witness - A Great Game That You Shouldn't Play

Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds, developed by Mobius Digital and released in 2019, is another game that focuses on exploration and discovery. The game takes place in a hand-crafted solar system, where players take on the role of an astronaut exploring different planets and uncovering the secrets of an ancient civilization.
What sets Outer Wilds apart from other exploration games is its sense of discovery. The game doesn't hold your hand or give you explicit objectives - instead, players are left to explore at their own pace, using clues and observations to piece together the story of the game's world. This creates a sense of mystery and wonder that is truly captivating, as players uncover new mysteries and explore strange and unfamiliar environments.
Like The Witness, Outer Wilds also features a sense of scale that is impressive and immersive. The different planets in the game are varied and unique, each with their own secrets and challenges. The game also features a day/night cycle that adds a sense of urgency and tension to the gameplay, as players must complete their objectives before time runs out.

OUTER WILDS | Launch Trailer

People Also Ask

What Are Some Good Exploration-based Video Games?

Some good exploration-based video games include: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Subnautica, No Man's Sky, and Journey.

What Is The Focus Of Exploration Games?

The focus of exploration games is to encourage players to discover and explore new environments and elements within the game. These games often have open-world settings with many hidden secrets to uncover.

What Are The Benefits Of Playing Exploration Games?

Playing exploration games can have several benefits, including increased creativity, problem-solving skills, and improved hand-eye coordination. These games can also provide a sense of adventure and excitement as players discover new locations and hidden treasures.

What Is The Difference Between Exploration And Adventure Games?

Exploration games are focused on discovering and uncovering new areas and elements within the game, while adventure games are focused on storytelling and plot development. Adventure games may have exploration elements, but the focus is on the narrative and character development.

What Are Some Examples Of Open-world Exploration Games?

Some examples of open-world exploration games include: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Grand Theft Auto V, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Conclusion

The games with a strong focus on exploration and discovery are all about immersing the player in a rich and detailed world, and giving them the freedom to discover it at their own pace. From vast open-world games like Skyrim and Breath of the Wild to more focused experiences like Journey and Firewatch, there are countless games out there that celebrate the joy of exploration and discovery.
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Buttskin Family

Buttskin Family

Author
The Buttskins are a crazy author family who love writing, laughter, and eating an unhealthy amount of junk food. Mom Rockita started scribbling stories as soon as she could hold a pen, and Dad John didn't realize authoring children's books was a real job until after they were married. Their kids have embraced storytelling at an early age. Little Lucy, age 5, dictates her colorful tales about dragons and princesses to her parents. Her 8-year old brother Jake collects scraps of paper to diagram his latest imaginary adventure involving ninjas and dinosaurs.
Caden Steelheart

Caden Steelheart

Reviewer
Caden Steelheart, an enigmatic author, weaves tales that immerse readers in the depths of sin city's underbelly. With his words as a weapon, he crafts literary masterpieces that reflect the dark and dangerous spirit of the city. Caden's writing captures the gritty essence of sin city, delving into the intricacies of its characters and the moral complexities that define their existence. Born amidst the shadows, Caden draws inspiration from the relentless chaos and unforgiving nature of the city. His words carry the weight of experience, creating a vivid and haunting portrayal of sin city's undercurrents. Through his stories, he explores the blurred lines between right and wrong, exploring themes of power, deception, and redemption. Caden Steelheart's literary prowess has made him a name whispered in literary circles, captivating readers with his ability to immerse them in sin city's intricately woven tapestry. With each written word, he invites readers to journey into the darker realms of the human experience, offering them a glimpse into the secrets and sins that shape the city's inhabitants. Caden Steelheart, a master of capturing the essence of sin city through his writing, continues to captivate audiences with his haunting and evocative narratives.
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