3 Exploration Games that I loved every minute of playing

Exploration games are my bread and butter. I love nothing more than an open world that lets me just go in whatever direction the wind takes me.

I didn’t even really know that I loved these types of games until I got my hands on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Running around Greece just exploring and stumbling upon missions and settlements was such an amazing experience. I put so much into exploring and ignoring the main plot that when I finally did start making headway in it, I breezed through most of it quickly.

I didn’t include Assassin’s Creed in the list because I don’t make it a goal to include AAA titles on them, but I’d still recommend Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Origins.

So, let’s talk about the indies that stole my heart. Each of these titles got a 10 on both the standard and cozy rating, so they’re Comfy Cozy Certified!

Exploration games you won’t regret getting lost in

Smushi Come Home

Smushi Come Home is my number 1 cozy game. It’s still the only game I’ve broken my cozy meter for and given an 11 to. It’s a bit more on rails in that you have sections to explore, but it’s still open to run around in. You get missions from the surrounding lifeforms, but you could literally just explore first and ask questions later if you want. I had so much fun exploring a big world as a little guy. I, honestly, wish I could play it again for the first time. It’s a game that will be on my recommendation list for years to come. – Our Review

A Short Hike

A Short Hike is a smaller game, but you’re given the freedom to explore in whatever order you like. There are a few quests from the folks inhabiting the mountain you traverse. But, for the most part, you’re just exploring and finding objects hidden around. You may even climb high enough to glide around or go fishing. It’s a chill experience that I had a lot of fun with. It’s cozy, charming, and was a very relaxing gameplay for me. – Our Review

Caravan SandWitch

Caravan SandWitch has a lot of over-arcing story and plot, but you have so much freedom to roam that you could ignore missions for hours just driving around and exploring. You play as someone coming back to your hometown planet in search of your sister who went missing. Cigalo is an abandoned planet that used to thrive with industry but is now reduced to small pockets of humans, robots, and a frog race. As you try to figure out what happened to your sister, you’ll get to explore Cigalo to find answers, hidden items, and quests from those around you. I spent hours just running around areas trying to find everything there was to see. – Our Review

What are your favorite exploration games? I’m begging you to leave your picks in the comments below because I’m itching for a new game to run around and sink hours into.

If exploration games aren’t your speed, you can check out some of our other lists. We did one on witchy games and one on cozy horror games.