1
Elden Ring
FromSoftware · 2022
95Score
The open world reinvented as a wordless mystery box, dense with secrets and dread.
SoloCo-op
Meta95
OC95
The Best Open-world games, Ranked
The best open-world games make exploration its own reward: dense, reactive maps where wandering off the path is the point. From FromSoftware’s Lands Between to Rockstar’s frontier, these titles are ranked by combined Metacritic and OpenCritic scores.
16 games rankedGenre avg. score 86Updated June 2026
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Showing 16 of 16 games
2
Grand Theft Auto V
Rockstar North · 2015
94Score
A satirical sandbox metropolis still unmatched for sheer density and polish.
SoloOnline
Meta96
OC92
3
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar Games · 2019
94Score
The most detailed open world ever built, a living frontier that breathes.
SoloOnline
Meta93
OC95
4
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD Projekt Red · 2015
93Score
Side quests with the weight of main stories, across a gorgeous, lived-in world.
Solo
Meta93
OC93
5
Forza Horizon 5
Playground Games · 2021
92Score
An open-world racing playground across a stunning, ever-changing Mexico.
SoloOnline
Meta92
OC92
6
Horizon Zero Dawn
Guerrilla Games · 2020
89Score
Hunting robot dinosaurs across a stunning post-apocalypse, with a surprisingly great story.
Solo
Meta89
OC89
7
Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch · 2024
88Score
A breathtaking samurai open world where the wind itself guides you.
Solo
Meta89
OC87
8
Death Stranding
Kojima Productions · 2020
85Score
A divisive, hypnotic traversal game about reconnecting a fractured America.
Solo
Meta86
OC84
9
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Ubisoft · 2018
85Score
An enormous RPG-flavored take on ancient Greece, the best of the modern AC era.
Solo
Meta85
OC85
10
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered
Insomniac Games · 2022
85Score
The most joyful traversal in any open world, swinging through a detailed New York.
Solo
Meta83
OC87
11
Hogwarts Legacy
Avalanche Software · 2023
83Score
The Wizarding World realised as a sprawling, detail-rich open world.
Solo
Meta83
OC84
12
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red · 2020
82Score
Night City is the densest urban open world in games, now in the shape it always promised.
Solo
Meta86
OC76
13
Watch Dogs 2
Ubisoft · 2016
82Score
A breezy, hacker-themed San Francisco with the most likeable cast in the series.
SoloCo-opOnline
Meta82
OC82
14
Far Cry 5
Ubisoft · 2018
78Score
A gorgeous open-world Montana you can tear through solo or in full co-op.
SoloCo-op
Meta78
OC79
15
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
United Front Games · 2014
77Score
An underrated Hong Kong crime sandbox with the best martial-arts combat of its kind.
Solo
Meta77
OC77
16
Days Gone
Bend Studio · 2021
75Score
A biker road trip through a zombie apocalypse defined by terrifying horde swarms.
Solo
Meta78
OC71
How we rank
Every game gets a single HostedGG Score: a weighted blend of the two leading review aggregators, so no single outlet decides the result.
- Metacritic · 55%
- OpenCritic · 45%
Critic scores were verified against Metacritic and OpenCritic in June 2026. OpenCritic launched in 2015, so a few older classics have no OpenCritic average; for those the score uses the Metacritic number on its own. This is an independent editorial ranking, and no game pays for placement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best open-world game?
By combined critic score, Grand Theft Auto V and Elden Ring sit at the very top, with Red Dead Redemption 2 close behind.
What open-world game has the biggest map?
Among these, Elden Ring and Red Dead Redemption 2 offer the largest densely-detailed worlds, while GTA V packs the most into a single city.
How are these open-world games ranked?
Each game’s HostedGG Score blends Metacritic (55%) and OpenCritic (45%) critic scores, and the list is sorted by that combined figure.
Explore more rankings
Best RPGsSprawling worlds, deep builds, and stories that stick with you.Best Survival gamesGather, craft, build, and live to see another dawn.Best ShootersTight gunplay, killer level design, and that perfect headshot feel.Best Strategy gamesOut-think, out-build, and out-maneuver, turn by turn or in real time.Best RoguelikesRun-based runs, permadeath, and just one more attempt.Best Co-op gamesThe best games to play with friends, from couch to online.Best Horror gamesSurvival horror, psychological dread, and things best not faced alone.Best SoulslikesPunishing combat, deliberate pacing, and hard-won victories.Best MetroidvaniasInterconnected maps, ability-gated secrets, and that next upgrade.
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