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The 25 best open world games to play in 2026

Ranked by a score built from player reviews, critic scores and GAMES.GG ratings, not by opinion. The score updates every week, so a great new game can enter.

GAMES.GG25 gamesHow we rank
#1 by scoreSchedule IScore 94
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The top 10

Schedule I

Schedule I

9497% positive · 294,095 Steam reviews2025
Steam 97Popularity 100GAMES.GG 90Steam 97Popularity 100GAMES.GG 90
ELDEN RING

ELDEN RING

9493% positive · 835,462 Steam reviews2022
Steam 93Critic score 94Popularity 100GAMES.GG 90Steam 93Critic score 94Popularity 100GAMES.GG 90
Valheim

Valheim

9393% positive · 476,812 Steam reviews2026
Steam 93Critic score 89Popularity 100Steam 93Critic score 89Popularity 100
Raft

Raft

9393% positive · 325,392 Steam reviews2022
Steam 93Popularity 100GAMES.GG 100Steam 93Popularity 100GAMES.GG 100
Palworld

Palworld

9394% positive · 417,862 Steam reviews2026
Steam 94Popularity 100GAMES.GG 83Steam 94Popularity 100GAMES.GG 83
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

9293% positive · 148,016 Steam reviews2025
Steam 93Critic score 89Popularity 94Steam 93Critic score 89Popularity 94
Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy

9189% positive · 278,449 Steam reviews2023
Steam 89Critic score 83Popularity 100GAMES.GG 100Steam 89Critic score 83Popularity 100GAMES.GG 100
Sons Of The Forest

Sons Of The Forest

9188% positive · 289,007 Steam reviews2024
Steam 88Popularity 100Steam 88Popularity 100
Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2

9192% positive · 860,177 Steam reviews2019
Steam 92Critic score 93Popularity 100GAMES.GG 97Steam 92Critic score 93Popularity 100GAMES.GG 97

11 to 25

#ScoreGameScore
1191Forza Horizon 4Playground Games91
1290Scrap MechanicAxolot Games90
13907 Days to DieThe Fun Pimps90
1490Big WalkHouse House90
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#ScoreGameScore
1590Forza Horizon 5Playground Games90
1690SubnauticaUnknown Worlds Entertainment90
1789Brick RigsFluppisoft GmbH89
1888Where Winds MeetEverstone Studio88
1988Sea of Thieves: 2026 EditionRare Ltd88
2088The ForestEndnight Games Ltd88
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#ScoreGameScore
2187The Witcher 3: Wild HuntCD PROJEKT RED87
2287Days GoneBend Studio87
2387Crimson DesertPearl Abyss87
2487Wuthering WavesKURO GAMES87
2587Cyberpunk 2077CD PROJEKT RED87
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How we rank this list

No editor picks this order. Each game gets a score from 0 to 100. The score counts what players say in their Steam reviews, the critic score when the game has one, how many players reviewed it, the GAMES.GG rating and how new the game is. When a game has no critic score or no GAMES.GG rating, that part counts at the middle value of the games on this list, or lower, so a missing part never raises a score. A game needs at least 2,000 Steam reviews to enter. We start from the games in the GAMES.GG catalog that fit the list: 145 games.

Pool
145 games
Updated
Weekly
Games
Top 25
  • Steam reviewsThe share of players who recommend the game. A game with few reviews counts with more care.
  • Critic scoreThe critic score, when the game has one.
  • PopularityHow many players reviewed the game.
  • GAMES.GG ratingOur review score, else the average rating from GAMES.GG players.
  • How new it isNewer games count a little more.

Questions about this list

What is the best open world game right now?

Schedule I has the highest score this week. ELDEN RING and Valheim follow.

How is the score made?

Each game gets a score from 0 to 100. The score counts what players say in their Steam reviews, the critic score when the game has one, how many players reviewed it, the GAMES.GG rating and how new the game is. When a game has no critic score or no GAMES.GG rating, that part counts at the middle value of the games on this list, or lower, so a missing part never raises a score. A game needs at least 2,000 Steam reviews to enter.

Why is my favourite game not here?

It may not have enough Steam reviews yet, may not carry the genre tag, or may not be in the GAMES.GG catalog. The list updates every week.

How often does this list change?

Every week for scores. New games enter when they pass the review floor.

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