Open-world gamesare always fun to play as they tend to focus on exploring a large area with lots to find and interact with. While there are plenty of polished entries out there for people who want a typical triple-A experience, open-world projects with more wonky mechanics deserve some love too.
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And, it’s not necessarily just releases that have some unintentional jank to them. There are open-world games out there that purposely have wonky physics. And while there aren’t a ton of games that absolutely nail this, there are a handful of experiences that absolutely do.
8Outer Wilds
An open-world game based in space is definitely going to be a little wonky, butOuter Wildsis unique in that its universe is evolving consistently since players only have 20 minutes to enjoy it. In this consistently looping game, players are tasked withexploring planets to determinewhy it all ends after a certain amount of time.
The weird physics inOuter Wildscomes from the different planets the player visits as some of them are on the brink of collapse and people only have a short period of time to discover what they need to. On top of this, players will need to learn how to master driving and landing their ship, which comes with its own learning curve.
7Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima has always been one of the biggest names in video game creation, and he continued to bring new ideas to the table with the release ofDeath Stranding. The game blends genres but could be considered a walking simulator with action elements.
Having to travel across long landscapes while needing tobalance cargo that the player is carryingon their person is a deliberate choice. This can make some traversal inDeath Strandinga lot more difficult, but this was done on purpose to make players understand how to balance themselves while also having other mechanisms to help them out.
6Sludge Life
A lot ofopen-world gamesthat experiment in terms of mechanics and physics are made to be humorous in nature. One of these games isSludge Life, a chill experience that involves exploring a shipyard while looking to spray paint various surfaces.
A lot of the movement inSludge Lifeis what one would expect from a first-person platformer, such as jumping high enough for the character to pull themselves up and using a glider to get over gaps. The quirky movement comes in with some of the abilities that the character can get, as well as taking mushrooms that make the player fly through almost anything.
5Human: Fall Flat
One could argue thatHuman: Fall Flatisn’t quite an open-world game, but its levels are so large that it’s hard not to see each one as its own open area. Regardless, the game is known for its wonky physics when it comes to its overall movement.
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Firstly, players control their character’s left and right arms with individual buttons, meaning they will need to learn how to climb up and fling themselves on objects using the two buttons. Moving things around can also be wonky considering players may need either one or both arms. Even walking is a bit silly asHuman: Fall Flatcharacters waddle around from place to place.
4Goat Simulator
What’s more fun than playing a gameas a goat? InGoat Simulator, players can do that with an added ridiculous element that the animal can pretty much do and become anything. The silly experience has a couple of large open areas to explore, with plenty of secrets along the way.
A lot ofGoat Simulator’s unreal physics come in the fact that the goat can grow huge and also beef up to become super strong. The goat has a long tongue that can lick a human, turning them into a ragdoll that the animal can just drag around. Some powers even let players fly high into the air, with all these features meant to make the player laugh.
3Just Die Already
FollowingGoat Simulator, some of the same creators went on to put together a just-as-wild game calledJust Die Already. In this, players take control of an elderly human who just broke out of their retirement home to wreak havoc on the surrounding society.
There are a lot of weird physics inJust Die Already. This includes, but is not limited to, how players can lose almost all their body parts except for their heart and still move around the world as the human heart. Players can also be attacked by a variety of things that could turn them into a ragdoll, which provides its ownlayer of absurdity.
2Totally Reliable Delivery Service
How abouta co-op adventureabout delivering packages around the world in the wackiest ways possible? That is essentially the premise ofTotally Reliable Delivery Service, an open-world game with ragdoll physics that use similar weird body movement thatHuman: Fall Flathas.
Players are spawned in a small town on the ocean side but can travel up and around the giant mountain the town sits in front of. Players will have a plethora of vehicles to drive packages around in as well as tools to get those parcels where they need to go. A lot of these mechanics are incredibly goofy and wild, which fits perfectly with the theme of the game.
1Minecraft
When it comes to sandbox open-worlds that are truly iconic, it’s hard to name one more well-known thanMinecraft. The game has had a huge impact on the industry in many ways, not the least of which is howthe blocky worldhas become so recognizable.
Speaking of how the world works, the physics of the blocks inMinecraftcould absolutely be seen as wonky considering structures that could just float in the air or how people could make machines that fly using slime blocks. However players go about crafting their experience, they should expect something weird to happen. But that’s just part ofMinecraft’s charm.
