The 10 BEST Games With SMALL Open Worlds

10 Best Games With Small Open-Worlds

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re counting down our picks for the ten best games that offer smaller, yet endlessly enjoyable open worlds to explore and engage with.

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“Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor” (2014)

Shadow of Mordor’s open-world is a great example of one that is overall quite small but is deeply immersive and engaging, with a strong ‘lived in’ sense. Of course, much of this comes from the game’s touted Nemesis system; whereby, any Uruk that Talion and Celebrimbor take on in battle could eventually rise the ranks or be replaced altogether, ensuring they are much, much tougher in future encounters. Add to that some excellent parkour and traversal abilities, plenty of verticality, dual-character play and progression with both Talion and Celebrimbor, and a fantastic story, and what you get is a small open world game brimming with possibilities.

“Mafia 2” (2010)

The Mafia games generally thrive off the idea that less is more, at least when it comes to their open worlds. 2010’s Mafia 2, as well as its less-praised remastered definitive edition from 2020, offer up a cinematic small open world to explore in the form of Empire Bay. While yes, much of Empire Bay is just set dressing, it feels perfectly era-suited, sinking its 1940s/50s mafioso hooks into you right from the get-go as you drive, shoot, and brawl your way through this top-tier story. Vito Scarletta is an excellent Mafia protagonist, one who (as you probably guessed) gets wrapped up in Empire Bay’s seedy and gritty mafia syndicate once he returns home from war. Mafia 2 is a tense, action-packed, thought-provoking, and emotional game with one heck of an awesome world to explore and complete missions in.

“Infamous Second Son” (2014)

While certainly not quite up there with the likes of PS3’s Infamous, Infamous 2, and especially standalone experience Infamous: Festival of Blood, Second Son still manages to capture that over-to-top superpowered character action game goodness, all set in a gorgeously created near-future version of Seattle. Stepping into the shoes of Delsin Rowe, you are off on an emotionally-charged adventure against the Department of Unified Protection. While the story is certainly a highlight here, Second Son truly comes into its own with Delsin’s host of superpowers and souped-up traversal abilities, making him a true force to be reckoned with. Exploring every inch, nook, and cranny of this fictional version of Seattle is an absolute blast from top to bottom as Delsin uses his Conduit powers in tandem with fun parkour elements.

“Sleeping Dogs” (2012)

Poor Sleeping Dogs, it really never gets the love and recognition it deserves, even though it’s easily one of the best open-world games, full stop. A lot of this, of course, comes down to the small, yet utterly intoxicating and thoroughly vibrant and lived-in cityscape setting, Hong Kong to be specific. A game all about infiltrating the powerful and nefarious Sun On Yee Triad organization, you play as undercover cop Wei Shen, an intense yet sympathetic protagonist who is as good with his fists (thanks to his martial arts prowess) as he is with his charismatic words. As you traipse through the neon-drenched Hong Kong locale, you always have something fun to do; from great missions to solid, brutal, weighty combat encounters to investing XP into Wei Shen, and more, Sleeping Dogs will be a game you keep in your library for the long haul.

“A Short Hike” (2019)

This indie darling perfectly encapsulates tiny open-world goodness and cozy charm; a game dripping with care, creativity, and playfulness. You see, in A Short Hike, you play as cute and adorable Claire, a friendly anthropomorphic bird who just wants to make it to the mountain summit of Hawk Peak Provincial Park to gain cellphone reception in order to make an important call. This mountainous park is a fantastic open-world playground for Claire as she meets quirky characters, engages with fun mini-games, and gathers feathers in order to obtain more stamina to climb and fly even higher and further. While a very short game overall, every minute here is both outstanding and rewarding; ensuring you have a big ol’ smile plastered on your face the whole time. Also, for a super similar small yet playful open-world experience that is also bursting at the seams with whimsy and charm is Lil Gator Game. So ya, just go play these games: you won’t regret it.

“Vampyr” (2018)

We really do need more vampire-focused games in general since their dark, moody, and gothic vibes create a perfectly cozy game for those of us with a penchant for all things mystical, mythological, and supernatural. Enter Vampyr, a top-notch open-world action RPG from storytelling masters, Don’t Nod. This 2018 AA gem deserves your time and attention because of its excellent narrative, strong characters, crafty and intricate dialogue, and its dank, derelict, creepy, and fog-laden Victorian London locale. Vampyr is all about Dr. Jonathan Reid, a blood transfusion specialist who just so happens to find himself turned into a creature of the night. His internal battle with his lust for blood as a vampire and his ideals as a doctor with his Hippocratic oath makes for a compelling character-driven adventure. As you traverse through this small open-world, you will be met with friend and foe alike, with plenty of Victorian horrors awaiting you should you venture out into the darkness.

“South Park: The Stick of Truth” (2014)

It’s hard to know if fans of South Park were actually hoping for much with The Stick of Truth, let alone a solid open-world RPG. However, Obsidian did a stellar job with this game; one that retains the offbeat, lude and crude humor of the titular show while infusing intricate RPG elements, great abilities and weapons, engaging turn-based battles, and plenty of shenanigans along the way. The explorable South Park town is a treat to explore, especially for fans of the show. There’s always someone to chat to, somewhere to go, or something to battle. It should come as no surprise that The Stick of Truth is a great RPG given Obsidian’s pedigree; however, a balance was perfectly struck here, melding great gameplay with solid attention to detail when it comes to the eponymous source material.

“Yakuza 0” (2015)

Okay, so we could mention any Yakuza game here given pretty much all of them have enjoyable small open worlds; but, for our money, 2015’s Yakuza 0 really stands out as one of the best. Yakuza 0’s locations are set in and around fictionalized versions of Tokyo, namely, Kamurocho and Sotenbori. These two locales might be small compared to other open-world games out there, but boy oh boy do they provide oodles upon oodles of fun activities for Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima to engage with. The Yakuza games have always been known for their bonkers, over-the-top madcaps and Yakuza 0 is no different here. From chatting with quirky locals to taking on plentiful central and side missions to playing Sega arcade games to pummeling goons with varied fighting styles to leveling up Kazuma and Goro to dining at restaurants, Yakuza 0’s open-world is a staggering buffet of fun times.

“Batman: Arkham City” (2011)

Rocksteady had a tough job ahead of them in order to follow up on the excellent Arkham Asylum. However, they completely knocked it out of the park with Arkham City, building upon the top-notch foundations of its predecessor while crafting an established, immersive, and utterly lived-in open-world version of Arkham City. Okay, so there may have been way too many Riddler challenges/trophies (well over 400) to hoover up for completionists; but hey, it did at least ensure players explored every single nook and cranny of the titular city. Batman’s escapades in Arkham City are marked by brilliant highs in terms of his traversal abilities, enhanced, brutal fisticuff combat, captivating character and villain moments, and a deeply moody vibe. It’s a gloriously enjoyable game world to immerse yourself in, especially if you consider yourself a fan of the dark knight.

“Assassin’s Creed Syndicate” (2015)

Before Ubisoft went hog-wild creating gargantuan, overwhelming open worlds with the likes of Odyssey and Valhalla, we had Assassin's Creed Syndicate; one of the best AC games that barely anyone talks about. This is a real shame because it’s one heck of a solid game all around. Syndicate sees you play as the Frye twins, Evie and Jacob, as they traverse and parkour around a fantastic rendition of Victorian London. This version of London feels quaint, refined, and easily explorable, especially when compared to later AC games. Each district of London feels different which makes the game world truly feel alive and vibrant, all rooted in the Victorian era. Evie and Jacob are top-tier protagonists who not only offer different gameplay experiences, weapons, and abilities, but also narrative arcs and unique storytelling devices. Syndicate is a solid game and needs to be experienced by both Assassin’s Creed fans and fans of open-world games in general.


So, do you agree with our picks for this list? Sometimes a smaller, condensed open-world provides more overall fun and engaging gameplay than massive open-worlds that can oftentimes feel sparse or empty. Which smaller open-worlds do you enjoy in gaming? Be sure to let us know down in the comments section.

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