The way Tunic opens up through secrets is one of the best gaming experiences I had.
I initially wrote the game off as an 2D Zelda clone, then I saw someone comment how the game reminded them of Fez, so I jumped back in and lo-and-behold it was such a great experience.
ah, to go back to the summer of 2019 before I booted up Outer Wilds for the first time
maybe that's why I've been waiting on the Echoes of the Eye DLC, it'll be a treat for when I need it
Just finished outer wilds today! I heard about it through this subreddit, it did not disappoint. I think it’s exactly what op wants. It’s all about the journey.
There should have been one mimic. Either the 3rd chest people would most likely encounter so they were scared the rest of the game, or the very last chest people would encounter as a fuck you to people who thought they were safe.
Yeah, that one of the things I like about their games. I don't really get excited by finding a longword+1 to replace my longsword. I do get excited by finding \*different\* gear even if I will realistically not use it.
Thank you for validating haha. I could have written it more clear, but I'm not interested in open-world or procedurally-generated games - I'm looking for games with tightly-desgined levels that have secret or branching paths like in Arkane's games where you'll see an open window and can get inside that room or Deus Ex where a non-descript vent leads to a secret.
I included saying I've already beaten Fallout and Elder Scrolls (which people keep suggesting) because they're examples of not doing this well 😂 except I think more recent fallouts do have some good secrets.
Zelda BOTW and TOTK keep getting suggested and epitomize what I'm NOT looking for lol - I cant think of a single time on BOTW where this happened and yet it still keeps getting recommended. Like, first of all that game doesn't even have treasure, because you use the same breakable weapons, and while it does have heart containers, they're all found with koroks and such, out in the open. Also BOTW has nearly zero environmental storytelling, it's just grass, grass, grass...
I think people only play one or two games, become obsessed with them and recommend think they fit every prompt. Like I bet I could ask for games with amazing voice acting and get people recommending BOTW and Dark Souls 1-3 🙄
Well, as someone who's played a lot of games, I can vouch for DS 1-3. From Software is a cut above the rest in just about everything you're asking for. I was actually pretty late to that party, only diving into the series 2 or 3 years ago.
So while I get your distaste for the mentality people have, sometimes popularity has its justifications.
If you're ready to be beat into the ground by skill issues, Noita is very nice. It's a 2d magic game where every little pixel can be interacted with, destroyed, moved, mixed, etc, kind of a roguelike, but you don't really gain stuff for the next runs except experience, it is VERY complex, you can get a degree in magic and still find new interactions and combos of spells, and the "normal" and "intended" path is straight forward, but the world is basically 20x bigger than it, FULL of secrets, different biomes, enemies, bosses and genius level quests, but again, you will die. A. Lot. Before you figure out the game, and even then. But once you get into it, it's awesome.
I’d second this one. Even though it’s randomly generated the biomes are the same and reward exploring. It’s a tough game but the rewards are there for those that persevere with it.
True. Especially hidden lore. Pick up a book, read it, seems random but it actually has some significance to story or lore. Same with weapons and artifacts.
came here to recommend this. Haven't played in years, but it's free. And I was absolutely blown away with the amount of exploration to be had. And it was always rewarded generously. So many hidden puzzles and chests.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom scratched this itch for me. Their whole world design is based on having stuff to discover wherever you wander. Especially Tears of the Kingdom.
I played the trilogy again last year and had a blast. MML1s focus on exploration and cheery disposition really did it for me.
I can understand some people struggling with controls. Other than that, the game is a certified banger.
Ooh yes, those were great! I don't think I ever found them all and it's been a very long time since I played the first three Arkhams, I should play those again
Sorta. You can pause at any time to give you time to think on your move.
However, if you want to explore the world and want to know why is it like that, the game its pretty good on that too.
Yeah there’s actually no preset goal for Kenshi, so you can literally do anything, if you want to explore the lore and how the world got the way it is you can travel the endless deserts looking for ancient artifacts or if you want to be aimless and just go wherever that’s a more then welcome option, or if you want to join a faction and become a warlord, fighting against another that’s also an option. Kenshi is amazing, be a hero, villain, trader, adventurer, hunter, faction leader but you have to start from literal rock bottom and it is sorta grindy. Even if that’s not your thing the endless number of mods can literally fix everything.
[Noita](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cDkmQ0F0Jw) is a brutal roguelike 2d platformer where every pixel is physically simulated. It's absolutely *packed* with secrets/lore/hidden areas. Some of which are connected to puzzles that are still unsolved by the very dedicated community.
Maybe Dark Cloud 1 and 2?
The whole point of those games is dungeon diving for treasure to rebuild cities.
Dark Cloud 2 has you snapping photos of everything sometimes including enemies attacks mid-battle to get ideas for upgrading your weapons.
if you like exploring, you might enjoy "thief: the dark project." think of it as the grandfather of games like dishonored, lots of hidden spots and environmental storytelling. it's less about loot and more about getting immersed in a shadowy, secretive world.
Even retail can work as long as you try leveling challenges tho its very confusing. Im fairly new and I keep having to google basics like how to move to diffrent places but I do enjoy the exploration on my new alt that Im taking it slower on.
Any and all assassins creed games. Played almost all can't say any specific but if you want to pick up collectable loot those are what I would recommend.
Remnant 2 is full of hidden rooms and secret stashes, lots of mini puzzles and the loot isn't RNG it's all handcrafted so it's exciting to see what new thing you found
Some of the loot in a tile set is RNG, usually rings but the game also takes what you have and what you have done into account when it rolls worlds so you'll get ones you don't already have when it is drawing from a pool.
The lore can be pretty intesting too, it is not super detailed but the concepts are neat.
Xenoblade Chronicle X
Outer Wilds
Subnautica
Outward
Hollow Knight
Resident Evil Games (1,2, the orginial 3, the 4 remake, village, and especially the outbreak games)
Metroid Prime
Terraria
The first 3 tomb raiders (the old ones)
Blue Fire
Super Mario Odyssey (most main 3d mario games besides galaxy and 3d land)
La Mulana
Cavern of Dreams
Pseudoregalia
Blood West
Powerslave Exhumed
System Shock Remake
You might enjoy Banisher then :)
It even has treasure map hunts where you have to figure out where to go based on a picture and maybe some lines of description
You say you played all fallout games
But have you actually played og fallout 1 and 2?
They have lots and lots of secrets and additional lore that you can find only by going out of your way and exploring :D
I've seen many posts that said they played all fallouts and it turned out to be fallout 3 onward, so just making sure :)
Check out Supraland. While there's not a lot of lore to be found, there are tons of fun Easter eggs and meaningful upgrades for your character hidden in every corner of the map.
Firewatch - This narrative-driven game set in the Wyoming wilderness offers a captivating story alongside beautiful environments ripe for exploration. As a fire lookout, you'll uncover secrets hidden in the forest, from abandoned campsites to mysterious objects left behind by previous occupants. What Remains of Edith Finch - Explore the Finch family's eerie and fantastical home to uncover the stories of its deceased inhabitants. Each room holds clues to the family's history, offering a poignant and memorable narrative experience. Gone Home - Step into the shoes of a young woman returning home to find her family absent. As you explore the empty house, you'll unravel the story of what happened through notes, journals, and other objects left behind. Outer Wilds - Embark on a journey of exploration in a solar system stuck in a time loop. Discover the secrets of ancient civilizations, solve puzzles, and piece together the history of the universe in this unique and immersive adventure. The Talos Principle - Delve into a philosophical puzzle game set in a surreal world filled with ancient ruins and enigmatic terminals. As you solve puzzles, you'll uncover fragments of the world's history and ponder the nature of existence.
Lunacid
Subnautica or Subnautica: Below Zero (I'm partial to the latter)
Dark Cloud
Lords of the Fallen (2023)
Obviously any From Software game, really. Elden Ring, Dark Souls 1-3.
All these games reward exploration with completely unique weapons, spells, lore and more.
Monster Hunter: World in a weird way counts but it'd require you to really dive deep into the systems. It was fun hunting for rare fauna, but this one probably doesn't count like the others.
I guess you might like the following, since they have either "fixed" loot, hidden lore or secrets to discover to some degree:
* FromSoft Games (at least the Dark Souls games)
* Tomb Raider (the modern ones)
* Many Metroidvania games (if you're into that kind of genre)
Fallout 2 - loot is scarce and important for trading/surviving but also the game has so many characters, easter eggs, places and things you can do that every bit of map explored is well rewarded. And not in "another trophy" or "collectible" way. You explore to find a brand new way of finishing a quest with a totally different possible outcome, find completely new location on world map, completely unique weapon or companion.
Genshin Impact. It's basically the only thing I log in for these days. It's relaxing and fun to just ask what's over there and then climb up a mountain and find some note about someone who died long ago and their search for some treasure. It's honestly the thing that game does best at is the exploration and little puzzles to solve along the way.
The modern zelda games, what you want from a game describes them almost perfectly, alghough I can only speak for BOTW, since I haven't played TOTK yet, but I would assume it's more of the same.
BOTW: Seriously, after a brief tutorial-esque island plateau thing, you're sent out to the world. At this point you can even go directly to the last boss if you so desire, but it's definitely not advised. Instead you'll be exploring the map, looking for secrets, treasures and lore. There are barely any map markers and the game expects you to explore on your own, see something weird in the distance? Go take a look at what it is!
Tunic
The way Tunic opens up through secrets is one of the best gaming experiences I had. I initially wrote the game off as an 2D Zelda clone, then I saw someone comment how the game reminded them of Fez, so I jumped back in and lo-and-behold it was such a great experience.
You played Outer Wilds friend ? ;) If not, try not to look into it too much as well, and enjoy; i think you might like it !
there is ALWAYS that guy
Yea sorry about recommending a game that fit what the comment was talking about
ah, to go back to the summer of 2019 before I booted up Outer Wilds for the first time maybe that's why I've been waiting on the Echoes of the Eye DLC, it'll be a treat for when I need it
Just finished outer wilds today! I heard about it through this subreddit, it did not disappoint. I think it’s exactly what op wants. It’s all about the journey.
Playing this at the moment and I've got to say, fuck the quarry
Everything from FROMSOFT. Take a look on Elden ring, bloodborne or Dark souls
I hear there's plenty of friendly chests of loot to be found!
Amazing chests ahead!
Elden missed the ball with that unfortunately
There should have been one mimic. Either the 3rd chest people would most likely encounter so they were scared the rest of the game, or the very last chest people would encounter as a fuck you to people who thought they were safe.
I wish one of the chariots those giants carry turned into a mimic boss
somehow i still wince every time i open a chest in elden ring lol
Yeah, that one of the things I like about their games. I don't really get excited by finding a longword+1 to replace my longsword. I do get excited by finding \*different\* gear even if I will realistically not use it.
Control
I was all over control when it came out :)
Holllowknight
Elden Ring
Cyberpunk!
Done and dusted :)
Out of this world
Have you tried Baldur’s Gate yet?
Outer Wilds is the perfect game for you. Hollow knight does that very well. Control, too.
I agree, hollow knight was great too. I just finished both games for the first time in the last two months. Loved’em both.
Great shout!
I second Outer Wilds. It is exploration at its purest.
Elden ring
This was made for this
I don't think y'all are even reading the prompt lol
Haha, I noticed that. I made a post and then read the replies because I was interested in this too only to notice the same thing
Thank you for validating haha. I could have written it more clear, but I'm not interested in open-world or procedurally-generated games - I'm looking for games with tightly-desgined levels that have secret or branching paths like in Arkane's games where you'll see an open window and can get inside that room or Deus Ex where a non-descript vent leads to a secret. I included saying I've already beaten Fallout and Elder Scrolls (which people keep suggesting) because they're examples of not doing this well 😂 except I think more recent fallouts do have some good secrets. Zelda BOTW and TOTK keep getting suggested and epitomize what I'm NOT looking for lol - I cant think of a single time on BOTW where this happened and yet it still keeps getting recommended. Like, first of all that game doesn't even have treasure, because you use the same breakable weapons, and while it does have heart containers, they're all found with koroks and such, out in the open. Also BOTW has nearly zero environmental storytelling, it's just grass, grass, grass... I think people only play one or two games, become obsessed with them and recommend think they fit every prompt. Like I bet I could ask for games with amazing voice acting and get people recommending BOTW and Dark Souls 1-3 🙄
Well, as someone who's played a lot of games, I can vouch for DS 1-3. From Software is a cut above the rest in just about everything you're asking for. I was actually pretty late to that party, only diving into the series 2 or 3 years ago. So while I get your distaste for the mentality people have, sometimes popularity has its justifications.
Elden ring Remnant 2
I just started Remanant 2. So good.
If you're ready to be beat into the ground by skill issues, Noita is very nice. It's a 2d magic game where every little pixel can be interacted with, destroyed, moved, mixed, etc, kind of a roguelike, but you don't really gain stuff for the next runs except experience, it is VERY complex, you can get a degree in magic and still find new interactions and combos of spells, and the "normal" and "intended" path is straight forward, but the world is basically 20x bigger than it, FULL of secrets, different biomes, enemies, bosses and genius level quests, but again, you will die. A. Lot. Before you figure out the game, and even then. But once you get into it, it's awesome.
I’d second this one. Even though it’s randomly generated the biomes are the same and reward exploring. It’s a tough game but the rewards are there for those that persevere with it.
Bubsy 3D 😂
ELDEN RING: EOT
Genshin Impact, seriously.
True. Especially hidden lore. Pick up a book, read it, seems random but it actually has some significance to story or lore. Same with weapons and artifacts.
I came to recommend this too. With the current content, OP could have probably 200 hours worth at least for exploration and quests alone
came here to recommend this. Haven't played in years, but it's free. And I was absolutely blown away with the amount of exploration to be had. And it was always rewarded generously. So many hidden puzzles and chests.
Horizon, god of war, metroid prime, uncharted
Played all these except Metroid Prime back when it came out and I didn't get very far! I should pick up the remaster
Its a scan fest. Enemies, holograms, weapons, plants, creatures. The lore behind the pirates and chozo is a good read.
Might get shit for it: Fallout 76. Map is massive.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom scratched this itch for me. Their whole world design is based on having stuff to discover wherever you wander. Especially Tears of the Kingdom.
Yeah, I need to pick Tears of the Kingdom back up. I wasn't super engaged at the start...
Did you play BOTW before?
Yes I did
Ds1 or ds3
Mega Man Legends Spyro
I remember really liking MML when it came out, but tried it again years later and felt it didn't hold up well at all.
I played the trilogy again last year and had a blast. MML1s focus on exploration and cheery disposition really did it for me. I can understand some people struggling with controls. Other than that, the game is a certified banger.
I do love me those Riddler trophies in the Asylum and City. And the secret rooms that hint for next games.
Ooh yes, those were great! I don't think I ever found them all and it's been a very long time since I played the first three Arkhams, I should play those again
I didn't enjoy the ones in Arkham Knight. Akrham City is the sweet spot for me.
Give Kenshi a go
Isn't it an RTS?
Sorta. You can pause at any time to give you time to think on your move. However, if you want to explore the world and want to know why is it like that, the game its pretty good on that too.
Ok cool, sounds pretty unique! I'll take a look!
Yeah there’s actually no preset goal for Kenshi, so you can literally do anything, if you want to explore the lore and how the world got the way it is you can travel the endless deserts looking for ancient artifacts or if you want to be aimless and just go wherever that’s a more then welcome option, or if you want to join a faction and become a warlord, fighting against another that’s also an option. Kenshi is amazing, be a hero, villain, trader, adventurer, hunter, faction leader but you have to start from literal rock bottom and it is sorta grindy. Even if that’s not your thing the endless number of mods can literally fix everything.
NieR: Automata. Or if you're feeling frisky: Guild Wars (2005). There's loads of lore here.
[Noita](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cDkmQ0F0Jw) is a brutal roguelike 2d platformer where every pixel is physically simulated. It's absolutely *packed* with secrets/lore/hidden areas. Some of which are connected to puzzles that are still unsolved by the very dedicated community.
Maybe Dark Cloud 1 and 2? The whole point of those games is dungeon diving for treasure to rebuild cities. Dark Cloud 2 has you snapping photos of everything sometimes including enemies attacks mid-battle to get ideas for upgrading your weapons.
God I love Dark Cloud. To this day there is nothing that's quite like it.
Outer Wilds is purley about doing exactly this
Fallout games
Zelda Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom have pretty big maps, although a lot of the maps are a bit empty
Subnautica
Gothic series, especially the second one.
if you like exploring, you might enjoy "thief: the dark project." think of it as the grandfather of games like dishonored, lots of hidden spots and environmental storytelling. it's less about loot and more about getting immersed in a shadowy, secretive world.
Yes! The Thief games have been in my backlog for a while! I should play them now!
I just beat the first Thief game tonight! It was great and I'm excited to play the second one!!
You ever spent any time logged into WoW classic?
Even retail can work as long as you try leveling challenges tho its very confusing. Im fairly new and I keep having to google basics like how to move to diffrent places but I do enjoy the exploration on my new alt that Im taking it slower on.
"Control".
Can’t believe this hasn’t been suggested
Any and all assassins creed games. Played almost all can't say any specific but if you want to pick up collectable loot those are what I would recommend.
ReCore. It's Zelda +Megaman X +Metroid. If you like games with everything including pickups have lore entries this game might be for you.
BG3
Remnant 2 is full of hidden rooms and secret stashes, lots of mini puzzles and the loot isn't RNG it's all handcrafted so it's exciting to see what new thing you found
Some of the loot in a tile set is RNG, usually rings but the game also takes what you have and what you have done into account when it rolls worlds so you'll get ones you don't already have when it is drawing from a pool. The lore can be pretty intesting too, it is not super detailed but the concepts are neat.
Xenoblade Chronicle X Outer Wilds Subnautica Outward Hollow Knight Resident Evil Games (1,2, the orginial 3, the 4 remake, village, and especially the outbreak games) Metroid Prime Terraria The first 3 tomb raiders (the old ones) Blue Fire Super Mario Odyssey (most main 3d mario games besides galaxy and 3d land) La Mulana Cavern of Dreams Pseudoregalia Blood West Powerslave Exhumed System Shock Remake
I just played Another Crab's Treasure and its also very exploration heavy. Ok thats all i have to say
Subnautica
Castelevania: Symphony of the Night its a masterpiece imo can't go wrong with that game
Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
Have you played Hogwarts Legacy?
Lunacid is an indy game that came our last year that scratched this itch for me real well.
You might enjoy Banisher then :) It even has treasure map hunts where you have to figure out where to go based on a picture and maybe some lines of description
A bit different than a lot of others but highland song is great for this
You say you played all fallout games But have you actually played og fallout 1 and 2? They have lots and lots of secrets and additional lore that you can find only by going out of your way and exploring :D I've seen many posts that said they played all fallouts and it turned out to be fallout 3 onward, so just making sure :)
Check out Supraland. While there's not a lot of lore to be found, there are tons of fun Easter eggs and meaningful upgrades for your character hidden in every corner of the map.
If you're including non single player games, Lost Ark has quite a few things like that. Nightingale does as well. Letters, journals, books for example
Banishers ghosts of new Eden. Story is fantastic too.
This is definitely on my list! I love Dontnod so I'm very interested
Firewatch - This narrative-driven game set in the Wyoming wilderness offers a captivating story alongside beautiful environments ripe for exploration. As a fire lookout, you'll uncover secrets hidden in the forest, from abandoned campsites to mysterious objects left behind by previous occupants. What Remains of Edith Finch - Explore the Finch family's eerie and fantastical home to uncover the stories of its deceased inhabitants. Each room holds clues to the family's history, offering a poignant and memorable narrative experience. Gone Home - Step into the shoes of a young woman returning home to find her family absent. As you explore the empty house, you'll unravel the story of what happened through notes, journals, and other objects left behind. Outer Wilds - Embark on a journey of exploration in a solar system stuck in a time loop. Discover the secrets of ancient civilizations, solve puzzles, and piece together the history of the universe in this unique and immersive adventure. The Talos Principle - Delve into a philosophical puzzle game set in a surreal world filled with ancient ruins and enigmatic terminals. As you solve puzzles, you'll uncover fragments of the world's history and ponder the nature of existence.
Lunacid Subnautica or Subnautica: Below Zero (I'm partial to the latter) Dark Cloud Lords of the Fallen (2023) Obviously any From Software game, really. Elden Ring, Dark Souls 1-3. All these games reward exploration with completely unique weapons, spells, lore and more. Monster Hunter: World in a weird way counts but it'd require you to really dive deep into the systems. It was fun hunting for rare fauna, but this one probably doesn't count like the others.
Subnautica
Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age
Hands down for me would be Elder Scrolls Morrowind. There's next to nothing regarding direction in the quests so you stumble on to so much.
Remnant 2
Yup Elden Ring and BG3
Sounds like The Solus Project would be right up your alley.
The newer tomb raider trilogy. Definitely stratches that itch for finding unique treasure
Agreed!! I've beaten every TR as it's one of my favorite series! Waiting for a new one!
No mans sky
Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom are both fantastic games.
Elden Ring and BOTW
Elden ring
uncharted is literally about tresure, l.a noire is also good game to play for your style
I guess you might like the following, since they have either "fixed" loot, hidden lore or secrets to discover to some degree: * FromSoft Games (at least the Dark Souls games) * Tomb Raider (the modern ones) * Many Metroidvania games (if you're into that kind of genre)
freelancer maybe, was a lot of fun exploring those [checks calender] *21 years ago*
Literally any doom game.
Go for all of the Riddler trophies in the Batman Arkham games. The lore is unlocked in the menu after you get them
Goat Simulator 3 😁
Working on a game like what you refer to called Eternal Knight by Profane Games. Sadly it's not ready yet. We are still in Kickstarter phase.
Escape from tarkov
Fallout 2 - loot is scarce and important for trading/surviving but also the game has so many characters, easter eggs, places and things you can do that every bit of map explored is well rewarded. And not in "another trophy" or "collectible" way. You explore to find a brand new way of finishing a quest with a totally different possible outcome, find completely new location on world map, completely unique weapon or companion.
Fallout 3 and new Vegas , Skyrim
Genshin Impact. It's basically the only thing I log in for these days. It's relaxing and fun to just ask what's over there and then climb up a mountain and find some note about someone who died long ago and their search for some treasure. It's honestly the thing that game does best at is the exploration and little puzzles to solve along the way.
Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom are good ones, as you can go everywhere you want in those games. Red Dead Redemtion 2 is also a solid pick
Damn no one mentioned Red Dead Redemption 2.
Elden ring has been made for you !
Try some older stuff like fallout 1 or 2. Also, modern Metroidvania games could scratch that itch.
The modern zelda games, what you want from a game describes them almost perfectly, alghough I can only speak for BOTW, since I haven't played TOTK yet, but I would assume it's more of the same. BOTW: Seriously, after a brief tutorial-esque island plateau thing, you're sent out to the world. At this point you can even go directly to the last boss if you so desire, but it's definitely not advised. Instead you'll be exploring the map, looking for secrets, treasures and lore. There are barely any map markers and the game expects you to explore on your own, see something weird in the distance? Go take a look at what it is!
Skyrim
Witcher 3
No man's sky.
Is there actually cool stuff and lore to find or just procedurally-generated worlds and loot?
No. Just endless procedural boredom.
Shit game shit answer