While the El Niño climate phenomenon isn’t anything new, the 2026 version is projected to be one of the most severe in a very long time, and the Climate Prediction Center estimates an 82% chance that it emerges between May and July. Sadly, it is probably inevitable at this point, and there isn’t that much that can be done beyond just being prepared.
In tense times like these, open-world games can help provide comfort in a way that no other medium or even genre can. They let you live in a different world that follows a routine, feels safe, and is subject to your whims and preferences. Depending on what somebody is looking for, they can enjoy a peaceful sim devoid of stress and frustration, or they can blast through an entire franchise of action-packed games that refuse to slow down for even a second.
If you aren’t sure what to play, here are a couple of games that can keep you distracted while acting as a safe haven.
No online-only titles like NTE and Genshin Impact; just offline games.
No Man’s Sky
The Boundless Escape
El Niño is beyond our control, and helplessness can set in if somebody starts to feel stuck within their own home. Unfortunately, there isn’t much someone can do beyond prepare as well as they can for the most likely scenarios; however, we can at least use our moments of relaxation to enjoy a digital sense of freedom. No Man’s Sky brings the universe into your living room or bedroom, and it is all yours. As it is pretty much impossible to see everything, the game basically never ends, and it also lets players define their type of journey.
8 Best Survival Games For Slow Exploration
These survival games should not be rushed and will reward players who take their time and explore carefully and thoroughly.
Thanks to a wide assortment of difficulty options, players can transform No Man’s Sky into an exploration-only experience that keeps the stress level to a minimum. Players set the pace, their goals, and their priorities, as they move from one planet to the next.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles
Explore, Farm, And Live (Slowly)
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles casts players as a traveler who shipwrecks on a gorgeous island filled with friendly NPCs and animals (or monsters). Almost entirely devoid of dark-ish moments, this slow-life open-world game is primarily cute, easygoing, and peaceful.
Life or farming sims excel at supplying a steady rhythm of minor achievements that provide a sense of accomplishment without requiring too much time or effort from players, usually through daily activities. Yonder scratches that itch while not gluing players to their farmstead; instead, exploration is the focus, with everything else being secondary.
With no combat or enemies, Yonder lives up to its name by just letting you wonder to your heart’s content.
Initially, I was going to pick Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom since they are the quintessential “go anywhere” exploration games… however, everybody knows those games. I don’t want this article to be just huge names.
The Planet Crafter
Turn An Unforgiving World Into Your Paradise
There are roughly a million open-world survival games, and many of them are actually pretty darn good. Subnautica, Project Zomboid, Sons of the Forest, Astroneer, Far Cry Primal, and Stranded Deep have been turning players into survivors for years, and I’m sure they will transform a few more by the end of 2026. Although sharing similarities with most of those games to an extent, The Planet Crafter stands out for a couple of reasons.
Best Open‑World Games for Casual Players, Ranked
Not every open-world game has to be intense and complex. These titles are perfect for casual players who just want to relax.
Firstly, it has no horror elements or even enemies to fight, meaning you only need to focus on surviving. Secondly, the core of the game revolves around terraforming a largely dead planet, one drill at a time. Along with expanding your reach and resources, this loop provides constant satisfaction as you see your numbers for pressure, warmth and oxygen increase. Even better, the planet gradually begins to transform as it becomes more alive, visually showing you the fruit of your labor. Lastly, The Planet Crafter is not just about surviving in a harsh climate, but also thriving.
Like the sound of The Planet Crafter but don’t feel like playing a survival game? No worries at all, as you can just go with “Creative Mode” and enjoy a pure base building and crafting game without any pressure.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Smash That Stress Away
Sometimes, nothing hits the spot quite like going on a (controlled) rampage. Donkey Kong Bananza‘s gameplay loop basically boils down to “DK smash,” which shouldn’t be enough but, somehow, it is. While the story is better than it initially seems to be, Bananza‘s appeal is just how inherently gratifying the central mechanic is.
DK can punch through most floors, walls, and rock, with nearly every action resulting in gold, gems, chips, fossils, or banana. This cycle is so addictive that it becomes near-impossible to resist the urge to dig deeper and deeper into the ground, especially since that dedication is almost always rewarded. Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t extremely long by open-world standards, and its vertical world design makes its scope feel smaller than it actually is, but it makes every minute feel magical.
Tchia
Escape To A Fantasy Island (And Then Escape Into Dozens Of Different Things)
Finally, here is a game that celebrates Pacific culture, particularly New Caledonia. Set on a fictional archipelago that is jaw-droppingly beautiful, Tchia tells the simple story of the eponymous girl as she attempts to rescue her father from a god who feeds on the souls of children.
Also, Tchia has the ability to soul jump, which lets her take over the bodies of animals and inanimate objects. Not only is this a great concept to build a game around, but Tchia lets players really have fun with it. You can soul-jump into a bird and fly through the sky, then transfer into a deer and gallop through a meadow, before becoming a coconut. Simply moving around is exciting and freeing, and the latter is amplified by the game encouraging players to take their time to really enjoy everything this world has to offer.
The 10 Greatest Open-World Masterpieces Of All Time, Ranked
Let’s take a walk down the hall of fame of open-world games and appreciate the genre’s biggest masterpieces of all time.
