Summary
- Some games allow you to explore at your own pace without time limits or urgent storylines.
- Titles like Elden Ring and Hollow Knight offer rich lore but let you uncover it slowly.
- Games such as Pokemon Scarlet & Violet provide multiple storylines without forcing a specific order or pace.
Some games give you 72 hours to solve a mystery before the entire town is nuked and all is lost. Other games have a clock where certain events happen at specific points in the day. Miss out on them, and you’ll need to go back in time and try again. Sometimes, you just want to enjoy the story at your own pace.
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PostsNot every game will pressure you to complete the story. In fact, many games have so much content you can skip out on the story altogether if you want to. Mostly, you just want to be able to explore freely without the pressure of saving the world or preventing some kind of disaster.
10 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
Closing The Doors To Oblivion Can Wait
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Action RPG Open-World Adventure Systems 17 8.4/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 82/100 Critics Rec: 87% Released April 22, 2025 ESRB Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence Developer(s) Virtuos, Bethesda Publisher(s) Bethesda Engine Unreal Engine 5WHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONOnce you step foot out of the sewers with the Amulet of Kings in Oblivion, you’re pretty much all set to do whatever you want in this open world. Sure, the Emperor’s final words are filled with gravity and the need for haste, but you can wait a few seasons before finally saving the world.
There are so many stories to become a part of and each one gives you a better perspective of the region. From clearing the basement of pests to returning cursed items to their rightful owners, you can take your time seeing everything Cyrodil has to offer.
9 Elden Ring
Plenty Of Time To Discover The Story
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RPG Action Systems 10.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 95/100 Critics Rec: 98% Released February 25, 2022 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence Developer(s) From Software Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software Engine ProprietaryWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALFextralife
Metascore 96 Platforms That Support Crossplay PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S Powered by Expand CollapseSouls games are filled with story, with each item in the game having a detailed description of how it fits into the world. You can even get some environmental storytelling from the types of enemies you encounter and the various locations you discover throughout the map.
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PostsThe game never pushes you into learning all this. It simply has great gameplay to keep you going. It's the sense of discovery that pushes you towards examining everything. So you can spend one playthrough just focusing on a fresh build, or you can take a deep dive into the lore at your own pace.
8 The Talos Principle
Puzzles And AI
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Puzzle Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 87/100 Critics Rec: 89% Released December 11, 2014 ESRB T For Teen Due To Mild Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Mild Violence Developer(s) Croteam Publisher(s) Devolver Digital Engine Serious Engine 4WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALThe Talos Principle is filled with fantastic scenery and engaging puzzles. It also has a story you can catch up on when you're not focusing all your brain power on pushing buttons, connecting lights, or putting together blocks to open up new paths.
The plot of The Talos Principle is told through audio logs and messages on the terminal. There's never any rush to listen to these, which pairs well with the game's serene atmosphere. If you get caught up doing puzzles or simply fall into the groove of things, the story is waiting for you.
7 Dredge
Go Anywhere Your Boat Can Float
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Adventure Systems 3.0/5 8.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 82/100 Critics Rec: 89% Released March 31, 2023 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco Developer(s) Black Salt Games Publisher(s) Team17 Engine UnityWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONDredge doesn't flood you with plot at every single corner. Instead, it lets you ease into it whenever you can. This is because you have the freedom to fish anywhere as long as you have the equipment and boat strength to do so.
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PostsWhile you may feel some pressure avoiding some of the deep sea horrors lurking beneath the surface, you’ll never feel any pressure getting from one piece of the story to the next. So take your time, explore, and try not to get your boat wrecked.
6 Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Multiple Stories At Your Pace
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RPG Systems 2.0/5 10.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 71/100 Critics Rec: 47% Released November 18, 2022 ESRB E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Game Freak Publisher(s) Nintendo, The Pokemon Company Engine Proprietary EngineWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALPokemon Scarlet & Violet are unique in the series. This generation offers three distinct stories that can be tackled in any order and without any real haste. You can tackle Titan Pokemon with Arven or take down the various Team Star Outposts.
Even the Gym Challenge doesn’t force you to go in any particular order as long as you have Pokemon that are strong enough. The game also doesn’t shove the story in your face with severe roadblocks that won’t go away. Every roadblock feels natural.
5 Fallout: New Vegas
No Hand Holding
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LikeFallout: New Vegas
RPG Systems 9.0/10 Released October 19, 2010 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs Developer(s) Obsidian Entertainment Publisher(s) Bethesda Engine Gamebryo Franchise FalloutWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONTime limits aren’t the only thing that prevents you from exploring a story at your own pace. Too much hand holding can prevent you from doing things your way. Fallout: New Vegas is a great example of giving a player a starting goal but very little direction.
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PostsYou could go after the people who attacked you, or you can go in the completely opposite direction just to explore the wasteland. It never feels like a necessary first step, like encountering the Minutemen or stopping by Diamond City in Fallout 4.
4 Spiritfarer
Take Your Time Getting To Know The Dead
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Platformer Indie Games Simulation Systems 3.5/5 7.5/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 87/100 Critics Rec: 92% Released August 18, 2020 ESRB T For Teen due to Language, Use of Tobacco, Violent References Developer(s) Thunder Lotus Games, Kowloon Nights, Canada Media Fund Publisher(s) Thunder Lotus Games Engine UnityWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONThere are plenty of games that make you cry when they’re finally over, but Spiritfarer will have you tearing up throughout. You'll be ferrying souls into the afterlife while collecting and managing resources. There’s plenty of time to get to know each character that enters your life just as long as you’re ready to say goodbye at the end of their stories.
There's no time limit as to when characters leave. Time only runs out when you’ve done everything you can before sending them off. So, you can take your time absorbing each individual story at your leisure.
3 Hollow Knight
A Metroidvania Rich In Lore
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Metroidvania Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 90/100 Critics Rec: 99% Released February 24, 2017 ESRB E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood Developer(s) Team Cherry Publisher(s) Team Cherry Engine Unity Franchise Hollow KnightWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONFextralife Wiki
Powered by Expand CollapseThere’s plenty of lore to be discovered in Hollow Knight. However, you have all the time in the world to uncover it. As it's a metroidvania, you’ll be venturing back and forth through previously explored areas. This gives you time to take in the haunting scenery and the serene music.
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Posts 1Hollow Knight has neither a time limit or hand holding. From the very start, you learn from experience. Take your time revisiting characters to hear more of their dialogue, or pay attention to the level designs. Lore can be found in almost every corner of the game, and it’s never spoon-fed.
2 Subnautica
Deep Sea Wonders And Horrors
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Survival Horror Open-World Science Fiction Systems 9.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 84/100 Critics Rec: 92% Released January 23, 2018 ESRB E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language Developer(s) Unknown Worlds Entertainment Publisher(s) Gearbox Publishing Engine UnityWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALSubnautica has you exploring the oceans of an alien planet. After crash-landing, you need to gather resources and construct your base as you dive deeper into the sea. Along the way, you’ll discover PDAs scattered around the depths.
These PDAs contain intel which is needed to make progress in the story. However, you can do this at your own pace. There is plenty of alien sea life to keep an eye on and some you’d rather not know exist unless you’re brave.
1 The Long Dark
The Best Of Both Worlds
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Survival Horror Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 78/100 Critics Rec: 71% Released August 1, 2017 ESRB T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Violence Developer(s) Hinterland Studio Publisher(s) Hinterland Studio Engine UnityWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONThe Long Dark features two distinct ways to play. One gives you a closer look at the story with scripted events, while the other has you surviving endlessly in the wilderness. This is another way a game can let you take your time experiencing the world while also giving you that rush for survival.
There’s a global disaster happening, and you’ve found yourself stranded in the frozen wilderness fighting the wildlife and hostile humans. It’s not your typical end of the world scenario, but it reels you in whether you love survival games or just enjoy a good narrative.
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