Summary
For the video game enthusiast who enjoys taking things at their own pace,open-world gamesare a necessity. Creating a home base to not only survive, but thrive in these virtual environments is often essential. Part of that survival lies within the resources the player collects and manages, adding an extra level of challenge (and reward) to the game; streamlining this process and customizing it to fit the player’s needs is integral.
From sci-fi to fantasy, disaster scenarios, and beyond, there is absolutely no shortage of titles to explore, and there is no doubt a game out there suited to any player’s tastes. Now, without further ado, here are some of the games in this genrewith resource management systemsthat rank among the best-of-the-best.
Soulmaskboasts several incredible elements, including yet not limited to, an incredibly intriguing storyline, beautiful graphics, and a huge variety of combat choices with 8 available weapons and dozens of unique skills to utilize in battle. The player can build and craft a staggering variety of items, all of which can be used to bolster their base and personal collections and eventually, the player will be able to automate the system through “employing” NPCs.
This game takes the open-world resource management genre and puts a delightful spin on it by making it an MMO and implementing a guild system in which players may choose to team up with one another and engage in thrilling PVP. For the player who enjoys a more solo experience, this game also has offline single-player capabilities.
This title providesa verySCP-like experiencewith its familiar containment breach scenario while still maintaining the mechanics of an open-world resource management game.Abiotic Factorhas a fun narrative with tons of stuff to do in-game and more being added on a season-by-season basis.
In this game, the player must explore a research facility sequestered deep underground and gather resources to craft weapons, armor, and tools to bolster their chances of survival and allow them to fend off all the nasties lurking just outside their base’s door.Abiotic FactorissomewhatLethal Company-esquein a handful of its elements, including things like a scavenging system, multiplayer capabilities, and overall themes of sci-fi and unknown entities.
Slime Rancherhas a gorgeous world, a unique concept, beautiful art and music design, and a sequel to boot! Monomi Park’s pride and joy will no doubt please any fan looking for a wholesome and fun experience while enjoying an open-world game.
InSlime Rancher,there are16 variants of Slimesfor the player to collect and combine, and more than five beautiful biomes to discover. The player can build and manage their own little corner of theFar Far Rangewhere they can raise Slimes, grow alien crops, and customize their base to their liking, and eventually (partially) automate with theSlime Sciencefeature.
Finding themselves stranded in the middle of the ocean with nothing more than a flimsy hook, players must survive and adapt in the vast, (mostly) empty ocean ofRaft. With procedurally generated environments and tons to craft, manage, and discover,Raftis a fantastic choice for fans of the open-world resource management genre.
The player can turn their tiny, wooden raft into aself-sustaining, floating mansionwith which they can plunder islands and unravel the narrative set before them.Raftalso has co-op capabilities and tons of mods available to enhance and customize each play experience.
The Forestis a game that stands out from the crowd due to its horror elements and fascinating storyline; the intrigue of this game is ultimately its confusing and macabre nature, meanwhile offering a gigantic map for players to freely explore and a great building system to play around with.
A myriad of unsettling, not-quite-human enemies lurk all over the map, waiting to take the player on in combat. Players have the opportunity to acquire a vast variety of useful items with which they can protect and defend themselves, all while managing and expanding their base to improve its sustainability.
This famous title revolves entirely around being a farmer managing their own resources and land. Many long-time fans of this game praise the amount of content that it offers, and likewise, the massively expansive and detailed resource management system that comes along with it; players can organize everything on their farm exactly to their liking.
While this game may not be quite as open-world as some of the other titles on this list, it has a whole plethora of charming 32-bit environments to play in, and more collectibles than the player will know what to do with. For fans who enjoy the more fantastical elements of the game,Sun Havenis another great titlein this genre with that familiar, cozyStardew Valleyfeel.
InSubnautica,the player builds their own base from the seafloor up, therefore allowing for completely personalized resource management. Players also have the opportunity to set up multiple bases in the different biomes of4546-B’socean and customize them based on the resources available in that region.
With a huge, open world and loads of alien marine life to discover,Subnauticais an all-time favorite that’s guaranteed to please any open-world gamer. Fans ofSubnauticashould alsocheck outPlanet Crafter;it has the same energy asSubnautica,but this title takes place on Mars.
Astroneeris verysimilar in nature toNo Man’s Skybut has a considerably more streamlined resource management system, and a fun, simple, and colorful art style that makes the universe pleasantly vibrant.
There are countless planets for the player to explore and acquire resources from, and each entirely unique location offers nearly endless possibilities and a considerable amount of replayability value. On top of all this, the player has access to the entire universe and is free to explore wherever they like, making this a truly open-world game.
Incredibly expansive with tons of content and co-op capabilities,Satisfactoryallows players to take complete control of the world around them through the power of automation. This game boasts many fully-developed features including customization, construction, and, of course, the ability to build an entire factory in a one hundred percent open world.
This sandbox is one of the best titles currently available in the genre. For fans of this game,Techtonicais another title that offers a similar experience, but with vibes that screamSubnauticain all the best ways.
This classic title needs no introduction;Minecrafthas been entertaining players for more than a decade as one of the ultimate sandbox games out there.Minecraftoffers a staggering number of possibilities for resource management systems, many of them utilizing themysterious and complex power of Redstone.
The game’s mechanics allow players to automate nearly anything one can think of, and create machines that have basically endless in-game possibilities.The close cousin ofMinecraft -Terraria-is an honorable mention and a fellow crowd favorite.
