Dynamic open world IFs - an IFDB Poll

by Natrium729
RSS Feed

I'm looking for good "open world" IFs, that is, IFs where the player can just wander and explore the world without necessarily following the main plot (think Elder Scrolls). They could take place on a planet, in a city, or even just in a building, as long as you can discover interesting things to do while exploring.

It would be better if the world evolves even if the player just sits and waits (day/night cycle, NPCs performing actions, changing weather…)

I know it is difficult to make such IFs, so any suggestions that do not follow the above criteria fully but have some sense of "openness" are welcome.

View Comments (1) - Add a comment


Superluminal Vagrant Twin, by C.E.J. Pacian
4 votes
"You can travel back and forth a lot" [+]"You can travel back and forth a lot" --mousetail... "There's some..." [+]"There's some sense of "openness" at the later stages of the game." ( - Full review) --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Kinetic Mouse Car...

Vote for this game

City of Secrets, by Emily Short
4 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) --Robert Patten... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --IFforL2... (No comment) [+](No comment) --itsdnoftheworld... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --prevtenet...

Vote for this game

The Windhall Chronicles, Volume 1: The Path to Fortune, by Jeff Cassidy and C. E. Forman
2 votes
"I just finished this. Open game world, natural borders, great geography." [+]"I just finished this. Open game world, natural borders, great geography." ( - Full review) --Rovarsson... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Emily Short...

Vote for this game

Blue Lacuna, by Aaron A. Reed
2 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) --Robert Patten... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --IFforL2...

Vote for this game

1893: A World's Fair Mystery, by Peter Nepstad
1 vote
"Spent a good portion of time exploring the fair before I even considered solving a puzzle." [+]"Spent a good portion of time exploring the fair before I even considered solving a puzzle." --Lance Campbell...

Vote for this game

Transparent, by Hanon Ondricek
1 vote
"An exploration of..." [+]"An exploration of a haunted house, built around picture-taking for a score, rather than a linear plot" --P. B. Parjeter...

Vote for this game

A Mind Forever Voyaging, by Steve Meretzky
1 vote
"First "open-world" IF?" [+]"First "open-world" IF?: The PC is an artificial intelligence whose task is to explore a simulation of a city at various points in the projected future" () --Robin Johnson...

Vote for this game

The High Mountains, by Paul Braithwaite
1 vote
"Exploring and fighting" [+]"Exploring and fighting: The game is simple, even for an old-school game, but nevertheless gives you a feeling of great open areas (in reality no more than maybe 30 rooms)." () --Fredrik...

Vote for this game

Mystery House Possessed, by Emily Short
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --MathBrush...

Vote for this game

Treasures of a Slaver's Kingdom, by S. John Ross
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk...

Vote for this game

Counterfeit Monkey, by Emily Short
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --IFforL2...

Vote for this game

Wumpus 2000, by Muffy St. Bernard
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --DAB...

Vote for this game

Runestone, by Alan Davis
1 vote
"Large, open space" [+]"Large, open space: This game really gives opportunity to explore. Great use of the limited memory of 8-bit computers." () --Fredrik...

Vote for this game

Gotomomi, by Arno von Borries
1 vote
"Wander a night..." [+]"Wander a night city setting while you search for ways to make money that will allow you to leave. Explore, explore, explore. " () --Kinetic Mouse Car...

Vote for this game

Anchorhead, by Michael Gentry
1 vote
"Very..." [+]"Very plot-focused, but it has a large, dynamic open world (especially once you get past the prologue section), and there's plenty to discover just wandering around." () --Christina Nordlander...

Vote for this game

Dangerous Curves, by Irene Callaci
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) --DAB...

Vote for this game

Sorcery! 3, by Steve Jackson and inkle
1 vote
"Described by one..." [+]"Described by one of the authors as "a full, actual open world"." () --jakomo...

Vote for this game

Onaar, by Robert DeFord
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) --Wade Clarke...

Vote for this game

Is there another game that you think should be on this list? Just fill in the title of a game you'd like to vote for.
Game Title (or TUID or IFID):

Poll created on October 3, 2016