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.
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 | |
Poll created on October 3, 2016