Adventure Games Designed for Players Who Love Getting Lost

I personally hate the feeling of getting lost, and everyone in their right state of mind would say the same thing. But for video games, that might not necessarily be true. Video games, after all, are intended to be the most immersive media. So much so that certain players would argue they want to achieve maximum immersion in whatever title they’re playing.

One of the most profound immersion tools that players end up implementing themselves, or rather have a guilty pleasure for, is getting lost in the worlds of their games. And you’ll be surprised by how many games tend to reward players for this heightened sense of immersion, whether it be through exploration or just a new stepping stone along the way.

Sometimes all players want is to explore without fighting and these games offer that exact experience.

That’s precisely why today’s list features a personalized selection of adventure-based games that are spot-on choices for players who love getting lost within the confines of these digitized landscapes.

8

The Witness

There’s a Video Game in my Puzzle

I figured I’d start off strong with a title that’s highly deserving of being up there with the likes of the very best puzzle games in the industry. The Witness lets you get lost both physically and mentally, without holding your hand in the traditional sense, as you begin to delve deeper into the world it offers.

The entire world is one massive obstacle that you slowly unravel and overcome, as every region and locale has puzzles tucked away for players to solve at their leisure. You can chip away at any puzzle or explore any of the main areas you want to tackle first—there is no clear objective given to you, nor any restrictions on where and how far you can go on this mysterious island.

The storytelling and exposition are conveyed through environmental clues such as abandoned structures, audio logs, and other visual imagery. Unlike many other puzzle-based games, where the feeling of getting lost can often feel frustrating, The Witness will have you engaged, as long as you give it the proper attention.

7

Sable

A Wanderer’s Voyage

As someone who was personally anticipating this game back when it originally launched, Sable lived up to many of my expectations, though in some areas, it felt decent at best. Regardless, it is still a game that fulfilled its main game loop of pure exploration in a world brimming with curiosity at every interval.

The desolate land of Mirren is almost like a graveyard with various ruins, crashed ships, and strange architecture at every step of your journey. And contrary to what you might believe, the traversal helps uplift any sense of dullness that you might feel from this game. Specifically, the hoverbike that you ride is great for this, so you won’t have to dabble in painfully walking everywhere.

Much like with The Witness and the rest of the games to follow, you’ve got no checklist or objective to lead you on. Sure, there are quests that you can grab and follow, but this is a compact indie darling that won’t restrict you from getting sidetracked to explore whatever your heart desires as a voyager.

You’re Finally Awake

The RPG that took the industry by storm and became a cultural icon—The Elder Scrolls was already a household franchise, but Skyrim proved how this series can always bring a monumental shift, no matter the era it is in. Even after an entire decade or so has passed, you still have countless people talking about it almost every single day.

The unpredictability is what I like to highlight the most here. As you’ll slowly get lost in its massive open world, you’ll constantly be surprised by random events from various wandering NPCs, merchants, or just an endless array of side quests. And unlike many other RPGs, there is no form of strict level gating or progression halts, so you can trek away here at your heart’s content.

Oh, and take my word for it, with this game having one of the biggest modding communities in the world, you’ll honestly be ostracized by the loyal playerbase for missing out on the option to stuff it with a mod collection. This aspect alone adds hundreds of hours, since you can change the fundamentals and systems of the game to add new content or replayability options.

If you trust your players, the game might just end up better for it.

5

Subnautica

Beware of the Leviathans

As someone with a mild case of Thalassophobia, you might think, “Why is this guy spouting about Subnautica in such a positive light?” But make no mistake, this game honestly feels like the ideal choice for someone looking to just get lost, literally and figuratively.

The sprawling oceanic world of Planet 4546B has multiple verticalities, perfectly capturing just how insanely massive the depths of the high seas can be in real life. From coral reefs, kelp forests in deep trenches, and glowing caves, all interconnect organically.

And honestly? Getting lost isn’t frustrating in Subnautica because it’s how you discover new biomes to piece together more of the story, as well as your main means of acquiring valuable resources or research materials. Not to mention that the ambient isolation specialty of this game can be broken easily once you have a Leviathan jump scaring you out of the boundaries. Such a fun time.

4

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Saving Hyrule, One Shrine at a Time

With how much creative freedom Zelda: Breath of the Wild provides for you at your fingertips, and the amount of things you can do in its enormous world, one of the most prominent things everyone has to say about it is how you can easily get lost.

It not only set a benchmark for open-world games to follow back then, but above all else, BOTW is a game that constantly rewards your morbid curiosity. From hidden shrines, secret Korok puzzles, and unique NPC encounters, it has a ton of options. Even climbing a random mountain can lead to something memorable.

It took me quite a while to get interested in the game as a whole, because I just couldn’t personally understand its appeal. But once the training wheels were off, I got my glider and a horse, and the rest was history—finishing the game or continuing Link’s main quests honestly became a negligible priority.

Open World Games So Gigantic Youll Still Be Discovering Secrets in 2026

Because we all need a safe space once in a while.

3

Disco Elysium

I Hear Voices in my Head

Let’s just say you’re not looking to get lost geographically, but rather mentally, emotionally, and philosophically—that’s exactly where a gem like Disco Elysium will shine brightly. It’s a game that throws all the traditional rules out the window in favor of its uniquely crafted systems, where your personality traits and conversation trees are your skill check providers.

A protagonist who has no recollection of who he is, only that he must act as the detective he presumably is to solve a murder mystery with his stoic partner in the gritty district of Martinaise; what could possibly go wrong here? And that’s precisely where the wildcard nature of Disco Elysium truly comes alive. You can tackle the game however you like or with almost any conversation style.

The Thought Cabinet mechanic can derail any dialogue instance with an NPC into a philosophical debate on existence or just an argument on political ideologies. And the game hands the reins to you right from the get-go to piece together the narrative yourself, as well as forging your own take on the identity of the protagonist.

2

Outer Wilds

Remember, 22 Minutes

The thrill of uncovering and deciphering the unknown is one of the strongest suits of Outer Wilds. From the moment you first boot up and get introduced to the game from the opening scenario, that’s all the exposition and context you’ll receive. There is no objective, quest marker, or indication given to you on how or where to proceed next; it’s pretty much just giving you the total freedom right off the bat.

The vast solar system in this game is designed to encourage wandering and getting lost wherever it piques your curiosity the most. Almost every single planet here is wildly different from the other in terms of physics, hazards, and the secrets you might unearth on it.

Most importantly, every run in Outer Wilds lasts for exactly 22 minutes, because when the sun explodes, everything resets. It isn’t a frustrating aspect at all, because it encourages you to learn from your mistakes and take risks while exploring the planets. Every wrong turn and accidental discovery make you slowly connect the dots to understand this ominous yet oddly cathartic world.

1

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Patience is a Virtue

I know you must want to play the fundamentally improved sequel released last year, but I’m here to strongly suggest against it and say you should play the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance first. It’s an RPG that to this day is notorious for having a combat system that pushes players to the limit, and in the end, you either throw the towel or slowly become a fighter with hardened persistence like Henry himself.

Even beyond the incredibly realistic gameplay systems, you also have a grounded world with a believable environment design and a 15th-century Bohemia setting that perfectly nails the historical authenticity. Even though you have access to an entire map, you’ll have to memorize the map yourself for certain objectives or tasks by identifying landmarks, villages, and notable routes.

It is the perfect game to play, especially if you don’t mind getting lost or naturally accomplishing objectives for your quests. KCD does not hold your hand with anything, so feel free to go wild here, but just remember: you have to give this game the proper speck of attention and time so it can fully grasp you.