The 5 best free open-world games on PC
All five worlds below cost nothing to enter, and each feels different to explore: a fantasy continent you glide across, a post-apocalyptic world built for combat, a modern city you can drive through, a martial-arts China and a sci-fi frontier you build on.
Ranked by our S–D verdict, then by how much freedom the world gives you. Every game is free on Windows PC and was played by our editor on a mid-range PC. How we rate.
#1SThe world: Teyvat is split into nations with their own look, music and gods — from windswept Mondstadt to the volcanic lands of Natlan and, since September 2025, Nod-Krai. Gliding off a cliff into a new region is still one of the best feelings in the genre.
Keep in mind: Years of updates mean a huge world, and a 110 GB install. 4-player co-op is there when you want it.
Skip if you want competitive PvP, or your SSD is almost full.
#2The world: A world rebuilt after a catastrophe: you start in Jinzhou, push out to the Black Shores, and version 2.0 added Rinascita, an archipelago of city-states.
Keep in mind: The world is the backdrop for the sharpest combat in the genre — parries and swaps. Plan for 150 GB on an SSD.
Skip if you want a relaxed, combat-light game, or you play on a Mac.
#3The world: Wuxia China in the Five Dynasties era: open plains and villages in Qinghe, then Kaifeng, a dense city the developer says holds more than 10,000 NPCs.
Keep in mind: Realistic rather than anime style, with a cosmetics-focused shop. Play it solo or with three friends; plan 130 GB of disk space.
Skip if you’re short on disk space (plan 130 GB or more) or you want quick 20-minute sessions.
#4The world: Talos-II is a frontier you tame region by region — from Valley IV’s industrial sprawl to the misty islands of Wuling — while your factory keeps working back home.
Keep in mind: Regions are made of connected areas rather than one seamless continent, and half the game is base building.
Skip if you want pure action with no base building, or you play on a Mac (on computer, Endfield is Windows only).
FAQ
- What is the best free open-world game on PC?
- Genshin Impact: its world, Teyvat, is the biggest and most varied of the free open worlds, and it keeps growing with each version.
- Is there a free open-world game with driving?
- NTE (Neverness to Everness): its city, Hethereau, lets you drive supercars across town, with police chases if you break the law.
- Which free open-world game is best with friends?
- Where Winds Meet supports up to 4-player co-op across its open world, and Genshin Impact also has 4-player co-op.
- Which free open-world game is not anime style?
- Where Winds Meet: a realistic martial-arts world set in historical China.
- Do I need a powerful PC?
- No. All five run on a mid-range PC; check each game’s requirements page — Where Winds Meet needs the most disk space (130 GB, 200 GB at the recommended level).
Some buttons are partner links: we may earn a commission if you install, at no cost to you. It never decides the order (how we make money). Facts come from each game’s full guide, where sources are listed.