Best Open-World Games With Pixel Graphics

Highlights

• Pixel art games are preferred for low device storage and blend modern freedom with nostalgic comfort in different genres.
• Indie games with pixel graphics thrive, offering endless realms, dark humor, survival challenges, and creative building opportunities.
• Open-world pixelated adventures like Starbound, Terraria, and Cassette Beasts bring unique aesthetics and almost limitless exploration.

While at first, games with pixel graphics were the only video games to exist due to the technology of the time, many developers over the years have found themselves returning to pixel graphics out of choice rather than necessity. Even in the open-world genre which is usually associated with realistic graphics, there are many great pixel art games, both new and old.

Pixel games also have the benefit of being easier for players to run on their devices, and in an age where games often take upwards of 100 GB of storage, the small space that pixel graphic games require is highly appreciated. The best open-world games with pixel graphics blend the freedom of modern gaming experiences with the nostalgia and comfort of older pixelated games.

Updated February 22, 2024 by Joe Grantham: With the number of indie games consistently being developed, there is no shortage of games with pixel graphics, even among the open-world genre. This is unsurprising given the success of iconic titles such as Minecraft and Terraria, particularly as these games are usually found on a multitude of platforms, from PC to handheld devices such as the Nintendo Switch and even mobile devices. Some players even prefer the aesthetic of open-world pixel art games, as the best-looking games don’t necessarily have to be the most realistic.

8 Trove

Metascore: 65

Similar in aesthetic to Minecraft, Trove is instead an MMORPG that also happens to be free-to-play. With a practically unlimited number of realms to explore, each populated with dozens of unique dungeons, Trove offers players endless fun.

Perfect with friends, players can take on the role of different Cubular Classes such as a Gunslinger, Knight, or most hilariously, the Pirate-with-a-parrot class. Just as with Minecraft, players are also able to build to their heart’s desire and certain creative individuals may even play Trove without doing little else.

7 Shakedown Hawaii

Metascore: 75

• Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, PS Vita, Switch, Wii, Wii U
• Developer: Vblank Entertainment
• Release Date: May 7, 2019

Players interested in the GTA series but with a fondness for pixel games might be interested in Shakedown Hawaii, an open-world game where players control and expand a business empire of questionable morals. Their semi-legitimate corporation, however, will be met with fierce competition that they must take down, with new businesses always up for grabs.

The game is action-packed and full of sarcastic dark humor, often parodying the world’s biggest brands. Despite a fairly recent release, the game features retro pixel graphics which serve as a form of nostalgia for some. While the story has been praised, some players feel the gameplay does leave them wishing for more.

6 The Survivalists

Metascore: 76

• Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, iOS
• Developer: Team17
• Release Date: October 9, 2020

While The Survivalists might not be the best survival game of all time due to fierce competition in the genre, it is certainly one of the best to feature pixel graphics, as well as an open world. Either alone or with friends, and either way with the help of friendly monkeys, players must learn to survive on the wild island they find themselves on.

By crafting and building, survivors will be better equipped to defend against the local inhabitants and all that nature can throw at them. With enough monkeys recruited to do the hard work at the base, players can then set out to hunt and explore the game’s many biomes.

5 Starbound

Metascore: 81

If players are looking for an open-world space adventure with pixel graphics, they should look no further than Starbound. With a powerful, albeit damaged at the start of the game, spaceship at their disposal, Starbound allows players to decide their fate in a universe packed with unexplored planets.

Players can choose to beam down on any planet that they could colonize or simply farm its resources, or they may focus on the galactic mysteries and powerful forces that are waiting to be solved. Starbound can be played in multiplayer and can also be heavily customized with many fantastic community mods for the game.

4 Terraria

Metascore: 81

Terraria is not only one the best games of all time with pixel art graphics, but by its very nature as a sandbox adventure game, it also happens to have an open world. Similar to Minecraft in many ways but 2D instead of 3D, Terraria is a sidescroller that lets players do what they want, though with a big emphasis on digging, building, fighting, and of course simply exploring.

To keep the game fresh even after hundreds of hours of adventuring, the worlds of Terraria are procedurally generated, and the developers provide regular free content updates even a decade after release.

3 Minecraft

Metascore: 82

Minecraft is arguably the most iconic pixelated open-world game despite being 3D as opposed to most games with pixel graphics. The entire world is made up of procedurally generated blocks that have become synonymous with the title.

Beyond its pixelated nature, Minecraft is an incredible sandbox game that lets players mold their own experiences, both alone or with friends. From its survival aspects to quests and worlds created by other players, and of course, its expansive building capabilities, Minecraft is the game that players want it to be.

2 Cassette Beasts

Metascore: 83

Cassette Beasts is an open-world game with turn-based battles where players deploy the various cassette beasts they have collected and combined. The fusion feature, in particular, is a highlight of the role-playing game, with players able to combine any two beasts for surprising results.

The game has a cozy aesthetic and a color palette that is calming even during battle. On their adventures on the remote island of New Wirral, players never need to be alone, as human companions can follow them around and join in on the action.

1 A Short Hike

Metascore: 88

Not all games need to have world-shattering consequences, and this is the case with the warm and cozy adventure that is aptly named A Short Hike. With the simple goal of finding a cellphone connection atop the summit of Hawk Peak Provincial Park, players can do whatever they want and go wherever they like at their own pace.

By exploring this open video game world that would be fun to live in, players will find that they happen to stumble on pleasant surprises that will temporarily distract them from their pleasant stroll, climb, or hike.