Everybody likes an adventure, especially when it takes you to places you couldn't have imagined. That's why the best exploration games let you get lost in worlds filled with a whole manner of brilliant stuff. Luckily, there has been a significant rise in games that heavily focus on exploration and reward it. So if you're looking for exploration-based games you can sink your teeth to you've come to the right place.

Best exploration games can have some crazy physics

Kerbal Space Program is to this day one of the best space exploration games in existence. After all, why stop at the Mun if you can go beyond it? And let's face it, where else can you get the fun of building your own space probe just to see it crash five seconds before landing on a planet you've been trying to get to for the past hour?

For the uninitiated, Kerbal Space Program is a game where you take control of an alien space program. Disclaimer: it is totally nothing like NASA. But all that you get are a bunch of parts. The fun is in building your own space exploring rockets, probes, satellites, and more. You custom-craft each one of them down to the smallest detail such as stabilizators and fuel tanks. And once you're ready to launch them be prepared for a serious physics simulation. Not to mention you can take complete control over your rocket's flight system and control it in real time.

Kerbal Space Program brings a unique take on exploration because it blends it with spaceship crafting and physics simulation. There are hundreds of hours of fun in this game, and that's without even checking out a plethora of community-made mods that are available. It is the combination of all of the above that makes Kerbal Space Program one of the best exploration games available.

Journey to the Savage Planet is all about exploration

Even though Journey to the Savage Planet came out this January I'd already put it on my best games of 2020 list. If you don't believe me you can always check out our Journey to the Savage Planet gameplay Youtube playlist. But let's get back to the matter at hand.

Journey to the Savage Planet earns its spot at the list of best exploration games because that's the primary goal of it. The whole game is about exploring! And it rewards you greatly for any additional exploration you do. This pulpy science-fiction exploration game sends you on a new planet with a single mission – to explore it. However, once you arrive you find out some of the data that was previously gathered is not exactly correct. More specifically, there appear to be remains of a an advanced alien civilization there. Easy thing to miss, right?

Journey to the Savage Planet comes with its own special type of charm. The key to it is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. While you're exploring you'll find creatures that will love you from the first time they see you and prove that by farting, panicky double-headed creatures that sound like me during my last physics exam, and giant electrical beetles. Yes, I'm dead serious. What's not to love about that?

Best exploration game of the old west

If there is something Rockstar knows how to do, it's how to create an amazing open world. Red Dead Redemption 2 is no exception to that. I would dare to say it's the best game made by Rockstar in terms of how exploring the map feels.

Here is the deal with Red Dead Redemption 2. It's awesome, plain and simple. But you don't need me to tell you that as you've undoubtedly heard too much about it already. But the reason it's one of the best exploration games is the level of detail that went into crafting its world. Of course, the first thing that makes it stand out is its size. The map is absolutely enormous, and each part of it is filled with stuff. Wherever you go there are animals, plants, hidden collectibles, NPCs going about their business, or something else to be seen. The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 feels alive.

Secondly, the world is not as flat and two-dimensional as it might seen. There are plenty of secrets to be discovered in Red Dead Redemption 2. Especially if you hop into Red Dead Online and try your hand at the Collector role. Finally, exploration isn't always about the places you see. Sometimes, it's about the people you meet along the way. And Red Dead Redemption 2 is filled with interesting characters. If you want to meet them all it'll take quite a bit of exploring, so it's best if you saddle up and get started.

Best exploration games tend to be in space

As a final item in today's list of best exploration games we take another look at space exploration. But this time it's without the fancy government funding like Kerbal Space Program agency has. In Space Engineers you're out there alone and the only thing you can rely on is your intellect.

Space Engineers is a sandbox space exploration game where you build spaceships, outposts, and travel between different planets gathering resources. All the while the greatest challenge will be to survive. Remember, being sucked into an airlock is not a good thing.

However, Space Engineers has its own unique take on exploration games. First of all, it features a realistic volumetric-based physics engine. That means a lot of wrestling with physics. Secondly, everything in the game can be assembled, disassembled, damaged, destroyed, and built again. Everything. And for those who like to create exploration challenges, there is even a visual script editor. That means you can create custom maps, challenges, and game modes and then share them with others. Good luck exploring all of what other players prepared for you.

These are just some of the best exploration games that we offer. Unfortunately, we can't possibly fit all of them in one article, but you're free to check out the deals we have on the mentioned games and many more here on 2game. Now what are you waiting for? Go exploring!