We often take digital technology so much for granted that open-world games have become underappreciated these days. Sometimes, you just have to sit back and take in the bigger picture. It's a living and breathing world in a digital space. Put it on a mobile phone and that world easily fits in the palm of your hand or your pocket. That's how far gaming has come from the 2D days of Pong.
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PostsHow viable a platform is for gaming is sometimes measured by how fun its open-world games are. In that regard, mobile phones are very much a fully-fledged gaming platform. Of course, to save yourself from the trouble of weeding out which of those games best represent the open-world genre in mobile, then take a vacation to these top contenders' worlds.
Updated on April 08, 2025, by Mohamed El Ouardighi: No matter what platform you play on, there's something we all enjoy about open world games—the freedom to explore, discover, and dive deep into immersive worlds at our own pace. We've gone ahead and updated this article with a few more picks for you, along with extra details on each game to help you find your next adventure.
17 BotWorld Adventure
This colorful romp, crafted by Featherweight, allows you to venture through the colorful wilds of Botworld. While doing so, you'll tackle a diversity of quests and contracts and assemble automatons that are pitted against other bots. It can partly be described as a robotic Pokemon, as you'll gather and exploit these bots to get useful items and beef up your squad and take on baddies.
It's a delightful adventure that's more detailed and vast than its cute aesthetic lets on, though it's also a great introductory RPG for newcomers on mobile.
16 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
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Like Follow FollowedGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Action Adventure Systems Released October 26, 2004 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs Developer(s) Rockstar Games Publisher(s) Rockstar Games Engine RenderWareWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALOne of the biggest phenoms for the PS2 has since seen endless iterations, including a far more recent mobile release. Though a few elements are missing or stripped down (multiplayer Rampage missions), most of the same endlessly-gripping sandbox gameplay is here. You'll find it hard to put down the phone or tablet as you plow through various run-and-gun as well as driving missions.
GTA — and particularly the renowned San Andreas — is one of those deep titles that's just fun no matter what you do. This version also goes out of its way to provide a fairly smooth, intuitive experience, with a bold interface and clear-cut map system.
15 Terraria
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Like Follow FollowedTerraria
Action Adventure Sandbox Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 79/100 Critics Rec: 76% Released May 16, 2011 ESRB T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol Developer(s) Re-Logic Publisher(s) 505 GamesWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONRe-Logic's mega-hit Terraria manages to translate well to mobile devices despite its complexity, huge biomes, and combat-heavy gameplay. This is thanks to its retro style of sidescrolling Metroidvania action. This engrossing adventure has you venturing out to slay monsters, gather items, craft gear, and build structures a la Minecraft in 2D.
With a number of quality-of-life tweaks and sharp, clear interface inputs, the game feels surprisingly great with even a small touchscreen on mobile. And you can still utilize the game's social co-op features with relative ease, allowing for another player to jump in and fight or plunder alongside you.
14 LifeAfter
LifeAfter mixes in a little bit of everything. It has the graphics of PUBG and Fortnite, and also has the gameplay elements of the most compelling zombie survival games. As always, the game is all about fending for yourself in a zombie apocalypse where every former bastion of civilization is now littered with military hardware.
It's up to you to shore up your base defenses and scavenge for some precious resources. LifeAfter merely takes an old concept and makes it more ambitious by turning it into a mobile open-world game for Android and other devices. The best part is that it's also an MMORPG and you can team up with other players.
13 EVE Echoes
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LikeEVE Echoes
RPG Systems Released August 11, 2020 ESRB t Engine game engineWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALEVE Echoes does the impossible and puts one of the most complicated, vast MMORPGs ever in a pocket-sized computer. EVE was known for its vast open space where thousands of players can wage war with one another with their armadas in tow.
EVE Echoes brings that exact experience into smartphones but is more streamlined and more accessible. It's also free, though that can be a downside, as the game has a premium currency that you'll have to work hard for if you don't want to spend real money.
12 Wuthering Waves
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Like Follow FollowedWuthering Waves
Action RPG Open-World Systems 10.0/10 Released May 22, 2024 ESRB T For Teen // Suggestive Themes, Violence Developer(s) Kuro Games Publisher(s) Kuro GamesWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALWuthering Waves has been one of the most anticipated titles ever since its first announcement, and while this was partly because of its resemblance with Genshin Impact, most of it was still because of the game's beautiful character and world design alongside the intricate combat that relies on timed dodges and parries.
You get to play as a Rover from the beginning as you attempt to uncover the various secrets of this world including your true identity. You also get to meet various characters that you can acquire by engaging in the Gacha system, though it's not a necessity, and you can very well just enjoy the beautiful world exploration story at your own pace.
11 Perfect World Mobile
Before Gacha Games (software that encourages virtual item purchases) became big, traditional Korean MMORPGs were what best represented the Eastern online RPG market. Among them was Perfect World, and it was one of the finest ever made as it allowed unprecedented freedom with character creation, which was impressive for its time.
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PostsFast-forward to today, and we can thankfully relive that experience once more with Perfect World Mobile. It's a mostly identical setup except it's a lot easier to play now with all the automation mechanics that ensure you get to the meat of the game if you don't have much time to play.
10 Infinity Nikki
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Like Follow FollowedInfinity Nikki
Adventure Open-World Dress-Up RPG Systems 8.0/10 Released December 5, 2024 ESRB T For Teen // Blood, Violence Developer(s) Papergames, Infold Games Publisher(s) Papergames, Infold Games, FearlessWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALFor a lot of people out there, mobile gaming is reserved for the times when they're traveling and want to pass some time. However, in these scenarios, it's difficult to play a game that requires intense focus. Thankfully, Infinity Nikki is not one of those as this is likely the coziest open-world experience you'll have.
The giant world of Infinity Nikki is filled with beautiful dresses that you can find and create awesome combinations on your Nikki. Apart from cute dresses, you also get to take part in various challenges and go through a heart-touching story.
9 Wilderless
Don't let those relatively tiny download numbers fool you. Sometimes all those quests and enemy-slaying can be numbing when all you really want is to appreciate the scenery and relax. Wilderless is all about that kind of casual, passive gameplay. In what can be described as a "nature simulator", there are no missions to save the world, no evil creatures, and no pressure to become powerful.
There's just you and the wide open world made for your viewing pleasure and curiosity. All you have to do is explore the boundless and beautiful nature presented right before your very eyes, except it's all in the comfort of your smartphone.
8 Frostborn
Frostborn is right for you if you prefer your open-world games to have some Norse or Viking flavor. It includes many intricate open-world systems and mechanics and is an amalgam of many genres such as RPG and survival with many multiplayer elements.
In Frostborn, you assume the role of a Viking hero who must rally his friends to rebuild the once-great Viking nation after Midgard fell to the undead. To do this, you'll have to harness the power of the gods while also attending to your settlements. With the grindy combat and isometric perspective, this RPG feels delightfully retro, but modern in its scope and depth.
