open world

noun

plural open worlds

: a video game or part of a video game in which the player is not constrained to achieving specific goals and has a large degree of freedom to explore, interact with, or modify the game environment : sandbox sense 2a

The gameplay feels similar to other RPGs, and while it's an open world that allows you to do whatever you want for the most part, I do recommend accomplishing the first tasks of the recruitment quests early.

—Swapna Krishna

… you'll likely get swept in deep by the stellar narrative and the meticulously-crafted open world gameplay.

—Tanveer Singh

—sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun

Whether you're keen on open-world games where you've got masses of virtual space to explore or survival games where there are more threats to keep you on your toes, our list should help you make the right choice.

—Adrian Willings

Examples of open world in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, by scaling down the size of the mecha and making the game open world, we were forced to rethink exploration, missions, and various other elements. —Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025

Mario Kart World dazzled me with a theme park-esque open world, a place featuring the same entertaining principles seen in Hyrule. —Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 July 2025

To take advantage of the open world, players drive from one course to the next, giving the eight cups in the Grand Prix a different vibe. —Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 12 June 2025

Mario Kart World is one of the year's hottest games, but its pivot to an open world setting, while peeling back kart customization options, opened a massive rift for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds to drift into. —Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2003, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for open world

• netherworld
• otherworld
• underworld
• curled
• furled
• hurled
• knurled
• swirled
• twirled
• whirled
• whorled
• lifeworld