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
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 nounTanveer SinghWhether 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
Adrian WillingsExamples of open world in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Although most developers would like to avoid the term Metroidvania — which is now shorthand for any 2D platformer that features exploring a pseudo-gated open world with tons of backtracking required — there’s really no way to avoid it.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
The circularity of the game’s macro design allows for a more organic and palpably interconnected open world than the UCA offered in the original.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 June 2025
After Criterion's 2008 masterpiece shook up the racing genre, I've been convinced that the ideal racing game features an open world that captures the real-life joy of casually driving to interesting locales, but with a recklessness that's only safe in a video game.
—PC Magazine, 9 June 2025
The game is a free-to-play, open world creature-catching action RPG developed by Pawprint Studio.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 9 June 2025
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Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
The circularity of the game’s macro design allows for a more organic and palpably interconnected open world than the UCA offered in the original.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 June 2025
After Criterion's 2008 masterpiece shook up the racing genre, I've been convinced that the ideal racing game features an open world that captures the real-life joy of casually driving to interesting locales, but with a recklessness that's only safe in a video game.
—PC Magazine, 9 June 2025
The game is a free-to-play, open world creature-catching action RPG developed by Pawprint Studio.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for open world
Cite this Entry
“Open world.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20world. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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