Open RPGs, a primarily static segment (except Genshin Impact) that is dominated by MMOs:.Open adventure games, a ranking GTA V dominates (and one in which single-player titles often rise and fall):.Sandbox games, a creativity-based category dominated by two gaming powerhouses:.Open-world survival craft games, a small niche with consistent popularity that has a focus on crafting:.
You can find each category and its top 5 PC games (by April MAUs) below. We used this tool to separate open-world games into four main categories.
However, there are also plenty of sub-categories, which we sliced and diced easily using the Newzoo Platform’s Games Set functionality. So the open-world mechanic has spread its wings across genres, platforms, and the games market as a whole. The boxplot below highlights a far more even spread when analyzing across percentiles: The Four Main Categories of Open-World Games Nevertheless, a deeper analysis of open-world game MAUs by genre tells a different story. Shooter, simulation, and other game genres make up a far smaller share of this number. Open world is one of the many elements included in Newzoo’s Games Taxonomy, and our data shows that almost three-quarters of open-world games on PC fall under the adventure or RPG genres (based on the top 1,400 PC games). Which Genres Account for the Most Open-World Games on PC? But some genres account for more open-world games than others. This is a common occurrence, and our Newzoo Platform ranking of PC MAUs paints a similar picture.Įven Metal Gear, Zelda, and Mario have adopted the mechanic, and thanks to titles like Genshin Impact, open-world games are also finding a home on mobile.
As you can see, open-world games have a significant presence, including GTA V (#3), Minecraft (#6), Days Gone (#11), and Horizon Zero Dawn (#14). The Newzoo Platform screenshot above shows the top 15 Xbox and PlayStation games by MAUs for April 2021. Some of the last decade’s biggest and top-grossing game experiences are open world-including Minecraft, GTA V, and Roblox. Open-world games are now a mainstay of the games market, offering diverse gameplay experiences and impressive staying power.
Open-World Games Are Some of the Most Popular Titles Across Console & PC In this article, we’ll use data from the Newzoo Platform (Expert subscription) and the Newzoo Games Taxonomy to dive deep on all things open world. In fact, 16.7% of the top 1,000 console games and 18.7% of the top 1,000 PC games feature an open-world mechanic. And technological advancements have empowered developers with tools to build bigger, more open environments for players to explore. We’ve come a long way since seminal titles like GTA III and the original Assassin’s Creed. Open-world games are more popular than ever.