mouse

These are the Best Games that Focus More on Gameplay and Less on Story

Posted by

On July 3, 2025

Some games beg players to follow the story. Others couldn’t care less. These are the titles that hand over the keys and say “do whatever.”

a combined image of Kratos and Atreus in God of War and Snake and Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty

8 Best Plot Twists in Video Games

Video games have delivered some of the most jaw-dropping plot twists in storytelling, and these are among the best surprises ever seen.

Whether it’s blowing up fuel tanks for fun, running a farm while completely forgetting there’s a wizard in the woods, or getting lost in a fantasy world and never bothering to ask why dragons are back, these games give players a sandbox and zero guilt for not touching the story.

8

Just Cause 3

Explosions First, Questions Later

Rico paragliding over a town in Just Cause 3

There is a plot here. Something about liberating an island from a dictator. But within minutes of booting up Just Cause 3, most players are too busy wingsuiting off cliffs or tethering cows to helicopters to care. Rico Rodriguez isn’t a deep character, and the game knows it.

Instead of bogging players down with mission structure, it hands them gadgets like the grappling hook and parachute combo and turns the Mediterranean island of Medici into a playground of chaos. Towns are dotted with explosive barrels, statues to demolish, and radar dishes begging to be blown up. It’s a game about creative destruction, where making things go boom is more satisfying than any narrative twist.

7

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Calamity Can Wait. There’s Mushrooms to Pick

Link running from an enemy on a horse in The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild

Despite its heavy premise involving the fall of Hyrule and a princess locked in combat with an ancient evil, Breath of the Wild gives players complete freedom to ignore every ounce of it. Once Link emerges from the Shrine of Resurrection, the map is wide open.

Many players spend dozens of hours exploring mountaintops, cooking dubious meals, chasing Korok seeds, and climbing cliffs for no reason other than to see what’s there. It’s possible to run straight to Ganon within minutes, or never fight him at all. And even though the game has flashbacks and voiced cutscenes, they’re entirely optional.

It’s a masterclass in letting exploration lead the way instead of narrative.

6

Saints Row 4

Superpowers Make Plot Holes Fly by

Using superpowers like flying in Saints Row 4

This entry opens with a nuke, then escalates into alien invasions, simulations, and becoming the President of the United States. Saints Row 4 does have a plot, but it throws so many absurd elements at the screen that it’s hard to take any of it seriously.

Once the game gives players super speed and flight, the entire open world becomes a chaotic blur of glowing orbs, side missions, and body-slamming aliens into buildings. There are story missions tucked in between the madness, but even the developers seem to treat them as optional distractions.

5

Forza Horizon 5

Plot? That’s Just the Stuff You Skip on the Way to the Race

Cars speeding past the camera in Forza Horizon 5

Technically, Forza Horizon 5 has a story. There are characters with names, conversations about the festival’s expansion, and voiceovers explaining new events. But the real appeal of the game lies outside that structure.

It’s about the driving. Blazing through jungles in a McLaren, flying off ramps into dust storms, and discovering hidden barns full of classic cars. Whether it’s racing on tarmac or drifting through ancient ruins, the joy comes from mastering the roads and soaking in the ever-changing Mexican landscape.

Nothing about the narrative is necessary. It’s just there to loosely tie together the next challenge.

4

Stardew Valley

Grandpa’s Letter Can Sit for a While

At its heart, Stardew Valley is about taking over a farm to escape the monotony of corporate life. But that intro cutscene can be forgotten within the first in-game day. After that, it’s all up to the player.

Whether it’s obsessively arranging crops into neat rows, diving into the mines for rare gems, or spending years fishing without even saying hi to the villagers, the game doesn’t push players in any direction. There are story arcs involving marriage, the community center, and even hidden events with darker undertones, but none of them are required.

Players can live out entire in-game decades without ever checking their mailbox.

3

Grand Theft Auto 5

Three Criminals, Zero Expectations

Main players stepping out of a helicopter in The Big Score heist in GTA 5

GTA 5 has one of the most detailed stories Rockstar has ever written, split between Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. But it also has one of the easiest plots to ignore. From the moment players gain control, the entire city of Los Santos is theirs to explore.

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto 4

8 Best Grand Theft Auto Games of All Time

Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular video game franchises, and these games are the best in the series.

Players can steal a jet, climb Mount Chiliad, go hunting, buy property, or just spend hours flipping through radio stations in stolen cars. The game’s side activities are so robust that many never return to the main quest after the first heist.

It’s as much about the world as it is about the story, and often even more so.

Dragonborn? Sorry, Too Busy Picking Flowers

Walking in a town in Skyrim in third person mode

Skyrim begins with a dragon attack and ends with the fate of the world in the balance. But for most players, that main quest ends up buried under hundreds of side objectives, random encounters, and personal detours.

Alchemy, smithing, joining the Dark Brotherhood, becoming a vampire lord, adopting kids, or building a house in the woods. It’s all possible before ever finding out what the Greybeards want. Some players go entire playthroughs without ever triggering the second story mission.

The freedom is the point, and ignoring the prophecy has become a tradition.

1

Minecraft

The Only Story Is the One You Write

There is an “ending” in Minecraft, and it involves reaching The End dimension and slaying a dragon. But that’s just a footnote in a game where most players never even craft an Ender Eye.

Minecraft’s open-ended sandbox means players spend hours building castles, digging for diamonds, fighting off creepers, or just surviving the night. Redstone engineers automate farms, builders recreate entire cities, and modders turn the game into something unrecognizable.

There’s no plot to follow. And that’s why it works.