Games That Let You Create Your Own World: Top Picks
These open-world games involve building cities and other projects in return for prizes and a sense of achievement. Discover the best games to play in 2025.
Most games mostly revolve around losing yourself in a virtual world. However, in some cases (and which is not rare), they invite you to create your own world. In fact, some of these games require you to draw on your imagination to create a physical artefact (such as story or map) while playing.
These games have become so popular that software companies are developing them for online casinos such as 7slots. These games have become quite popular because they leave players with elements of keepsakes, which are produced during gameplay.
If you are after these games, this article has been written for you. You’ll read more about the following games:
- Epic Solitaire Notebook Adventures
- Dawn of Worlds
- Microscope
- Questlandia
The list above includes games that use the following mechanics during gameplay:
- Map making: this is where a player spends his time creating or altering a map within the game
- Permanence: a situation where the player creates something within the game that lasts beyond the game itself
- Story writing: the player is allowed to record creative content or write down a narrative as part of the game
- Worldbuilding: lets the player design and record notes on the world. This is part of playing the game, either partly or as the main section.
Without further ado, here are some of the best games to play if you are looking to create your own world.
Epic Solitaire Notebook Adventures
Abbreviated as ESNA, this is a print-and-play game where you use cards to create a world that you’ll adventure in. You are required to draw maps and alter the world as you play in these maps.
Dawn of Worlds
This is yet another print-and-play game, although it features pre-created components. As you play the game, you assume the role of gods drawing the maps by adding races, events, and landscape features. You are also encouraged to store records of history of the world as you change the map.
Microscope
Microscope is quite popular among players due to its unique theme and concept of play. The game offers you the structure to create your own timeline of an invented history. From this, you are required to zoom in and explore the eras from above (just like you would in a Microscope). Moreover, you will have to record your history for later generations on index cards, which will later help you recollect secretive stories that emerge. In the game, the timeline is the map you are building.
Questlandia
This is the latest discovery as far as this genre of games is concerned. Although I haven’t finished playing the game entirely, what I gather is that most of the action involves creating characters, the world where the action is unfolding, and drawing maps. Ironically, once everything has been completed, you are required to tear it apart to earn rewards. It’s an interesting concept so far, and many people will be happy with it.