You All Missed One of 2025’s Best Open-World Games, and It’s Time to Play It

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2025 was a fantastic year for open-world games, with a wide variety of titles released. While some weren’t great, games like Atomfall, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and Ghost of Yotei were truly exceptional. It’s not surprising that these bigger games overshadowed smaller, independent projects in the genre. In fact, the best open-world game of 2025 – a real gem – unfortunately didn’t get much attention.

Twirlbound, the team behind the overlooked gem Pine, has done it again with The Knightling, a truly innovative and captivating open-world game. The Knightling builds on everything that made Pine good, adding its own unique touches to create an even better experience. It’s so fantastic that I strongly urge you to play it, and to remember other excellent indie open-world games that deserve attention alongside the big-budget titles.

The Knightling Is A Truly Exceptional Open-World Game

Okay, so I just finished playing The Knightling, and wow, it’s something special. It seriously feels like those classic PlayStation 2 platformers I grew up with, like Ratchet and Clank, but then you add in the huge, open-world exploration of Breath of the Wild. The world of Clesseia is massive, and each area feels totally different – really nailing the feel of classic fantasy settings, but with that signature Twirlbound polish. Each biome isn’t just a pretty face either; they all play and feel unique, almost like their own little games within the bigger one. But it doesn’t feel disjointed at all! Everything connects smoothly, and the way they unlock new areas keeps the whole experience moving at a perfect pace. It’s a really well-balanced open world.

What truly sets The Knightling apart as a fantastic open-world game is its clever design. Unlike many games that simply change the scenery in each area, The Knightling keeps things interesting throughout its roughly 15-hour playtime. Each part of the map presents a greater challenge, unique environmental dangers, and – most notably – new ways to move around. For example, the Outskirts, a beautiful area with rolling hills and vibrant flowers, focuses on sliding down hills on your shield, letting you speed across the landscape and discover hidden secrets.

In contrast, the Windtorn Fields are a desolate, rocky landscape dotted with ruined villages and steep mountains. This design encourages players to use the glider to navigate the vertical terrain and explore. Clesseia’s overall environment and layout actively draw players in, making them eager to discover its hidden secrets. The Knightling is full of rewarding discoveries, and the game’s smooth platforming makes traveling through the world – dashing, gliding, and sliding – a joy. Exploration feels even more engaging than in Breath of the Wild; both the journey to a discovery and the discovery itself are exciting.

I don’t want to give away too much about the world of The Knightling, but Twirlbound has created something truly special. Not only does everything feel fresh and unique within the game, but it also offers an experience unlike anything I’ve ever played – and I’m confident other players will feel the same. From its style to its gameplay, The Knightling is packed with clever and original ideas. It’s a remarkably well-designed game that has quickly become one of my favorite platformers, and a great example of why indie open-world games often stand out compared to big-budget titles.

The Knightling Shows We Need More Indie Open-World Games

Truly innovative open-world games are uncommon. While titles like Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring occasionally stand out, many others simply aren’t very good. That’s what makes games like The Knightling so important – they’re independent or mid-budget games that learn from the successes and failures of big-budget titles and try to create something better through creativity, skillful development, and a unique vision.

Many big-budget games, even those made by dedicated teams, are often driven by market trends and a focus on profit, sticking closely to proven ideas. The Knightling feels different. It’s clearly made with the same creative passion, cleverness, and love of game design as titles like Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring. While it may not have the same polish due to a smaller budget, it still strives to offer players a genuinely fresh experience.

There have been many independent and smaller-budget open-world games released, and unfortunately, a lot of them don’t get the attention they deserve. Games like Outward, which combined challenging combat with unique magic, stand out. We’ll soon see Outward 2, and another promising game, Ardenfall, is coming – it’s inspired by Morrowind and joins other overlooked indie gems like Dread Delusion. If you’re looking for a fresh open-world experience and big-budget games aren’t quite hitting the mark, please give games like The Knightling a chance.

As more games like these receive support, we can expect to see even more innovation in the indie space. Creating large-scale, open-world games like The Knightling – and Twirlbound’s Pine before it – requires significant investment. That investment will only pay off if the genre gains traction among indie game fans. Hopefully, games such as Ardenfall, Sword Hero, and Outward continue to be developed and attract a growing audience. There are so many incredible, immersive, and original games waiting to be discovered – they just need players willing to explore them.

Looking for some great indie or AA open-world games? Share your recommendations in the comments, or join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-16 00:12