Freeware games of exploration

I’m a sucker for exploration. Commercial games of late are more intricate and allow for lots of pointless exploration, but I continually find myself drawn to freeware titles that offer the same sense of absolute freedom. The following games are titles that have really captured my imagination with their grand environment ripe for exploration. Take a stroll and see what’s to be found.

Iji

Easily one of the most ambitious freeware Metroidvania games I’ve ever seen, Iji may look like an amateurish attempt at a game, but don’t let the simple visuals fool you. Iji packs a punch. Equal parts exploration, combat, and RPG-style leveling, you play a human enhanced by nanotechnology working to fight invaders who have settled on Earth. Emphasis is on combat (which is deliciously deep) and increasing your stats, but the open-ended stage design encourages you to roam around and find items, upgrades, and new weapons.

An Untitled Story

Probably the simplest (and least serious) of the bunch, An Untitled Story is the work of one Matt Thorson toiling away with Game Maker. The platformer follows the basic formula of “present player with obstacles, give player item to allow obstacles to be overcome, repeat”. The game is very playfully done and instills a sense of wonder that’s remarkably infectious. Fight 18 bosses, solve simple arcade-style puzzles, and gather items that upgrade your abilities in the sprawling non-linear world.

Knytt & Knytt Stories

Nifflas, creator of Within a Deep Forest (below), continues the captivating tradition of focusing on game atmosphere and exploration through simplicity. Both Knytt games cast you in the role of a tiny character that can scale run, jump and scale walls to explore remarkably atmospheric environments with ease. Sprawling worlds await your exploration, and Knytt Stories includes an easy-to-use editor that lets you create your own levels. Both games are completely free and deliver everything you could want in an indie title.

La-Mulana

An extraordinarily long, deep and satisfying platform adventure game that’s packed with tense feelings and unexplored temples. You play the role of an Indiana Jones-type character in this deliciously old school game, wielding a whip and neo-retro gadgets to explore the jungle. La-Mulana is a real winner for its difficulty level: it never tells you what to do, where to go, or even what the items do. You have to figure it all out by yourself, making the exploration extend beyond walking around in the game’s environments. A fantastic game worth its weight in cardboard cookies ten times over.

Within a Deep Forest

Within a Deep Forest is a tough action/platformer where all you do is bounce across levels in search for materials you can assimilate. Turn into steel to smash obstacles, transform into glass to pass through lasers, or get a really high bouncy ball to climb tall ledges. Exploration is the central focus of this game and I have a great time looking around and seeing what I can uncover. I love when games tease you with visible areas you can’t reach at first, forcing you to return with upgraded abilities to continue your trek. Within a Deep Forest pulls that off with style and gives you extremely difficult stages to keep you coming back for more. Rarely am I so driven to continue exploring a game.

Seiklus

A game made mostly for exploration, Seiklus has only a few enemies and very little going on in its world. The graphical style is simplistic to say the least, but it’s that emptiness that gives it depth. What details are missing your mind fills in, so instead of seeing distinct blades of grass your mind plops your own vivid memories where the grass should be. It’s an unintentional device that really adds to the sense of realism in this little game.

Lyle in Cube Sector

A fun, Metroid-style adventure starring a character whose only real power is the ability to toss blocks. Control Lyle and explore a sprawling, enemy-infested world looking for new abilities that let you traverse deeper into the game. Lyle in Cube Sector features some of the best music in the indie scene and is packed to the brim with challenge and exploration.

Kaipuu

Kaipuu is another sprawling game along the lines of Seiklus. It’s only available in Finnish at the moment, but the author is working on an English translation and urges everyone to wait for its release to experience the game to its fullest. I couldn’t wait to try it, of course (just had to dip my toe in the water), and it shows a lot of promise.

Cave Story

Cave Story (Doukutsu Monogotari) is the brainchild of one Japanese programmer known as pixel. He created everything from music to artwork and level design over the course of two years. The setting is a massive floating island filled with intricate caves and mysterious levels to explore. It’s a bit more populated with enemies than similar freeware explorers, but I get the same feeling of freedom to poke my nose into every corner. The weapon leveling system encourages you to find the path of least resistance through enemies (or just blast your way through, both are fun), and the number of unlockables and alternate storylines warrant multipla play throughs. It’s a game I’ve enjoyed since its release and don’t seem to be tiring of any time soon.

Want more? We’re constantly updating the exploration games category over at JayIsGames, featuring browser-based games that encourage you to set out and discover your world.