The best open-world RPGs, according to hackers
5 open-world RPGs were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 3 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended open-world RPGs with the badge. Each figure is 5 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Much better after patches and expansions
People praise its atmosphere and story and the patches that fixed a broken launch, though the release was buggy and unfinished.
Rich story and unique quests
Open-world RPG praised for its rich story, freeform world and distinctive setting. Common caveats are a dated look and bugs, with crashes unless tweaked.
Rich storylines and meaningful choices
People recommend it for its hand-built storylines, meaningful choices, and a world that still grips players years after release. Critics mostly point to its age, with setup and compatibility problems on modern PCs.
All 5 open-world RPGs, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cyberpunk 2077 | 76 | 38 | 67% | 12 | 6 mo5 owners | Approved |
| 2 | Morrowind | 26 | 6 | 81% | 11 | — | Approved |
| 3 | Skyrim | 25 | 21 | 54% | 10 | — | — |
| 4 | Fallout: New Vegas | 15 | 4 | 79% | 11 | — | Approved |
| 5 | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | 11 | 21 | 34% | 8 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same open-world RPG in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to open-world RPGs that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.