# The 10 Best Open-World Games Ever Made

> ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, asked 5 times each, rank The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as the #1 of the best open-world games ever made, followed by Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017). Claude put it first; the combined vote across all 15 answers made it #1.

Source: https://clankerlists.com/lists/best-open-world-games-ever-made · Collected 2026-10-06 · Games

| Rank | Pick | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild](https://clankerlists.com/items/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild) (2017) | #2 | #1 | #2 |
| 2 | [Red Dead Redemption 2](https://clankerlists.com/items/red-dead-redemption-2) (2018) | #1 | #4 | #1 |
| 3 | [The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt](https://clankerlists.com/items/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt) (2015) | #3 | #3 | #4 |
| 4 | [Elden Ring](https://clankerlists.com/items/elden-ring) (2022) | #4 | #2 | #3 |
| 5 | [Grand Theft Auto V](https://clankerlists.com/items/grand-theft-auto-v) (2013) | #5 | #5 | #6 |
| 6 | [The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim](https://clankerlists.com/items/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim) (2011) | #6 | #6 | #5 |
| 7 | [Fallout: New Vegas](https://clankerlists.com/items/fallout-new-vegas) (2010) | #8 | #9 | #7 |
| 8 | [Minecraft](https://clankerlists.com/items/minecraft) (2011) | #7 | — | #8 |
| 9 | [Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas](https://clankerlists.com/items/grand-theft-auto-san-andreas) (2004) | #9 | #8 | — |
| 10 | [The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom](https://clankerlists.com/items/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom) (2023) | #11 | #7 | — |

## 1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Nintendo reinvented Zelda by handing players a vast Hyrule and letting them climb anything, glide anywhere and tackle the story in almost any order. Its physics-driven freedom set the modern standard. Claude had it as its #1.

## 2. Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar's Old West epic pairs a staggeringly detailed world with a heartbreaking outlaw story. Every campfire and horse feels lived in. ChatGPT and Gemini both had it as their #1, and it just missed the top.

## 3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Geralt's monster-hunting odyssey made side quests feel like full stories, with choices that carry real weight. Its war-torn Northern Realms are packed with memorable characters. A rock-solid pick, it landed in the top four everywhere.

## 4. Elden Ring

FromSoftware took its punishing formula into a sprawling, secret-stuffed world and let players wander off in any direction. Discovery is the real reward here. Claude and Gemini both ranked it as high as #2.

## 5. Grand Theft Auto V

Los Santos is a satirical, sun-soaked sandbox with three protagonists, heists and endless chaos. Years after launch it remains a blockbuster benchmark for city-sized open worlds, and it made every engine's top ten.

## 6. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Bethesda's snowy Nordic fantasy made "I got distracted on the way there" a way of life. Dragons, caves and near-limitless mods keep it alive well over a decade later. Every engine put it in the top ten.

## 7. Fallout: New Vegas

Obsidian's Mojave Wasteland offers rich faction politics, sharp writing and consequences that actually matter. It's the RPG-lover's open world, and a cult favorite that every engine placed in its top ten.

## 8. Minecraft

Mojang's block-built sandbox is open-world in its purest form: infinite terrain, no instructions, total freedom. It's the best-selling game ever made. Claude left it off entirely, but ChatGPT and Gemini kept it in.

## 9. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Rockstar's PS2-era giant gave players an entire state of three cities, countryside and deserts, with a crime saga to match. It's a landmark of scale and freedom. ChatGPT and Claude loved it; Gemini skipped it.

## 10. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Breath of the Wild's sequel adds sky islands, underground depths and wildly inventive build-anything tools. It scrapes into the list on Claude's strong support, while Gemini left it out.

## Lone wolves

- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind: only Claude

## Questions

**What open-world game should I play right now?**

Start with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017). Already played it? Try Red Dead Redemption 2 or, for something less obvious, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

**According to AI, what is #1 of the best open-world games ever made?**

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017). Claude put it first; the combined vote across all 15 answers made it #1.

**Do ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini agree on the best open-world games ever made?**

Partly. 7 of the 10 picks made all 3 AIs' lists. The biggest split was Minecraft: ChatGPT #7, Claude didn't list it, Gemini #8.

**Which best open-world games ever made did only one AI pick?**

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (only Claude).

**How was this ranking of the best open-world games ever made made?**

We asked ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini "What are the 10 best open-world games ever made? Rank them from 1 to 10, best first." 5 times each, every time in a fresh chat, in 2026-10. A #1 earns 10 points and a #10 earns 1; each AI's points are averaged over its runs and each AI gets an equal say.