Best Traversal Games

Vane is an ethereal adventure in a ruined desert where strange golden dust transforms a free-spirited bird into a determined young child.

Vane is an ethereal adventure in a ruined desert where strange golden dust transforms a free-spirited bird into a determined young child. The premise is not all that uncommon, but Vane stands out for how you soar over the desert and climb your way through dilapidated architecture and a crow-infested oasis.

Kinsplant is an adventure about searching for a fabled artefact buried somewhere in one of the four realms.

Kinsplant is an adventure about searching for a fabled artefact buried somewhere in one of the four realms. Play is like a retro adventure game where you move around, fight enemies and hunt for an ancient artefact.

Lovely Planet is a shooting game which focuses on athletic flow and accuracy rather than headshots and gore.

Lovely Planet is a shooting game which focuses on athletic flow and accuracy rather than headshots and gore. You jump and shoot your way through five worlds full of treacherous enemies with your trusty pop-gun.

A Short Hike is an adventure traversal game where you play the penguin-like character Claire, who needs to climb a mountain in a beautiful national park to receive an important phone call.

A Short Hike is an adventure traversal game where you play the penguin-like character Claire, who needs to climb a mountain in a beautiful national park to receive an important phone call. Presented in cute pixel graphics, the game invites you to explore the park, help other animals, and find seashells and even buried treasure.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild departs from the previous Zelda formula with the scale and depth of its world.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild departs from the previous Zelda formula with the scale and depth of its world. You walk, fly, ride and climb your way through a landscape that varies in climate, terrain, inhabitants and vegetation.

Subnautica is an open-world adventure where you explore the ocean on an alien planet after crashlanding.

Subnautica is an open-world adventure where you explore the ocean on an alien planet after crashlanding. You collect resources and fight creatures to survive.

Teardown is a creative traversal game where you plan and execute a heist in fully destructible environments.

Teardown is a creative traversal game where you plan and execute a heist in fully destructible environments. Play involves knocking routes through the destructible buildings to set an escape route to steal the key cards.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a go-kart racing game where you race against Nintendo characters around different circuits, picking up power-ups, attacks and speed boosts.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a go-kart racing game where you race against Nintendo characters around different circuits, picking up power-ups, attacks and speed boosts. It is frantic and chaotic but still requires skills to do well.

Sea of Thieves is an online game where you play a pirate searching for treasure and adventure.

Sea of Thieves is an online game where you play a pirate searching for treasure and adventure. Cast into a large open sea you work with other online players to crew your ship and find treasure.

Stray is an adventure traversal game about a cat lost in a futuristic city where robots live.

Stray is an adventure traversal game about a cat lost in a futuristic city where robots live. You guide your feline friend in and out of buildings, across roads and generally poke your nose in to see what is going on.

It Takes Two is a running, jumping and exploring game that tells the story of a young girl, Rose, whose parents are divorcing.

It Takes Two is a running, jumping and exploring game that tells the story of a young girl, Rose, whose parents are divorcing. The girl creates two dolls to represent her parents, which unexpectedly traps the clashing couple in them.

Everything is an unusual game that simulates a world where you can become any object.

Everything is an unusual game that simulates a world where you can become any object. It sounds strange and not much fun, but the enjoyment is in discovering how small or how big a thing you can become.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an adventure about a young girl who travels to an abandoned village in the hope of finding a sacred mountain shrine.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an adventure about a young girl who travels to an abandoned village in the hope of finding a sacred mountain shrine. To get there she must find and grow a team of charming spirit companions called the Rot, enhancing their abilities and creating new ways to manipulate the environment.

Flower is a traversal collecting game where you control the breeze across fields of grass and blow petals into other flowers to make them bloom.

Flower is a traversal collecting game where you control the breeze across fields of grass and blow petals into other flowers to make them bloom. Flower is simple and single-purpose in evoking the feeling of the wind.

Nintendo Land is a collection of Nintendo games that was created for the Nintendo Wii U launch.

Nintendo Land is a collection of Nintendo games that was created for the Nintendo Wii U launch. It uses the console’s tablet screen to create specific roles for different players.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an adventure where you play an everyday dog thrust into the role of wielding a magic brush.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an adventure where you play an everyday dog thrust into the role of wielding a magic brush. The world starts black and white but you colour it in with your paintbrush to solve puzzles and help your animal friends.

The Alto Collection is a series of games including Alto's Odyssey and Alto's Adventure.

The Alto Collection is a series of games including Alto's Odyssey and Alto's Adventure. Both are action traversal games where you explore beautiful mountains, dunes and canyons on a snowboarding journey full of serenity and secrets.

Tchia is an adventure where you play a young girl (Tchia) who can climb, glide, swim, and sail around a beautiful archipelago.

Tchia is an adventure where you play a young girl (Tchia) who can climb, glide, swim, and sail around a beautiful archipelago. Along with the usual sandbox quests and play, the game offers an unusual ability to take control (and become) any animal or object you find.

Lego City: Undercover offers an open world to explore.

Lego City: Undercover offers an open world to explore. While most Lego games have an open-world element in at least some areas, this one keeps play open throughout so that children can enjoy exploring at their own pace.

Nuts is an adventure game where you play a rookie field researcher.

Nuts is an adventure game where you play a rookie field researcher. You use your camera, caravan, GPS and map to investigate the depths of the enigmatic Melmoth Forest.

Omno is a running, jumping and surfing game where you explore an ancient fantastical world.

Omno is a running, jumping and surfing game where you explore an ancient fantastical world. As you explore you meet all manner of strange and wonderful lifeforms, from cute critters to enigmatic giants.

The Gecko Gods is a puzzle game where you control a small lizard reptile exploring a world and solving puzzles.

The Gecko Gods is a puzzle game where you control a small lizard reptile exploring a world and solving puzzles. You interact with the flora and fauna, catch insects and visit other animals.

Sable is an adventure game where you play a young girl, Sable, alone in the world, but bravely exploring ancient monuments, ruined architecture, and fallen ships to uncover her place in it.

Sable is an adventure game where you play a young girl, Sable, alone in the world, but bravely exploring ancient monuments, ruined architecture, and fallen ships to uncover her place in it. It's an adventure without combat that calls you to find your story in the Dune-like desert.

Lonely Mountains Downhill is a racing game where you traverse a mountain on a bike.

Lonely Mountains Downhill is a racing game where you traverse a mountain on a bike. Make your way through thick forests, narrow trails and wild rivers.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is an adventure game in the Zelda series.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is an adventure game in the Zelda series. This one is set on a group of islands in a vast sea and follows Link as he attempts to save his sister from the sorcerer Ganon.

Fe is a platform-traversal game where you play a fox in a magical fairy tale forest.

Fe is a platform-traversal game where you play a fox in a magical fairy tale forest. The world extends in front of you in stylised form, with trees, mountains and streams glistening with sparkles of life.

LocoRoco is a traversal puzzle game in a world of plants and creatures to investigate.

LocoRoco is a traversal puzzle game in a world of plants and creatures to investigate. The novelty, besides the character’s singing and cute aesthetic, is that you control the game with just two buttons, tilting and bumping your characters through each level.

Submerged Hidden Depths is an adventure game where you sail, climb and explore the ruins of a sunken world.

Submerged Hidden Depths is an adventure game where you sail, climb and explore the ruins of a sunken world. With light puzzle-solving and no combat, you discover a drowned city, crumbling skyscrapers and deserted villages.

Wavetale is a surfing and jumping adventure in a world of sunken cities, dangerous water and oppressive fog.

Wavetale is a surfing and jumping adventure in a world of sunken cities, dangerous water and oppressive fog. You play as Sigrid, a young girl who works to restore the decaying archipelago and befriends a mysterious shadow that lets her walk on water.

The Last Guardian is a running, jumping and exploring adventure about a boy who befriends a giant half-bird, half-mammal creature, Trico.

The Last Guardian is a running, jumping and exploring adventure about a boy who befriends a giant half-bird, half-mammal creature, Trico. You work together to navigate the world, solve puzzles and reach new heights.

Tearaway Unfolded is an adventure game where you explore a folklore-filled fantasy world that's made entirely of paper.

Tearaway Unfolded is an adventure game where you explore a folklore-filled fantasy world that's made entirely of paper. You play by moving around the world, running, jumping and collecting items to unlock doors and fight enemies.

Wilderless is a traversal and exploration game where you are left to discover a fantasy world at your own pace without the usual hindrances.

Wilderless is a traversal and exploration game where you are left to discover a fantasy world at your own pace without the usual hindrances. You run, jumping and glide your way around the landscape that unfolds beautifully before you.

Legend Of The Skyfish is a puzzle exploration game where you head into a dangerous land, hopping from island to island, solving puzzles and battling enemies.

Legend Of The Skyfish is a puzzle exploration game where you head into a dangerous land, hopping from island to island, solving puzzles and battling enemies. Each arcade-style level is a chance to put your unusual weapon to use -- for fighting but also for swinging around and moving things.

Supraland is an adventure game that involves exploring, running, jumping, solving puzzles, and fighting monsters.

Supraland is an adventure game that involves exploring, running, jumping, solving puzzles, and fighting monsters. You play a member of the Red Village and you must discover why the Blue Village has sabotaged your water supply.

Pico Park is a collaborative puzzle game for up to 10 players where you traverse levels using one another to solve puzzles.

Pico Park is a collaborative puzzle game for up to 10 players where you traverse levels using one another to solve puzzles. It's a game about communication and physics as players work to position themselves to bridge a gap, use ropes to hang off ledges or unlock keys.

Boomerang X is a shooting platform game where you explore worlds and fight enemies with a boomerang-like shuriken weapon.

Boomerang X is a shooting platform game where you explore worlds and fight enemies with a boomerang-like shuriken weapon. Unusually, you can warp to your boomerang once thrown meaning you can slice, fly, and blast through arenas swarming with evil creatures.

Jusant is a climbing traversal game where you take a challenging-yet-meditative climb to the top of a tall tower.

Jusant is a climbing traversal game where you take a challenging-yet-meditative climb to the top of a tall tower. You use the trigger buttons to hold on and the stick to jump and reach for the next position.

Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective is a traversal maze game where you guide Pierre from the bestselling children's books Pierre The Maze Detective to find a route through the city and recover the stolen Maze Stone.

Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective is a traversal maze game where you guide Pierre from the bestselling children's books Pierre The Maze Detective to find a route through the city and recover the stolen Maze Stone. Play involves exploring the cities by moving around and interacting with the people and things you find.

Tren is a traversal-puzzle game set in a hand-crafted world as a wooden train, sailing boats and helicopters.

Tren is a traversal-puzzle game set in a hand-crafted world as a wooden train, sailing boats and helicopters. You control points, shunt trucks around, operate cranes and generally move cargo from one location to the next.