Have you heard about The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 or Dark Souls for years without quite finding the time to start? Some major games deserve a proper place in your library. Beyond seeing their scenery or understanding their popularity, they offer ways of telling a story, building a world or teaching you to improve that stay with you long after the credits.
This selection brings together twelve major productions and popular landmarks worth discovering at least once. We considered their critical recognition alongside their writing, mechanics, presentation and exploration. They do not all excel in the same areas: Mario needs no complex plot to be remarkable, and Dark Souls tells its story differently from Uncharted. The order suggests a route through the selection, rather than an absolute ranking. We focus on campaigns and adventures you can experience alone, with edition details to help you find the right version.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — for quests that matter
Genres: Action RPG · Adventure.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2.
A monster contract, a village on your route, someone asking for help: The Witcher 3 gives substance to what could have been a routine side activity. Geralt’s contracts uncover competing interests, consequences and characters the game takes time to develop. The search for Ciri gives this vast journey a direction, but its detours are just as important to its appeal. That connection between the central story and smaller human dramas earns its place here.
Start here if you want to grow attached to a world and make decisions without an obviously comfortable answer. Sword fighting, signs and preparation all support the adventure, but the writing is our main reason for recommending it. Expect long conversations and an unhurried journey. The Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions build on its strengths; enjoying one quest is more rewarding than trying to clear every marker from the map.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 — for a western you can settle into
Genres: Action · Adventure.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.
Arthur Morgan’s journey gathers strength between the shootouts: a conversation at camp, a horseback ride, tensions building within the gang. Red Dead Redemption 2 gives its characters enough time and space for everyday life to become part of the story. Its Best Narrative award at The Game Awards 2018 supports this choice, but the combination of performances, landscapes and Arthur’s development is what makes the adventure so valuable.
It suits players who want to settle into a setting and watch a story develop. Detailed animations and travel create a slow pace, however, while missions allow less freedom than wandering between objectives. That contrast is part of the experience. Come for the western and its characters, and allow yourself an evening of exploration without needing to advance the campaign.
3. Cyberpunk 2077 — for a spectacular city and personal stories
Genres: Action RPG · Shooter.
Platforms: PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2.
Night City first draws you in with its lights and excess, but V’s encounters give it depth. Cyberpunk 2077 combines a plot about identity and survival with smaller, more personal stories in a city where bodies and ambitions are commodities. You can shape your approach through weapons, stealth and hacking. The relationship between a character you build and a city trying to shape them makes this a different proposition from The Witcher 3.
We include it for its world and the possibilities of its modern versions, without overlooking its difficult launch. Its Best Ongoing Game award at The Game Awards 2023 reflects the work done since. For a first visit, favour the PC, Mac, PS5, Xbox Series or Switch 2 versions listed here; the older PS4 and Xbox One editions offer a different starting point. Phantom Liberty adds a spy story, but the main campaign is enough to introduce this adult and often brutal setting.
4. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End — for spectacle that knows when to slow down
Genres: Action · Adventure.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (PS5 and PC through Legacy of Thieves Collection).
Chases, climbing, shootouts and treasure hunts: Uncharted 4 brings together the cinematic strengths of an adventure game while keeping you in control. The grappling hook adds movement to traversal and combat, the scenery keeps changing, and quieter scenes establish Nathan Drake as more than a collection of daring exploits. Its appeal extends beyond the set pieces: the adventure also asks what it costs to be unable to give up the next one.
It is an inviting place to start this list if you want a guided, spectacular campaign that is easy to follow. Knowing the earlier games makes the relationships more rewarding; the fourth entry is still the conclusion of a longer journey. On PS5 and PC, this adventure is included in Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. Its strongly directed progression is less suitable if open-world freedom is your main priority.
5. The Last of Us Part I — for a relationship that carries the journey
Genres: Action · Stealth.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5.
The Last of Us belongs in this selection because of the way Joel and Ellie come to know each other over their journey. Dialogue is only part of it: silences, travel and vulnerability during encounters also build their relationship. Stealth and resource management give violence weight instead of turning it into a simple succession of targets. Part I remakes this first story without requiring any knowledge of the television series or the sequel.
Choose it for a focused, emotionally powerful narrative adventure. Be prepared for brutality, frightening passages and themes of loss. Extensive accessibility options help tailor the experience, but they do not soften its subject matter. The Part I edition featured here is for PS5 and PC; it should not be confused with The Last of Us Remastered on PS4.
6. God of War — for combat tied to a family story
Genres: Action · Adventure.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5.
The 2018 God of War gives Kratos’ strength a new purpose: winning is no longer his only concern, as he also has to learn to be a father to Atreus. The axe, the close camera and his son’s support in combat tie that story to the action. Conversations during exploration allow their relationship to develop beyond cutscenes. Its Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2018 recognises a particularly balanced combination of spectacle, writing and the feel of playing.
It is a good first choice if you are torn between a substantial story and a combat system you can master. This entry begins the Norse cycle and provides a more natural starting point than Ragnarök, although Kratos’ past adds context. Combat remains violent, and some optional activities demand considerable skill. You can follow the main journey before attempting its toughest challenges.
7. Dark Souls: Remastered — for the satisfaction of learning
Genres: Action RPG.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch.
Dark Souls deserves to be discovered for more than its reputation for difficulty. Opening a door after a long detour can transform your understanding of an entire area; an apparently impossible enemy becomes readable once you recognise its movements. Stamina, positioning and shortcuts create a progression in which you learn as much as your character improves. Places and remnants also tell the world’s story without constantly interrupting exploration to explain everything.
Remastered preserves that construction of Lordran. It also retains the original’s demands: limited explanations, journeys back after death and some rougher passages. Choose it if understanding a space and overcoming an obstacle sounds satisfying. For an explicit story or an adventure without repetition, start elsewhere. Here, the lasting moment is often the realisation that you have learned how to move forward.
8. Elden Ring — for detours that become discoveries
Genres: Action RPG.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 (Tarnished Edition on Switch 2).
Elden Ring earns its place beside Dark Souls because it changes how you respond to a roadblock. When an opponent is too strong, you can go exploring, find equipment, try another approach and return later. The Lands Between alternate broad landscapes with more densely built locations, while something on the horizon keeps renewing your curiosity. Its Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2022 recognises an adventure in which discovery matters as much as victory.
Choose it over Dark Souls if you want more room to find your own route and fighting style. Freedom does not remove the difficulty: some bosses still demand patience, and quest directions remain understated. It asks you to accept that you will not understand everything immediately. On Switch 2, the edition is called Tarnished Edition; elsewhere, the base campaign is already a substantial journey.
9. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — for the urge to explore
Genres: Action · Adventure.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Nintendo Switch 2 (Nintendo Switch 2 Edition on Switch 2).
A mountain in Breath of the Wild is more than scenery: it can become your next destination. Climbing, gliding and interactions between elements encourage you to try an idea before searching for an intended solution. Shrines offer more compact problems within this broad landscape of exploration. This Zelda is worth discovering for its trust in the player: curiosity and observation can decide what you do for the next hour.
We choose it as a first introduction to this approach, before Tears of the Kingdom and its more extensive building possibilities. Its story is more scattered than those of the cinematic adventures on this list, and breakable weapons can be frustrating. If those choices suit you, they encourage improvisation instead of sticking to one method. The Switch 2 version is labelled Nintendo Switch 2 Edition; the adventure is also available on Switch and Wii U.
10. Super Mario Odyssey — for the simple pleasure of playing
Genres: Platformer · Adventure.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 (compatible Switch version, with an update on Switch 2).
A selection of great games would be incomplete if it only celebrated serious stories and enormous worlds. Super Mario Odyssey shows what precise movement, inventive levels and a well-placed surprise can achieve. With Cappy, Mario takes control of creatures and objects that change how he travels through the kingdoms. Each transformation refreshes a familiar action without demanding lengthy explanations before the fun can begin.
Choose it for a bright adventure whose appeal is immediately felt in your hands. The main route provides an accessible introduction, while optional moons and challenges let you take your skills much further. Do not expect an elaborate plot or feel obliged to collect everything. Its place among these essentials comes from the generosity of its ideas and the quality of their execution.
11. Baldur’s Gate 3 — for an adventure that makes room for your decisions
Genres: RPG · Turn-based tactics.
Platforms: PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, conversations, your party and your approach to a location can change the course of the journey. Turn-based combat gives you time to study the terrain and combine abilities, while companions bring their own wishes and disagreements. It deserves a place here for bringing developed characters together with freedom of action. Its Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2023 reflects the impact of an RPG whose ambition extends beyond spectacular scenes.
Choose it if you want time to talk, experiment and live with consequences. You do not need to have finished the first two games to begin this adventure. The rules, inventories and length of battles do require a real investment in learning, however. If that pace appeals, a failed conversation can become an interesting episode in your playthrough rather than an automatic reason to reload.
12. Resident Evil 4 — for an action campaign that keeps tension fresh
Genres: Action · Survival.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Mac, iPhone, iPad (Gold Edition on Switch 2; compatible Apple models only).
The 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4 revisits an adventure whose appeal often comes from a few decisions made under pressure: saving a bullet, changing position, pushing an enemy back or using the knife at the right moment. Locations and encounters keep refreshing the situations without abandoning that logic. We include it because a great game can also distinguish itself through campaign pacing and precise combat, without needing an open world.
It is an excellent option if you prefer concentrated action to lengthy conversations and leisurely travel. Horror and violence remain central even when spectacle takes over. You do not need to start with the entire series, but make sure you choose the 2023 remake for the experience described here. On Switch 2 it is available as Gold Edition; on Apple devices, check that your model is compatible.
Where should you start?
For story and characters, choose The Witcher 3 if you enjoy making decisions, Red Dead Redemption 2 if you are happy to take your time, or The Last of Us Part I for a more focused adventure. Cyberpunk 2077 suits players who want those human connections alongside a futuristic city and different approaches to combat.
For spectacle and action, Uncharted 4 offers the most guided route, God of War balances story and combat, and Resident Evil 4 maintains more constant tension. To explore and learn, try Breath of the Wild for experimentation, Dark Souls for understanding an interconnected world, or Elden Ring for choosing your detours when the challenge grows.
Finally, Super Mario Odyssey puts inventiveness and the pleasure of movement first, while Baldur’s Gate 3 focuses on decisions and tactics. These twelve games are not homework. One chosen at the right moment is worth more than several major adventures started together and then abandoned.
Keep your next great adventures in Gameedy
You can collect the games that interest you in a Gameedy list and track those you have started or finished. The aim is to find what suits your current mood rather than catch up with every classic. A story to follow, a world to explore or a challenge to take on: your next discovery can start there.