Other open world puzzle games like this?

[Limimi]

This game is awesome, what are some more games like it? Specifically open world puzzle games, but with the caveat that I feel like I'm wasting my life away if I play a puzzle game that doesn't have a narrative beyond 'solve these puzzles please'. I have The Talos Principle and The Witness in my library, but I can't play either of them for longer than 15 minutes without the ghost of my father berating me. (I know both have stories beyond 'solve puzzles thx' but the immediate presentation centres the puzzles too much.) Obviously I have psychological issues I need to work out, but for right now some cool game recommendations would be great!

Void Stranger is another banger in this category, which makes me think other sokobans are my best bet, but any kind of puzzle is cool.

[Wolf]

Stephen's Sausage Roll would fit the game kind to a T, but your story requirement unfortunately knocks it right out :(

[sdumitriu]

Unforgettable Voyage.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2149560/Unforgettable_Voyage/

[sdumitriu]

Publicado originalmente por Wolf:

Stephen's Sausage Roll would fit the game kind to a T, but your story requirement unfortunately knocks it right out :(

There is a story, but it is only revealed near the end.

[sdumitriu]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1752730/Billy_Bumbum_A_Cheeky_Puzzler/

Not quite open world, but puzzler with a bit of story.

[C123456]

Not open world but engaging puzzle solving, search: Elec Head

[Wolf]

Publicado originalmente por sdumitriu:

Publicado originalmente por Wolf:

Stephen's Sausage Roll would fit the game kind to a T, but your story requirement unfortunately knocks it right out :(

There is a story, but it is only revealed near the end.

I didn't want to, uh, spoil that :D It's how the sausage is made and all.

[sdumitriu]

Something other than pushing boxes:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/201420/Toki_Tori_2/

[Nohl Toli]

Taiji was fantastic

[Limimi]

Publicado originalmente por Wolf:

Stephen's Sausage Roll would fit the game kind to a T, but your story requirement unfortunately knocks it right out :(

Actually, I just looked this up and it looks like it might be perfect! I kinda explained myself the wrong way around a bit - I don't need much narrative at all, just as long as you aren't told to solve puzzles. Does Stephen's Sausage Roll refer to them as puzzles in game, or does it instead refer to pushing sausages around? Because that's enough to silence my inner critics apparently lol.

Publicado originalmente por sdumitriu:

Unforgettable Voyage.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2149560/Unforgettable_Voyage/

Publicado originalmente por sdumitriu:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1752730/Billy_Bumbum_A_Cheeky_Puzzler/

Not quite open world, but puzzler with a bit of story.

Publicado originalmente por C123456:

Not open world but engaging puzzle solving, search: Elec Head

Awesome, these three look great too, cheers guys!

ETA:

Publicado originalmente por Nohl Toli:

Taiji was fantastic

This looks great too, and I love that graphic style.

[sdumitriu]

Publicado originalmente por Limimi:

Publicado originalmente por Wolf:

Stephen's Sausage Roll would fit the game kind to a T, but your story requirement unfortunately knocks it right out :(

Actually, I just looked this up and it looks like it might be perfect! I kinda explained myself the wrong way around a bit - I don't need much narrative at all, just as long as you aren't told to solve puzzles. Does Stephen's Sausage Roll refer to them as puzzles in game, or does it instead refer to pushing sausages around? Because that's enough to silence my inner critics apparently lol.

It doesn't tell you anything, you just find yourself on an island. Why are you there? Where are all these sausages from? Who are you grilling them for? All will be revealed if you make it to the end.

[Goblin]

Publicado originalmente por Limimi:

Publicado originalmente por Wolf:

Stephen's Sausage Roll would fit the game kind to a T, but your story requirement unfortunately knocks it right out :(

Actually, I just looked this up and it looks like it might be perfect! I kinda explained myself the wrong way around a bit - I don't need much narrative at all, just as long as you aren't told to solve puzzles. Does Stephen's Sausage Roll refer to them as puzzles in game, or does it instead refer to pushing sausages around? Because that's enough to silence my inner critics apparently lol.

I did think it was odd you wanted story, yet couldn't handle Talos Principle. While Isles of Sea and Sky here has barely any storytelling.

Stephen's doesn't really refer to your actions at all, but within the lore it is just about eating sausages not solving puzzles. It just drops you in and lets you figure things out, with an occasional text blurb about history which eventually reveals what's going on. Do note that it's not really open world, you get groups of levels you need to solve before you can move to the next ones. It's one of my favorite games of all time though.

Toki Tori 2 is very much open world story based, nothing about it is "solve puzzle" storywise. You just explore looking for things because of story events, and traversing the world happens to require you figuring things out about the wildlife and environment. So that one probably fits you well.

Taiji is good too, but it's VERY The Witness-inspired and has effectively no story just like it. It makes Isles here look like a visual novel by comparison :P

As for new recommendations: Outer Wilds perhaps? I see you own it and played it for a few hours, but it realistically seems to tick your requirements so maybe give it another try.

[Mauno]

Baba is You doesn't have much of a story but it's openworld with themed locations and is quite wonderful https://store.steampowered.com/app/736260/Baba_Is_You/

[Kitoyo]

Void Stranger is another great sokoban style puzzle game with some lore and mysteries to uncover, but the world isn't quite as open as some other games that have been suggested.

[Baf]

The DROD series is the classic of the open-world puzzle game genre, but the first one is very light on story. I suggest starting with Gunthro and the Epic Blunder, which is the fourth DROD game in release order (fifth if you count the spin-off DROD RPG), but it has a lot more story and it was specifically intended as a jumping-on point for new players. And if you like it, you can get the first three games as DLC for it.

[HappyIguana]

No story to speak of, but for other people who enjoy open-ended open-world puzzlers I can't recommend A Monster's Expedition Through Curious Exhibitions enough. It's also a Sokoban-like with simple but deep mechanics and a wealth of secrets.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1052990/A_Monsters_Expedition/