Wurm Unlimited

Two developers from Code Club (back then known as Onetoofree) made a revolutionary MMORPG game named Wurm Online back in 2006. That game shaped the open-world survival craft genre as we know it today. Fast forward to 2015 and their standalone Wurm Unlimited release on Steam. In comparison to the predecessor, the new version doesn't require a monthly fee but asks for a one-time payment. WU now runs on a local or dedicated player's server rather than an official one. Apart from these technical nuances, the gameplay remains the same. As in a true sandbox, you can shape the environment around you any way you like. You can build castles, but be ready to collect the resources first and forge the remaining items with your playable character's hands afterward. If you're more into naval adventure, go ahead and construct a vessel of any size, recruit the crew, and put out to sea looking for unexplored and marvelous things. Instead, you can be a mage who mastered witchcraft or glorified warrior who beaten a dozen of powerful bosses, or you can be each of those and many more. It's all about the free time you have and your dedication. The amount of content in the game is unimaginable. But the game mechanics tend to lean toward grinding a lot which can be annoying for some players. Community-made Wurmpedia is a great asset for anyone who is about to learn the lore of Wurm Unlimited.