Seven Games to Give You the Travel Bug

Traveling is something that can help to broaden your mind and expand your perspective. Beyond that, simply seeing new places can be an exciting and life-affirming way to spend time, so why is it so difficult to take that first step?

A lot of the time, the answer comes down to money. It’s much easier said than done to go on a wide-ranging travel expedition, and the logistics are often the hardest bit to organize. That isn’t all, though, and the comforts of home can sometimes be more appealing than something that feels riskier or more unfamiliar.

Therefore, using home comfort such as gaming to make yourself want to see the world can help you to bridge the two worlds. In this article, I am going to discuss the top 7 games that will give you the travel bug. Let’s start. 

7 Games to Give You the Travel Bug

There are a bunch of different games that have the environment and features that provoke the traveling desire of players. I’ve discussed the top 7 titles below: 

1. Mobile Games

For this purpose, it might be that knowing of ways to game on the go might be the best way to incentivize travel. After all, if you don’t feel as though you have to give up your hobby, traveling might seem like a more welcome prospect, allowing you to take your home comforts with you as you travel.

While to people who aren’t currently interested in mobile gaming, it might sound like something that’s limited in scope, it’s actually something that’s capable of a broad range of experiences.

Whether you just want to play bingo or slots to fill a short span of time or get immersed in a long RPG, your options are covered on this platform.

2. Assassin’s Creed

Of all the popular gaming franchises, arguably the most varied in terms of setting is the long-running Assassin’s Creed franchise. Set across a vast range of different locales and time periods, many of these games feature a fresh protagonist and story, meaning that they can effectively function as standalone games.

While there are overarching elements that are consistent across the series, this means that you can jump in wherever you want, choosing the setting that appeals to you most. However, due to the research that goes behind these settings, they can make players more interested in the broader world around them and even the history of places closer to home which can lead to a greater appreciation of everywhere you go.

3. Firewatch

The story of Firewatch is an emotional one, and the inciting incident that causes Henry, the protagonist to go traveling where he does in the first place is perhaps not something you require for your own travels. However, once he gets out to his new destination, the game revels in the escapism of it all.

Despite the lower budget of the game compared to some of its contemporaries, the art style manages to convey the serenity of this place that feels so cut off from the wider world, helping Henry to forget about his problems and fall into a world of his own.

The story and voice work can do a lot to keep players engaged, but it might also incite an urge to explore the world and the various natural vistas that it contains, with all this game set within one single US national park.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

A landmark game for how subsequent releases designed themselves, 2017’s Breath of the Wild was an entry in the Legend of Zelda series that broke the mold by introducing an open world. This was nothing novel by the standards of game development at the time, but the way that this game went about it proved to set itself apart.

The greater emphasis on player-motivated exploration, combined with a world that tried to resemble the real world in many ways gave a curious sense of hiking in a real, natural environment. The gentle soundtrack also helped to accompany this.

While many would argue that the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, does all of this as well, the greater emphasis on building mechanics might take away the simplicity that this game provides, as well as some of the focus on nature.

5. Red Dead Redemption 2

In terms of games that succeeded in creating a digital space that rivals reality, many would point to Red Dead Redemption 2 as the defining example. Some even went so far as to criticize the amount of emphasis that this game puts on realism over player freedom, but it’s all in service of creating a space that completely absorbs the player.

While many might feel as though this has the opposite effect of making you want to get out and see more of the world, getting a peek into the lifestyle of spending your whole life in the midst of nature can be contagious, potentially giving way to some lifestyle changes of your own.

6. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Some players might feel as though this is easier to do if they find a game that falls within a genre they love, rather than forcing themselves to adapt to something else. If your genre of choice is role-playing games, you might feel as though some of the lands are too fantastical to resemble real travel, or perhaps there’s not enough emphasis on exploration at all.

One of the exceptions to that rule could be the second Pillars of Eternity game, putting your character in command of their own pirate ship, which allows you to explore a tropical archipelago that draws inspiration from a variety of cultures.

7. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley might be the go-to cozy game for many people, which can make it feel like the antithesis of the idea of travel. However, this is another case of how the setting or premise of a game can do a lot to contribute toward its core atmosphere. It starts with your player character leaving the mundane city life and 9-5 behind to go somewhere entirely new.

While this travel does involve settling down in this new location, the feeling of meeting new people and exploring exotic vistas can help you to become more curious about new places and new ways to live your life.

Conclusion:

Gaming is more than just having fun while sitting in front of a console or a PC. Some games provoke people’s feelings to experience different adventures like traveling. The games discussed above provide an amazing playing experience where players wander through different environments.

It’s good for people who like traveling to play such games in order to get even more inspired to explore the world.

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