Best 12 Games Like Zelda Breath of the Wild (2026) — Open-World Adventure Picks

**Quick Answer:** The best games like Zelda Breath of the Wild in 2026 are The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Genshin Impact, Elden Ring, Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Sable, Tchia, Death Stranding, Horizon Forbidden West, Echoes of the Plum Grove, Wuthering Waves, A Plague Tale: Requiem, and Skyrim. Each captures BOTW's mix of open-air exploration, climb-anything physics, and sense of wonder on Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Breath of the Wild redefined open-world design in 2017 — and Tears of the Kingdom (2023) and the 2025 Switch 2 enhanced re-release somehow improved on it. If you've cleared every shrine and Korok seed twice, here are the 12 closest matches.

Quick Comparison Table

| Game | Platforms | Why it's like BOTW | Best for | |------|-----------|-------------------|----------| | Tears of the Kingdom | Switch, Switch 2 | The direct sequel | BOTW fans | | Genshin Impact | Everything | F2P open-world clone | Mobile + co-op | | Elden Ring | PS5, Xbox, PC | BOTW's open world meets Souls | Hard-game fans | | Immortals: Fenyx Rising | Everything | Greek-myth BOTW homage | Newcomers | | Sable | PS5, Xbox, PC | Chill desert exploration | Atmosphere fans | | Tchia | PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC | Tropical free-climbing | Cozy explorers | | Death Stranding | PS5, Xbox, PC | Traversal-first open world | Slow-burn fans | | Horizon Forbidden West | PS5, PC | AAA western open-world | Polished AAA fans | | Wuthering Waves | PC, mobile, PS5 | Combat-heavy F2P sandbox | Action fans | | A Plague Tale: Requiem | PS5, Xbox, PC | Linear but BOTW-vibed | Story fans | | Skyrim Anniversary | Everything | The OG open-world RPG | Fantasy classics | | Echoes of the Plum Grove | Switch, PC | Cozy alt-take | Cozy fans |

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch, Switch 2)

The direct sequel. Same Hyrule but reshaped, plus the Sky and Depths layered above and below. The Ultrahand/Fuse/Ascend abilities create a creative sandbox that goes places BOTW never did. Switch 2 enhanced edition (2025) added 4K + 60fps. **Buy on Amazon, eBay, or Kinguin.**

2. Genshin Impact (PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC, mobile)

HoYoverse's free-to-play take on BOTW. Identical climb-and-glide traversal, gacha character collection, gorgeous regions, and now 6 years of content. Co-op available.

3. Elden Ring (PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC)

FromSoftware took BOTW's "look anywhere, go anywhere" design and grafted it onto Souls combat. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC nearly doubles the world.

4. Immortals Fenyx Rising (PS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC, Stadia)

Ubisoft's Greek-myth BOTW homage. Genuinely fun shrine-style "vaults," good combat, and a lighter tone than Zelda. Often dirt cheap.

5. Sable (PS5, Xbox, PC)

Shedworks' chill, dialogue-driven desert exploration. No combat, no fail states — just a hoverbike, a giant world, and the wind.

6. Tchia (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Awaceb's New Caledonia-inspired adventure. Free-climb anything, soul-jump into 30+ animals, sail an open ocean. The closest spiritual cousin to BOTW's joy of movement.

7. Death Stranding: Director's Cut (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac, iOS)

Kojima's traversal-first open world. The BOTW connection: every step matters, the environment is the antagonist, and standing on a hill at sunset hits the same.

8. Horizon Forbidden West — Complete Edition (PS5, PC)

Guerrilla's polished AAA open-world. Burning Shores DLC included. More structured than BOTW, but the climb-and-glide DNA is there.

9. Wuthering Waves (PC, mobile, PS5)

Kuro Games' free-to-play open-world. Faster, more combat-focused than Genshin, with parkour traversal. Cross-save across platforms.

10. A Plague Tale: Requiem (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch via cloud)

Linear, not open-world — but the medieval France setting, found-family tone, and meditative pacing scratch the same itch.

11. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition (Everything)

The open-world RPG. Skyrim is older, jankier, and infinitely modded. Still a 200-hour adventure if you've never played it.

12. Echoes of the Plum Grove (Switch, PC)

Cozy multi-generational life sim with explorable wilderness. Less BOTW-like in mechanics, but the "found a quiet world" mood is identical.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the closest game to Zelda Breath of the Wild? **Tears of the Kingdom** — literally the sequel. After that, **Genshin Impact** is the closest mechanical clone (and it's free).

Are there any free games like Zelda BOTW? **Genshin Impact** and **Wuthering Waves** are both free-to-play with BOTW-style traversal. Switch Online subscribers also get the original Zelda games.

Can I play Breath of the Wild on Switch 2? Yes — Switch 2 plays Switch games at higher resolution and frame rate. The 2025 BOTW + TOTK Switch 2 Editions added Zelda Notes app integration.

What should I play after Tears of the Kingdom? Order: **Genshin Impact (free) → Elden Ring (challenging) → Tchia (chill) → Horizon Forbidden West (cinematic)**.

Is Zelda 6 confirmed for 2026? No — Nintendo hasn't announced the next mainline Zelda. The 2025 Echoes of Wisdom on Switch is the most recent original entry.

Continue exploring

- [Games Like Zelda BOTW](/games-like/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild/) - [Best Zelda Games](/blog/best-games-like-zelda-2025/) - [Best Switch Games](/console/switch/)