Procedurally generated games are nothing new, and over the years many developers have taken advantage of the ability to load in vast and expansive worlds without having to painstakingly design every square inch of the map.
However, the main benefits of procedural generation are for the players, as they get to download much smaller game files while enjoying some of the biggest video game maps. Procedurally generated games also have the advantage of providing even the most veteran players with new experiences, as newly formed maps can be loaded in at the press of a button, ripe for exploration.
7 Kingdom: Classic
Kingdom: Classic is a free-to-play 2D sidescrolling resource management game set in a cozy fantasy medieval realm that is procedurally generated. Players take on the role of a king or queen and from atop their trusty steed must travel through their realm spending coin where needed.
With serene modern pixel art Kingdom: Classic is one of the best cozy organization games and not only is it free, but thanks to it being a procedurally generated game, it also takes up hardly any storage.
6 Don't Starve
Don't Starve is a survival game and also one of the darkest open-world games ever made. And yet impressively it features a procedurally generated map, which means players can keep enjoying the game, no matter how many hours they have managed to not starve.
The game's art style is heavily inspired by Tim Burton's work, and so every inch of the procedurally generated world is gothic but rich in character. Players can expect to come across many strange and wonderful beings in a world full of both science and magic.
5 Dwarf Fortress
Dwarf Fortress is a classic procedurally generated game that still holds up today thanks to the continued dedication of its developers and community. The procedural generation of this construction and management game has been heavily praised with players in awe at the richness of content they discover as they keep digging down.
It is by no means an easy game to get into and players will need to take on board some beginner tips for Dwarf Fortress, but those who persist will quickly discover just how intricate and deep their uniquely generated world will be.
4 Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galactic is one of the best co-op FPS games of recent years, in part thanks to its incredible use of procedural generation. The game is quite literally a blast with destructible environments ready for up to four players to enjoy at once.
The randomly generated caves are filled to the brim of otherworldly enemies and players will have to keep on their toes to deal with their ever-changing environments and objectives. There are also four different classes that players can try out, and not everything is about shooting as some players may find they support the team better as an Engineer or Driller.
3 No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky is a space exploration game that pulls off the seemingly impossible with the use of procedural generation. Despite only taking up around 15 GB of storage, players are able to explore an entire universe consisting of over 18 quintillion planets. The exciting thing about this is that players can discover planets and species that no other player has ever seen before, and quite possibly they will never be found again.
Outside of exploring the visually stunning worlds of No Man's Sky, there are many fun things to do such as base building or starting up a network as an intergalactic merchant. All around, No Man's Sky is one of the most relaxing slow-paced open-world games ever released.
2 Valheim
Valheim is an exploration and survival game inspired by Norse mythology that makes perfect use of procedural generation. First of all, despite having a massive world and looking stunning with its own unique art style, the game only takes up around 1 GB of storage, which is perfect for gamers with limited space.
Secondly, every time a new game is started, an entirely random map is generated with Valheim's increasingly harder biomes scattered throughout. This means that players have to explore naturally, and the joy of finding the perfect location for a base or discovering a new game-changing resource subsequently feels all the more rewarding. It is for these reasons that players are encouraged to go in blind and avoid spoilers for the game.
1 Minecraft
Minecraft is one of the most successful games of all time and arguably the best procedurally generated game on the market. Each time a new world is created, a random seed is used unless players input their own, and then an entirely unique map is generated with different terrain and resources found throughout.
Of course, one of the major draws of Minecraft is the ability for players to make their own builds, worlds, and games, but it is technically first and foremost a survival and exploration game, and new unexplored worlds help keep the game fresh for even the most veteran players.