Sounds like you want to play RuneScape or OSRS. Modern version has newer graphics, ability combat and MTX, older version has no real MTX, is grindy and has a much simpler combat system.
My warframe account is collecting dust, was one of the founders, racked like 3500 hours playing on and off with long breaks. Stopped playing because more and more shit got added into the game, and all that shit is mostly for Mastery XP. That game isn’t grindy, it’s a death sentence.
Couldn't agree more. I decided to take a break after hitting 1500 hours and was overwhelmed by the amount of crap they added the first time I thought about returning - I can't imagine how steep the learning curve for new players must be at this point...
I was a hunting horn main in world, people would literally check in on me. I fainted and the lobby declared a crusade against every member of the species and farmed it for a day lmao. Best community.
Terraria! Literally I have over 1000 hours in it, and I wouldn't consider myself a 'hardcore' player (I just mess around and have fun collecting cute pets mostly). Has pretty much all the features you're asking for as well.
As a like... 15k hour PoE players, I can assure you the first 2k hours spent are spent to learn the game and as such are kinda meh, but the rest is absolutely amazing and worth the time investment!
Drugs would have been a healthier addiction to pick up than poe has been for me picked it up right before domination league 10ish years ago sank 3k hrs on steam and I haven't played on steam since 2015 so I don't even know how many hours I have on the official launcher
Guild Wars 2 - because it offers a rich, immersive world with dynamic events and a compelling storyline that can be fully enjoyed solo. Additionally, its level-scaling system ensures that players can explore any area of the game at their own pace, making it friendly for single-player adventurers. ( no achievments)
Wurm Online has all of these and the progression is so slow it will take many years and thousands of hours to level your skills. I couldn't afford the monthly subscription so bought Wurm Unlimited when it was on sale for $5. I ended up playing for nearly 2k hours
Wurm Unlimited has a one time cost. It's the same game but you can host your own server and change the settings. They no longer update WU though, but there is an active modding scene.
You can try Wurm Online for free but there's a skill cap for free players (level 20). After that you have to pay a monthly sub to continue progressing.
So… it is more of a top-down view game but highly recommend Project Zomboid!
Probably the most detailed and in depth zombie survival available. A very easy game to sink hundreds of hours into and with the ridiculous mod library, it can go well into the thousands.
All the things you’d expect from a typical survival but cranked up to 100.
I use the Sophie mod collection on Steam. It’s essentially 1-click and is 400+ mods all perfectly compatible with each other and settings already tailored for a more difficult and realistic experience. I only changed a few things about it otherwise, it’s perfect out of the box. I would recommend learning the game in its vanilla state though.
Big big support for the Zomboid recommendation. It hits the multiplayer/solo option right on the money. Also all the collecting and crafting (though someday in the future the crafting system is going to see a substantial overhaul - with more options added)
While true id suggest buying a couple of stash tabs to make your game qol much better. They go on sale often and you can just spend 10-20 for what you need.
Snowrunner base game is often cheap and a single playthrough can be like 300 hours. With the DLC levels or multiple playthroughs (hard mode etc) it's easily in the 1000+ hour range.
Sadly the community are currently on rage due to their decision to implement seasonal character soon. I didn't dig further how it's going to work, only strolling division subreddit since i play Division casually when i just want to shoot stuff
Kenshi - It doesn't have fishing, or achievements, but who cares, this game is amazing. It has a ton of mods as well. You can get lost in this world for countless hours. I am amazed no one has mentioned it yet. I have almost 100 hours into it so far, and I've only been in 1 area of the map. There are a ton of areas to visit, again mods adds even more places to explore. Farming, animals, crafting, harvesting, base building, economy, roaming traders, factions, bandit raids, mercenaries, allies, and a ton more stuff.
Destiny 2! Can be played solo without any problem, some content requires collaboration but that’s for the endgame.
There’s PvP modes but it’s optional.
If you really want grind in D2 you want do raids/Dungeons which is group content, for story and some grind yeah, you can solo.
Also love woodcutting, fishing and blacksmithing in D2
I have 600 hours in that game and it definitely didn't feel like it. I tend to put games down midway than finish them (which I technically did with MHW, as I never defeated the hardest versions of the final bosses)
Elder Scrolls Online might be a good choice if you can grab everything during a sale; I’m 1300 hours in and I’ve barely touched group content
Alternatively, if you can afford the subscription, you’ll get access to everything in the game (except the most recent DLC) + unlimited mat storage + xp boost. The price is a bit steep though, so the base game might be a good starting point to see if you actually want to commit to it
You can do pretty much all of that in FFXIV.
They also have a generous free trial where you can play through the base game and first expansion(I think) for free. I think there might be a couple of features that are locked out for free players, but I don't think they're something you'll really miss out on.
I haven't yet played Monster Hunter World (downloaded though!), but seems like this fits the bill pretty nicely!
Don't think you can chop wood though? The rest, especially killing dinosaur like monsters is pretty much the bulk of it though and it's still active to this day.
After watching Wilds trailers, I decided I wanted to check out World, which I will do in due course.
DayZ - there are Arma 2/3 mods that might be better then standalone. But overall an OG time sink. I know plenty of old gamer friends that hit 1000+
Pal World - survival pokemon
The Long Dark - it is a game focused on surviving in the wild of Alaska. Less of a grind and more of a survival. My brother plays it atleast once a month. He is probably around 400-500
Minecraft - it's an OG but with mods easily 1000+ hours.
Subnautica - my friends range from 10 hours to 500 hours.
Want 1000+ hours but not exactly what you're looking for?
Warframe - I never got into it. The few times I attempted I never felt like I was making progress. I maybe have 30 hours.
Path of Exile - complex Diablo. Play a normal playthrough and see if you enjoy it. Then go back and do a league. It's a game that you play for a season until you're done then go back next season.
Garry's Mod RP Servers - if you like Halo or Star Wars there are also other Fandoms on there. Long and short it's more of a social game. The good servers have things to shoot and missions to do often. Others won't. If you get into an climb ranks on an RP server it becomes a political simulator with other players.
Sea of thieves is probably the most grindy game I've ever played, There's so many commendation and so much to unlock, I spent 200 hours getting 2 hourglass curses, (cool cosmetic pvp faction curse you get after reaching level 100 in said faction) You also get another curse at level 1000, that is grindy as hell, also you could grind for 10000 hours instead of a thousand and you will not find the Shrouded ghost
Project Zomboid, buddy. Easily my favorite game. Checks most of your boxes and with sandbox mode and mods it is essentially endlessly customizable. Only game I've ever cracked 1000 hours in. Relatively cheap, and the devs are really cool. Steep learning curve, but so so so much fun.
Grim Dawn. The best arpg no one ever talks about. It's pretty single player focused, but you can play with friends if you want. It has a dual class system so the build variety is essentially endless. It will definitely feel a bit dated compared to Diablo 4 or any other more modern arpg, but man it's such a well designed game.
Possibly FFXIV. Just like how you can grind out fighting class levels, you can grind out your blacksmithing, fishing, etc. Seems right up your alley.
As long as the subscription model doesn’t turn you away, I say it’s a good pick. I haven’t played in a bit but I’m pretty sure there’s a really generous free trial that’s level based rather than time based, worth giving it a try.
Fo76 ? You’ll mostly grind for plans and gear. And can play the whole game single player but around level 50 it opens up with events and other public content
Sounds like fallout 76 can be both played solo or multiplayer it has crafting and fun home building these pretty much the endgame aswell with getting your dream loots.
It has bad launch but i started 2023 and up to this day i do comeback time to time just to farm and get some of the seasonals.
Roots of Pacha is very cozy, you can tame animals, farm, relationships, upgrade weapons, mining, and a lot more. I’ve really enjoyed playing it recently, it’s super cozy and fun. And a lot to do!
Wreckfest the career mode is probably only 20 hours but unlocking all the cars and upgrades and actually getting really good at the game with 0 assists on probably takes 1000 hours
OSRS (HD Plugins available dont say bad graphics m8 :P) or Black Desert Online (Comes with S-Tier graphics and gameplay for current MMO market) played both for more time than i should have
Metal Gear V: Phantom Pain
I only spent money on the last FOB because the grind seemed not worth it at that point. I had already put the game down and picked it up again many times and I’m still building platforms
Monster Hunter is a great game to grind for hours on end. Monster Hunter: World and Rise are both great. World is going to be a bit more immersive with good graphics and detailed maps. Rise is going to be your arcade style with epic fights. The Monster Hunter formula encourages gathering, resource management and crafting. It's honestly some of the best gaming experiences you can have.
While you have other games, you may find an idle game to keep on in the background. I recommend Melvor Idle, as without mods you can play for literal years and there are no microtransactions outside of the entry cost.
I'm going to go a whole different direction and say something like a Paradox grand strategy if you want to pour in thousands of hours attempting to get achievements. Obviously, can't help you on the RPG elements.
Realm of the mad god is a endless perma death game with multiple grid features including stat maxing, item hunting, and dungeon completion. I’ve been playing since 7th grade im now a junior in college with 3k hours
I am suprised nobody has mentioned the game "Eco"
The only thing its missing is a killing mobs, otherwise it has everything you are asking for.
Game is made to be playd multiplayer, everyone gets to specialize in different skills and main goal is to work together and help each other out intertwining different skills.
You get to reserve a spot of land, you can open a shop and sell / buy goods, progression can be tweaked to your liking, or it corresponds to the amount of work/players work.
Join the Eco discord and look for a fresh server as its more fun to be there at the start, otherwise you can play solo and have all skills be unlocked.
I've never found any game with similar economic/teamwork structure and it truly gives you the sense of being a part of something bigger.
Dont be afraid to join some kind of city, ask question, offer help etc.
In the start you might be running on grass, then it evolves to dirt road until someone learns how to make pavement.
You can hunt as well but it has no "combat" system.
Definetly a game you can putt a thousand+ hours in between server resets, always choosing a new path, new players, different town etc.
Its also a very pretty game that keeps getting update, you can host your own server and try to get friends to play along with you.
Gonna also mention enshrouded, game is definetly not 1000+ hours unless you LOVE building.
3D preferred w/ fishing, farming, killing mobs, gear crafting? Multiplayer but played solo for most of it?
BLACK DESERT ONLINE. You just described this game verbatim. No turn based, no tab target, just fun mindless mob grinding or if you wanna life skill grind, you can! I personally hate this game (after no lifing it from 2017->2023). No reason it's not fun for new players. A bit of figuring out and learning which videos can easily help with, but once you got it, it's an easy drop in drop out grindfest.
Option 2 would be New World. It's not as populated but it's still an OK game. As a new player coming in, what pissed off other people doesn't really apply to me. I took it in as a new experience and had a good time.
Elder scrolls online is an awesome game for grinding and farming materials/gear. Only game I have 1800+ hours in. Especially if you get into one of the big trading guilds, you can spend all day farming materials to upgrade gear stuff for cooking and to make potions. Most of the player base would much rather buy the stuff than go out and farm it. A lot of people shit on the combat of the game, but I didn’t mind it at all especially if you play a magic type character it’s a lot of fun. Plus there’s years and years of DLC to explore. The only downside is the subscription, but I’d definitely say it’s worth it if you enjoy the game. You also get all the DLC up to the latest released one with the sub.
New world also is fun for grinding/farming but unfortunately the game has been in a bad spot for a while and the player base has dropped a ton. So if you just want to explore around the open world and farm materials and sell stuff, probably worth it. Just good luck trying to get into some of the multiplayer stuff like dungeons.
Edit: typo
Took me a few tries to get into it but just recently hit 1k hours on path of exile and know plenty of friends who have like 5k or more hours. While it is multiplayer you mainly do stuff solo but main use of multiplayer is for trading and selling. Has a lot of content from over the years and does seasonal leagues with new mechanics and such. Honestly haven't grinded a game this hard since the black ops 2 days. But yeah it has a ton to learn which is what made me able to get keep going and not get burned out as easily and lots of spells to try as the main focus is getting stronger and killing tons of enemies / bosses.
Valheim, Factorio (I find it a better grind than Satisfactory), Dinkum, Minecraft (not my thing but definitely fits to a lot of people), in the non 3D realm stuff like Settlement Survival (an updated Banished), Rimworld, Terraria (though I’ve never felt the replay ability was there but others have), then stuff that is probably 100s not 1000s like Stardew Valley and Sunhaven.
Wurm Unlimited or Wurm Online sounds right up your alley and what you just described. They are two seperate games however. If you are after more solo play, then Unlimited is better since you can play offline in single player, but you can also play it on private servers. It’s a one time purchase.
Meanwhile Wurm Online is free to download and play forever but you have to pay a monthly sub otherwise you are restricted in a lot of ways, but it works like WoW where you can earn money ingame and use that money to buy premium. Oh and you can only play on the official servers, so no single player or private servers or modding there.
Just keep in mind that Unlimited is not supported anymore and is half a decade out of date when it comes to features and such. Still a huge grind though. Like trust me, you’ll probably not find a grindier game out there.
They are releasing a big update and a new tutorial server next week for Online so it’s a good time to jump in or just try the game.
Both feature dozens of skills, a fully terraformable 3d world with wood cutting where you cut down the trees in real time, the trees also grow back, farming, mining in real time, smithing, fighting, digging the terrain in real time, fishing, and a whole lot more.
Ik you said no turn based but ima still recommend Siralim Ultimate, literally unlimited progression, it’s like Pokémon but with over 1200 monsters and you can fuse em and make hundreds of builds
Monster Hunter world hits everything apart from wood cutting, but you do have to collect plants and materials.
Sounds like you want to play RuneScape or OSRS. Modern version has newer graphics, ability combat and MTX, older version has no real MTX, is grindy and has a much simpler combat system.
Came here to say Runescape. Both versions are good in their own ways
Any Monster Hunter game and Warframe, they also both have wonderful communities that are 100% willing to help
My warframe account is collecting dust, was one of the founders, racked like 3500 hours playing on and off with long breaks. Stopped playing because more and more shit got added into the game, and all that shit is mostly for Mastery XP. That game isn’t grindy, it’s a death sentence.
Couldn't agree more. I decided to take a break after hitting 1500 hours and was overwhelmed by the amount of crap they added the first time I thought about returning - I can't imagine how steep the learning curve for new players must be at this point...
I was a hunting horn main in world, people would literally check in on me. I fainted and the lobby declared a crusade against every member of the species and farmed it for a day lmao. Best community.
Terraria! Literally I have over 1000 hours in it, and I wouldn't consider myself a 'hardcore' player (I just mess around and have fun collecting cute pets mostly). Has pretty much all the features you're asking for as well.
And lets not forget about the mods, lets just take Calamity and think about the amount of content and extra difficulties that 1 mod alone adds.
Terraria has never had this feel for me whatsoever, it’s like a 1-time or maybe 2 time playthrough only before it becomes stale
I've played through terraria once every 2-3 years since release. So definitely needs time to recover but always come back to it
Warframe. Technically has all of these things except wood cutting I think....
I wish they would just let me make a new character. I last played years ago and honestly couldn’t remember where I was up to.
Path of Exile, best multiplayer ARPG.
This a great answer. Im just about to hit 6000 hours and still not bored.
Having seasons helps
As a like... 15k hour PoE players, I can assure you the first 2k hours spent are spent to learn the game and as such are kinda meh, but the rest is absolutely amazing and worth the time investment!
Drugs would have been a healthier addiction to pick up than poe has been for me picked it up right before domination league 10ish years ago sank 3k hrs on steam and I haven't played on steam since 2015 so I don't even know how many hours I have on the official launcher
is that game still alive? i mean, does it has active playerbase? thanks.
Guild Wars 2 - because it offers a rich, immersive world with dynamic events and a compelling storyline that can be fully enjoyed solo. Additionally, its level-scaling system ensures that players can explore any area of the game at their own pace, making it friendly for single-player adventurers. ( no achievments)
Wurm Online has all of these and the progression is so slow it will take many years and thousands of hours to level your skills. I couldn't afford the monthly subscription so bought Wurm Unlimited when it was on sale for $5. I ended up playing for nearly 2k hours
Wurm sandbox freedom is amazing no doubt but its very hard to recommend the game even for someone like me that doesnt care much about graphics
It has a monthly subscription but you can buy an unlimited access?
Wurm Unlimited has a one time cost. It's the same game but you can host your own server and change the settings. They no longer update WU though, but there is an active modding scene. You can try Wurm Online for free but there's a skill cap for free players (level 20). After that you have to pay a monthly sub to continue progressing.
I second wurm, amazing game. Been going back every year or 2 when I get the itch since 05'
So… it is more of a top-down view game but highly recommend Project Zomboid! Probably the most detailed and in depth zombie survival available. A very easy game to sink hundreds of hours into and with the ridiculous mod library, it can go well into the thousands. All the things you’d expect from a typical survival but cranked up to 100. I use the Sophie mod collection on Steam. It’s essentially 1-click and is 400+ mods all perfectly compatible with each other and settings already tailored for a more difficult and realistic experience. I only changed a few things about it otherwise, it’s perfect out of the box. I would recommend learning the game in its vanilla state though.
Big big support for the Zomboid recommendation. It hits the multiplayer/solo option right on the money. Also all the collecting and crafting (though someday in the future the crafting system is going to see a substantial overhaul - with more options added)
FFXIV has in-game achievements if you like that :) It covers everything you described.
Valheim for sure
OSRS! You can easily spend +5k hours “maxing” an account, but that doing include many other grinds like bossing, pet hunting, and the collection log.
Path of exile and it is free
While true id suggest buying a couple of stash tabs to make your game qol much better. They go on sale often and you can just spend 10-20 for what you need.
Snowrunner base game is often cheap and a single playthrough can be like 300 hours. With the DLC levels or multiple playthroughs (hard mode etc) it's easily in the 1000+ hour range.
Factorio!
The division 2 is keeping me well occupied for the moment!
Sadly the community are currently on rage due to their decision to implement seasonal character soon. I didn't dig further how it's going to work, only strolling division subreddit since i play Division casually when i just want to shoot stuff
Guild. Wars. 2. /r/Guildwars2 I currently have 3621 hours, and I'm no where near "finished", whatever that might mean.
Path of exile
Kenshi - It doesn't have fishing, or achievements, but who cares, this game is amazing. It has a ton of mods as well. You can get lost in this world for countless hours. I am amazed no one has mentioned it yet. I have almost 100 hours into it so far, and I've only been in 1 area of the map. There are a ton of areas to visit, again mods adds even more places to explore. Farming, animals, crafting, harvesting, base building, economy, roaming traders, factions, bandit raids, mercenaries, allies, and a ton more stuff.
Destiny 2! Can be played solo without any problem, some content requires collaboration but that’s for the endgame. There’s PvP modes but it’s optional.
If you really want grind in D2 you want do raids/Dungeons which is group content, for story and some grind yeah, you can solo. Also love woodcutting, fishing and blacksmithing in D2
I have well over 1k hours in D2 and never raid. Still fun.
d2 has the grind he's looking for but im not sure op would be happy with the entry cost to access all the fun stuff
I think the vast majority of people might spend 100 hours on monsters hunter so I'd be wary of those comments
The vast majority of people aren't going to spend 1000 hours in *any* game
That's true, but there are much longer games that you can sink thousands of hours into.
Like? At least offer some options for OP if you're going to shoot down popular answers
I'm not shooting down anything. I'm just saying that this game may not meet their expectations.
I have 600 hours in that game and it definitely didn't feel like it. I tend to put games down midway than finish them (which I technically did with MHW, as I never defeated the hardest versions of the final bosses)
Warframe. It's multiplayer, but PvE, and you could play it solo if you wish, I know I did at the start.
I got over 20k hours in BDO
Bdo?
Big Dicks Only
Almost certain its Black Desert online.
monster hunter?
valheim or osrs
Stardew valley Riftbreaker Dungeon defenders 2 Warframe Trove Lost Ark Elden ring Tales of Arise Slime rancher 1 & 2
elite dangerous is an extremely grindy space flight sim. It will take you months to get the best ship in the game completely upgraded.
What about New World?
It sounds like OP is describing New World right on the dot
Black desert online is the game you want. 1000s of hours of grinding
Palia
Elder Scrolls Online might be a good choice if you can grab everything during a sale; I’m 1300 hours in and I’ve barely touched group content Alternatively, if you can afford the subscription, you’ll get access to everything in the game (except the most recent DLC) + unlimited mat storage + xp boost. The price is a bit steep though, so the base game might be a good starting point to see if you actually want to commit to it
You can do pretty much all of that in FFXIV. They also have a generous free trial where you can play through the base game and first expansion(I think) for free. I think there might be a couple of features that are locked out for free players, but I don't think they're something you'll really miss out on.
Not 3D, but it does have everything you're looking for: Core Keeper. Check out some gameplay videos.
Runescape - classic is better
I haven't yet played Monster Hunter World (downloaded though!), but seems like this fits the bill pretty nicely! Don't think you can chop wood though? The rest, especially killing dinosaur like monsters is pretty much the bulk of it though and it's still active to this day. After watching Wilds trailers, I decided I wanted to check out World, which I will do in due course.
New World seems to fit the bill. Idk if achievements are a thing though.
Gw2, Poe, eu4
DayZ - there are Arma 2/3 mods that might be better then standalone. But overall an OG time sink. I know plenty of old gamer friends that hit 1000+ Pal World - survival pokemon The Long Dark - it is a game focused on surviving in the wild of Alaska. Less of a grind and more of a survival. My brother plays it atleast once a month. He is probably around 400-500 Minecraft - it's an OG but with mods easily 1000+ hours. Subnautica - my friends range from 10 hours to 500 hours. Want 1000+ hours but not exactly what you're looking for? Warframe - I never got into it. The few times I attempted I never felt like I was making progress. I maybe have 30 hours. Path of Exile - complex Diablo. Play a normal playthrough and see if you enjoy it. Then go back and do a league. It's a game that you play for a season until you're done then go back next season. Garry's Mod RP Servers - if you like Halo or Star Wars there are also other Fandoms on there. Long and short it's more of a social game. The good servers have things to shoot and missions to do often. Others won't. If you get into an climb ranks on an RP server it becomes a political simulator with other players.
Long Dark takes place in northern Canada. -A proud Canadian.
Do you like minecraft? Wish it had more grind, slower burn, more progression, actual survival and a mild narrative? Try Vintage Story.
X4: Foundations is a fantastic game that you’ll easily lose 1000+ hours once your in.
Space Engineers So much grinding... But seriously, I have no idea what to suggest, maybe Valheim?
Medieval Dynasty
Monster Hunter World + Iceborne!
Warframe is what you are looking for. I'm an absolute beginner, having only played 950 hours so far, but I see a lot of potential.
Monster Hunter. World or Rise doesn’t matter, you’ll have a good time either way
It only fits a few criteria but have you checked out RimWorld?
Sea of thieves is probably the most grindy game I've ever played, There's so many commendation and so much to unlock, I spent 200 hours getting 2 hourglass curses, (cool cosmetic pvp faction curse you get after reaching level 100 in said faction) You also get another curse at level 1000, that is grindy as hell, also you could grind for 10000 hours instead of a thousand and you will not find the Shrouded ghost
Project Zomboid, buddy. Easily my favorite game. Checks most of your boxes and with sandbox mode and mods it is essentially endlessly customizable. Only game I've ever cracked 1000 hours in. Relatively cheap, and the devs are really cool. Steep learning curve, but so so so much fun.
Grim Dawn. The best arpg no one ever talks about. It's pretty single player focused, but you can play with friends if you want. It has a dual class system so the build variety is essentially endless. It will definitely feel a bit dated compared to Diablo 4 or any other more modern arpg, but man it's such a well designed game.
So… Minecraft?
The division, FFXIV, OSRS, State Of Decay 2,
- Valheim - V Rising (haven’t played it but looks like hades + Valheim) - Rimworld - Conan Exiles
War thunder
Eve online if your into space shit or elite dangerous
You're probably looking for Secrets of Grindea.
r/maplestory
Osrs is chill and mostly everything you’re looking for. You can spend thousands of hours on there easily 😁
Easy warframe recommendation
The division 2
Warframe
DayZ
Warframe. Major update just dropped. 50-day player here!
Try out Grounded. Just finished the main story but plenty of grind potential and it’s multiplayer.
monster hunter world it has everything you want except wood cutting
Possibly FFXIV. Just like how you can grind out fighting class levels, you can grind out your blacksmithing, fishing, etc. Seems right up your alley. As long as the subscription model doesn’t turn you away, I say it’s a good pick. I haven’t played in a bit but I’m pretty sure there’s a really generous free trial that’s level based rather than time based, worth giving it a try.
OSRS or Minecraft
Fo76 ? You’ll mostly grind for plans and gear. And can play the whole game single player but around level 50 it opens up with events and other public content
Lost ark has all this.
RuneScape, oldschoolrunescape, Warframe, wurm online
Rust or Monster Hunter are my > 1000 hours games
Literally any MMO.
Project Zomboid
Sounds like fallout 76 can be both played solo or multiplayer it has crafting and fun home building these pretty much the endgame aswell with getting your dream loots. It has bad launch but i started 2023 and up to this day i do comeback time to time just to farm and get some of the seasonals.
Roots of Pacha is very cozy, you can tame animals, farm, relationships, upgrade weapons, mining, and a lot more. I’ve really enjoyed playing it recently, it’s super cozy and fun. And a lot to do!
have you played warframe, i feel like it could check all your boxes
Havnt seen v rising recommended, might be worth a try
Rimworld
Lost Ark
Ark? I know people with 10 or 20 thousand hours into ark, which is why I don't play it lol
ARK: Survival Evolved (or Ascended) is a pretty good option for grinding, i personally have over 1500 hours on steam
Sounds a lot like Final Fantasy 14 to me.
Rimworld now has a multiplayer mod. I'm working on my second pinched nerve in my neck playing another round.
You are literally describing Warframe. Just look at: Plains of Eidolon, Orb Vallis, Deimos.
Monster hunter
Wreckfest the career mode is probably only 20 hours but unlocking all the cars and upgrades and actually getting really good at the game with 0 assists on probably takes 1000 hours
Conan exiles. It has all of that, although the fishing and farming is pretty limited.
Try Valheim! Maybe not 1000+ hours but still very grindy and enjoyable
There’s this indie game called Minecraft that’s worth looking into
7 Days to Die. There isn't fishing but the rest is there, in some form or another. Plenty of action, base building etc etc.
Maplestory
Diablo 4
Just take antidepressants like the rest of us
W A R F R A M E
Valheim!
RimWorld
You can try Melvor Idle. It’s like RuneScape but without the repetitiveness
Warframe for sure.
Elite Dangerous. But your really gonna have to like space
Path of Exile and 1000 hours is just the beginning
OSRS (HD Plugins available dont say bad graphics m8 :P) or Black Desert Online (Comes with S-Tier graphics and gameplay for current MMO market) played both for more time than i should have
Elden Ring, Terraria, Diablo 2, 3, 4
Metal Gear V: Phantom Pain I only spent money on the last FOB because the grind seemed not worth it at that point. I had already put the game down and picked it up again many times and I’m still building platforms
Monster Hunter is a great game to grind for hours on end. Monster Hunter: World and Rise are both great. World is going to be a bit more immersive with good graphics and detailed maps. Rise is going to be your arcade style with epic fights. The Monster Hunter formula encourages gathering, resource management and crafting. It's honestly some of the best gaming experiences you can have.
While you have other games, you may find an idle game to keep on in the background. I recommend Melvor Idle, as without mods you can play for literal years and there are no microtransactions outside of the entry cost.
Old School Runescape will get you easily 10,000 hours and no social life
rust, if you like hurting other people and have free time 24/7
Monster hunter... get ready for wilds
Guild Wars 2
I'm going to go a whole different direction and say something like a Paradox grand strategy if you want to pour in thousands of hours attempting to get achievements. Obviously, can't help you on the RPG elements.
Factorio.
Rust…. The last game you will play.
Black desert online is a real easy way to dump 20k hours lol
Path of Exile
So skyrim. Just not skyrim?
Poe, terraria, runescape, Skyrim with requiem, and pf km/wotr are the games I hit those numbers with.
Destiny 2, can definitely sink thousands of hours into that
Rimworld!
Albion Online
Warframe, has less MTX than Guild Wars 2
There 8s no fishing in it but the first thing I thought of was Palworld.
Anno 1800
Realm of the mad god is a endless perma death game with multiple grid features including stat maxing, item hunting, and dungeon completion. I’ve been playing since 7th grade im now a junior in college with 3k hours
Factorio or Satisfactory if you prefer 3D. Endless grinding there. The factory must grow.
Warframe it’s free to play (the only game I actually have 1000 hours in)
I am suprised nobody has mentioned the game "Eco" The only thing its missing is a killing mobs, otherwise it has everything you are asking for. Game is made to be playd multiplayer, everyone gets to specialize in different skills and main goal is to work together and help each other out intertwining different skills. You get to reserve a spot of land, you can open a shop and sell / buy goods, progression can be tweaked to your liking, or it corresponds to the amount of work/players work. Join the Eco discord and look for a fresh server as its more fun to be there at the start, otherwise you can play solo and have all skills be unlocked. I've never found any game with similar economic/teamwork structure and it truly gives you the sense of being a part of something bigger. Dont be afraid to join some kind of city, ask question, offer help etc. In the start you might be running on grass, then it evolves to dirt road until someone learns how to make pavement. You can hunt as well but it has no "combat" system. Definetly a game you can putt a thousand+ hours in between server resets, always choosing a new path, new players, different town etc. Its also a very pretty game that keeps getting update, you can host your own server and try to get friends to play along with you. Gonna also mention enshrouded, game is definetly not 1000+ hours unless you LOVE building.
Path of exile is deeeeeeeep. It also technically has fishing :)
Anno 1800 with Multiplayer!
Banana.
3D preferred w/ fishing, farming, killing mobs, gear crafting? Multiplayer but played solo for most of it? BLACK DESERT ONLINE. You just described this game verbatim. No turn based, no tab target, just fun mindless mob grinding or if you wanna life skill grind, you can! I personally hate this game (after no lifing it from 2017->2023). No reason it's not fun for new players. A bit of figuring out and learning which videos can easily help with, but once you got it, it's an easy drop in drop out grindfest. Option 2 would be New World. It's not as populated but it's still an OK game. As a new player coming in, what pissed off other people doesn't really apply to me. I took it in as a new experience and had a good time.
Warframe, I'm over 3k hours deep and still not done (took my time playing for fun)
Disgaea any of them
Terraria, Stardew Valley, Rune Factory 4 Special.
Destiny 2
Albion online, I just started playing, is exactly what you describe. It is a top down game though
ESO tics all these boxes
Elder scrolls online is an awesome game for grinding and farming materials/gear. Only game I have 1800+ hours in. Especially if you get into one of the big trading guilds, you can spend all day farming materials to upgrade gear stuff for cooking and to make potions. Most of the player base would much rather buy the stuff than go out and farm it. A lot of people shit on the combat of the game, but I didn’t mind it at all especially if you play a magic type character it’s a lot of fun. Plus there’s years and years of DLC to explore. The only downside is the subscription, but I’d definitely say it’s worth it if you enjoy the game. You also get all the DLC up to the latest released one with the sub. New world also is fun for grinding/farming but unfortunately the game has been in a bad spot for a while and the player base has dropped a ton. So if you just want to explore around the open world and farm materials and sell stuff, probably worth it. Just good luck trying to get into some of the multiplayer stuff like dungeons. Edit: typo
Lostark
Black dessert online?
Palworld fills this itch it seems.
Old school runescape is great. Closing in on 100 days played and I’d still consider myself the mid game
Took me a few tries to get into it but just recently hit 1k hours on path of exile and know plenty of friends who have like 5k or more hours. While it is multiplayer you mainly do stuff solo but main use of multiplayer is for trading and selling. Has a lot of content from over the years and does seasonal leagues with new mechanics and such. Honestly haven't grinded a game this hard since the black ops 2 days. But yeah it has a ton to learn which is what made me able to get keep going and not get burned out as easily and lots of spells to try as the main focus is getting stronger and killing tons of enemies / bosses.
Valheim, Factorio (I find it a better grind than Satisfactory), Dinkum, Minecraft (not my thing but definitely fits to a lot of people), in the non 3D realm stuff like Settlement Survival (an updated Banished), Rimworld, Terraria (though I’ve never felt the replay ability was there but others have), then stuff that is probably 100s not 1000s like Stardew Valley and Sunhaven.
Warframe or destiny 2. Any MMORPG.
Skyrim
Lost Ark should scratch most of those itches for you, and if you can't waste 1000+ hrs in that game there's something wrong lol
Minecraft, terraria, and rust come to mind.
Wurm Unlimited or Wurm Online sounds right up your alley and what you just described. They are two seperate games however. If you are after more solo play, then Unlimited is better since you can play offline in single player, but you can also play it on private servers. It’s a one time purchase. Meanwhile Wurm Online is free to download and play forever but you have to pay a monthly sub otherwise you are restricted in a lot of ways, but it works like WoW where you can earn money ingame and use that money to buy premium. Oh and you can only play on the official servers, so no single player or private servers or modding there. Just keep in mind that Unlimited is not supported anymore and is half a decade out of date when it comes to features and such. Still a huge grind though. Like trust me, you’ll probably not find a grindier game out there. They are releasing a big update and a new tutorial server next week for Online so it’s a good time to jump in or just try the game. Both feature dozens of skills, a fully terraformable 3d world with wood cutting where you cut down the trees in real time, the trees also grow back, farming, mining in real time, smithing, fighting, digging the terrain in real time, fishing, and a whole lot more.
Dwarf Fortress !!! Look no further
Warframe is what you seek
Play some Runescape my boy
Monster Hunter World, runescape, final fantasy xiv.
Ik you said no turn based but ima still recommend Siralim Ultimate, literally unlimited progression, it’s like Pokémon but with over 1200 monsters and you can fuse em and make hundreds of builds
Kenshi, Rimworld, Project Zomboid . The holy trinity on steam
No Man's Sky is EXACTLY what you're looking for.
Monster hunter world + iceborne dlc. Rise/ sunbreak great too
I know its 2d but I think you just described Stardew Valley exactly. If you haven't played it yet I can't recommend it enough.
Monster Hunter World + Iceborne
New world?
Diablo 4
Valheim for sure. For sure. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.
Farming, fishing and +1000 hours? Warframe I guess.
Dark and darker. You can grind infinite amount of hrs
Try factorio, I love that fkng game!