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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
9.4/10on IGDB
Released
Carnal Sins gives Novigrad room for a grim detective story away from the hunt for Ciri. The interest is in following evidence and questioning an apparently tidy explanation, rather than clearing another monster nest. Follow Dandelion's Cabaret thread when it is offered and let the investigation unfold. This is a base-game secondary quest, with disturbing material and no expansion purchase required.
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Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)
8.3/10on IGDB
Released
Dream On turns an apparently contained job for the Peralez family into one of Night City's most unsettling investigations. Searching an apartment and deciding what to tell somebody carry more weight than a bigger gunfight would. Follow up after I Fought the Law rather than waiting for the main plot to send you there. It is a base-game side job; Phantom Liberty is not required.
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Baldur's Gate III (2023)
9.5/10on IGDB
Released
The House of Hope is an optional Act Three destination with the ambition, atmosphere and musical personality of a major story set piece. Its dangerous pleasures work best when discovered without knowing the confrontation in advance. Investigate the Devil's Fee once you reach the Lower City and prepare properly before committing. It belongs to the base game, rather than a deluxe-edition bonus.
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Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition (2018)
9.0/10on IGDB
Released
A Taste of Freedom rewards curiosity about a basement in Driftwood with an elaborate sequence of environmental puzzles and an uneasy encounter. It is a good example of Divinity hiding an adventure behind ordinary town exploration. Examine Mordus's house during the Reaper's Coast chapter and read what you find, without looking up the puzzle solution first. The quest is included in Definitive Edition.
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Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
8.7/10on IGDB
Released
Beyond the Beef takes the Ultra-Luxe's polished manners seriously enough to make its hospitality deeply suspicious. The detour supports investigation, conversation and several ways through a very unpleasant situation. Ask about the missing son when exploring the casino, then pay attention to what different people want. It is an optional quest in the original New Vegas, not part of a paid story add-on.
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition (2016)
8.8/10on IGDB
Released
Lost to the Ages makes a scattered trail of Dwemer ruins feel like one substantial archaeological adventure, with a companion's unfinished business giving the machinery a human reason to matter. Read The Aetherium Wars and investigate the lead. This quest requires Dawnguard on the original release; the Special Edition listed here already includes it. The Dwemer puzzles are better discovered than copied from a solution.
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Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
9.3/10on IGDB
Released
The Veteran gives Hamish Sinclair enough unhurried time to become more than another stranger marker. Fishing, hunting and conversation offer a quieter relationship with the landscape than the main gang's urgent business. Look around O'Creagh's Run once Chapter Six is available and follow the encounters at their own pace. It is an optional base-game mission strand; leave its later events unspoilt.
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Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)
7.8/10on IGDB
Released
The Harvester and its follow-up, The Last Harvest, turn Prague into a troubling detective story that tests how carefully you question evidence. The second mission is conditional, so this is a detour to notice during the campaign rather than assume you can recover afterwards. Investigate The Harvester thoroughly on the second Prague visit and avoid rushing an accusation. Both are base-game side missions, not paid DLC.
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Prey (2017)
8.1/10on IGDB
Released
Treasure Hunt lets the Talos I crew's interrupted tabletop game spill out into the space station. Following their maps makes familiar rooms feel like places people used for play, and the pleasure comes from interpreting clues rather than the final loot alone. Check Danielle Sho's workstation in Crew Quarters for the relevant email. This optional objective belongs to the 2017 base game, not Mooncrash.
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Control: Ultimate Edition (2020)
8.5/10on IGDB
Released
Fridge Duty takes an ordinary object and follows the Bureau's strange working rules somewhere memorable. Its absurd starting situation grows into a serious supernatural encounter, making it a concentrated example of Control's imagination. Listen to the distressed employee in the Panopticon and return when access allows. This is a base-game side mission, included in Ultimate Edition; neither paid expansion is needed to reach it.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
9.2/10on IGDB
Released
From the Ground Up makes an empty patch of Akkala become somewhere worth caring about through gathering, recruitment and small social connections. Its errands have a visible result beyond a quest-log tick. Follow the housing business in Hateno and Hudson's next venture, then check back as the settlement changes. The Tarrey Town quest belongs to the base game and does not need the Expansion Pass.
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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)
9.3/10on IGDB
Released
Restoring Lurelin Village gives construction powers a purpose beyond improvised transport: helping a community reclaim its everyday life. The preceding fight and the repairs make a satisfying miniature recovery story. Head towards the south-eastern coast, help with the village's immediate trouble, then speak to the people organising the restoration. These are optional base-game side adventures, with a more lasting payoff than another chest.
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The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019)
8.3/10on IGDB
Released
The Color Dungeon is a compact bonus adventure with its own visual puzzle language, rather than a room tacked onto the usual route. In the 2019 Switch remake listed here, revisit Mabe Village's library after gaining the Pegasus Boots and investigate the clue. The dungeon is included, not paid DLC. It also exists in Link's Awakening DX, but not the original monochrome Game Boy release.
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Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
8.9/10on IGDB
Released
Odyssey's Dark Side asks what you can do after the main tour has taught you Mario's movement, mixing a demanding opening challenge with further surprises. Finish the story and bring the Odyssey's total to 250 Power Moons to open the route. It is included post-game content, not an expansion. Go in expecting a sharper test than the campaign's gentlest sightseeing, with more to explore beyond simply arriving.
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Astro Bot (2024)
9.1/10on IGDB
Released
The Great Master Challenge turns Astro Bot's generous platforming into a focused test of movement, observation and nerve. Its appeal is the satisfaction of putting practised skills together, rather than a plot revelation. Rescue at least 300 bots and collect the base game's puzzle pieces, then investigate the golden monument at the Crash Site. This included optional stage is a substantial completionist goal, with a tough final run to earn.
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Hollow Knight (2017)
9.2/10on IGDB
Released
The Grimm Troupe gives Hallownest a distinct theatrical mood, a new quest and demanding encounters that feel like their own unsettling performance. Revisit the Howling Cliffs with the Dream Nail and investigate carefully before seeking instructions. This was a free content pack and is included in the updated game, not a separate paid expansion. Its hardest challenges can wait until your movement and combat feel comfortable.
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Celeste (2018)
8.7/10on IGDB
Released
Celeste's B-sides are proper remixes of the mountain, with their own music and tighter arrangements of familiar movement ideas. They reward understanding what a mechanic can do rather than just repeating the same climb with fewer checkpoints. Follow the music to the hidden cassette rooms to unlock them. They are included extras beyond the standard summit story, though deeper completion and later bonus challenges draw on their rewards.
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God of War (2018)
9.2/10on IGDB
Released
The Valkyries give the 2018 God of War a series of optional fights built around reading attacks and using defensive tools you may have neglected. They are worth pursuing for the combat itself, rather than treating them as errands between story scenes. Return to the sealed chambers once the campaign gives you the means to enter and build up your equipment first. These are demanding base-game encounters, not a paid boss pack.
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Elden Ring (2022)
9.3/10on IGDB
Released
Ranni's quest joins a remarkable spread of places and encounters into a long optional adventure with a personality of its own. It rewards returning to characters and following their changing circumstances instead of relying on a straight objective trail. Explore beyond Caria Manor in Liurnia and take the conversations seriously. This is part of the original Elden Ring; Shadow of the Erdtree is not required. The route matters for one ending, but is not needed for a standard completion.
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Dark Souls: Remastered (2018)
8.7/10on IGDB
Released
The Great Hollow and Ash Lake make a concealed route feel like a discovery on the scale of a whole other world. The contrast in atmosphere is the reward, so screenshots and detailed directions can steal some of its impact. Investigate the great tree at the bottom of Blighttown, preferably once you can warp back out. Both areas are optional original-game content preserved in Remastered, rather than part of the Artorias expansion.
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Bloodborne (2015)
9.1/10on IGDB
Released
Cainhurst gives Bloodborne a different flavour of gothic grandeur, complete with a strong sense that you have arrived somewhere you were never meant to see. It is a full optional location with its own enemies and major encounter. Read any summons you find carefully and revisit Hemwick when its invitation makes sense. Cainhurst is in the base game, so The Old Hunters expansion is not required.
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Outer Wilds (2019)
8.9/10on IGDB
Released
The Quantum Moon is the sort of detour that makes an entire solar system feel more coherent. Following its associated clues teaches you to observe familiar phenomena differently, with a payoff worth protecting from explanations. Pursue the quantum entries in your ship's log and trust the lessons you discover. This is optional for reaching the base game's ending, though it enriches its context; Echoes of the Eye is a separate paid expansion.
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Tunic (2022)
8.5/10on IGDB
Released
Tunic's manual is more than a collection of instructions you can stop reading once combat makes sense. Returning to its unresolved pages opens a large puzzle woven through things you may already have seen. If an initial ending leaves questions, continue investigating the manual and the mountain. This included route leads towards another ending rather than being required for the first one. Keep solutions out of reach until you have tried making connections yourself.
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Animal Well (2024)
8.2/10on IGDB
Released
Animal Well's first credits leave a substantial second layer of observation and puzzle-solving available. Completing the egg collection makes old rooms worth another look and invites you to reconsider tools that seemed straightforward. Return to the egg room, note the gaps and explore with fresh attention. The complete hunt is optional for the first ending, although some early egg rewards help normal progression. It is included content, not a separate expansion.
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