Just out of curiosity, I was wondering what games there are that offer various activities that don't primarily involve fighting, killing and brutal violence. I'm specifically looking for open world games, those that are usually violent - not regular games in genres like point-and-click or sports that are more or less non-violent by definition. I can think of a few that might qualify in some way, but I'd like to find some more that I missed, or even better fits.

- Minecraft (I guess, if you disregard zombies?)
- Roundabout (includes running over pedestrians though)
- Murdered: Soul Suspect (rather limited open world gameplay though; and you can kill demons, but that's a very minor aspect and not very brutal)
- Scribblenauts (?)
- Submerged (?)
- Grow Home (very short and limited world though)
- Journey (? Never had the chance to play it)
- Vanishing of Ethan Carter (not sure if it qualifies since it seems very limited)
- URU / Ether One (would these qualify as open world?)
- The Talos Principle (not really a classical open world game, but a pretty open puzzle game with some exploration and unlock mechanics)

Is Watchdogs a violent game?

Rockstar's Bully perhaps? Bully is an incredible game, and even though there is some fighting, it's nowhere near as violent as GTA.

Some of your activities in the game includes getting to class on time, and then completing little minigames based on the type of class which can net you rewards, also based on the type of class. For example, if you do well in chemistry then you can craft stinkbombs or stuff like itching powder, which you can then use to fend of bullies and school prefects.
Other than that you'll complete errands for various people around the school, teachers and staff included. For example, the gym teacher is a creep and he employs you to break into the girls' dorm to steal undergarments, and you'll also help the lunch lady with her crush on one of the other teachers.

Personally didn't play it, but maybe Lego Worlds would fit your criteria. From what I've seen on twitch/youtube, there's fighting build in game, but it's rather hilarious and cartoony.

Yes as it does involve the usual gunning down of individuals, since the main character is on a revenge streak.

Yeah, I'm not sure where to draw the line. Ideally, I'm looking for open world games that manage to be fun without any kind of violence involved, but seeing that there don't seem to be many of those, I guess light or cartoony violence is still closer than headshots, blood and broken bones all over. ;) I thought so, but thanks for clarifying!

Okay, let me see if I can go down the list.

Minecraft has both a creative and peaceful modes, but in peaceful you can still die by your own hand, such as falling into lava.
Roundabout doesn't strike me as nonviolent.
Scribblenauts is very violet, but just has bloodless carnage. Dingoes will eat your babies, still.
Grow Home technically isn't violet, but it is painful to miss a jump and see your poor little BUD smash apart. Also, you can keep going after the story ends.
URU is very non violent, but there are some gatekeeping elements and heavy puzzle elements.
Fez is both nonviolent and rather open, very much open for exploration with some gatekeeping in the form of collectables, but you don't need all of them to have a large majority of the world open.
Proteus is so non-violent that it might qualify is an interactive screensaver.
Noctis IV is an entire universe at a pocket size and resolution, but what with it being a DOS game from 2003 or so, has some issues getting running unless you play one of the community editions.

Also, not only WatchDogs violent, it's also not that great of a game. Having seen an entire LP of it, I can tell you that the whole game was about as cohesive as being awake at 4 AM after several days without sleep, padded as a very insecure man, and had all the thoughtful impact as a feather to the face. Avoid.

I wouldn't classify Ether One as open-world.

Frontier - Elite 2/First Encounters and the remakes Pioneer (Scout Plus) come to mind. As long as you stay in peaceful systems (ie. Federation) the games can be played as peaceful trader with very little combat involved.

Then there's also Leisure Suit Larry - Magna Cum Laude, but I doubt that is what you had in mind. ;-)

I don't necessarily mean completely harmless, family-friendly games, just games that don't make you go on a killing spree and revel in it. So dying due to missteps would be fine, and while a game like Roundabout could indeed be classified as violent, in most missions the goal is not to kill people and you are not rewarded for doing it.

Oh. Still, there aren't many other qualifying open world games that I can think of. I'd suggest Endless Ocean Blue World but it's only on the Wii and there's a plot you have to get through first, but otherwise you're free to dive.

Why not, if it can be classified as open world and has collectibles and mini-games or something like that. I'm mostly just curious what options there are, not looking for a game to play right now. Because while I enjoy playing games like Far Cry, Saints Row, Just Cause, Borderlands etc., some part of me is also kind of disgusted by the thought why I actually like doing what I do in them and what they stand for, so that made me wonder whether I would enjoy a game that consists only of the non-violent activities I like about them, like exploration, collectibles, racing etc.

I pretty much agree completely with these sentiments. I get turned off a lot of games by the violence in them and the more graphically realistic they are the worse it is. I've been playing Skyrim again and I can't even start the assassin stuff because I won't kill the person you're supposed to.

just cause gets a bit of a pass from me because the whole thing is like one giant comedy thing so it's less of a problem from an immersion standpoint.

in general, space trading games have historically included leeway on whether or not to blow shit up as big part of what makes them what they are.

Borderlands, again, it's less of a problem because of its over-the-top southern+max mad thing.

but I honestly don't know of any open world game where you can do thing mostly peacefully. in Freelancer you can let them all run away. it's almost a chore but you can.

the arkham games, of course. nobody gets killed in those. well not by you anyway.

you can play skyrim nonviolently for the most part if you play an illusion mage and use sneak. still need something for the odd dragon though.

I was gonna get Lords of the Fallen and Shadow of Mordor which is a fun game in the Steam sale. I didn't because of the Denuvo. In Mordor's case though I might have gotten it anyhow, and then seen about a cracked version, but I didn't because all the violence made me uneasy.

Sim Copter. If you can find a copy of it.

I second Stardew Valley, it would definitely fit your needs, also there's The Witness now which is technically open world but its a Puzzle game.

Somehow even if the trend is towards open world games i feel that they not exactly right for me. I get sidetracked and then shelve the game and never finish it. I'm looking at you every Elder Scrolls game and Fallout 3 +NV. Same with GTA4. The only two open world games that i've actually finished are Saints Row 3 (after 3 stop and go's at it) and the witcher 3. With SR3 it was quite easy to jump back in after some months and TW3 i've never shelved. For the other games it's too hard to jump back. For example in NV i'm in one of the DLCs but i have no idea what happened exactly nor what i wanted to do next. At least it has quest tracking.