BetMGM Casino is a leading online casino platform, offering real-money gaming across slots, table games, and live dealer experiences. As a brand rooted in immersive, theme-driven entertainment, we’re always exploring what makes gameplay environments engaging.
Inspired by the rich settings of today’s most popular online slots — from cyberpunk cities to ancient temples — we set out to discover which real-life U.S. city could serve as the ultimate open-world game setting.
To find out, BetMGM analyzed 15 major U.S. cities across five key categories: Geography & Environment, Urban Design, Aesthetics, Culture, and Gameplay Potential — using 35 metrics to reveal the most thrilling and interactive real-world backdrop for players.
The Findings
| City | Ranking | Gameplay & Experience | Geography & Environment | Urban Design & Infrastructure | Aesthetics & Architecture | Culture & Society | Total Score | Game Power (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 1 | 14.4 | 6.7 | 11.0 | 10.7 | 6.9 | 49.7 | 67.20% |
| Philadelphia | 2 | 10.8 | 6.8 | 10.4 | 9.0 | 4.8 | 41.9 | 56.60% |
| Boston | 3 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 11.2 | 7.9 | 1.6 | 37.2 | 50.31% |
| Houston | 4 | 9.1 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 2.9 | 7.0 | 35.6 | 48.13% |
| Seattle | 5 | 8.7 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 6.7 | 3.5 | 34.9 | 47.22% |
| San Diego | 6 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 7.0 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 28.9 | 39.07% |
| Dallas | 7 | 6.9 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 2.6 | 7.2 | 28.3 | 38.28% |
| New Orleans | 8 | 4.2 | 6.9 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 2.9 | 26.5 | 35.78% |
| Atlanta | 9 | 5.4 | 6.9 | 6.1 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 24.6 | 33.28% |
| Las Vegas | 10 | 8.5 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 6.7 | 4.8 | 24.1 | 32.62% |
| Phoenix | 11 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 23.2 | 31.38% |
| Nashville | 12 | 3.3 | 7.5 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 21.0 | 28.39% |
| Detroit | 13 | 2.4 | 5.1 | 6.8 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 19.7 | 26.65% |
| Cleveland | 14 | 1.5 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 19.5 | 26.32% |
| Kansas City | 15 | 1.7 | 5.8 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 16.6 | 22.40% |
Maximum points available:
- Game Play & Experience – 16
- Geography & Environment – 18
- Urban Design & Infrastructure – 18
- Aesthetics & Architecture – 17
- Culture & Society – 9
- Total Score – 78
- Game Power – 100%
Top Ranking Open World Game Cities
Interactive Map
Closing Thoughts
Open-world games allow players to explore real-world-inspired cities, often in ways that people couldn’t in their day-to-day lives. This study reveals that, of the 15 major U.S. cities that haven’t featured in an open-world video game, Chicago would make a great choice for players to explore and have fun in virtually.
But until a game developer is inspired by the “Windy City”, another way to have fun is by playing online casino games at BetMGM Casino. At BetMGM, you’ll be able to spin the reels of online slots, put your luck and skills to the test in online table games, or see what fortune has in store for you with other thrilling online casino games. Players can enjoy all of this and more with great bonuses and promotions, including a casino welcome bonus offer.
Methodology
Overview:
This ranking was created by evaluating 15 U.S. cities across 35 metrics grouped into five categories: Geography & Environment, Urban Design & Infrastructure, Aesthetics & Architecture, Culture & Society, and Gameplay & Experience. The goal was to determine which cities would make the most immersive, playable settings for an open-world game.
Data Collection:
Cities were selected based on gamer discussions (primarily Reddit) about underused but high-potential open-world game locations. Data was collected between April 20 and July 1, 2025, using a wide range of public and proprietary sources.
Scoring System:
Each city was scored across the five categories, with each metric normalized and weighted based on its relevance to gameplay experience. We rewarded traits like urban connectivity, visual interest, green space, mission potential, and cultural depth. In some cases, metrics were scaled proportionally (e.g., parks per square mile), or scored based on proximity to an “ideal” (e.g., elevation near 550 ft).
Normalization & Weights:
Metrics were scaled to a 0–1 range to ensure comparability. Weights from 1 to 4 were assigned to reflect each factor’s importance to an open-world experience — for example, urban layout was weighted higher than airport count.
Final Ranking:
Scores across all categories were averaged (using weighted values) to produce an overall score per city. Cities were then ranked based on this total score.
Transparency:
This study was created for entertainment purposes. All data is based on the reliability of information from sources used, and the latest available sources that were available. You can view our full technical methodology, including scoring formulas and source breakdown, here.
Sources:
Data was collected from a wide range of reputable public and private datasets, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Community Survey (2018–2022), the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), Yelp, Wikipedia, WalletHub, Instagram, Trust for Public Land, and Kaggle. A full list of sources is available in our detailed methodology.
Disclaimer: The content provided herein is intended for entertainment purposes only.
