Stick to the Main Quests (Until You Shouldn’t)
The early game is not the time to wander. If you’re racing to level up, the main storyline is your best route. Story missions are built to deliver maximum XP per minute and often scale well with your current level. They’re also the fastest way to unlock essential abilities, mounts, upgrades, or gear that redefine your combat options.
Grinding side quests or roaming aimlessly might feel fun, but it’s usually inefficient until you’ve built some core skills. By sticking to the main path early, you’ll not only level up faster, but you’ll also hit key milestones that make all other content easier and more rewarding.
Eventually, you’ll feel the slow down: enemies stop giving solid XP, or missions start requiring gear you don’t have. That’s your cue. When XP gains plateau or you keep dying from gear gaps, it’s time to pivot. Hit up side quests, explore optional dungeons, or complete skill challenges to break through the wall. But don’t get sidetracked too early milk the mainline while it’s still paying out.
Know Your XP Multipliers
Leveling up isn’t just about grinding it’s about leveraging every possible bonus the game offers. Start with rest XP. Some open world games quietly reward downtime. Log off in safe zones or use special inns, and you might come back to bonus experience when you log in again.
Then there are the consumables and gear sets that boost your gains. XP potions, enchanted armor, or even passive perks from artifacts can give you the edge during long grind sessions. Don’t use them randomly time them around boss runs, XP rich quests, or farming loops.
Keep an eye on how the game scores your kills. Creative plays stealth takedowns, no damage encounters, or combo kills often net extra XP. These aren’t just flashy; they’re efficient. If it’s an option, finish missions with flair.
Skill trees shouldn’t just be about damage. Some offer passive XP boosts early on. Prioritize these if your goal is to level fast.
Finally, don’t skip the optional stuff. Timed events, daily quests, challenge dungeons they exist to hand you bulk XP in short bursts. If something’s only around for 48 hours, there’s a good chance it’s worth doing.
XP isn’t always about volume. It’s about stacking the right bonuses while doing the things you already have to do. Smart beats hard every time.
Farm Smart, Not Hard
Leveling fast in open world games isn’t about killing everything that moves it’s about killing the right things, in the right place, at speed.
Start by scouting for high density spawn zones. Look for areas where enemies cluster tight and reset quickly. You want to be able to drop in, clear fast, reset, and repeat with minimal downtime. Bonus points if the area has healing stations or respawn spots nearby.
Ignore weak enemies unless they drop rare mats you actually need. Grinding low level mobs is a waste of time and inventory space if you’re not getting value in return. Focus on enemies that provide solid XP or useful loot ideally both.
Fast travel is your best friend. Build routes that let you kill, reset, and heal in loops. If you’re trekking across the entire map after every fight, you’re doing it wrong. Tight, efficient circuits keep momentum high and time wasted low.
Lastly, don’t get complacent. Rotate your farming zones regularly. Spawns get stale, you’ll get bored, and some games even reduce drops if you overfarm one spot. Keep your grind fresh, and it’ll stay productive.
Stealth Skills: Your Secret Weapon
Stealth isn’t just for the patient it’s for players who want efficiency without turning every fight into a brawl. Many open world games tuck extra XP behind sneak attacks, silent takedowns, and untouched enemy patrols. It’s a quieter path to power, but no less lethal.
Avoiding detection lets you stay in control, especially in zones where enemies outlevel you. Without the noise, you can manage crowd control, pick apart camps, and escape tight situations without burning gear or consumables. The best players add traps to the mix luring enemies into environmental hazards and clearing entire rooms before swinging a blade.
Stealth also stacks well with multipliers. No damage runs, speed clears, or bonus objectives often show up in these missions. It pays to stay quiet.
Want to level the sneaky way? Check out 10 Pro Tips to Master Stealth Gameplay Across Genres. It’s full of no frills tactics that actually work.
Co op and Events: XP by the Hour
Going solo has its moments but if you’re grinding to level fast, team play wins. Grouping up for world bosses, dynamic public events, or scaling dungeons offers more than just backup; it ramps up your XP per minute in a big way. These encounters are designed for squads, and most games reward you for rolling in deep.
Many titles now throw in squad XP boosts or increase mob spawn rates when you’re with others. Fights go quicker, and you soak in extra XP along the way. Bring decent synergy to the team and you’ll tear through enemies that would take ages on your own.
Keep an eye on limited time events too. Devs use them to funnel players into content drops that spike engagement and they often stack on serious XP bonuses. Seasonal events especially are gold mines. Whether it’s a winter raid or a summer hunt, these limited windows usually have the best return on your time.
Short version? Don’t be a lone wolf. Rally up, knock out big content, and ride the XP wave while it lasts.
Don’t Waste Power Ups on Low Level Fights
In most open world games, XP boosters and rare consumables are like gold. Don’t burn them just to clear out low level grunts or routine fetch quests. These items shine when you’re deep into boss fights, massive event chains, or that brutal slog from level 40 to 50. Timing is everything.
Buffs especially time limited ones should be used when you can line up multiple high yield events in a row. Think dungeon runs, siege battles, and multi stage missions. Stack your bonuses, execute fast, and ride the wave.
Also, don’t just hoard every item blindly. Take ten minutes to plan your upgrade path. If you know when your next major power spike is coming, you’ll know when a consumable is actually worth popping. It’s all about getting the most return for the effort you’re already putting in.
TL;DR
If you’re serious about leveling fast in open world games, stop wasting time on low impact loops. Early on, stick to the main story. Main missions are built to move the XP needle quickly while unlocking key systems, gear, and mobility perks. That head start compounds later.
Once progress starts to flatten, shift gears. Smart farming is your second wind target dense spawn zones, rotate farming paths, and plan your resets. Know where the loot is, where the enemies bunch up, and how to drop them fast.
Want to go faster? Stack your multipliers. Think passive XP boosts, stealth bonuses, and timely co op sessions. Pair that with precision don’t pop your rare items on easy fights. Save them for when the grind matters most.
The key is balance. Be tactical early on. Pivot when the time’s right. Add stealth and team synergy where it counts. The result? Efficient leveling without the burnout. You play smarter, climb faster, and keep the game fun.