Hmm.

• Usually open world. I like occasional other types, but a world with an explorable world map is more likely to keep my attention.
• Has to at least start more green than city. Cityscapes/Sci-fi settings bore me visually. This applies to real life too.
• Bright. If I need to play at night with lights off to see where the heck I’m going, I don’t like it.
• Usually some creature in the world to catch my interest. Like (inklings/octolings/salmonids in Splatoon).
• A good story is nice but not at all needed. I like environmental storytelling and aimless wandering.
• No “game complete”. I want to keep my save file forever.

Not hard rules of course, I have exceptions.

Like Metroid sounds perfect for me in some ways, but because it’s so dim and sci-fi, I can’t stay interested. Unlike Zelda, which usually starts with brightly lit forests that keep me in.

Splatoon has amazingly dark lore that’s only visible past it’s bright happy exterior that I LOVE. Stardew Valley/Minecraft/Animal Crossing are in my alley.