I really really enjoyed the gameplay loop in Half Life 2 where you have a vehicle and traverse the map in a linear way. You travel, stop, solve puzzles, fight and again travel (and get upgrades along the way).
You kind of form a relationship with your vehicle. It was such a great feeling. It feels like a journey and was oddly satisfying and scratched this specific itch.
Any game suggestions that can trigger a similar feeling? Bonus if there’s some survival stuff thrown in like hunger, fuel, vehicle maintenance etc. :)
EDIT: Just to add, I get a similar feeling when I play FTL. You have a ship that you continue improving, and you are going from point A to B with adventures along the way.
Have you played games like My Summer Car and Jalopy? They might be too focused on car simulation compared to what you’re after, but they’re worth a look.
There’s also the Dying Light’s expansion campaign The Following, which is based around travelling in a car which you have to refuel and upgrade with scavenged materials. It’s open world, but it fits the rest of your description well. The main game has no vehicles at all, but I’m pretty sure you can skip right to the expansion if you want.
Thank you! I’ll try these out. I’m especially intrigued by Jalopy. Looks interesting!