This is a great writeup of the open knowledge exploration type of games - Witness, Outer Wilds, Blue Prince..

I've wishlisted every game mentioned!

the metroid link is a curious one, but I like the concept but not the name. Knowledge acquisition and exploration seems a better fit. One issue with these games is their game loop is the "one and done" type, so they don't get as much attention as other games.

Metroidbrainia: An in-depth exploration of knowledge-gated games · Thinky Games

Thinky Games presents a definitive guide to metroidbrania games: What they are, how different games explore the idea in their own way, and a list of our favorites.

Thinky Games (thinkygames.com)

I'm in the middle of Blue Prince, definitely excited to try some others on the list