Minecraft's lack of borders is certainly part of why it has managed to outsell the entire Myst series (though it's less impressive when you consider how much larger the market is these days, and how much easier it is to get to 12 million sales). But the atmosphere of mostly-peaceful exploration of a different world is something that Mincraft and Myst undoubtedly share, and something that hasn't been recreated by very many games in between. Bethesda's RPGs do an okay job of allowing exploration, but they come with a heavy emphasis on combat and a very in-your-face plot line that completely changes the mood of the exploration. Minecraft and Myst just drop you into a new world without any preface, challenge, or goal.