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25 Astounding Games Like The Long Dark in 2024!
September 19th, 2024 - By Steve Chang

Discover survival thrillers that will plunge you into a frozen wilderness adventure just like The Long Dark

The Long Dark is a visually stunning and atmospheric survival game set in the frigid Canadian wilderness. Unlike many other survival games, The Long Dark emphasizes a realistic and meditative experience, where players must manage resources, avoid predators, and struggle against the elements to survive. There’s no undead horde or fantastical creatures—just you, your wits, and the unforgiving cold. The art style is captivating, utilizing a painterly aesthetic that adds to the game’s bleak yet beautiful atmosphere. With its challenging gameplay and narrative-driven Wintermute story mode, this game has captivated the interest of survival game fans and continues to receive regular updates from its dedicated developer, Hinterland Studio.

If you find yourself enthralled by The Long Dark, you'll be pleased to know there are numerous other survival games that offer similarly engrossing experiences. For instance, Subnautica transforms survival gameplay to an underwater setting, where exploration and resource management are critical to staying alive amidst mysterious aquatic life. Another great title is Don't Starve, which offers a darker, more whimsical take on survival with its Tim Burton-esque art style and complex crafting systems. Games like Green Hell provide a harrowing journey through the Amazon, combining intense survival mechanics with psychological elements. As an aficionado of survival games, you’ll be delighted to explore a variety of worlds and survival challenges that these titles offer. But these are just a few of the exceptional games you might enjoy...

(I may earn a small commission from purchases through links in this article.)


25. Subnautica

Related article: 25 Amazing Games Like Subnautica in 2024

If you loved the survival challenges in The Long Dark, you’re going to find Subnautica equally captivating! Both games cast you into a beautifully hostile environment where you must gather resources, manage your health, and stay vigilant against various threats. Subnautica takes the survival experience into alien underwater worlds, offering a fresh perspective on the survival genre. The feeling of isolation and the need to plan and prioritize your resources are paramount in both games, keeping you on edge and engaged.

Moreover, just like The Long Dark, the world of Subnautica is teeming with subtle narratives and mysteries to uncover. Each dive beneath the ocean’s surface reveals a rich and increasingly complex ecosystem, just as the frigid landscapes of The Long Dark reveal the remnants of lives and stories past. The sense of discovery and the satisfaction of overcoming environmental challenges with cunning and strategy tie these two titles together, making Subnautica a compelling follow-up for fans of survival adventure games.

Subnautica is available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $29.99 USD.

24. Green Hell

If you enjoyed the intense survival and atmospheric isolation of The Long Dark, you'll be thrilled with what Green Hell has to offer! Green Hell drops you into the heart of the Amazon Rainforest with the same nail-biting survival mechanics. Just like The Long Dark, you'll need to manage your health, hunger, and stamina carefully, but with the added twist of tropical threats like dangerous wildlife and disease. The realistic ecosystem and the need to craft tools and learn to hunt make both games equally immersive and challenging.

One of the standout features of Green Hell is its psychological elements, which is reminiscent of The Long Dark's ability to convey the mental strain of isolation. Both games are built around a strong narrative that keeps you engaged, using environmental storytelling to add depth and emotion to your journey. The intricate details, stunning visuals, and relentless environments in Green Hell will make you feel like you're right back in the wilds, facing the earth's harshest conditions head-on.

Green Hell is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, typically priced around $24.99 USD.

23. Stranded Deep

If you loved the survival elements in The Long Dark, you'll definitely enjoy Stranded Deep. Just like The Long Dark, Stranded Deep immerses you in a challenging, open-world environment where your primary goal is to survive against the odds. While The Long Dark is set in the frigid wilderness of the Canadian North, Stranded Deep places you in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where you'll need to scavenge for resources, manage your health, and fend off various threats. Both games offer a deep sense of immersion, forcing you to think critically about every move you make to ensure survival.

Another similarity lies in the crafting and resource management systems. In The Long Dark, you need to collect materials to create tools, build fires, and sustain your character. Stranded Deep also emphasizes crafting, requiring you to gather materials to build shelters, rafts, and essential survival items. The attention to detail in both games means that you get a rewarding sense of progression as you become more adept at surviving in harsh environments. These mechanics offer a satisfying blend of strategy and creativity that fans of The Long Dark will find equally compelling in Stranded Deep.

Stranded Deep is available on platforms including PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, typically priced around $20 USD.

22. The Forest

Related article: 25 Awesome Games Like The Forest in 2024!

If you enjoyed the atmospheric survival experience offered by The Long Dark, you'll find a lot to love in The Forest. Like The Long Dark, The Forest places a strong emphasis on survival mechanics, with players needing to manage resources, craft tools, and build shelters to stay alive. The game provides an open-world environment where every decision impacts your ability to survive, whether it's finding food, securing clean water, or defending yourself from various threats.

What sets The Forest apart is its additional focus on horror elements and a gripping storyline. While The Long Dark immerses you in the serene yet dangerous Canadian wilderness, The Forest introduces an eerie sense of mystery and tension with its subterranean caves and hostile mutant inhabitants. The mix of survival and horror offers a unique twist, making each playthrough unpredictable and engaging. The game also features a cooperative multiplayer mode, allowing you to team up with friends to face the challenges of the wilderness together.

The Forest is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, typically priced around $19.99 USD.


$2 from G2A

21. Astroneer

If you enjoyed the survival and exploration elements of The Long Dark, you'll likely appreciate what Astroneer has to offer. Both games emphasize resource management and environmental hazards. In Astroneer, you'll find yourself navigating alien planets with limited oxygen and needing to construct a base to ensure your survival, much like managing your warmth and sustenance in the harsh Canadian wilderness of The Long Dark. Both games require strategic planning and resource gathering to thrive in their respective hostile environments, providing a similar thrilling challenge.

Additionally, the sense of open-world discovery is a key feature in both games. In The Long Dark, you explore the vast, serene, yet unforgiving Canadian wilderness, uncovering its secrets and stories. Astroneer offers a parallel experience with its procedurally generated planets, each with unique biomes and secrets waiting to be uncovered. Both games draw you in with the promise of unraveling mysteries and the thrill of surviving against the odds, making Astroneer an excellent choice for anyone who cherishes the exploratory and survival aspects of The Long Dark.

Astroneer is available on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, typically priced around $29.99 USD.

20. Survivalcraft

If you enjoyed the survival aspects of The Long Dark, then Survivalcraft will surely capture your interest. Much like The Long Dark, Survivalcraft immerses you in a wilderness where your primary goal is to survive against the elements. The game challenges players to gather resources, craft essential tools, and manage hunger, warmth, and fatigue, providing the same sense of urgency and immersion you found captivating in The Long Dark.

Both games emphasize a solitary survival experience, but Survivalcraft adds a unique twist with its extensive building and customization options. You can construct elaborate shelters and create intricate mechanisms, making the environment feel more interactive and controllable. This added layer of creativity ensures that no two experiences are the same, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging while you strive to survive day by day.

Survivalcraft is available on multiple platforms including Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, typically priced around $3.99 USD.

19. Rust

Related article: 25 Magnificent Games Like Rust in 2024

If you enjoyed the harsh, survivalist environment of The Long Dark, then Rust will certainly capture your interest with its own unique twist on the genre. Much like in The Long Dark, Rust throws you into a world where survival is not just a choice but a necessity. You'll begin with nothing but a rock and a torch, and from there, you'll need to scavenge, build, and craft to establish a foothold in a harsh, unforgiving environment. The sense of vulnerability and the need to constantly be on guard against both environmental hazards and other players is a thrilling challenge that fans of survival games relish.

What sets Rust apart is its dynamic multiplayer aspect, adding an extra layer of strategy and excitement. Unlike The Long Dark's focus on solitary survival, Rust’s gameplay often involves forming and breaking alliances with other players. You can team up to build communities or choose to go solo, risking encounters with rival groups that might raid your resources. The constant tension between cooperation and competition makes Rust a vibrant and unpredictable game. Additionally, the game's frequent updates and robust modding community ensure that there is always something new to discover and explore.

Rust is available on PC, typically priced around $39.99 USD.


$25 from Amazon $14 from G2A

18. DayZ

Related article: 25 Awesome Games Like DayZ in 2024!

If you enjoyed the survival experience in The Long Dark, then DayZ will be right up your alley. Both games require players to navigate vast, hostile environments where the primary objective is to survive. In DayZ, much like The Long Dark, you will find yourself scavenging for food, water, and supplies while managing your health and energy levels. The realistic weather systems, where you may have to endure harsh storms or blistering sunlight, add another layer of challenge and immersion. You’ll need to gather resources carefully and plan your movements, taking into account both environmental hazards and potential threats.

What sets DayZ apart is its dynamic multiplayer component, which introduces unpredictable encounters with other players. Unlike the solitary experience of The Long Dark, DayZ offers the excitement of interacting with real people, whether that involves collaboration or competition. This added social element creates a unique set of challenges and opportunities, as you must decide whether to trust strangers, form alliances, or fight for survival. The tension and unpredictability of human interactions, combined with the game's realistic survival mechanics, make for an exhilarating experience that fans of The Long Dark are sure to appreciate.

DayZ is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, typically priced around $39.99 USD.


$30 from Amazon $24 from G2A

17. State of Decay

Related article: 25 Awesome Games Like State of Decay in 2024!

If you enjoyed the thrilling challenge of surviving the harsh wilderness in The Long Dark, you'll find State of Decay offers a similarly immersive experience by placing you in a post-apocalyptic world teeming with zombies. Both games emphasize the importance of resource management, careful planning, and strategic thinking to survive. Instead of fending off the cold, in State of Decay, you’ll be fortifying your base, managing a community, and scavenging for supplies amidst constant threats. The dynamic open-world environment ensures that every decision you make can impact your chances of survival.

Moreover, State of Decay excels in its community management aspect, comparable to managing your well-being in The Long Dark. You have to ensure the safety and morale of your group, each member bringing unique skills and personality traits to the table. Just as in The Long Dark where every moment of gameplay feels crucial, State of Decay keeps your adrenaline pumping with unexpected zombie encounters and the looming threat of resource scarcity. Both games thrive on creating an authentic survival experience that immerses you in a world where every choice matters.

State of Decay is available on Xbox and Windows platforms, typically priced around $29.99 USD.


$35 from Amazon

16. Don't Starve

If you've enjoyed the survival aspects of The Long Dark, you'll find a lot to love in Don't Starve as well. Both games emphasize resource management, crafting, and exploring hostile environments to ensure your survival. In Don't Starve, just like The Long Dark, you're dropped into a harsh and unforgiving world where you must gather resources, build shelter, and fend off threats, all while maintaining your character's health, hunger, and sanity. The procedural generation of the game world means that no two playthroughs are ever the same, offering endless replayability much like the ever-changing wilderness in The Long Dark.

Moreover, Don't Starve adds a layer of whimsy and dark humor to the survival genre, with its Tim Burton-esque art style and quirky characters, which can be a refreshing change of pace. Both games also share a similar sense of tension and unpredictability, where careful planning and quick thinking are key to staying alive. The mysteries and dangers you uncover as you delve deeper into Don't Starve's world mirror the thrill of discovering and mastering the challenges presented by The Long Dark's Canadian wilderness. The cycle of day and night, seasonal changes, and weather conditions further amplify the stakes, ensuring an engaging and immersive survival experience.

Don't Starve is available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms, typically priced around $14.99 USD.


$31 from Amazon

15. Project Zomboid

If you enjoyed the immersive survival elements of The Long Dark, you'll find Project Zomboid equally captivating. Both games offer a rich, atmospheric experience that places you in a desperate fight for survival. In Project Zomboid, much like in The Long Dark, you'll need to manage your resources carefully, craft essential items, and navigate through beautifully realized, hostile environments. The tension of permanent death and the need to constantly scavenge for supplies will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Another similarity is the sheer depth of gameplay. Project Zomboid, much like The Long Dark, doesn't hold your hand; instead, it throws you into a world where every decision could mean life or death. Both games are designed with a significant amount of realism and detail, from the realistic day-night cycles to the dynamic weather systems. They also share a deep, moody ambiance enhanced by stellar sound design and visuals that make every moment feel genuinely suspenseful and critical.

Project Zomboid is available on PC through Steam, typically priced around $20 USD.

14. 7 Days To Die

If you enjoyed the immersive survival experience of The Long Dark, you'll find a lot to love in 7 Days to Die. Both games feature a harsh, unforgiving environment where you must gather resources, craft essential tools, and maintain your health to stay alive. Just like The Long Dark's extreme weather and wildlife challenges, 7 Days to Die throws zombies and environmental hazards your way, keeping you on your toes at all times.

A major draw for players of both games is the sense of progression and accomplishment as you establish a safe haven. In 7 Days to Die, you'll need to fortify your base to withstand nightly zombie assaults, much like building your shelter to fend off the cold and predators in The Long Dark. The game also offers a rich crafting system that allows you to create everything from weapons to advanced survival gear, adding depth to your survival strategy.

7 Days to Die is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, typically priced around $24.99 USD.

13. Ark: Survival Evolved

Related article: 25 Superb Games Like Ark: Survival Evolved in 2024

If you enjoyed the survival elements of The Long Dark, you'll find a lot to love in ARK: Survival Evolved. Much like The Long Dark, ARK places a strong emphasis on managing hunger, thirst, and exposure to the natural elements. However, ARK takes it a step further by introducing dynamic weather systems and a diverse ecosystem filled with prehistoric creatures. In both games, the environment can be both a friend and a foe, challenging you to think on your feet and make strategic decisions to ensure your survival.

Another similarity is the sense of isolation and the need to explore and scavenge for resources. In ARK, you'll scavenge for materials, craft tools, and build shelters in much the same way you did in The Long Dark. However, ARK adds another layer of complexity with its taming and training mechanics. Imagine the thrill of not only surviving against the odds but also taming a dinosaur to fight by your side. The crafting and building systems are also more advanced, offering you a plethora of options to create elaborate bases and equipment.

ARK: Survival Evolved is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $59.99 USD.

12. Scum

If you enjoyed the realism and survival mechanics of The Long Dark, then you'll likely find Scum equally engaging. Scum takes survival to a new level with its highly detailed metabolism system, realistic weather effects, and expansive open-world environment. Much like The Long Dark, you must carefully manage your resources, stay warm, and fend off wildlife. However, Scum adds an extra layer of depth by incorporating online multiplayer, so you can team up with friends or face the challenges alone.

Scum also features an intricate crafting system and base-building elements, allowing you to create shelters and fortifications to protect yourself from both AI dangers and other players. The game’s dynamic weather and day-night cycle will force you to adapt and plan ahead, similar to The Long Dark. The expansive map is filled with abandoned buildings, towns, and natural landscapes that provide both opportunities and threats. The sense of loneliness and tension when exploring these detailed environments will remind you of the haunting yet beautiful wilderness in The Long Dark.

Scum is available on PC, typically priced around $39.99 USD.

11. The Solus Project

If you loved the challenging survival mechanics of The Long Dark, The Solus Project offers a similar experience with a unique twist. Both games thrust you into isolated environments where resource management, crafting, and exploration are key to staying alive. While The Long Dark immerses you in the cold wilderness of the Canadian North, The Solus Project places you on a distant, mysterious planet. This change in setting introduces new challenges and survival mechanics, like dealing with alien weather patterns and discovering ancient relics, which keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.

Moreover, The Solus Project adds a deep storyline that intertwines with its survival aspects, offering a blend of isolation and intrigue. Like in The Long Dark, you'll need to gather resources meticulously, but The Solus Project elevates the experience with environmental storytelling and complex puzzles that reveal the history of the planet. This combination of exploration and narrative keeps players on their toes, making every discovery feel rewarding. The sense of solitude and the constant battle against the elements are beautifully maintained, ensuring that fans of survival games will find themselves right at home.

The Solus Project is available on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, typically priced around $20 USD.

10. Osiris: New Dawn

Osiris: New Dawn shares many of the gripping survival elements that make The Long Dark so compelling, placing you in a perilous, beautifully crafted environment where every decision matters. Like The Long Dark's harsh Canadian wilderness, Osiris: New Dawn situates you on a dangerous alien planet, requiring you to manage resources, fend off threats, and explore your surroundings to survive. Both games create a high-stakes atmosphere where the environment itself becomes a central antagonist, constantly challenging your survival skills and strategic thinking.

Furthermore, Osiris: New Dawn incorporates the same sense of solitude and immersive storytelling found in The Long Dark. As you navigate the alien landscape, you'll uncover the narrative through environmental storytelling and various sci-fi elements, much like how The Long Dark reveals its plot through diaries and abandoned cabins. Both games excel in creating a deeply engaging, solitary experience where every step counts, pulling you into their worlds and making survival feel rewarding and intensely personal.

Osiris: New Dawn is available on PC, typically priced around $24.99 USD.

9. Sheltered

Both Sheltered and The Long Dark offer an immersive survival experience that emphasizes resource management and strategic planning. In Sheltered, much like in The Long Dark, you find yourself in a harsh environment where every decision can mean the difference between life and death. You'll manage limited resources, including food, water, and medical supplies, to keep your family alive in an underground bunker. The sense of urgency and constant threat of danger are elements that will feel very familiar if you've already enjoyed The Long Dark's unforgiving wilderness survival.

In terms of atmosphere, Sheltered captures the same feeling of isolation and vulnerability that you experienced in The Long Dark. While The Long Dark places you in the icy wilderness, Sheltered makes you navigate a post-apocalyptic world filled with potential threats and other survivors. The game forces you to carefully weigh the risks and rewards of venturing out into the unknown, just as you did while braving the blizzards and wolves of The Long Dark. The emotional connection you felt towards your character's survival journey will translate seamlessly into Sheltered, where keeping your family safe adds an extra layer of emotional depth.

Sheltered is available on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC, typically priced around $14.99 USD.

8. Kona

If you loved the atmosphere and survival elements of The Long Dark, Kona is a fantastic game that you'll likely appreciate. Set in the 1970s Canadian wilderness, Kona immerses you in a similarly harsh, cold environment where survival is key. The game combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and survival mechanics, showcasing beautiful yet foreboding landscapes that you must navigate while managing resources like food, heat, and health. Like The Long Dark, Kona creates an atmosphere of solitude and discovery, which is genuinely engaging for players who enjoy introspective and lonely survival experiences.

While The Long Dark focuses primarily on pure survival in an open-world sandbox, Kona adds a rich narrative to the experience, drawing you into a mysterious, supernatural storyline. You play as a detective trying to solve a mystery in a small, abandoned town, making every exploration and discovery feel meaningful and tied to the story. Both games share a methodical pace and a deep sense of isolation, but Kona's storytelling provides an additional layer of intrigue that complements its survival mechanics. The compelling narrative and atmospheric tension will keep you hooked as you unravel the mysteries hidden in the snowy landscape.

Kona is available on multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $19.99 USD.

7. Raft

If you loved The Long Dark, then Raft is a game you should definitely check out. Both games immerse you in a survival experience where resource management is key. In Raft, you begin your journey on a small raft in the middle of an endless ocean, much like the isolated and harsh environments you experience in The Long Dark. You'll need to gather resources, craft tools, and build your raft all while dealing with threats from sharks and the elements, creating a continuous thrill much like surviving the cold wilderness in The Long Dark.

Just like in The Long Dark, Raft gives you the freedom to explore and develop your survival skills in a beautifully engaging world. The game combines survival mechanics with a strong sense of adventure and creativity as you expand your raft and discover new islands to explore. The tension of balancing your needs for food, water, and shelter in Raft will resonate strongly with fans of The Long Dark, making it a familiar yet fresh experience.

Raft is available on PC, typically priced around $19.99 USD.

6. Miasmata

If you enjoyed the atmospheric survival elements of The Long Dark, you'll find Miasmata to be a similarly immersive experience. In Miasmata, you find yourself stranded on a mysterious island where you must rely on your wits and survival skills to uncover the secrets of a deadly plague. Like The Long Dark, Miasmata utilizes realistic survival mechanics such as managing your health, hydration, and navigation, making every decision crucial for your survival. Instead of the freezing wilderness, you'll navigate dense jungles and treacherous terrain, but with the same sense of isolation and vulnerability.

Additionally, both games emphasize the importance of exploration and attention to detail. In Miasmata, your scientific background plays a crucial role as you gather plants and research their medicinal properties—a unique twist on the resource gathering you might be familiar with from The Long Dark. Both titles feature beautifully rendered environments that can be both breathtaking and terrifying, creating an engaging experience as you struggle against the elements and uncover the mysteries lurking in the world around you. Whether it's an uncharted island or the frozen Canadian wilderness, both games offer an equally thrilling and rewarding survival adventure.

Miasmata is available on PC via Steam, typically priced around $14.99 USD.

5. Frozen State

If you enjoyed The Long Dark, you'll find a lot to love about Frozen State. Much like The Long Dark, Frozen State offers an intense survival experience set in a harsh, frozen environment. You'll need to scavenge for supplies, manage your resources carefully, and find shelter to avoid freezing to death. The same sense of foreboding and isolation you felt in The Long Dark is ever-present in Frozen State, making every moment tension-filled and every decision crucial to your survival.

What's really great about Frozen State is its added layer of complexity with a rich storyline and more varied threats. While The Long Dark had you fending off the elements and wildlife, Frozen State introduces terrifying mutants alongside the weather hazards. This combination keeps the gameplay fresh and adds an extra challenge. Additionally, the crafting system in Frozen State allows for a broader range of survival strategies, making it versatile and engaging as you explore the expansive, desolate world set in a post-apocalyptic Siberia.

Frozen State is available on PC, typically priced around $14.99 USD.

4. Survivor Squad

Survivor Squad offers a rich survival experience similar to the well-loved elements of The Long Dark. Like in The Long Dark, you're thrust into a world where managing resources and making critical decisions are essential for your survival. In Survivor Squad, you not only need to fend off hunger and thirst but also deal with threats like zombie hordes and other survivors. Both games emphasize the importance of gathering supplies and utilizing them wisely to build shelters, create tools, and ensure your continued existence in a harsh, unforgiving environment.

The sense of isolation and tension that made The Long Dark compelling is also a key component of Survivor Squad. As you guide a group of survivors, each with their own unique skills and backstories, through procedurally generated maps, you’ll need to adapt to randomized events and the unpredictable nature of the world around you. This element of randomness ensures that no two playthroughs are the same, providing a fresh challenge each time you start anew. The cooperative dynamic among your squad members adds another layer of strategic depth, making you care deeply about the fate of each character, much like the solitary but profound experience of braving the Canadian wilderness in The Long Dark.

Survivor Squad is available on PC through platforms such as Steam, typically priced around $14.99 USD.

3. Frostpunk

If you enjoyed the survival mechanics and harsh winter environment in The Long Dark, then Frostpunk is right up your alley! In Frostpunk, you are thrust into an unforgiving icy wasteland where you must manage a society's last city and its resources to ensure the survival of its inhabitants. Much like The Long Dark, the challenge lies in balancing hope and efficiency while battling the relentless cold. This game adds an intricate layer of city-building and moral decision-making, drawing you into challenging scenarios where every choice has a significant impact on the community's fate.

Both games emphasize the theme of perseverance under extreme weather conditions. While The Long Dark focuses on solitary survival and exploring the vast wilderness, Frostpunk provides a different perspective by putting you in charge of a whole community, requiring you to make decisions that affect many lives. The sense of urgency and the need to continuously adapt to ever-changing circumstances are core experiences shared by both titles. The atmospheric music and striking visuals in Frostpunk will immerse you into a chilling yet captivating world, similar to the engrossing ambiance you've enjoyed in The Long Dark.

Frostpunk is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, typically priced around $29.99 USD.


$5 from G2A

2. No Man's Sky

Related article: 25 Wonderful Games Like No Man's Sky in 2024

Both No Man's Sky and The Long Dark offer rich, immersive experiences centered around survival in vast, uncharted worlds. In No Man's Sky, you'll traverse an expansive, procedurally generated universe filled with unique planets, each with its own set of challenges and ecosystems. Much like The Long Dark's harsh Canadian wilderness, the environments in No Man's Sky are unpredictable and require careful planning and resource management to survive. The thrill of exploration and the constant struggle for survival are core elements that tie both games together, offering players a profound sense of achievement as they overcome the odds.

Another compelling similarity is the emphasis on solitude and self-reliance. In The Long Dark, you navigate the freezing environments alone, constantly battling the perils of nature. No Man's Sky mirrors this sense of isolation with its single-player journey through the cosmos. While the game includes multiplayer options, much of the experience revolves around solo exploration, crafting, and survival. Both games encourage you to learn from your mistakes, adapt to the environment, and make every decision count, creating a deeply engaging and personal adventure.

No Man's Sky is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, typically priced around $59.99 USD.

1. Kenshi

If you loved the survival and open-world exploration aspects of The Long Dark, you'll find Kenshi to be a thrilling alternative! Like The Long Dark, Kenshi drops you into a vast, unforgiving world where survival is paramount. Instead of the icy wilderness, you'll be navigating a harsh, desolate desert teeming with danger and opportunity. Both games emphasize the importance of resource management, whether it's finding food and shelter or gathering supplies and building bases. The level of freedom you have in Kenshi mirrors the open-ended survival experience you cherished in The Long Dark.

Moreover, Kenshi expands on the survival elements by integrating RPG mechanics, allowing you to form your own squad of characters, each with their own skills and roles. This adds an engaging layer of strategy and customization, similar to managing your needs and equipment in The Long Dark. The game's dynamic world continues to evolve whether you're actively participating or simply observing, much like the unpredictable weather and wild animal encounters in The Long Dark. These similarities make Kenshi a captivating game for anyone who enjoys rich, survival-based gameplay with an open-world sandbox feel.

Kenshi is available on PC, typically priced around $29.99 USD.


$15 from G2A

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