Survival Games To Play If You Like Rust

Highlights

• Rust
  is a popular survival game that allows players to form alliances or engage in battle, creating meaningful in-game stories.
• Chernobylite
  is a survival-horror game set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, offering a great survival experience with horror elements.
• Sons of the Forest
  is an acclaimed follow-up to The Forest, providing players with a bigger and more engaging survival horror experience.

The survival genre is saturated now that many developers have attempted to recreate this popular game type. Survival games are characterized by minimal resources, unforgiving environments, and zombies—sometimes. Rust came out in 2013, years before many of the survival games people check out today. While games like ARK: Survival Evolved improved on much of what Rust built, others fall short in terms of content.

Players start as primitive humans who could eventually be flying a helicopter or building bridges. Rust is a fight-or-flight type of game where survival is by any means necessary. Make alliances or prepare for battle; the choice is up to the player. There’s a reason why this game is such a massive hit: allowing players to form meaningful in-game stories as they try to negotiate with survivors and scrounge up as many weapons and supplies as possible.

Updated on August 21st, 2024 by Jacob Buchalter: At this point in time, Rust is probably one of the most recognizable survival games out there. It is both one of the main poster children of the survival genre overall and a game that sort of reinvented the genre as well. There are a lot of games that have come out since Rust first exploded in popularity that have obviously been inspired by Rust or are trying to target the same audience as Rust. So with that in mind, why don’t we take a look at some of the most well-known and most deserving Rust-like games and talk about what exactly makes them so enjoyable to play?

39 Once Human

A Very ‘Otherworldy’ Survival Game

First up is Once Human, a very recent survival game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic future in which an event called The Starfall caused the vast majority of humanity to mutate into these ‘Deviations’.

Players will be in control of their create-a-character, who of course has amnesia, as they slowly find out what’s going on with the world, build a base for themselves, and advance their Meta-Human abilities. As far as survival games go, Once Human is very in-depth, and fans of Rust will likely find a lot of overlap mechanics between the two, which makes it absolutely worth checking out.

38 Nightingale

Surviving in a Victorian London X Faewilds World

Nightingale is another survival game that takes place in a very magical world. Essentially, Nightingale takes place in the Faewilds as the player (and their co-op companions) steadily make their way through all kinds of portals, searching for the last human-run city in the Faewilds, which is also called Nightingale.

This game tries to do a lot of new things as far as survival games go, letting players actually add ‘modifiers’ to the different realms they travel across using different Minor and Major Realm Cards, as well as letting players create their own ‘home’ Realm that they can then give cards to other players so that they can visit said Realm. It’s an incredibly unique game with a lot of depth as far as survival mechanics go, and it has a pretty expansive end-game as well.

37 Palworld

Rust Meets Pokemon

Palworld is the best survival game recommendation for people who happen to be fans of Rust as well as Pokemon games, which is a bigger demographic than one might expect. Palworld has all the FPS gunplay of Rust with all the adorable creatures and creature battling of the Pokemon games mixed in, and it also has a lot of completely unique mechanics as well.

Players who enjoy the raiding aspect of Rust whether that’s attacking other bases or defending their own, will find a lot to love in Palworld as well. And even from a core PvE standpoint, Palworld has a lot of progression to get through, a ton of base-building individuality to explore, and a whole lot of story progression as well.

36 Don’t Starve Together

A Co-op Survival Game With A Dark, Gothic Aesthetic

Don’t Starve is one of the original indie survival games that took the world by storm with its charming aesthetic and hardcore gameplay. Players had to spend a lot of time struggling against all odds before finally understanding how the game works, letting them finally survive a few nights and get a hang of how things work.

Don’t Starve Together adds a multiplayer spin to this game that a lot of fans will have a great time with. The idea of combining one’s survival efforts with a friend is way more riveting than most people would assume, making for a blast as players survive the nights together while dealing with the abominations that try to end their streak.

35 State Of Decay 2

A Survival Game With Base-Building Elements That Can Be Enjoyed With Friends

State of Decay 2 is a fun survival game that shines when players tackle this game in co-op. The base-building elements of this game are pretty addictive as players try to form a base that can handle the toughest assaults without breaking a sweat.

The game’s survival aspects are some of the best parts of the experience, and players will have a blast as they take out a wealth of zombies in a post-apocalyptic world that’s about as harrowing as most people would expect. A group of friends can form some great core memories as they interact with the many mechanics in this fun experience.

34 Darkwood

A Dark, Brooding Survival Game That Uses Its Oppressive Atmosphere Brilliantly

Darkwood‘s oppressive atmosphere is its crowning strength, with the simple addition of a vision cone making the top-down perspective of this game as harrowing as can be. The title is a bit challenging to get into, but players who power through and don’t panic at the sight of enemies will find this game to be an extremely riveting experience.

Despite this game not featuring a multiplayer element, fans of survival horror games should make it a point to check out this incredible title. The game had a noticeable Lovecraftian tinge to it, even if the developers had said that they had no idea about Lovecraft’s work before crafting the story for this title.

33 Chernobylite

A Survival-Horror Game Set In The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

A game set in the infamous wasteland surrounding the Chernobyl Power Plant, Chernobylite is a great survival game with horror elements that fans can check out for themselves. The classic survival gameplay is as enjoyable as they come, making this title a safe bet for Rust fans.

Chernobylite also features a single-player campaign where players take on the role of a scientist searching for their fiancee. It’s a serviceable narrative and compliments the gameplay for the most part, barring some awkward combat-heavy encounters.

32 Sons Of The Forest

A Much-Awaited Follow-up To The Lauded Survival Horror Game

The Forest was a great survival game with horror elements that ended up being a harrowing and rewarding experience as players managed to survive against all the odds. So, suffice it to say, fans were hyped to the moon and back for its sequel, which promised to make things bigger, better, and more engaging than ever before.

While Sons of the Forest did have its fair share of controversies early on, the reception to this title’s Early Access has been nothing short of great, with fans loving the improved mechanics and satisfying survival gameplay loop that players were expecting from this title. Fans can only wait and hope that the narrative lives up to its initial promise and any kinks stemming from its poor performance are ironed out later on in development.

31 Subnautica: Below Zero

Another Hyped Sequel To A Survival Game That Was More Narrative-Focused

Subnautica was a brilliant combination of underwater exploration and survival gameplay, forcing players to get over their thalassophobia and slowly progress through the game, uncovering its mysteries over time. The title clearly did something right since fans couldn’t get over its amazing worldbuilding and fun survival gameplay, even if the challenge wasn’t as high as most people would’ve wanted.

Regardless, it was only a matter of time before a sequel would be greenlit and released, and Subnautica: Below Zero ended up being a worthy continuation of the series’ legacy. The emphasis on the game’s narrative was a step above its predecessor, and most fans appreciated this ambitious approach despite a few flaws that reared their ugly heads throughout the game.

30 Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead

One Of The Most Open-Ended Survival Games Ever Made

No one expected a top-down roguelike survival game with rudimentary graphics to be one of the deepest and most engaging survival games of all time, but this is precisely why Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is such a gem of a title. The game is hardcore, and new players should expect to die over and over again as they come to grasp the game’s mechanics.

The best part about this title is how it rewards player knowledge and skill, letting them mow over most enemies and hazards that were giving them a tough time early on once they become veterans of this game. The title certainly has a barrier to entry, but fans of survival games like Rust who want a challenging experience will love what Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead brings to the table.

29 DayZ

A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Game In A Zombie-Infested World That Started Out As An ARMA 2 Mod

Survival games and zombies make for a great combination, and DayZ is one of the first titles to experiment with this concept. Players are chucked into a massive sandbox with other players, forcing them to scrounge up supplies and survive against the hordes of Infected that populate these areas.

Players can either team up with other survivors or take them out for their loot, making for a great balancing act where trusting any player outright is a recipe for disaster. DayZ‘s compelling gameplay makes it clear why the game initially started as a mod before becoming so successful that it turned into a standalone title.

28 Conan Exiles

A Multiplayer-Focused Survival Game Set In The Conan Universe

The universe of Conan the Barbarian has spawned many games that are worth checking out. This includes everything from single-player action games to MMORPGs that make the most of this world.

One multiplayer survival title set in this universe that fans love is Conan Exiles. Given how savage the world is, players are compelled to gather resources and craft defenses as soon as possible to deal with the many threats in this world.

27 Frostpunk

A City-Building Survival Game Set In The Throes Of A Volcanic Winter

Frostpunk is an excellent combination of city-building and survival gameplay that can be pretty hard to get into at first. Players need to understand the mechanics of this game before realizing the best way possible to tackle the many challenges they have to deal with.

If the game wasn’t challenging enough as is, then players also have to make several tough choices along the way. Everything players do leads to a snowball effect that leads to more challenges further down the line, making Frostpunk a truly engaging title in every way.

26 Medieval Dynasty

A Fun Survival Game Set In Medieval Times

Medieval Dynasty tasks players with building up a settlement in a medieval world by engaging with various crafting and survival elements. The game is less intense than other titles on this list, making it a good game for players who want a more laid-back experience.

The game has a decent learning curve, but it won’t take too long for fans to figure out the best way possible to progress in this title. With enough investment, players will build a populated settlement that will thrive with the right investment.

25 Grounded

Obsidian’s Take On A Survival Game That Feels Like A Playable ‘Honey, I Shrunk The Kids’

Out of all the survival games out there, Grounded has a pretty unique premise. Players are essentially shrunken down to the size of an ant, forcing them to survive in a backyard where regular household pests become massive threats that players need to avoid.

Players need to manage their hunger and thirst levels at all times. A single misstep can lead to a player’s demise, forcing them to build protective bases and craft weapons to aid them against the many threats in the game.

24 This War Of Mine

A Survival Game Focused On The Strife Of Refugees During War

T his War of Mine is one of the most thought-provoking survival games out there. It depicts the lives of refugees during wartime and is downright harrowing to play at times due to how emotional the entire experience is.

The stories that form in this game are pretty memorable in their own right, although they can be a hard pill to swallow at times, too. Thankfully, players shouldn’t take too long to grasp the mechanics of this game so that they can keep casualties to a minimum.

23 Terraria

2D Minecraft-esque Survival Game With Great Post-Launch Support

Most people consider Terraria to be nothing more than a 2D version of Minecraft, which is a huge discredit to the game. After all, there are several things Terraria executes that make it such a unique game in its own right.

Terraria is an amazing game with deep survival mechanics and engaging gameplay. It’s a brilliant title that deserves all the praise in the world and is a fitting recommendation for fans of survival games like Rust.

22 RimWorld

A Complex Management Game With Survival Elements That Will Get Players Invested In These Emergent Narratives

The survival aspects of RimWorld are just a small part of the overall experience. It’s one of the most complex and engaging simulation titles around, with fans of the genre absolutely loving what’s on offer here.

At a glance, RimWorld seems like an exceedingly complicated game. However, a few playthroughs are all that players need to get a grip on the mechanics and enjoy one of the greatest games ever made.

21 Sunless Sea

A Survival-Action Game With Lovecraftian Elements Where Players Explore The Unterzee

Sunless Sea is a Lovecraftian survival-action game that is simply brilliant. Words can’t describe just how amazing this game really is. The sheer number of engaging narratives and an amazing aesthetic are two of the best parts of this game. Its survival mechanics might not be the most fleshed-out of all the games on this list, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Sunless Sea‘s wonderful unterzee is a haunting and wonderful water body to explore, with players doing everything in their power to upgrade their ship and ensure that no harm befalls them during their travels. Sure, players can always start anew after death, but players don’t want their hard-fought progress to be overwritten in a flash.

20 Project Zomboid

A Deceptively Deep Zombie Survival Game

For a game with such a troubled development history, it’s great to see Project Zomboid reach the heights that it deserves. It’s an amazing title that deserves a ton of praise for having a unique take on zombies and survival gameplay.

Project Zomboid‘s visuals are far from what makes it the best experience on this list. Rather, it’s the amazing gameplay that carries this entire experience.