15 Survival Games Like 'Rust' to Play

Facepunch Studios gave the survival genre something special when they released Rust. A multiplayer-only game that is truly the embodiment of ‘survival of the fittest’, players are dropped into the wilderness with next to nothing, just a rock, and a torch, and must do whatever they need to make it to the end. That means cannibalizing other players, staying well-fed, building bases, killing bears and/or wolves, and more. But if you’re a fan of the game, you already know that.

If you’ve had your dose of Rust and are looking for some alternatives that offer a similar experience in one way or another, then we’re here to help you out. We’ve compiled a list of 15 games like Rust. In alphabetical order, here they are.

Many refer to this game as the zombie version of Rust and while that’s probably an oversimplification, it’s similar enough that it’s a must-play if you want something like Rust. In fact, at this point, it’s probably a must-play in the genre. As the name suggests, 7 Days To Die sees players having to survive a week in the wild. The first day or two might seem easy, but wait until you’re fighting off hordes of zombies.

Ark: Survival Evolved truly offers a world of its own like few games do. Across its 19 square miles, there are nearly 200 different animals which are made up of dinosaurs, phoenixes, woolly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers and more. There is a day-night cycle and you can play the game from either a first-person or third-person perspective. You can also craft a wide variety of resources like scopes and flashlights for weapons.

Boundless has many aspects to it that are pretty much standard in the survival genre but where it makes itself unique is in its aesthetics. The character you play as is customizable and the world is made up of different shapes and blocks, giving it a different feel from other offerings in the same genre. It’s also a MMORPG so you can go it alone or team up with some friends, the latter of which changes your options a little.

We’re not handing out trophies for guessing what the aim of this game is. In a randomly generated open world, players must help Wilson, Willow, or Woodie simply survive as long as possible. To keep you motivated and to help you track your progress, there’s a count on-screen. Like many survival games, in the daytime, you’ll collect resources and in the night time, you’ll have to fight off enemies.

Whereas many games on this list have randomly generated Creepy Jar’s Green Hell puts players in the Amazon rainforest. It’s not just some pixelated trees or anything either. This game is one of the most visually stunning on this list and in the genre as a whole. It also stands out because players have objectives to complete and there was even a story added.

For people who have only ever heard of Minecraft, seeing it on here might be strange, but the Survival mode on the game has become its own game for many. The game has also had a resurgence as of late, not that it ever went out of style. The building aspect of the game remains in this mode but you’ll also have to fight off creepers and other enemies that spawn.

If when No Man’s Sky came out in 2016 you heard that fans who were anticipating the game were slightly disappointed at launch, don’t be put off by it. Since the release, Hello Games put a lot of work into adding to the game. No Man’s Sky starts you off on a strange planet next to a crashed spaceship, which you can repair to travel to other parts of space.

In Raft, you start off with what is essentially a single plank of wood and a fishing rod. From there, you fish out different materials with which you upgrade your raft. You’ll also have to manage your hunger and thirst. Of course, it wouldn’t be a great survival game without some enemies and naturally, in the water are hungry sharks.

Rising World boasts a couple of hundred different variations of building materials, a world that can be fully modified, blueprints that can be shared with a community of like-minded players, a multiplayer option, and a free server. If that’s not enough to make you try the game, we really don’t know what is.

The sequel to 2013’s State Of Decay was released in 2018 and just like its predecessor, it involves players building a community and defending it against swarms of zombies. The game puts emphasis on scavenging for loot. Some have criticized it for a lack of depth, but it’s worth picking up once at least. If you’re a fan, you can rejoice because the game that will complete the trilogy is on its way.

Stranded Deep puts you in the position of a plane crash survivor who finds themselves on an island where there are animals and groups of people who want you dead. Sources of food and water are scarce, which makes managing hunger and thirst particularly difficult to manage. If you were a fan of Castaway, there are little nods to it.

Many games in the survival genre offer similar things and the little details are where they differentiate themselves. However, Subnautica has one massive difference that draws people in. It’s set almost entirely underwater. You’ll have to maneuver through the ocean on an alien planet called 4546B. The day and night sequel is cool because it affects visibility here. If you’re a fan, the sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero, is currently in early access.

Just like Stranded Deep, the plot to Endnight Games’ offering here is that you have survived a plane crash. But this time, your son, Timmy, has survived with you. On the forested peninsula that you find yourselves also are cannibalistic mutants who behave strangely in the night. However, they’re intentionally not always violent. You can play the game to figure out why and what the developers wanted to do with them.

Once again, here you take on the role of a plane crash survivor. Developers of The Long Dark really went below the surface when it comes to things you have to manage to survive. The weather, your body temperature, and caloric intake all play a factor, which has made the game notoriously difficult, even to big fans of the genre. But that just makes surviving the Canadian wilderness all the more rewarding.

Before you read on, Utopia: Origin is only available for mobile players. Naturally, only available for iOS and Android, its graphics aren’t its biggest selling point, but that doesn’t really matter here. HK Hero Entertainment’s game sees players gathering a lot of resources and using motorcycles, horses, or dragons to travel around its world. There’s a PvP option too.