There are thousands of choices for survival games these days. When Rust debuted back in 2013, it introduced a genre that was “not viable” before that. Nowadays, many developers are giving everything they can to create a game as legendary as Rust.
Don’t get me wrong there are some exceptional titles out there. However, for the most part, many of them fail to capture the most important aspects in a survival game.
Even though Rust was amazing back in the day, it was still almost seven years ago. Since then new technologies and new standards came into light, and there are some strong contenders to Rust now.
There is a particular immersive feeling you get when you play survival games. That’s why we will give you the 10 BEST games like Rust, so you can enjoy surviving in harsh environments with little resources!
Best 10 Games Like Rust
We tried to condense as much categories for the judgement of these games. We tried to keep it as close to Rust as possible, but some games will be of similar nature but radically different.
Those are honorable mentions and even though they aren’t exactly like Rust, they’re worth the mention and worth to be considered.
These are the best games like Rust:
1. The Forest![]()
We start of with a banger! This one is far more detailed and realistic than Rust, partly due to the fact that it was released five years later.
Another thing which is interesting for this game is the fact that there is a story in it, something which survival games usually lack. You survive a plane crash with your son, and you encounter horrible conditions and creatures.
You fight to survive and build yourself a base, shelter, tools, and anything that will help you survive. Notice how I said “creatures”. This game is not only a survival game, but dips its foot into the horror genre as well.
Overall a highly immersive and detailed game, with mechanics that are best in its class. You can’t go wrong if you choose this one as an alternative to Rust.
Available on: PC and PS4
2. The Long Dark![]()
The second contender for the best games like Rust is The Long Dark. This one has one of the most interesting setting for its plot.
It takes you to places like the North Pole, where survival is usually the most difficult, depending on who you ask. Even though there aren’t any zombies in this game, unlike the other ones we will mention in this list, survival is extremely difficult.
There are aspects to this game which are completely unique and sometimes there are dangers which you don’t expect that will creep up on you.
It was released as an early access for quite some time, before being released fully to the whole world. But as we have seen in the past that is probably a good thing because it allows developers to optimize and mitigate any issues or bugs in the game before its debut.
This title is great for survival game enthusiasts, and cold places prove to be locations, where a lot can go wrong!
Available on: PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch
3. ARK: Survival Evolved![]()
Another unique title is undoubtably ARK: Survival Evolved. Firstly, it has a unique world where dinosaurs exist.
The stakes are high, and you don’t always know whether a dinosaur lurks around the corner. Nonetheless, while certainly these creatures are stone cold killers that hunt you, you can hunt them as well.
On top of that, if you are feeling particularly strong and potent, you can even ride them. There is a multiplayer feature to this game which makes it an excellent choice if you want to play with your friends or random people.
There are thousands of public and private servers which you can join to survive together instead of feeling lonely in solo play. There are tons of things to do, and chances are that you won’t get bored quite easily.
Like The Long Dark, it was available for quite some time in early access, and since then it has become a stable and well-known title.
Even though it’s quite different than Rust, it’s worth to mention it in this list of best games like Rust.
Available on: PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Android
4. Raft![]()
Raft is also a different style of game than Rust, but in its nature, it is still a survival game. Boy you can have fun on this game.
The basic premise of this game might not sound like something particularly interesting. Hearing that you build a raft and collect junk from the ocean for resources doesn’t seem like a recipe for success.
But interestingly, it is. Although there are some quirks to its gameplay and mechanics, I would still consider it as one of the most fun from the bunch.
There are sharks which will attack and destroy your raft which makes it more fast-paced. You must create more platforms as fast as possible, so that the sharks don’t destroy your whole raft.
Thankfully, you don’t need to spend the whole time on your raft. You can come across islands, and man-made objects which can help you reach the end goal, i.e. to save yourself.
I would highly recommend this game to anyone. My only dissatisfaction is that the world generates around the raft, so if you lose your raft, it’s game over!
Available on: PC and Linux
5. No Man’s Sky![]()
If you want the most detailed and immersive exploration experience, look no further. I remember before this game launched how much anticipation and hype there was for it.
When it launched not everyone was pleased, since most of the pillars of interest weren’t implemented to the game, but the developers quickly delivered on their promise and added the features and mechanics after its launch.
Nonetheless, this game is immensely detailed and features a huge world. By world, I mean worlds. It’s a space exploration game allowing you to travel different planets and stars.
It’s radically different to Rust, but if you’re a survival and exploration fanatic, then you must play No Man’s Sky!
It’s a big game so isn’t available for most platforms, but at least it is available on the next-gen platforms. Ready to explore some unbelievable worlds?
Available on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and X, and PC
6. Minecraft![]()
I guess it won’t be a surprise to many that Minecraft made it into this list. Most of you will already be familiar with this title, since it remains one of the most popular survival games, or games in general for that matter.
To this day, it features survival aspects, crafting capabilities, and mechanics which are unparalleled. Yes, it does have boxy graphics, but I think that is what make Minecraft better than everyone.
The boxy graphics allowed for some features and mechanics, which made Minecraft excel much more than other games. For example, the chunk system is the best system to mimic a never ending open-world experience.
Another interesting and frankly a big plus is that if you don’t have a powerful gaming system, i.e. not that powerful of a graphics card, you don’t need to worry.
This is because Minecraft is a CPU heavy game, which means most of the game runs through your CPU. However, you do need a strong processor for it though.
Available on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Java, iOS, Android, Mac, Wii U, Linux, PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Windows Phone, and Fire OS
7. Green Hell![]()
Green Hell is the first one in this best game like Rust list that has an objective-based survival system. To progress, you will need to complete the objectives that the game gives you.
Even though that’s true, don’t get discouraged that the game has limitations as to what you can do in the world. There are till a million of things to do, and you have the freedom that you will get with the other titles.
What makes this game so good, is how beautiful the graphics and the world look like. The plot and story unfold in the Amazon rainforests.
Looking at it from a first-person perspective really does this game justice. There are some quirks here and there, but nothing too major.
If you want a graphically inapt experience with the harsh Amazon rainforests, then Green Hell is the game for you!
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
8. 7 Ways to Die![]()
This one is pretty bizarre. Even though it came about to the Steam Store as early as 2013, this game is still in early access.
When I said that early access is great for developers for troubleshooting and optimizing, I didn’t mean 7 years of it.
Nonetheless, if you can get around that fact, this game is pretty enjoyable. It combines a couple of genres into one. Despite what you might think, it isn’t as though this game tries to be a few different games at once.
It does a phenomenal job of blending a couple of genres together. Ultimately, it brings a couple of different mechanics and styles that earn it a spot in this best game like Rust list.
There are tons of weird and unusual creatures, which some might find horrific. They will attack you as herds of zombies, and you will have to defend by building things and attacking.
It’s a first-person perspective, and even though it has been in early access for quite a while now, it hasn’t fully expanded and improved.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Mac, Linux, PC
9. Don’t Starve![]()
Until now we’ve mostly covered games that are either first or third-person. But we haven’t covered an overhead view game.
Don’t Starve fits that role and it is for survival lovers who also play MOBAs, maybe? Well, I like to think so. Furthermore, despite my dissatisfaction with this game, there is no getting around the fact that this game has an interesting concept and it is fun to play.
Like I said, it offers a radically different playstyle to the ones that I mentioned before. You can play this one more laid back, since you get a pretty good view of your surroundings.
Even if that’s true, don’t feel too safe because there are still some powerful and scary enemies out there!
The color scheme that is implemented in the game is not for everyone, it feels darkish and scary, and for some bland as well. Still, if you can ignore a couple of things that this game does wrong, it can be pleasurable playing experience.
However, if you want the best multiplayer experience, then you will have to get the expansion pack for it, it’s called “Don’t Starve Together.”
Available on: PC, PS3, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Linux, Mac
10. Subnautica![]()
Have you ever wondered how it would be like to explore the ocean’s depths? How could one survive such conditions? Well, it’s possible in Subnautica.
Its setting is in the depths of the ocean, here you can explore, hunt, build, and survive. You play a scuba diver, but you can also use a submarine to move around.
The mechanics and gameplay in Subnautica are pretty surprising. To this day, there is a big fanbase for this game even though it was released a while ago. Furthermore, there is a growing
interest in the community to bring back this awe-inspiring game.
The keyword for this game is exploration. It puts a lot of emphasis on it, and frankly with good reason. The world in Subnautica is amazing, with never-ending depths filled with unusual and beautiful things.
Survival is a part of it, but you kind of get the sense that the developers didn’t feel the need to focus that much on it. It’s not bad by any means, but it certainly can be better.
Nevertheless, if you are not one to shiver from unusual depths, and you like an exploring game, then Subnautica it’s for you.
It made it in this list for the best games like Rust, because back in the day, Rust’s world felt endless much like Subnautica.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mac, PC
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