18 Games Like Rust
Our list of games like Rust features other survival adventures where you will battle the environment, AI and other players as you acquire resources and allies.
Rust launched its alpha through Steam Early Access in late December 2013 and looked to provide its own combination of popular titles and genres at the time. While on initial release Rust used zombies as a key enemy these were eventually removed to focus on challenging players to survive against the elements, wildlife and other players instead. With only a single life for your character to make a name for yourself it’s a journey of constant fear and strange encounters which utilises open world and crafting mechanics.
Shaping the game world is also at the heart of the Rust experience with players able to forge tools, weapons and houses to increase their chances of survival and influence the game server in other ways. With the large range of resources needed and the potential upgrades to find through the blueprint system Rust encourages players to group together to form factions and even raid others in large group engagements.
The games like Rust on this page focus on other games were survival is a key theme. While the majority of the games here are multiplayer focused some of the options are single player adventures which provide a balance of PvP and PvE opportunities.
Planet Calypso
Planet Calypso leverages the framework of Entropia Universe to create a science fiction MMO with a wealth of content, mechanics and sizeable community waiting to be explored. Most notably is the adoption of a game currency that is closely tied with real money that provides the potential for players to profit from their activities within the virtual game world. Starting in 2003 as the first planet of Entropia Universe (which now has more than half a dozen planets that offer different gameplay) Pl...[Read Review]
Haven and Hearth
Haven and Hearth is a free to play survival based MMORPG for Windows that challenges you to fight for survival in an unforgiving game world with permanent death if you fail in the deadly environment. Fighting off animals, hunger and even other players due to the integrated PvP mechanics Haven and Hearth should not be entered lightly. Currently under development by a small team Haven and Hearth is fundamentally free to play with the full suite of game content available to players without paying a...[Read Review]
The Long Dark
In The Long Dark players will be taking on the harsh environment of the Canadian wilderness and the threats that lie within across several challenging game modes. Set after a global disaster leaves the world without power players step into the shoes of a crash landed pilot who finds himself surrounded by the cold dark environment of the wild. As one would expect from this setting players will find themselves immersed in first person survival and exploration as you navigate and scavenge from the ...[Read Review]
Stranded 2
Stranded 2 is a free to play 3D game that challenges you to survive by yourself on an island as you explore and craft to improve your chances of survival. Building on the original Standard game by offering improved graphics, larger islands, additional items and higher levels of randomisation you’ll get plenty of more hours of Stranded gameplay with this sequel. Allowing players to play either through the story mode that gives you goals and objectives to achieve over four islands or the sandbox m...[Read Review]
Miasmata
Miasmata is a unique survival adventure that has you attempting to cure yourself from a deadly disease that has infected your body. The only thing that stands between you and your death is the scientific knowledge that you hold about the plant life that is scattered around your remote island location which requires you to explore and craft your way to a cure. Miasmata is one of the most unique and impressive adventure games released in recent years and even more impressive when you factor in the...[Read Review]
Fallen Earth
Fallen Earth is a MMO that combines FPS and role playing features with its post-apocalyptic game world to deliver an experience akin to the modern games in the Fallout series. Fallen Earth originally launched in 2009 as a paid MMO game before transitioning to a free to play game in 2011, it was later shut down for a temporary 2 year period between October 2019 and October 2021. Fallen Earth is centred around the Grand Canyon area which is now a wasteland after a series of devastating natural eve...[Read Review]
State of Decay
State of Decay combines the open world genre with a zombie outbreak to create a large and challenging adventure that has you leading a settlement of survivors through a number of trials. First released on the Xbox 360 in 2013 the title was quickly brought to Windows and eventually remastered in a Year-One Survival Edition version that also added Xbox One support. The fictional Trumbull Valley is the setting for this zombie adventure and feels like a small to medium sized rural area in the real w...[Read Review]
Wurm Online
Wurm Online is a sandbox style MMORPG that has a creative focus allowing you to create your own adventure in a medieval themed world. Players can play Wurm Online with a basic account for free but to remove some restrictions you will have to commit to a subscription based premium account. Following the initial 2012 release a stand alone paid version was launched in 2015 known as Wurm Unlimited gives players the toolkit they need to have their own single player adventure or host a multiplayer ser...[Read Review]
Infestation: The New Z
Infestation: The New Z offers another iteration on the open world survival genre with close ties to The War Z and Infestation: Survivor Stories games before it to offer a familiar experience in a reset game world. Like these games that predate it players will explore the free to play world as they co-operate with friends and battle through PvP to ultimately survive in the harsh game world. Ignoring the rocky history that this franchise has had with countless development issues and decisions that...[Read Review]
CastleMiner Z
CastleMiner Z is a sequel to the popular Xbox Live Indie Game of CastleMiner while also bringing the series to the computer environment via Steam. While the original CastleMiner was a creatively focused experience the sequel pushes the game into survival orientated gameplay instead aligning it with other games in the genre that offer a survival sandbox experience in a block based game world. This CastleMiner Z block based gameplay also features mechanics that are familiar to the genre with zombi...[Read Review]
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)
Starting the battle royale craze in 2017Â PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) quickly commanded an audience of millions and gave birth to a wider genre that would dominate the gaming industry for years to come. Subsequent to its success on Xbox One and Windows the game was released on the PlayStation 4 and on mobile devices (iOS/Android) with a free price tag to compete with other mobile free to play battle royale titles. Based on a mod created by Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene...[Read Review]
Sir, You Are Being Hunted
Sir, You Are Being Hunted is one of the more unique games to be released in recent years with its offering of stealth gameplay combined with free roaming sandbox mechanics. As the name might suggest players spend their time being hunted in a procedurally generated game world by killer robots. Unlike the zombies, mutants or humans of other games these British themed robot opponents give Sir, You Are Being Hunted a unique setting over other stealth and survival titles. Players find themselves in t...[Read Review]
Unturned
Focusing on zombie survival the free to play multiplayer game known as Unturned spent 3 years in Early Access before its final release on the Steam platform in July 2017. Since release the game has not only proved popular in its core gameplay but also the Arena mode which is similar to battle royale titles such as PUBG. In November 2020 the game was expanded to consoles with releases on PS4 and Xbox One as a paid experience. Regardless of the game mode players opt for the same basic premise rema...[Read Review]
Dead Island
In Dead Island you’ll explore an open island environment as you try to prevent being eaten by zombies by finding whatever melee weapons you can find around the place. Following the adventure of four survivors who are looking to escape the island you’ll fight alone or with friends in a melee combat orientated zombie title for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. The setting for this zombie infestation is the luxury tropical resort on the island known as Banoi. After a night of wild part...[Read Review]
Dead Island: Riptide
Dead Island: Riptide is the second game in the Dead Island series and continues on with familiar lore and mechanics from your previous adventure but takes place on a whole new island which keeps it accessible to newcomers to the franchise. Launching in 2013 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 its an overall similar experience released only two years after the success of the original zombie beat down title. The events in Dead Island: Riptide occur right after those of the first Dead Island game although th...[Read Review]
ZombiU
ZombiU (Zombi on non Wii U platforms) brings the zombie genre onto Nintendo’s platform with an amazing and horrifying experience that shows off some unique mechanics and potential of the Wii U. On non Wii-U platforms some of these features are taken out or redesigned while still retaining the impressive fundamental design of the primary Wii U version mot notably the fantastic London setting and horror tones that are magnified by the permanent death mechanic with some graphical improvements along...[Read Review]
Escape from Tarkov
Using a realistic military shooter as its base and adding layers of deadly difficulty is Escape From Tarkov, a title under development by the Russian studio of Battlestate Games. The core premise of Escape From Tarkov has players scavenging instanced maps for resources while avoiding the threats of other players and AI which in turn can be used to improve your own gear to take on greater challenges. Starting development in 2012 Escape From Tarkov was first shown to players through a 2016 alpha a...[Read Review]
Mortal Online
Offering a hardcore sandbox experience Mortal Online is not a game for the faint-hearted player where your death can lead to losing a significant amount of equipment due to the full loot on death mechanic. Set in a deep medieval fantasy realm with medieval themes the struggle for life in Mortal Online is a real challenge for even MMO veterans with their customised character avatar. Released in 2010 a sequel with similar mechanics and setting (Mortal Online 2) was released in 2021. The world for ...[Read Review]