Summary
Released from early access in 2024 by The Fun Pimps,7 Days To Dieis a sandbox survival crafting game with strong horror undertones.Players must fight, build, and crafttheir way through a decaying world ravaged by zombies. Every seventh day, a frenzied horde will arrive, bringing with it death, destruction, and devastation.
Among7 Days to Die’smost commendable features is its addictive gameplay loop that sees players explore more dangerous environs to gain increasingly more powerful weapons. This game also gives players unprecedented freedom to explore its elaborate, well-designed locations. Whether players want to spend their seven days crafting, building, or dying repeatedly to the undead masses, the choice is theirs. For those looking for a similar experience that touches on one (or several) of7 Days To Die’s core elements, this list is just for you.
Project Zomboidis a survival craftinggame with horror undertones. In this game, players must survive alone or with friends in the remains of a world that has recently fallen to a zombie apocalypse. Exploration is as exciting as it is terrifying, and a deadly horde could be lurking around every corner.
Like7 Days to Die,Project Zomboidgives players total freedom in how, or even if, players traverse the land. Build, explore, or cower within a building; the choice is up to the player. Be warned though — with a complex ‘needs’ system, there’s only so long players can hide from the apocalypse before hunger and thirst drive them to explore thezombie-infested cities.
Cataclysm: Dark Days Aheadis a single-player turn-based survival game that sees players dropped in the middle of the apocalypse. Build, craft, and fight to survive in a world afflicted by all manner of apocalypses, from aliens to Lovecraftian horrors. Of all these apocalypses, the zombie plague that consumed humanity is the most frequently encountered.
A world like no other, this game gives players unprecedented freedom. From the weapons players wield to the skills they develop, or even the bases they inhabit, players get to choose it all. Build impenetrable fortresses, purge cities of the undead, or become a meat-cleaving cyborg; players can do all that and more. Anyone who loved the apocalyptic freedom of7 Days To Dieis in for a treat with this game!
Unturnedis a multiplayer survival exploration game with a distinct cartoon design. Make no mistake, though; these blocky zombies are still terrifying, especially in hordes! In this game, players must survive, build, and explore a world that has recently fallen victim to a zombie apocalypse.
Similarly to7 Days To Die,Unturnedboasts a visually and mechanically diverse array of zombies for players to fight. From acid spitters to zombies that explode upon death, players always need to be on their toes if they want to keep their heads. The zombies ofUnturnedalso have crawling and sprinting variants, adding to the complexities of combat and evasion.
The Forestis a multiplayer survival horror game where players find themselves trapped on a tropical island following a plane crash. This island is far from paradise, however, as it is infested with cannibals and humanoid mutants. Players must explore and fight their way through the wilderness to uncover the story of this island and escape its clutches.
Players who enjoyed the horde mechanics of7 Days To Diewill thoroughly enjoyThe Forest’scannibals, who will periodically attack the player and their bases with hulking mutants in tow.The Forestalso presents players with an expertly designed network of caves to explore. Each expedition into the depths is more terrifying and claustrophobic than the last.
Fallout 4is a single-player open-world RPG set in a nuclear wasteland. Hundreds of years on from the nuclear war that ravaged the planet, the player awakens from cryogenic sleep. The safety of their nuclear vault has been compromised, and they must now embark on a quest through a wilderness filled with mutant monsters, raiders, and the undead.
Like7 Days To Die,Fallout 4allows players to explore a ‘what if?’ scenario, one that gives the game eerie, almost horror-like undertones. These apocalyptic worlds are, after all, so similar to those that the real-life player inhabits.Fallout 4also hasextensive base-building mechanicsthat closely resemble7 Days To Die’s, with players using much of the material they gather during expeditions for building.
Dead Islandis an open-world survival horror game where players are caught amid a zombie outbreak. Stranded on a tropical island, players must fight, craft, and explore their way through the unrelenting hordes of the undead to escape. Zombies are as fun to kill as they are terrifying to encounter, especially in groups.
Dead Islandexpands upon theweapon modification and craftingseen in7 Days To Die, allowing players to craft a plethora of flashy weapons, all with different features and rarities. This is all within a gameplay loop that sees players gain ever increasingly more powerful weapons.Dead Islandalso boasts a variety of zombie types with unique designs, abilities, and environments in which they can be found.
2Don’t Starve
Change Over Time & Needs Management
Don’t Starveis a single-player crafting game with distinct horror undertones both in its atmosphere and art style. Players find themselves stranded on an inescapable island inhabited by fantastical creatures, many of which are deadly.Survival in this game is paramount, as players only get a single life.
Similar to7 Days To Die,Don’t Starve’sworld gets increasingly more challenging over time as players face periodic waves of hounds akin to7 Days To Die’sseventh-day hordes. Like these hordes, hound waves get more powerful and larger over time.Don’t Starvealso has a well-designed needs management system that requires players to balance exploration with maintaining their needs, both presently and in the future.
Subnauticais an open-world survival crafting game that is as beautiful as it is utterly terrifying. Following a spaceship crash, players find themselves stranded on an oceanic planet. Players must learn to survive in this alien world, overcoming their fear of its dark depths, so that they may find the resources necessary to escape.
Like7 Days To Die, players must explore terrifying environments where jump scares are common and death could be lurking around every corner. The game can go from calm and peaceful to an intense battle for survival in a split second.Subnauticaalso features a gameplay loop akin to that of7 Days To Diewhere players overcome an area,gain its unique materials, and craft stronger equipment.
