There are many games like DayZ out there, all of which really manage to impress with their survival features and great attention to detail. The advantage when it comes to DayZ and other games like it is that you get to have a massive open world filled with dangers. You get to choose how you play, how you adapt and implement everything properly. Which makes you wonder, what games like DayZ can you enjoy at this time? Here are some prime examples of titles that you should keep in mind if the want the open world adventure games.
7 Days to Die
This game is an interesting one because it maintains the zombie theme you have in DayZ. What makes it really cool is that it has a lot of food and materials spread all over the game world. So you are always encouraged to explore and find new locations, fulfill quests and so on. You can establish a base or you can just spend the night in a place and continually move. The zombies you can find in this game are very powerful. Therefore, it’s crucial to create a great arsenal if you want to stay alive.
The Forest
The Forest is one of the best games like DayZ . In the beginning, you survive a plane crash and you are continually hunted by a group of cannibals. Some of those are very tactical, while others are tame. That being said, you do end up facing a lot of dangers in the game. That’s why you need to surpass their intelligence and focus on enjoying the experience. You never really know what each day might bring you. As such, taking good care of yourself and preparing for enemy attacks is imperative here. It’s a fun game and certainly worth a try.
Survarium
Survarium has a unique take because it brings you in a post apocalyptic world very similar to the USSR. A strange force ended up wiping most of the population. Thus, you need to explore the world, harness resources and build a faction. It’s a free to play game which is always a plus. Furthermore, this entire world is filled with demanding situations and great adventures for you to try out. The game does a very good job at bringing that survival element in front. It’s also exciting and fun. You will find yourself having a whole lot of fun!
Rust
If you want to play one of the best games like DayZ, Rust is a stellar option. This is a multiplayer survival game where you need to gather resources, create a base and survive on a map filled with other players. Yes, every player here needs to try and stay alive. This is accomplished either by becoming a pacifist or just wiping everyone from the map. The game has been in development for close to a decade. Yet, it continues to stand out as one of the top titles that everyone wants to play. This is especially true when it comes to survival experiences. It takes the DayZ survival experience while bringing in a sense of collaboration and competition. All of this really delivers an amazing result and tremendous quality for everyone that enjoys this type of games.
Contagion
Contagion is another one of the games like DayZ which retain the zombie element. This game is unique however because it maintains the cooperative element and also brings PVP elements. There are many zombie infected environments here where you need to survive. You also end up playing with others trying to survive the zombie horde. While it’s not as visually impressive like other titles in this list, it still has an avid player base and many people enjoy playing it because it’s a lot of fun.
State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 is one of those titles that everyone enjoys because it has a massive open world. Yet, it’s more story-driven of a game than DayZ is. You still have a very good survival element. But, you do have a reason to visit new locations and exploring the map is very exciting and fun. Not only that, but the game itself is very realistic and you truly feel like a part of that game world. Plus, you will be quite impressed with the visual style and quality.
Dying Light / Dying Light 2
The Dying Light game series is similar to the title above since it helps bring in a cool, unique story, while also offering an innovative gameplay. The parkour elements in here are great. It’s still one of the best games like DayZ because it has a massive open world and exciting, rewarding and innovative gameplay elements. It’s more of an RPG with a great progression system and lots of weapons. The game itself will impress you with its great style and attention to detail. Yes, this really is an exciting game and one that a lot of people will like, just because it’s so fun and different.
Subsistence
This is one of the most interesting games like DayZ despite zombies not being the enemy here. You have all kinds of animals and hunters that try to hunt you. In this game, you need to try and eliminate the enemy bases while also staying alive and acquiring resources. It’s a wonderful open-world survival game with different challenges and stakes, but it’s still immensely fun and enjoyable too.
Project Zomboid
The title takes place in Knox County where you need to keep people alive, while also acquiring supplies and avoiding zombies. The cool thing that many games like DayZ don’t have, and this one does is the fact you get a sandbox mode. You can change the number of zombies here, but also weather conditions and other mechanics.
Project Zomboid just encourages you to play with things and see which one actively brings you the excitement and fun you are interested in. Yes, it can take a bit of time to get used to some of the mechanics. Yet, it’s incredibly exciting and fun to play as well.
Miscreated
It’s similar to most games like DayZ, since you have a post-apocalyptic world that was destroyed. In this case, there was a biological war which mutated a lot of creatures. It turned them into something very similar to zombies. Needless to say, your role here is to try and create a base, collect items and scraps to stay alive and build a base, while also killing these enemies. It’s not simple, but it will help you improve your skills and test yourself against all the challenges that can arise in this demanding game world.
Infestation The New Z
When you want to play games like DayZ, the zombie element is pretty common, and this game is no exception. This game is basically a battle royale and the main focus is to explore the world, acquire items and build up your stash to stay alive. The person that’s the last one standing will win. The interesting thing too is that aside from players you are also fighting zombies that try to kill everyone. You can play on your own or in teams of 5 people. It’s a nice take on the survival idea and many people like it because it’s inventive, fun and enjoyable.
Hurtworld
A great thing about Hurtworld is the fact that it comes with more depth when compared to most survival games with a huge open world. It still retains the games like DayZ vibe, but you do get a lot more weapons and you can also go deep into the crafting process. The main focus for this game is on map control. And yes, this is more for the hardcore gamers and not for someone that’s just a beginner. Despite the fact that the audience is not that large, it still managed to carve a great niche for itself and many players come to it often.
Hunt: Showdown
In this game you become a bounty hunter and your focus is to try and kill as many monsters as you can. You can use the dark sight as a way to find enemies and kill them properly. There are also tons of other enemies that want to capture monsters too, so you have to fight against them and see what you can do. It’s a very good concept and one that a lot of people enjoy. The game has a consistent, large player base and it also brings in a wide range of gameplay mechanics. One of the most interesting is Hunt Showdown’s prestige system. Prestige lets players reset their gameplay progression in exchange for the ability to show off their skills.
Desolate
In Desolate you have enemies that came from experiments which ended up going wrong. The player is a part of a volunteer team that needs to scour an island to see what happened with the people here. It’s quite challenging and even a bit scary, but also a lot of fun since you must craft weapons, stay alive and also store meds and foods. The ammo in this game is a premium item, so you do need to rely on melee, which makes the game quite tactical and engaging.
Dead Frontier 2
The premise in Dead Frontier 2 is that you are in a small town infested with zombies and a lot of other monsters. What can you do here? The main focus is to try and fight your way through to complete objectives. It’s definitely a challenge and one of those things that can end up being a massive situation to deal with. That being said, you will find that the game offers you great places to explore, items to acquire and all kinds of stuff you need to craft. Since it’s an MMO at its core, this title has new updates coming in often too.
Colony Survival
Colony Survival is a voxel based game very similar to Minecraft. However, it’s also in the games like DayZ category where you need to explore the world, acquire items and craft them to create your own base. You do need to offer 50 food credits to every colony member, otherwise they die. So it’s definitely a game where survival can be tough, and you really need to tackle these things as much as you can. It’s a cool concept and one that you will be amazed with all the time.
Days Gone
Even if Days Gone is a singleplayer game, it’s a very good one because it tells a really cool story in a zombie filled world. The open world created here is incredible and you do have a vast range of fun missions and challenges that you need to fulfill. On top of that, it captures the atmosphere of games like DayZ, while also bringing in more focus on story. That’s why Days Gone is a top tier, more cinematic game and one that a lot of players will like just because it’s more fun and innovative when compared to others.
Fallout 76
The MMO variant of Fallout is actually quite good, now that it expanded and it got ironed out. The game world created here is incredible and the title does a lot of things right. The game has great NPCs now and you do have a very good survival element, great gameplay mechanics and you can also explore the locations with a friend if you want. It’s definitely one of the better games like DayZ right now, and the fact that it has constant updates is what really sets it apart when compared to other titles in this list.
Final Thoughts on Great Games like DayZ
As you can see, there’s no shortage of great games like DayZ, you just have to find the right ones that suit your needs. These open worlds are incredible, filled with dangers and challenges, and you will find yourself impressed with the depth and gameplay options. It’s always exciting to play such a game, and rest assured that there’s a lot of content to unravel and zombies or mutated creatures to kill. It’s amazing to see how well these games like DayZ play, and how many more survival experiences you get to have thanks to them. Give these a try today and have fun exploring some of the most beautiful, but also treacherous open world games!
