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. This 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 you want to find new, amazing, open-world, survival, adventure games.
1. 7 Days to Die – One of the Most Similar Games to DayZ
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.
2. 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.
3. Survarium
Survarium has a unique take because it brings you to a post-apocalyptic world very similar to the USSR. A strange force ended up wiping out 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 of bringing that survival element in front. It’s also exciting and fun. You will find yourself having a whole lot of fun!
4. 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 the survival genre. It was so iconic and transformative that we have created a review of the best games like Rust for you to check out.
Related Article: Does the Rust Game Support Cross Platform Multiplayer?
5. 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 as 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.
6. State of Decay 2 – Another Zombie Game like DayZ
State of Decay 2 is one of those titles that everyone enjoys because it has a massive open world. Yet, it’s a more story-driven 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. You truly feel like a part of that game world. Plus, you will be quite impressed with the visual style and quality.
7. 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 innovative gameplay. The parkour elements 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.
8. 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.
9. Project Zomboid is an Isometric Survival Game like DayZ
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, which is why we’ve created several guides, for it, including our guide on how to board up windows in Project Zomboid. Yet, it’s incredibly exciting and fun to play as well.
10. 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 that 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.
11. 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 is that aside from players, you are also fighting zombies that try to eat 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 looking for similar games to DayZ end up liking it because it’s inventive, fun, and enjoyable.
Related Article: The 5 Best Extraction Shooter Games like Escape from Tarkov
12. 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 of this game is map control. And yes, this is more for 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.
13. Hunt: Showdown is an Intense Game like DayZ, Filled with Zombies
In this game, you become a bounty hunter, and your focus is to try and collect bounties from certain epic monsters. These fights can be very challenging, so we’ve created a boss fighting tips article to help new players out. After you’ve collected the bounty, you must extract with it.
All the while, both human and Hunt Showdown’s many monster enemies will be trying to find and kill you. You can use dark sight as a way to find enemies and kill them properly, yet it is not always obvious where other players are. This game has a very steep learning curve, yet for players who like intense, zombie-filled games like DayZ, this can be a great next game for you. If you decide to take the plunge, feel free to check out our Hunt Showdown beginners guide to get started.
It’s a very good concept and one that a lot of people enjoy. There has been a consistent, large player base for Hunt Showdown in part due to its 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.
14. Desolate
In Desolate, you have enemies that came from experiments that 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. In this way, Desolate is similar to DayZ where ammunition is also rather scarce.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. Days Gone is a AAA Zombie Adventure Game like DayZ
Even if Days Gone is a single-player 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 the 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.
18. 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, and great gameplay mechanics you can also explore the locations with a friend if you want.
It’s definitely one of the better games similar to 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.
Related Article: Does Fallout 76 Support Cross Platform Gameplay?
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! If you are a fan of open-world games and are ok with adventuring outside of the zombie genre, you may want to check out our guide to the best games like Red Dead Redemption 2. It is a fantastic open-world RPG game set in the wild west that millions have enjoyed.
