The forest has given me many hours of enjoyment, but after completing it and playing it from every angle possible it was time for a new challenge, so I’ve been on the search for a few awesome games that are really like The Forest.
This list is packed with open world, survival, crafting games and is probably the best list of games I’ve done, some of these games I’ve given 70+ hours of my life too.
If there are any games I’ve missed, then let me know in the comments and I’ll add them to this list.
All the games have been priced checked and our the cheapest price online, the last price check was on 10th December 2024
7 Days to Die
Instead of a weird cannibal tribe trying to murder you and hang you upside down in a cave, you’ll be put up against zombies, not just any zombies, the kind that every 7 days they come in hordes, fast, strong and with the goal of eating your human flesh.
Your job is to craft a base with your friends by digging, looting and gathering resources, you’ll need traps, weapons and food to survive this hell hole and that’s what makes it a must play game.
If you like the Forest then you will fall in-love with 7 days to die.
ARK
Ark has over 150,000 review on Steam and is one of the most popular craft, survival games out right now.
If you like open world, resource gathering, base building and giant dinosaurs that want to kill, eat and destroy your base, then ARK is the game for you.
Just be ready to call your friends, because this game is hard to play solo and needs a few friends that have your back. Once you’ve got a few friends, get ready to grind, get weapons and defend your base.
It’s hard, but can be a super addictive experience. ARK also shares a lot of similarities to the forest, it’s definitely worth playing if you’re into that type of game.
If you want more games like 7 days to die then check this list out.
Rust
Oh boy, you aint ready for this game.
Seriously, this is the only game where a grown adult will be chased down by a gang of kids on a hunting spree looking to kill and loot anyone/thing in sight.
If you’re lucky enough to get away by hiding in your base, don’t worry they will be waiting outside, building a base, camping and waiting for you to leave so they can murder you.
If you’re really unlucky (I was) you’ll kill one while they attack you and then start a war and have 10 kids destroy your base while they look for you to kill/enslave you.
It’s the closest thing to mayhem and psychopaths you can get through a game and that’s why I delete it.
Just be sure to create a base with 40 doors, stone walls and multiple beds.
If you like Rust, check these Rust alternatives.
Don’t Starve
Taking it back a little.
Don’t Starve is nothing like the Forest graphically.
I mean Don’t starve (games like don’t starve) is a top-down click game.
However, Don’t Starve shares loads of the same features as The Forest without being anywhere near a clone.
In don’t starve you only have one life, your job is to grow, hunt and find food, build a base that can keep you warm and make sure you have loads of light/fires, to stop what waits in the dark.
In the dark, the monsters are out and if you’re not at your base you’ll die and have to hope you saved at a time where you can survive.
This game has everything and even though some people complain about it, I’ve had an awesome experience with this game and totally recommend it.
Subnautica
If you’ve never heard of Subnautic then do yourself a favor and click that link and go get yourself a copy.
If you like The Forest then Subnautica is that, but 10x better. Think of all the problems The Forest has, fix them, add better game mechanices, constant updates and a quicker building system and you get Subnautica.
The games start the same (with a big crash), your job is to build, survive and hunt. The fear is more intense than the forest, you’ll be hunting fish in a beautiful reef, only to have a shark try to ripe you apart and feed on you.
It’s heart pumping, intense gameplay, keeps me coming back for more.
Over 70,000 review and still a 9/10 review and in the recent months it just keeps getting better and you can check out these games like Subnautica here.
Kenshi
Kenshi is an open world role play game that takes survival to the next level.
Kenshi allows creative people an ability to go wild and it adds elements of strategy that keep even the hardest to please happy.
Currently, not many people know about this game, but the people who play it absolutely love it, with most of them packing 200+ hours of gameplay.
No Man’s Sky
A little controversial game here, it’s no surprise that when No Man’s Sky first came out people hated it, I mean honestly, the game SUCKED.
It didn’t only suck, but it wasn’t a cheap game, in fact it had triple A price tag and that wasn’t okay for an early access game.
However, in the last few months, the development team has started releasing some awesome updates that have made this game absolutely epic.
Your spaceship crashes, it’s your job to gather resources, dig up the planet, make a base and get your ship working.
Once it’s working you can explore the ever-expanding universe, creating amazing bases and upgrading yourself to achieve the ultimate level of the master of the universe, I made up the last bit, but this game is a lot of fun.
You can check out this awesome list of games similar to No Man’s Sky.
Stranded Deep
Stranded deep follower a similar theme to the forest, you’re stranded in the middle of the ocean and it’s your job to create a base, build tools and survive in a world that wants to kill you.
This game used to be awesome, I think it’s been left by the developers now, which sucks, however, there’s still an awesome game that is definitely playable, I’d say you should wait for a deal and get it for around $10, at that price it’s a steal.
Rising World
Rising worlds is a voxel-based open world game similar to Minecraft, only with a lot more survival and customization.
The world is beautiful and instead of it being blocks (like Minecraft) it’s more of a live feel.
The crafting and survival is similar to The Forest and even though I wouldn’t put them on the same card, I’d say that if you’re looking for more of a customization friendly game then this game will be for you.
The Long Dark
Long dark is what would happen if Don’t Starve and The Forest had a baby and it came out with cleaner graphics style.
hThe long dark is one of the most realistic survival games I’ve played, it’s based in a 50 square kilometer map based in Canadian wildness.
The story mode takes around 15 hours to complete and after that, you’re left with an incredible permadeath mode, similar to forest.
The exploration and resource management in this game is second to none and that’s exactly why it has over 35,000 reviews and a 9/10 score on Steam.
Conan Exiles
I’ve been debating adding Conan to the list but after a little thinking, I feel like people will benefit from playing Conan Exiles.
Now, Conan is an open world, crafting RPG, based around survival (like most the games on this list). It goes deeper in story and is a completely different graphical style to The Forest, but the games share a lot in common.
However Conan is far more packed with epic monsters, missions and far more nudity, seriously you see lots more than you will expect.
Wild Card: Dying light
I added this as a complete wild card, as the two games don’t share much in common. However, if you’re looking for an open world survival game that has an AMAZING story and role play elements then Dying Light is a must play.
I’ve played through Dying Light 2 (Dying Light Alternatives) times and it’s honestly one of the most gripping games if you have a few buddies who play The Forest all jump on Dying Light co-op and you’ll be hooked.
What Games Should I Play After The Forest?
It’s pretty simple, I would always start with Subnautica, it’s got everything The Forest has but is better in every way possible.
Then if you’ve got a few friends I’d jump onto 7 days to die, it’s a very similar game concept with things attacking you at night and every 7 days, you have to base build and fight off both zombies and other humans.
If you’re looking for a more online experience try Rust, very similar building styles and mining/looting is virtually the same. Even the cave systems are similar.
There you have it, another epic gaming list filled with some of my all time favorite games. You really can’t go wrong with any of these games, most will be enhanced when played with friends. If I missed any games then let me know in the comments, have an awesome day!