6. Stranded Deep
Take the role of a plane crash survivor stranded somewhere in the…
Games like The Forest
20 games, the closest and most played first.
What to consider
Summarized by AIThe Forest fans want to craft, build and survive somewhere dangerous, with something scary lurking. Most picks here lose the horror but keep the survival: Raft and Don't Starve Together play with friends, Valheim adds a Norse world, Hurtworld turns to gunplay, and Conan Exiles Enhanced adds a barbarian setting.
1. Valheim
Best for builders who want The Forest's craft-and-survive loop with a large group.
284 votes
A collaborative survival game for 1-10 players in a procedurally generated world inspired by Norse mythology. You craft powerful weapons, construct halls and slay mighty foes across different biomes. The cannibals are gone, and you gain the building depth and friends to share it with, if that was your favorite part.
Standout features
- 1-10 player co-op
- Norse-inspired biomes
- Weapon and hall crafting
Survival lands on the ocean instead of in the woods. You wake alone on a small raft, gather debris and expand your platform, then set sail for forgotten, dangerous islands. You can go by yourself or with friends, and the gathering and building loop will feel familiar even though the horror is largely missing.
Standout features
- Expandable raft base
- Dangerous islands
- Solo or with friends
3. Don't Starve Together
Best for friends who want crafting and survival with a strange, hostile wilderness.
184 votes
The standalone multiplayer expansion of Don't Starve, where you fight, farm, build and explore together in a strange world full of odd creatures and hidden dangers. You gather resources and craft items to suit your own survival style. The mood is odd rather than frightening, and the whole thing is built for co-op.
Standout features
- Strange, creature-filled world
- Co-op farming and building
- Craft to your style
4. Hurtworld
Best for survival players who want crafting alongside real gunfights and map control.
42 votes
A multiplayer survival FPS built around competitive gunplay and strategic map control, which is a far cry from creeping through caves. You can take on the wilds with friends or alone, and building and crafting are part of it. It started in early access and, by its own account, has been refined with community help.
Standout features
- Competitive survival FPS
- Map-control strategy
- Friends or alone
5. Conan Exiles Enhanced
Best for players who want the same build-and-survive loop in a barbarian setting.
83 votes
An open-world survival game set in the mythical lands of Conan the Barbarian. You can play single-player, co-op or on a persistent multiplayer server, surviving freezing cold, exploring loot-filled dungeons and eventually building a home or even a shared city. It is the barbarian version of the survive-and-build routine.
Standout features
- Conan's mythical lands
- Solo, co-op or persistent
- Build a shared city
More games like The Forest
7. Subsistence
Subsistence is a sandbox, first person, solo or co-op, PvE open-world…
8. Green Hell
Plunge into the open-world survival simulation set in the extreme…
9. The Front
The Front is a survival open-world crafting sandbox game.
10. Reign Of Kings
Struggle to survive in a harsh medieval world.
12. The Planet Crafter
A space survival open world terraforming crafting game, designed for 1…
13. Force of Nature
Force of Nature is a Sandbox game that combines Action, Adventure, RPG…
14. Life is Feudal: Your Own
Hardcore and realistic; LiF is a Medieval multiplayer sandbox RPG, with…
15. Grounded
The world is a vast, beautiful and dangerous place – especially when…
17. ICARUS
ICARUS is a solo or multiplayer PvE survival game.
19. Out of Reach
You’re a castaway stranded in the middle of nowhere.
20. Nightingale
Nightingale is an open world survival crafting game, where you’ll…
