Games Like DayZ: 8 Hardcore Survival Games to Try Next

If you want games like DayZ, the closest are SCUM for hyper-detailed survival, Rust for tension between players and Project Zomboid for merciless zombies. Bohemia Interactive's game is built on one simple idea: you can lose everything at any moment, and the biggest threat is often other survivors. Here are eight games that play on that same nerve.

What makes DayZ unique

You spawn on a Chernarus beach with almost nothing. You need food, water, clothes and a weapon if you're lucky. The infected are dangerous, hunger and cold too, but it's meeting another player that really gets your heart going. Friendly? About to hold you up? You only find out at the last second.

And when you die, you start from scratch. It's harsh, sometimes unfair, but that's exactly what makes every item you find matter. DayZ has no ending: your runs become your own stories, solo or with friends.

How to choose your next one

Three questions. Zombies or mostly players? Rust and Escape from Tarkov go all in on PvP, Project Zomboid and 7 Days to Die on hordes. Do you want to build? Rust, 7 Days to Die and State of Decay 2 let you put up a base. Prefer to play alone? Days Gone and Project Zomboid work great solo.

If you want group survival with a calmer vibe, look at games like Valheim and our list of games to play online with friends.

1. 

   1. Scum

   2018

   The closest to DayZ on realism. You're a prisoner dropped on an island, and the game tracks your body in detail: calories, vitamins, hydration, injuries. Zombies, robot guards and other players make everything harder. For anyone who feels DayZ isn't demanding enough yet.

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2. 

   2. Rust

   2018

   You show up naked with a rock, and everyone wants what you've got. Zombies aren't the focus, but the tension between players is even stronger than in DayZ, plus you build bases you have to defend against raids. Alliances form and fall apart fast.

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3. 

   3. Project Zomboid

   2013

   An isometric zombie survival game that tells you right away you're going to die. Boarding up windows, managing fatigue, depression and infected wounds: it all matters. You can play solo or online, and it's even more ruthless than DayZ when it comes to the undead.

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4. 

   4. 7 Days to Die

   2024

   By day, you scavenge and build. Every seventh night, a massive horde comes knocking. The blocky world is fully destructible and you can play in co-op with friends. Less realistic than DayZ, but much more about building defences and holding the line.

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5. 

   5. Escape from Tarkov

   2017

   No zombies, but the same thrill of losing all your gear to a single bullet. You drop into a zone, loot and try to extract alive with your haul. The guns are very realistic and other players are deadly. It's DayZ's tension as a military shooter.

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6. 

   6. Unturned

   2017

   A free zombie survival game with very simple blocky graphics. Don't judge it by its looks: scavenging, crafting, vehicles, bases and hostile players, nearly everything that makes DayZ is here. A great way to try the genre without paying anything, and you can jump into a server in minutes.

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7. 

   7. State of Decay 2

   2018

   Here you don't play one survivor but a whole community. You manage a base, resources and morale, and every character who dies is gone for good. It supports co-op for up to four, with no hostile players. Ideal if you want survival without fearing strangers.

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8. 

   8. Days Gone

   2019 · Main story 36 h

   A solo adventure through a ruined Oregon with Deacon and his bike. You scavenge fuel and ammo, avoid huge Freaker hordes and sometimes turn them against your enemies. A real story on top of the survival. Also see how long it takes.

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FAQ

What game is most like DayZ?

SCUM is the closest: open world, very detailed survival, zombies and hostile players. If it's the distrust of other players you love most, Rust and Escape from Tarkov push that player-versus-player tension even further.

Is there a game like DayZ for solo players?

Yes. Project Zomboid works great alone and its zombie survival is very demanding. Days Gone offers a solo adventure with a full story. You can also play 7 Days to Die by yourself, though it's more fun with others.

How long is DayZ?

DayZ has no ending: it's a survival sandbox where every life is a fresh run. Some lives last ten minutes, others several weeks. You measure it in stories you've lived through rather than hours to beat it.