You’ve got a gun, you’ve got a bundle of supplies, and you’ve got terrifying creatures chasing after you. Sound familiar? That scenario isn’t uncommon in Post-apocalyptic RPGs. There have been a handful of games set in “the end times” throughout videogame history, but only a certain few are truly worth playing. If you’re looking for your next post-apocalyptic adventure, we’ve got 15 games for you to consider!
15. Death Trash
Death Trash is a quasi-open world RPG currently still in development. It takes influence from classic RPGs such as Fallout 1 & 2. Renowned for its single-player campaign, which is still in development, players embark on a journey across the wasteland world of planet Nexus, fighting all sorts of grotesque, fleshy horrors. As the game is still being developed, you can expect to get roughly 7 - 12 hours of playtime out of the currently available story quests.
Players take on the role of a raider-punk in this gritty, cyberpunk meets sci-fi horror world. Be sure to prepare for all sorts of horrors, although expect to be surprised! The developers, Crafting Legends, emphasize that player freedom is an important aspect of their goals in making Death Trash, and players can expect a near-limitless amount of autonomy. Currently, the main focus of a playthrough is exploration and completing quests, though more variety is expected as the developers update the game.
How It’s Unique:
- Optional local co-op; second player can drop in and out anytime
- Cleverly off-beat setting and world
- Grungy pixel art aesthetic
Planet Nexus welcomes all
14. Horizon Zero Dawn
Set far into the future, Horizon Zero Dawn (HZD) is an example of a post-post-apocalypse game! Players control Aloy, a young hunter who must survive a world full of dangerous machines as she journeys to discover her past. HZD was released in 2017 to critical acclaim and was followed up by a sequel in 2023.
Set in the ruins of Earth, Aloy wanders through the overgrown and deserted remains of human civilization, which is now struggling to compete with hordes of animal-like machines. On her journey to uncover her identity, Aloy will fight many foes and explore long-lost relics of human society.
How It’s Unique:
- Third-person open-world gameplay
- Sophisticated crafting system
- Strong writing and story
- Innovative setting and enemy types
13. Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Released in 2019, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is an online-only action RPG set in the crumbling aftermath of a pandemic unleashed on Washington D.C. Players take control of members of “The Division,” and act as emergency responders combating rogue forces trying to take advantage of the chaos within the city.
In the quickly deteriorating depiction of Washington D.C., players can expect to battle and interact with a handful of factions and NPCs as they work towards their ultimate goal of restoring order to the city. The Division 2 is set roughly seven months after the events of Tom Clancy’s The Division and follows up on its plotlines and lore.
How It’s Unique:
- Few games take on a location such as Washington D.C., making the Division 2 noteworthy for its interesting locale.
- 95 hours worth of content for completionist runs.
- Online-only PVE and PVP gameplay
- Restore order to the US Capitol as part of The Division.
12. Remnant: From the Ashes
Gunfire Games set out to create a unique mash-up of Souls-like gameplay in an apocalypse setting with their 2019 title, Remnant: From the Ashes. While the idea might seem like an obvious one, the game could’ve been a hard one to get just right. Thankfully, Gunfire Games was able to nail their ideas into a solid, third-person survival-action with the option for co-op play.
Set on a version of Earth now overrun by a force of evil creatures called The Root, the player is a wandering warrior who must work to save the planet from its hostile invaders by venturing to the epicentre of the invasion site.
How It’s Unique:
- Souls-like shooter
- 3 Player co-op
- Upon death, players keep their items and stats but the level content is changed
- Randomly generated world
11. Fallout 76
Deep within the long history of RPG’s, Fallout is perhaps one of the earliest examples of a post-apocalyptic setting. 2018 saw the release of Fallout 76, the first online-only entry in the series, Fallout 76 is set in the near immediate after-math of the nuclear war that ravaged the planet.
Players take on the role of a Vault Dweller from Vault 76 and must work (alone or with friends) to purge the West Virginia wasteland of its new inhabitants, the Scorch Beasts while working to rebuild the region.
How It’s Unique:
- Online version of the classic Fallout series formula
- Play with up to 3 others in your party
- PVP and PVE action
- Set in the nuclear war ravaged version of West Virginia
10. Atom RPG
Inspired by classic RPGs such as Fallout and Wasteland, Atom RPG is an alternative take on the cold-war gone hot scenario, putting players in the shoes of a Soviet survivor in the now ruined remains of the former USSR.
Acting as a Cadet in the secret ATOM organization, players embark on a journey to find out the fates of a special squadron sent to investigate an old-world bunker. Along the way you can expect to run into the usual suspects of raiders, mutant beasts, and all other types of blood curdling horrors.
How It’s Unique:
- Set in the ruins of the USSR, players experience the “alternate” side of a cold-war gone hot scenario.
- Modern systems and development combined with classic RPG gameplay
- Post-apocalyptic indie game
9. State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 is a survival video game in which players take on the role of a survivor and community builder. Along the way, you recruit, trade with, and possibly kill other survivors in order to further your own fledging safe haven in the zombie infested world you find yourself.
Players can choose to set up shop in one of 5 different maps, including Turnbull Valley (the location of the original game) as they strive to build their survivor community and fight back the hordes of undead. You can also bring along 3 other friends to help out, thanks to the online co-op mode!
How It’s Unique:
- 4 player co-op open world zombie survival
- Base building and crafting systems
- Community building feature
- Special mutated zombie variants
How long can you last against the horde?
8. Remnant 2
For the sequel to Gunfire Games, “Remnant From the Ashes,” the developers decided to go all out and expand on everything that made the first a success. Just like its older sibling, Remnant 2 is a Souls-like inspired third-person shooter featuring co-op gameplay and a host of creatures and weapons to play with.
Set in the aftermath of the first game, the Root has returned stronger than before and must be stopped yet again. This time however, players are in for a surprise! Wanting to expand on the random generation feature of the original Remnant, Gunfire Games have increased the amount of randomly generated content in game and as such things like enemy types, the style/look of a region, boss characters, NPC’s and even the game's storyline are randomized.
How It’s Unique:
- Souls-like shooter
- Expanded and revamped class system
- 3 Player multiplayer mode
- Randomly generated experiences including quests, storyline, and enemy types
7. Wasteland 2
While the Fallout series may be more well known, it has its origins tied to the Wasteland series, which first came into the gaming scene all the way back in 1988. Wasteland 2, released in 2014, follows up on the plotlines and characters of the original game while modernizing the gameplay and overhaul mechanics.
Set in the aftermath of a nuclear war between the United States and USSR, players take control of a squad of Desert Rangers. The Rangers serve to protect the former states of Arizona and act as both a police force and a community of survivors. As part of the game, players can expect to get into fights with all sorts of creatures, people, and machines as they work towards solving the mysterious threats being broadcast which promise to wipe out the Desert Rangers.
How It’s Unique:
- A modern take on classic RPG gameplay, Wasteland 2 was developed by some of the oldest names in the gaming industry.
- Turn-based party gameplay, similar to XCom and classic RPG titles.
- Tactical Combat with up to 7 party members to control and customize
- Sequel to the first-ever Post-apocalyptic RPG
- Freedom of choice to solve problems and quests in multiple ways
- Extensive dialogue and lore to explore
Uncover the secrets of the desert Wasteland...
6. Fallout 4
The long awaited follow up to the 2011 hit, Fallout New Vegas, Bethesda released Fallout 4 in 2015 to rave reviews and success. The Fallout series has a long history, and has sprawled across many locations in its iterations. The fourth installment takes players to the radiation swept city of Boston where players work to solve a power struggle in the region and ultimately reunite with a loved one.
The city of Boston, seen in Fallout 4, is falling apart and crumbling as players explore and fight across its famous landmarks and ruins. In this FPS-RPG, you control a Vault Dweller who was cryogenically frozen on the day nuclear war broke out, and now unthaws 210 years later. You must fight to survive in this wasteland filled with raiders, cannibals, mutant animals, horribly irradiated zombie-like ghouls, crazed robots, and more!
How It’s Unique:
- Retro-future aesthetic
- Long standing history and lore inspires a immersive setting and world
- RPG mechanics ensure no two playthroughs are ever the same
- Crafting and building systems allow you to create your own settlements
- Moddable
5. NieR: Automata
A refreshing take on the post-apocalypse setting, NieR: Automata is set far in the future after humanity has fled Earth, players control two Androids developed by humans to fight against a race of machines that has invaded the planet.
The game is a mash-up of different genres and styles and flows between segments such as side-scrolling, top-down, and the regular third-person gameplay style. As you work your way through the narrative, you can expect to fight tons of machines in the crumbling ruins of Earth.
How It’s Unique:
- Varied gameplay styles
- Interesting setting and premise
- 26 different endings
- Deep lore and emotionally charged narrative
4. Kenshi
Inspired by classic tales of wandering warriors from Japanese history, Kenshi is a harsh immersive survival game that puts players through the ultimate test of skill and strength. The game is entirely non-linear, and every experience will be unique to your playthrough as players shape their own story.
While not for the faint of heart, Kenshi is an example of a true survival game as players will struggle to keep themselves alive in the hostile world. Some of the features of this title include world reactions, in which the game AI and its factions respond to internal changes and external influence dynamically, permanent mutilation through combat (affecting both player and AI characters) and settlement building.
How It’s Unique:
- No-linear; the game world acts and reacts almost independently and the absence of any storyline or plots means each playthrough is entirely unique.
- Settlement building that interacts with weather and region types
- Harsh and tough to master gameplay that truly emulates a post-apocalyptic scenario
- Interesting and innovative ideas and setting
Survival is a luxury in Kenshi.
3. Project Zomboid
In Project Zomboid, the main objective is simply to survive, although you should expect to die sooner or later. You can customize the game settings to your liking thanks to the Sandbox mode feature, and an active community supports the game through modding to further personalize your zombie survival experience.
How It’s Unique:
- Semi-linear game supports roleplaying and unique experiences for every player
- Immersive setting and lore that sucks you into a true zombie survival experience
- Highly customizable settings and modding options
- Online play with friends or strangers, as well as single player
- Top-down gameplay in real time action
You gotta shoot ‘em in the head.
2. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
The game leans heavily towards FPS style horror games, although elements of classic RPGs remain such as trading, dialogue systems, and inventory management, alongside an open world to explore.
How It’s Unique:
- Setting and premise inspired by eastern-european history
- Characters, creatures, and mysterious anomalies
- Storyline influenced by a classic piece of Soviet literature and film
- Strong writing, characters, lore, and world-building
The player, aka the Marked One, shooting at bandits.
1. Fallout New Vegas
Highly regarded as one of the greatest RPGs in recent years, Fallout New Vegas is a gem in the post-apocalyptic RPG genre and a standout in its series. An impressive feat considering the competition it faces from its older and younger siblings. Set in the Mojave Wasteland, a nuclear retro-future version of the state of Nevada, players set out on a quest for revenge that will ultimately see them contributing to the fate of the wasteland for decades to come.
As an example of a modern RPG with classic features, Fallout New Vegas boasts some of the strongest writing seen in the genre as well as an extremely reactive and consequential system of immersion that takes player choice and input directly into account so that any problem can be solved however you may want. The game is supported by a dedicated and active modding community, who continue to keep Fallout New Vegas alive and well with new quests, new weapons, features, locations, and more.
How It’s Unique:
- Deep lore and world-building that expands on the storyline and factions introduced during the original two Fallout games.
- Highly encouraging of player freedom and choice, offering many options and solutions to quests
- In depth character building system that allows players to try anything from a ninja to a laser cowboy build.
