10 Best Games To Play If You Like Rust

If you enjoy the brutal survival, base-building, and PvP chaos of Rust, there are plenty of other games that scratch that same itch. Whether it’s fighting to stay alive in harsh open worlds, scavenging for resources, or defending your base from other players, these games deliver the same adrenaline-fueled tension. From realistic survival sims to creative sandbox experiences, this list highlights the 10 best games to play if you like Rust and want more unforgiving fun.

#10: The Front

The Front is a survival crafting game that blends open-world exploration with base-building and intense PvP combat. Set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with rebel factions, monsters, and enemy players, your job is to build a stronghold, gather supplies, craft weapons, and defend your territory. What makes it feel similar to Rust is the constant threat of being raided and the need to protect your resources at all times. If you enjoy high-stakes survival and building under pressure, The Front is a solid pick.

#9: Don’t Starve Together

Don’t Starve Together might look more cartoonish than Rust, but don’t let that fool you—it’s brutally punishing in its own way. This co-op survival game throws you into a strange, unforgiving world where you must gather food, craft tools, and keep your sanity in check. Just like Rust, it’s all about survival, resource management, and learning from your mistakes. While it doesn’t have the same PvP focus, the constant pressure to stay alive with friends makes it a great alternative if you’re looking for something equally intense but with a dark, quirky twist.

#8: Escape from Tarkov

Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore, realistic shooter that shares Rust’s high-stakes tension and risk-reward gameplay. Every raid in Tarkov feels like a gamble—you go in with gear, hoping to loot valuable items and make it out alive, but dying means losing everything you brought. While it’s not focused on building bases, the survival pressure, looting mechanics, and intense firefights make it a top choice for Rust fans who love the thrill of risking it all in a hostile environment.

#7: Subnautica

Subnautica offers a completely different setting from Rust, but the core survival experience feels just as intense. Instead of a post-apocalyptic wasteland, you’re stranded on an alien ocean planet, scavenging for materials, crafting tools, and building underwater bases to stay alive. The game focuses more on exploration and atmosphere than PvP, but its sense of danger, resource management, and crafting depth will feel familiar to anyone who enjoys the survival grind in Rust.

#6: Conan Exiles

Conan Exiles is a brutal open-world survival game set in the savage lands of the Conan the Barbarian universe. Just like Rust, it drops you into a hostile environment where you must gather resources, craft gear, and build a stronghold to survive. PvP is intense, with raiding and clan warfare at the heart of the experience. What sets Conan Exiles apart is its rich lore, melee-focused combat, and the ability to enslave NPCs to guard your base. If you like Rust’s harsh survival but want a fantasy twist, Conan Exiles is a perfect fit.

#5: 7 Days to Die

7 Days to Die blends survival, crafting, and base-building with a terrifying zombie apocalypse twist. Like Rust, it drops you into an open world where you gather materials, fortify your shelter, and fight off threats—but here, the danger ramps up every seven days when hordes of zombies swarm your base. The game’s day-night cycle, RPG elements, and deep crafting system give it serious depth. If you enjoy Rust’s survival mechanics but want a more PvE-heavy experience with a horror vibe, 7 Days to Die is a must-try.

#4: Sons of the Forest

Sons of the Forest is a survival horror game that shares Rust’s focus on crafting, building, and staying alive in a hostile world, but with a terrifying twist. You’ll scavenge for resources, construct shelters, and craft weapons while facing off against mutant creatures and cannibals that roam the forest. The game’s realistic building mechanics and cooperative multiplayer make it feel familiar to Rust fans, while its eerie atmosphere and unpredictable enemies add a constant layer of tension. If you love survival games that keep you on edge, Sons of the Forest delivers.

#3: Valheim

Valheim takes Rust’s survival gameplay and mixes it with Viking mythology for a fresh and engaging experience. You’ll gather resources, build impressive structures, craft weapons, and explore a massive open world filled with mythical creatures and challenging bosses. While it leans more toward PvE than PvP, the game’s co-op focus, base-building, and progression system scratch the same itch as Rust—just in a more laid-back, fantasy-themed setting. If you enjoy survival games but want something a little more chill with a strong sense of adventure, Valheim is a great pick.

#2: ARK: Survival Evolved

ARK: Survival Evolved delivers the chaotic survival experience Rust fans love, but with a prehistoric twist. Instead of just battling other players and scavenging for gear, you’re also taming dinosaurs, crafting high-tech gear, and building massive bases in a world where danger lurks around every corner. Whether you’re fending off hostile tribes or trying to survive a raptor ambush, ARK keeps you constantly on edge. It’s a great pick if you want Rust’s intensity but with added depth, wild creatures, and a sci-fi survival vibe.

#1: DayZ

DayZ is one of the original hardcore survival games that helped shape the genre Rust thrives in today. Set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, it throws you into a brutal environment where every decision matters. Like Rust, you’ll scavenge for weapons, food, and gear while trying to survive against other players who can either be your allies or your worst enemies. The tension in DayZ is unmatched—every encounter feels meaningful, and the fear of losing everything keeps you on edge. If you enjoy the raw, unforgiving nature of Rust, DayZ is the ultimate survival experience to dive into next.

Conclusion

If you love the intense survival mechanics, base building, and unpredictable PvP chaos of Rust, these 10 games offer a mix of similar thrills with their own unique twists. Whether it’s surviving dinosaur attacks in ARK, exploring Norse lands in Valheim, or facing the harsh realism of DayZ and Tarkov, each title delivers that raw survival experience Rust fans crave. No matter which one you try, you’re in for high-stakes moments, hard-earned victories, and the kind of adrenaline rush that makes survival games so addicting.