iRankGames
The Long Dark

41 Games like The Long Dark that you should try

Games like The Long Dark · Find similar →

More about this game →

Looking for games like The Long Dark? We analyzed its gameplay DNA — survival mechanics, strong narrative focus and open world exploration — against over 6,700 titles. These 41 alternatives are ranked by real similarity, not marketing tags. The Alters leads with 91/100, followed by the rest of the list.

iRank82/ 100

Did you find what you were looking for?

GenreSurvivalSubgenreCo-op PvE Survival
Tags
NarrativeSolo
Year 2014Dev Hinterland Studio

Quick answer

The closest game to The Long Dark is The Alters — scoring 91/100 on our similarity scale. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Deliver Us the Moon follow close behind.

🗳️

Help us build the best rankings

Community powered

Vote on each result below — good match or not. Every vote directly shapes how we rank similar games for everyone.

Top games similar to The Long Dark

41 similar games foundUpdated July 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to The Long Dark. Each one has been evaluated across 14 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

The Alters
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeSci-FiIsometricThird Person
Steam👍 90%· 17KIGDB87· 5OC86· 115
Year 2025Dev 11 bit studiosOn Xbox · PC · PS5

✓ Same family of PvE survival games: survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and deep simulation

≠ Where it differs: brings setting scifi, visual isometric and visual third person, while skipping shooter

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeFirst PersonTacticalStealth
IGDB86· 3
Year 2004Dev Konami Computer Entertainment Japan · Konami

✓ Both are PvE survival games — sharing survival mechanics, shooter and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: combat tactical, stealth mechanics and fantasy world, while skipping deep simulation

Deliver Us the Moon
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeExplorationFirst PersonMelee
Steam👍 88%· 9.2KIGDB78· 5OC74· 67
Year 2019Dev KeokeN Interactive · Wired ProductionsOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Same family of PvE survival games: survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and deep simulation

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, melee combat and setting scifi, while skipping shooter

ARMORED HEAD
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeExplorationFirst PersonRanged
Steam👍 98%· 1.3K
Year 2020Dev Egor RezenovPlaytime ~2hOn PC

✓ Both are PvE survival games — sharing survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with punishing difficulty, ranged combat and melee combat, while skipping deep simulation

Diamo XL
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloMeleeHardcoreCasual2D
Steam👍 93%· 550
Year 2017Dev Nickervision StudiosPlaytime ~3hOn PC · iOS · Apple Macintosh

✓ Both are PvE survival games — sharing survival mechanics and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, punishing difficulty and vibe casual, while skipping adventure storytelling

Pac-Man
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloIsometricPixel Art
IGDB79· 1
Year 1980Dev Namco · Midway Manufacturing

✓ Both are PvE survival games — sharing survival mechanics and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings visual isometric and visual pixel, while skipping adventure storytelling

Silent Hill 2
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeExplorationMeleeDark
IGDB90· 1OC87· 160
Year 2001Dev Team Silent · Konami

✓ Both are PvE survival games — sharing survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, dark, oppressive atmosphere and melee combat, while skipping deep simulation

Silent Hill 3
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeExplorationStealthMelee
IGDB88· 3
Year 2003Dev Team Silent · KonamiOn PC

✓ Same family of PvE survival games: survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, dark, oppressive atmosphere and stealth mechanics, while skipping deep simulation

Silent Hill
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeRangedDarkHorror
IGDB82· 1
Year 1999Dev Team Silent · KonamiOn PlayStation 3

✓ Fits the PvE survival games cluster, with survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design, dark, oppressive atmosphere and ranged combat, while skipping deep simulation

Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeDarkHorrorThird Person
IGDB80· 1
Year 2001Dev Darkworks · InfogramesOn PlayStation 3

✓ Fits the PvE survival games cluster, with survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting, while skipping deep simulation

Domestic Dog
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeOpen WorldExplorationCasual
Steam👍 81%· 491
Year 2015Dev Sean DavyPlaytime ~4hOn PC

✓ Fits the PvE survival games cluster, with survival mechanics, deep simulation and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: roguelike runs, vibe casual and cozy, relaxing feel, while skipping adventure storytelling

The Invincible
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person
Steam👍 89%· 9.4KIGDB79· 5OC73· 85
Year 2023Dev Starward Industries · 11 bit studiosOn Xbox · PC · PS5

✓ Both are PvE survival games — sharing survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Its own twist: dark, oppressive atmosphere, setting scifi and setting space, while skipping deep simulation

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S: HELP WANTED
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeFirst PersonDarkHorror
IGDB90· 1OC52· 10
Year 2020Dev Steel Wool Studios · Steel Wool GamesPlaytime ~2hOn Xbox · Nintendo

✓ Fits the PvE survival games cluster, with survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, deep RPG systems and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping deep simulation

Minecraft: Story Mode
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloNarrativeCraftingCasualDark
Steam👍 77%· 8.3KIGDB66· 7
Year 2015Dev Mojang StudiosOn PlayStation 3 · PS4 · Android

✓ Same family of PvE survival games: survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, vibe casual and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping deep simulation

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
SurvivalCo-op PvE Survival
SoloDarkHorrorThird Person
IGDB90· 1
Year 2002Dev Silicon Knights · Nintendo

✓ Fits the PvE survival games cluster, with survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting, while skipping deep simulation

Complete list of The Long Dark alternatives

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with The Long Dark, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.

Explore games similar to The Long Dark by category

Rankings in the same genre

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to The Long Dark?
The closest game to The Long Dark is The Alters, scoring 91/100 on our similarity scale. They share 5 gameplay attributes, including survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and deep simulation. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like The Long Dark?
The three closest games to The Long Dark are: 1. The Alters (91/100, 5 shared attributes) 2. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (91/100, 6 shared attributes) 3. Deliver Us the Moon (91/100, 7 shared attributes). All share The Long Dark's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 41 candidates across 14 dimensions.
Is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater similar to The Long Dark?
Yes, very much so — Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater scores 91/100 similarity to The Long Dark. They share 6 attributes, including survival mechanics and shooter. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Survival games are similar to The Long Dark?
The best Survival games similar to The Long Dark are The Alters, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Deliver Us the Moon and ARMORED HEAD. All share the Survival genre alongside other key The Long Dark attributes like survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and deep simulation.
How is similarity to The Long Dark calculated?
We compare The Long Dark against every game in our catalog using 14 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the The Long Dark experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.
Are there free games similar to The Long Dark?
Yes — Russian Fishing 4 is free and scores well on similarity to The Long Dark. It's a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.