Rust remains one of the most popular survival games in 2025, but there are plenty of other games on the market that emulate some or even all of what it has to offer. With Rust encompassing several different genres, you can find and play a variety of different games to get a similar experience to the one found on one of Rust’s many servers.

Of course, searching out what those games might be can be a little difficult. While we do have a list of the best survival games to play in 2025, Rust is also a PvP shooter with base-building elements, world exploration, and several other aspects that make it stand out from other games in that genre. That said, we have put together a list of games that are like Rust in one or more ways, so you have something new that scratches the same itch.

• Developer: Bohemia Interactive
• Release Date: December 16, 2013
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

DayZ is arguably the game most similar to Rust that we have on this list. It’s another hardcore survival game with a big emphasis on PvP. Like in Rust, you can either team up with other players to scavenge the world, which is overrun with zombies, or you can take on your survival adventure solo. Base building isn’t too expansive in DayZ, but you can still carve out a space for yourself to ensure you always have a place to gear up and assess your current loot situation.

• Developer: Mojang Studios
• Release Date: May 17, 2009
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android

Minecraft is one of the games that pioneered the survival genre as it’s known today, and while it doesn’t have a major focus on PvP, it’s still a fantastic Rust replacement. You have a near-infinite procedurally-generated world and thousands of resources to find and use at your disposal. Of course, if you’re looking for more PvP or additional game modes, you’re able to join specific servers that offer a myriad of different gameplay options. One of the most popular is a Hunger Games mode that will challenge your PvP abilities and survivability.

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• Developer: Endnight Games
• Release Date: February 23, 2023
• Platforms: PC

If you’re looking for a survival game with more horror and PvE elements, then Sons of the Forest needs to be one of the first titles on your wishlist. Sons of the Forest takes place on an island inhabited by all sorts of terrifying creatures that all want you dead after you crash land on the island with your plane and deaf companion, Kelvin. You need to trek into deep and dark caves filled with these creatures to scavenge the loot necessary to survive. Sons of the Forest can be played with multiple other real players that you can kill, but the base game doesn’t feature much PvP, so Rust fans will have to get used to that.

• Developer: The Fun Pimps
• Release Date: December 13, 2013
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Similar to Rust, 7 Days to Die encompasses several different genres to make up its gameplay. The core is a survival experience with PvP elements that takes place on an open world map. However, the game is also an RPG and features character progression that allows for different builds and gameplay styles. While 7 Days to Die does feature PvP on a large scale, the map is also overrun with zombies, so you have to take part in some PvE combat as well. Fortunately, to fend off all your potential enemies, you can build quite an expansive base with a slew of different defenses, just like you can in Rust.

• Developer: Studio Wildcard
• Release Date: August 17, 2017
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android

If you’ve ever been wandering around Rust’s map and thought to yourself, “This would be better with dinosaurs,” then we have the game for you. ARK: Survival Evolved is a survival game set on a vast map featuring mountains, oceans, and valleys. You start as a lowly caveperson with primitive gear that you can eventually upgrade by scavenging and crafting. However, the main focus in ARK is the dozens of dinosaurs that inhabit the map. You can either kill these dinosaurs for loot or tame them for your own uses. Some dinosaurs give you the ability to fly, while others are best for hunting down other dinos. ARK features PvP elements if you join a specific server, massive base building, and plenty of content to keep you busy for hours.

• Developer: Irongate Studios
• Release Date: February 2, 2021
• Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Valheim is another survival game that takes place on a map with several different kinds of unique environments. Each environment holds new resources, and you have to use those resources to advance and survive the next environment. Each region also has a boss, and the goal is to use the resources in each to eventually grow strong enough to take them down. Every boss possesses their own abilities and fighting style, so you have to adapt your combat knowledge on the fly. Valheim features highly intuitive base building that allows for fortress-sized bases, as well as some PvP elements if you join the right server. However, the majority of Valheim is based around survival and cooperative PvE combat.

• Developer: Studio Wildcard
• Release Date: August 17, 2017
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch

Rust and No Man’s Sky don’t share a ton of similarities aside from both being survival-focused games with some PvP elements, and the ways No Man’s Sky goes about survival and PvP are vastly different from Rust. Still, No Man’s Sky is a game that any Rust fan should try out. If you’re into the survival aspects of Rust or the sheer sense of exploration, then you’ll easily make the transition to No Man’s Sky. It’s set in a randomly-generated galaxy that allows you to visit, explore, and colonize millions of different planets. You can build bases, complete quests, customize spaceships, and take part in other content on these planets. When you’re not on a planet or traversing the galaxy, you can head to a hub where other real players gather to engage with each other and speak to NPCs. When it comes to PvP in No Man’s Sky, you can only damage other players with PvP enabled and while you’re in a spaceship, so it’s not nearly as emphasized as it is in Rust, but the option does exist.

• Developer: Stunlock Studios
• Release Date: June 11, 2024
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC

V Rising is another one of those games that any Rust player should feel right at home in. It sees you play as a vampire who is able to utilize a variety of special abilities in both exploration and combat. However, as a vampire, you have to avoid the sun at all costs when exploring the large, open-world map. Sticking to the shadows when it’s sunny and going outside at night are the only ways to ensure you survive. When you’re not scavenging for loot, you’ll likely be constructing a base that utilizes Gothic architecture. You can also hop on a PvP server, but the combat in V Rising can be quite difficult to master, especially against other players.

• Developer: RocketWerkz
• Release Date: December 4, 2021
• Platforms: PC

Unlike Rust, Icarus features no PvP elements, so all combat is entirely focused on PvE. However, the rest of the gameplay in Icarus is fairly similar to Rust, as you have to explore a vast wilderness with untold threats waiting around every corner in an effort to scavenge loot and survive. The stuff you gather lets you construct a base so you can increase your strength to hunt more of the monsters on the map. Icarus features lots of varied enemies, timed missions you can complete, plenty of character customization, and a diverse map that will take you hours upon hours to explore. The timed missions, in particular, are a major part of the game, as these make you extract from the map and keep whatever you collected during the mission.

• Developer: Samar Studio
• Release Date: September 3, 2023
• Platforms: PC

The Front began as a primarily PvP sandbox survival game with a focus on crafting, but PvE elements have been added through updates to provide some varied gameplay options. In The Front, you’re a soldier sent back in time to stop the rise of an empire. Like any survival game, your initial objectives are to gather loot, construct a base, and craft different items to use against the world’s enemies. However, The Front takes the crafting to a new level compared to Rust, as you can create vehicles, build full-on cities, and terraform the world to bend it to your vision.

• Developer: Rare
• Release Date: March 20, 2018
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

If you’re a fan of different types of PvP engagements, navigating open oceans with a ship, and gathering vast amounts of treasure, then Sea of Thieves is right up your alley. You can play Sea of Thieves as a solo player, but it’s a game that’s best experienced with a full crew, as you need several people to properly manage a ship out on the water. When you’re not exploring the seas, completing missions, or going ashore to engage with NPCs, you’ll most likely be battling with other ships controlled by real players. PvP ship battles are one of the best parts of Sea of Thieves, but you can also engage in PvE fights as well.

• Developer: Battlestate Games
• Release Date: July 28, 2017
• Platforms: PC

At first glance, Escape from Tarkov and Rust might not seem like they have too much in common. However, if we look closer, both games share some distinct similarities. For starters, Escape from Tarkov heavily leans into PvP, but also dabbles in PvE, and combat needs to be mastered before you’ll be able to take down any skillful enemy.

Escape from Tarkov and Rust also both wipe their servers at different intervals throughout the year. In Escape from Tarkov, which is an extraction shooter, this wipe is primarily to ensure that players aren’t amassing too large an inventory of weapons, equipment, money, and so on. You acquire all of this loot by dropping into one of several maps and killing players and AI-controlled enemies, or scavenging throughout the world. Of course, with it being an extraction shooter, you have to make it out of the map alive to keep all the loot. It’s a thrilling shooter that Rust players should be able to relate to on multiple levels, including the server wipes, intense PvP action, and sense of survival.

• Developer: Devolver Digital
• Release Date: August 29, 2018
• Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Scum is an early access “next-generation” survival game that essentially acts as a prison riot simulator. Of course, the game goes much deeper than simply having you escape from prison. You start as a prisoner inside a supermax facility, but right from the beginning, you need to pay attention to every single detail of the game and how you’re playing. If you don’t eat the right food, heal wounds, or make some friends, that could be the death of you. The simulation aspect of Scum is extremely in-depth, and the gameplay is equally advanced, offering plenty of combat and character progression. The game also offers PvP elements, but they’re not the main focus.

• Developer: Funcom
• Release Date: January 30, 2017
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

The world of Conan the Barbarian has been the home to several different video games, but one of the most well-known is Conan Exiles. It’s an MMORPG with survival elements that features an open-world sandbox for you to explore. Both singleplayer and multiplayer modes are offered, so there’s something for all types of players. Regardless of how you play, though, Conan Exiles allows you to construct a kingdom for yourself, learn different kinds of combat, and defeat dozens of enemies across the map.

One of the interesting elements of Conan Exiles is the thralls, which are slave-like characters that you can use to essentially amass an army for yourself. Every thrall can be given a different role to ensure that you’re protected on all fronts when it comes to combat engagements. Conan Exiles remains one of the most content-filled MMOs on the market, and all Rust players will find something for them in the game’s Exiled Lands.

• Developer: Redbeet Interactive
• Release Date: May 23, 2018
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Raft is a survival game that takes place on the water, underneath the water, and on land. The overall goal is to survive a vast ocean where all you start with is a wooden raft and no land around you. Eventually, through diving into the water and finding land, you’ll be able to expand your raft and build a more stable base with some defenses to fend off the ocean’s many predators. Raft doesn’t offer any PvP, but it’s one of the best co-op games you can play if you decide to take on the adventure with friends. You can still play solo, though, and either way you go about it, Raft is a highly enjoyable experience that tests your wits, survivability, and base-building skills.