Best Pre-Apocalyptic Games, Ranked

Summary

• Pre-apocalyptic games are rare but provide unique narratives leading up to world-ending events.
• Titles like Life is Strange and Papers, Please offer immersive experiences of impending doom.
• These games explore the tension and consequences of societal collapse in compelling ways.

Post-apocalypse games are plentiful. From The Last of Us to Mad Max, there are innumerable games set after the end of the world or the downfall of society. There is a much smaller selection of games set in the lead-up to these events: pre-apocalyptic games, where the player spends at least some of the game playing with the knowledge that the world they are in will end.

There are plenty of books and films that take place in this strange space between reality and the post-apocalypse. However, it is a relatively under-explored setting for games. This list looks at some of the best titles that take place in the run-up to devastating events of varying types, from the earth being crushed by the moon to the summoning of unstoppable demonic forces.

7 Life Is Strange

Not The End Of THE World, But The End Of Their World

It may be cheating to have Life is Strange on this list. However, a major plot point that hangs over the majority of the game is the potential destruction of Arcadia Bay. While it doesn’t lead up to the complete collapse of humanity and the world in total, the storm that grows progressively closer each time Max uses her power is a signifier of the end of the world that the player has come to know.

While the player can avoid this, several events take place in the game which feel pre-apocalyptic. Freak weather events are the norm throughout the narrative. If the player chooses, the game can end with Arcadia Bay being destroyed. This signals the end of Max and Chloe’s world, and a complete shift in their lives.

6 Papers, Please

Dystopia In Action

Another game without a clear “end of the world event”, Papers, Please weaves a story of a country teetering on the edge. Reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984, the fictional nation of Arstotzka is constantly on the brink of war with neighboring countries, and is in the midst of a terrorist coup. The players’ job is to keep those who would do Arstotzka harm out of the country. Too many wrong decisions can lead to imprisonment.

The player gets to choose how their game ends. Arstotzka can remain the dystopian nation it is, or the player can allow the coup go ahead. If they do, society, as the player character knows it, can fall. Whatever they decide to do, the player doesn’t truly get to see the consequences of their actions or the fate of the inspector.

5 Faith: The Unholy Trinity

Stop The Demons

Faith: The Unholy Trinity is a game about, unsurprisingly, faith, and its loss. The player takes control of John Ward, an ex-priest who is forced to face the unspeakable horrors of his past in order to prevent an event known as the “Profane Sabbath.” The story unravels across 4 chapters, through snippets in newspapers, letters, and brief conversations.

There are three distinct endings for Chapter 3, two of which could lead to the end of the world, as an unimaginable demonic horror is unleashed upon the world. The player must complete a very specific set of tasks to confront the horror before its release, stopping it once and for all. Otherwise, the havoc it wrecks upon the world is left ambiguous.

4 Frostpunk & Frostpunk 2

The World Is Dying

The Frostpunk franchise is set in an alternate reality in which the world is enshrouded in a devastating volcanic winter. The first game tasks the player with managing a city amid this cataclysmic event, maneuvering their way through the breaking societal shackles that are falling away in light of the dying world.

The second game takes place 30 years later, giving the player control of an overcrowded, under-resourced city that is beginning to collapse once again, as the newly implemented world order shakes itself up once again. Frostpunk shows a world in the process of collapse, and the death throes of society desperately clinging to order.

3 Far Cry 5

Nuclear Armageddon With In A Far Cry Costume

While far from the strongest entry in the Far Cry franchise, Far Cry 5 takes place in the heart of America, a verdant landscape of forests, farms, and religious zealotry. The player takes control of a deputy sheriff, forced to take down the all-powerful cult of Joseph Seed, a maniac who has taken over a significant portion of Montana.

As the game progresses, radio messages can be heard that describe the outside world devolving into chaos as a nuclear war draws near. One of the endings of the game sees the deputy and Joseph Seed surviving a nuclear blast in a bunker. While this is only one of the possible endings, it is arguably canon, as it leads into the spin-off game Far Cry New Dawn.

2 The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

The Moon Keeps Getting Closer

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is one of the first true “apocalyptic” narratives many gamers will remember. Tasked with stopping the moon from destroying the world in a matter of days, the player must travel through a world of surprising horror for a game in the Zelda franchise.

Link is faced with the creepy smile of the ever-nearing moon, and NPCs coming to terms with their inevitable death. Whether the player can avoid devastation or not, they’re bound to remember their time with this classic gem of a game.

1 God Of War Ragnarök

It’s In The Title

As the title suggests, God of War Ragnarök picks up after the events of God of War (2018) as the end of the world approaches. The player takes control of Kratos and Atreus as they fight their way through the Norse pantheon in an attempt to prevent Ragnarök from destroying their home, despite the prophecies indicating Atreus’ role in its eventual completion.

God of War Ragnarök is a typical “stop the end of the world” plot on the surface, yet ends up being so much more, taking established characters and myths and making them something new. While the action gameplay may not be for all gamers, this game is a fantastic romp through a world of gods and monsters and makes the end of the world incredibly fun.