7 Post-Apocalyptic Games with Unique Settings

Games set in post-apocalyptic worlds are always very interesting to explore, as they offer players a hopeless atmosphere that elevates the experience greatly and raises the stakes. While some developers choose to focus these kinds of games towards horror, others prefer to take on a different approach and instead turn their attention to developing great game mechanics.

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The 22 Best Post-Apocalyptic Games of All Time, Ranked

A post-apocalyptic setting adds a certain uniqueness to a game. These titles left an everlasting impression on gamers.

Many post-apocalyptic games are extremely realistic and give players a sensation of immersion that can be quite entertaining, but often daunting as well. Typically, these games shine thanks to their environments, as they’re quite different from anything else available. Here are some of the best post-apocalyptic games with unique settings.

7

Rain World

Beautiful Art Style And Unique Gameplay

You are a slugcat. The world around you is full of danger, and you must face it – alone. Separated from your family in a devastating flood, you will need to find food and shelter between terrifying torrential downpours which threaten to drown all life. Climb through the ruins of an ancient civilization, evade the jaws of vicious predators, and discover new lands teeming with strange creatures and buried mysteries. Find your family before something makes a meal of you!

Inspired by the simplicity and aesthetics of 16-bit classics, this survival platformer requires clever decision-making, both to catch your own prey and to avoid the jaws of hungry predators. Each ravenous foe in your path will be cunning, vicious and always on the hunt – eager to sink their teeth into you, or even each other. As a small, soft slugcat you must rely on stealth and wit rather than force: learn the ecosystem and turn their strengths to your advantage. Maybe then you can survive… Rain World!

Released

March 28, 2017

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Tobacco Reference

• Players can use several elements for survival
• The world’s design is unique and bleak

Although the reviews for Rain World thus far have been mixed, it’s hard to argue against the statement that it offers quite a unique experience to players. This title features a simulated ecosystem full of different elements players can use and dangers they must escape.

This 2D world has been carefully designed to give players the tools they need to survive, without spoon-feeding anything to them and keeping the experience challenging enough to make it interesting. The world’s design is quite unique and works well with the overall atmosphere presented.

6

Metro Exodus

The Locomotive Aurora Is The Last Safe Haven On Earth

Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created.

Explore the Russian wilderness across vast, non-linear levels and follow a thrilling story-line that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter.

Inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro Exodus continues Artyom’s story in the greatest Metro adventure yet.

Released

February 15, 2019

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

• Artyom and his companions travel through a post-apocalyptic wasteland
• Toxic gas is just one of the many dangers awaiting players during their journey

Metro Exodus is the third installment in the Metro video game series. It is based on the novels by Dmitry Glukhovsky and tells a story of the struggle for survival as protagonist Artyom and his companions try to travel through Russia and Kazakhstan aboard the locomotive Aurora.

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This title features great FPS mechanics that allow for fast-paced action throughout the post-apocalyptic world it’s set in. In some areas, the air is toxic, which requires the use of a gas mask so as to stay protected and avoid poisoning. Those who want to elevate their experience even further will want to try some of the best mods available for the game.

5

Death Stranding

Sam Porter Bridges Must Ensure The Survival Of Humanity And Its Colonies

Released

November 8, 2019

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language

• A cataclysmic event released dangerous creatures on Earth
• Humanity endures through various colonies

The plot of Death Stranding is rather simple, as it focuses on a post-apocalyptic version of the United States that resulted from a cataclysmic event that released dangerous creatures onto the population. As humanity does, those who survived formed colonies across the land, which must remain connected in one way or another and stocked with enough supplies for everyone.

Players will take on the role of Sam Porter Bridges (portrayed by Norman Reedus), as he travels around and delivers supplies to the surviving colonies to prevent the extinction of humanity. Death Stranding was critically acclaimed, but there are some characters that many players agree should not return for the sequel.

4

Frostpunk

A Post-Apocalyptic Setting That Stays In The Past Rather Than Exploring The Future

THE CITY MUST SURVIVE

Offering players a complex strategic challenge alongside a rich narrative featuring an alternative take on the 19th-century industrial revolution, Frostpunk weaves a story of how our planet mysteriously freezes, putting an end to civilization as we know it and forcing the human race to adapt to the harsh conditions. As the leader of possibly the last civilized society on Earth, you’re going to build the city your survivors live in, discover new technologies, explore frozen wastelands and most importantly, manage and rule society to prepare it for life in an unforgiving world. Whether you’re an enlightened ruler or an iron-fisted tyrant, you’ll discover choices in this world aren’t as easy as they seem, and that holding power over people has a cost as heavy as the responsibility you feel in caring for them.

Released

April 24, 2018

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Mild Sexual Themes, Mild Violence, Strong Language

• The game is set during a volcanic winter in the late-19th century
• Gathering and managing resources is critical to the experience

One of the things that makes Frostpunk so interesting is that, as opposed to other post-apocalyptic titles, it’s not set in the present or the future, but rather in an alternate version of the late 19th century. Players will take on the role of a leader who must ensure the maintenance and construction of a city during a grim volcanic winter.

Gathering and managing resources is a key component of this child’s experience, and so is making tough choices regarding survival and the allocation of said resources. Frostpunk offers various scenarios, some of which are ideal under the circumstances, and others, not so much.

3

Horizon Zero Dawn

Humanity’s Hubris Brought About The Downfall Of Society

Horizon Zero Dawn

EARTH IS OURS NO MORE

Experience Aloy’s entire legendary quest to unravel the mysteries of a world ruled by deadly Machines.

An outcast from her tribe, the young hunter fights to uncover her past, discover her destiny… and stop a catastrophic threat to the future.

Unleash devastating, tactical attacks against unique Machines and rival tribes as you explore an open world teeming with wildlife and danger.

Horizon Zero Dawn™ is a multi-award-winning action role-playing game – and this Complete Edition for PC includes the huge expansion The Frozen Wilds, featuring new lands, skills, weapons and Machines.

Systems

Released

February 28, 2017

ESRB

T for Teen – Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Violence

• Aloy must survive in a dangerous version of Earth
• Great graphics, fun combat mechanics, and an interesting story

Horizon Zero Dawn follows the story of Aloy as she makes her way through a post-apocalyptic version of Earth where mechanical creatures roam free. This title has a ton of lore that fans of the franchise will definitely want to read before their next playthrough, as it provides a clear explanation for the condition they find Aloy’s world in.

Horizon Zero Dawn not only features outstanding combat mechanics and a compelling narrative, but it also has great graphics. This, along with many other aspects, makes it one of the best PlayStation games of the 2010s.

2

NieR: Automata

2B and 9S Must Survive The Dangers That Await Them Along Their Journey

Invaders from another world attack without warning – unleashing the machine lifeforms. To break the deadlock, a new breed of android infantry is sent into the fray: the YoRHa squad. Highly-acclaimed and award winning NieR:Automata™ is a fresh take on the action role-playing game (RPG) genre that gracefully blends mesmerizing action with a captivating story.

NieR:Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their battle to reclaim the machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful machines. Humanity has been driven from the Earth by mechanical beings from another world. In a final effort to take back the planet, the human resistance sends a force of android soldiers to destroy the invaders. Now, a war between machines and androids rages on… A war that could soon unveil a long-forgotten truth of the world.

Released

March 7, 2017

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence

• The game follows combat android 2B and scanner android 9S
• Fun, fast-paced combat mechanics

Set during a proxy war between alien-crafted machines and human-made androids, NieR: Automata follows the story of combat android 2B and scanner android 9S as they fight various enemies and make their way through a post-apocalyptic world.

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This title features fast-paced combat mechanics that will require players to stay on their toes and develop cat-like reflexes if they mean to defeat their enemies and avoid the attacks directed at them. Players can chain different attacks to maximize the damage they deal and ensure that their enemies go down before they do. NieR: Automata is, without a doubt, one of the best titles in the NieR and Drakengard franchises.

1

Fallout 4

The Boston Commonwealth Is Beautifully Crafted

Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, invite you to the ambitious open world of Fallout 4. Do whatever you want in a massive Commonwealth with hundreds of locations, characters and quests.
As the sole survivor of Vault 111, only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone – the choices are yours.
From a Power Armor-toting soldier to the charismatic smooth-talker, be whoever you want with the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. character system and develop your own playstyle from hundreds of Perks.
Experience exciting first- or third-person combat with the dynamic Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S., targeting enemies for maximum tactical advantage (and cinematic carnage!) Collect, upgrade and build thousands of items with Fallout 4’s crafting system. Weapons, armor, food and with the right materials, even entire settlements are possible. Welcome home.

Released

November 10, 2015

ESRB

M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS

• Retrofuturistic concept that works amazingly well with the game’s theme
• Various weapons and NPCs that make the experience very enjoyable

At the time of writing this article, it’s quite hard to find a player who has not heard of Fallout 4 or any other title in the Fallout franchise, as it has become increasingly popular throughout the years. Fallout 4’s story focuses on the Sole Survivor as they explore the Boston Commonwealth and take on the various dangers awaiting them.

One of the things that makes the gameplay so great, is that as players explore the post-nuclear wasteland the game is set in, they can listen to classics from the real-world 1950s-1960s, which greatly complements the retrofuturistic atmosphere of this title. Those who’ve already completed the game once will find that there are many interesting ways to shake up a second playthrough.

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Upcoming Post-Apocalyptic Games

Post-apocalyptic is a popular setting in many games, and there are several highly anticipated games for players to look forward to.