Post-apocalyptic settings are one of the few things that excel in all forms of media, whether that be books, movies, or video games. The idea of a post-apocalyptic landscape seems to bring out numerous emotions in people, whether it be fear, intrigue, or even adrenaline-pumping excitement, depending on the theme. In theory, video games can offer a superior post-apocalyptic experience to books and films, as they can uniquely put their audience in the shoes of the main character as they journey through the deprived world before them.
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Unfortunately, many development teams fail to realize the potential of how immersive a post-apocalyptic game can be and instead use the genre as a gimmick to improve otherwise bland and generic games. The games on this list, however, offer fantastic post-apocalyptic worlds that excel in either letting the player explore their landscape, telling a gripping story, or offering unique gameplay mechanics to fit the morbid reality.
Updated September 25th, 2025, by Jack Pursey: This list of the best post-apocalyptic games of all time has been updated to improve the layout and image quality.
Stray
OpenCritic Rating: 83
Many of the best post-apocalyptic games make a point of letting the player know exactly what caused the world to fall into a state of ruin. In a lot of cases, this ends up being pretty obvious, with zombies (or something similar with a slightly different name) being the main culprits. Stray takes a somewhat different approach, though, thrusting players into a futuristic version of Hong Kong with little explanation.
Exploring this neon-infused world as a cat provides players with a brand-new perspective, which in turn helps to distract from some of the bigger issues at hand. Questions like “What happened to all of the humans?” and “What’s the deal with the Zurks?” will soon fall by the wayside, with players quickly getting lost in a world that’s full of character and adorable feline interactions that are just waiting to be uncovered.
Rust
OpenCritic Rating: 67
In most other post-apocalyptic games, it is the life forms that have come to inhabit the world that players find themselves in that serve as the main source of danger, be that terrifying video game zombies or some other form of mutated creature. Rust does feature irradiated animals, such as bears and wolves, but it ends up being other humans that players really need to worry about, rather than these monstrous mammals.
The shoot-on-sight nature of online survival games can be frustrating at first, but it’s arguably a lot more realistic than a post-apocalyptic game in which all NPCs are friendly. Resources are limited, after all, with food and healing supplies being in particularly short supply. With that in mind, it’s only natural that players would be willing to kill for these rare items when push comes to shove.
Stellar Blade
OpenCritic Rating: 82
Much like Guerrilla Games’ Horizon series, Stellar Blade serves as proof that a post-apocalyptic world can still be beautiful. Granted, the 2024 title takes a much more reserved approach when it comes to the idea of a world being reclaimed by nature, but there’s still an inherent beauty in some of its dusty and desolate locales.
Unlike a lot of other great games with post-apocalyptic settings, Stellar Blade has no real survival elements to speak of, though that’s not to say that players should expect a walk in the park. Combat can be brutal, albeit equally rewarding, making this a great option for those looking for a fun and stylish challenge.
Days Gone
OpenCritic Rating: 72
Despite hundreds of thousands of people signing a petition calling for Sony to release a sequel, the chances of a new Days Gone game seem pretty slim right now. That’s unfortunate, as, despite its somewhat disappointing Metascore, many consider it to be one of the best open-world survival games of the modern era, thanks largely to its immersive storytelling and well-written characters.
Players assume the role of Deacon St. John, a former bounty hunter struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombie-like creatures called Freaks. Though players are surrounded by death and danger on all sides, the world that they get to explore feels as though it’s truly alive, which can encourage players to take risks when they probably shouldn’t. The experience on offer is therefore a tense one, but also a lot of fun.
State of Decay
OpenCritic Rating: 74
Like Days Gone, Undead Labs’ State of Decay series struggled to impress critics, though it has garnered something of a cult following within the Xbox ecosystem. Both the original and its sequel take place in a post-apocalyptic world that’s infested with zombies and take players on a somewhat singular journey that very few other games can match.
With an infinite supply of zombies and a wide array of weapons with which to dispatch them, the State of Decay games are more about having fun picking apart zombies than they are about evoking feelings of fear. In that respect, they’re a lot like the Dead Rising games, only they boast a much larger sandbox in which to play around and place a lot more emphasis on crafting and resource management.
The Division
OpenCritic Rating: 79
After a genetically engineered super-virus known as Green Poison brings humanity to its knees, civilization collapses, and chaos and anarchy soon fill the void. Players are left to explore what remains of New York City, which now boasts an ever-expanding dark zone in which all decency and decorum are consumed by evil inclinations and despicable desires.
In many ways, The Division is exactly what one might expect from a Tom Clancy game, particularly when it comes to combat and mechanics. However, the game’s wonderfully well-realized post-apocalyptic depiction of New York really helps to set it apart from many of its peers and is well worth a visit for those curious about what the end of the world might look like.
Mad Max
OpenCritic Rating: 69
Mad Max was released in 2015 but isn’t a tie-in to the hit movie Mad Max: Fury Road, which was released in theatres just four months earlier. Although the film was well-received by fans and critics, many players were happy that the game wasn’t a direct tie-in, as movie tie-in games have a poor reputation today following numerous releases in the 2000s that felt like cash grabs.
Mad Max impressed fans and critics with its explosive action and well-designed open world that is a joy to explore. For this reason, many regard it as one of the most underrated video games of the past decade, with very few people having checked it out despite its obvious quality.
I Am Alive
OpenCritic Rating: N/A
Ubisoft’s I Am Alive may not be able to hold a candle to the other games on this list in terms of its objective quality, but it deserves a spot nonetheless for implementing some of the most ambitious and forward-thinking ideas that the post-apocalyptic genre has ever seen.
Such ideas include the devastating impact that climbing, jumping, and other strenuous movements can have on the player’s well-being, as well as the lack of ammunition that forces players to utilize bold strategies like aiming an empty gun at enemies, in hopes that they believe it’s loaded. The realistic take on combat was a breath of fresh air for the genre, and one that makes many other self-proclaimed realistic post-apocalyptic adventures look like Rambo in comparison.
Death Stranding
OpenCritic Rating: 83
When Death Stranding was announced, it instantly became one of the gaming industry’s most highly anticipated titles. The baffling trailers intrigued players who had no idea what type of game Death Stranding was going to be, a theme that continued when Hideo Kojima confusingly described it as the first “strand game.”
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Most gameplay predictions from fans proved to be completely wrong, as there weren’t many who predicted that Death Stranding would predominantly consist of extreme post-apocalyptic Amazon delivery. The unique gameplay divided players, but the story was universally praised, making Death Stranding worth considering even if the gameplay sounds off-putting.
Wasteland 3
OpenCritic Rating: 86
Wasteland 3 was initially released in August 2020 and had the tough task of improving upon its critically acclaimed predecessor, Wasteland 2. The game features a similar style of turn-based tactics combat as the XCOM series, but differentiates itself with its heavier focus on role-playing mechanics.
InXile Entertainment’s game was well-received by fans and critics, exemplified by its 85 Metascore on PC and Best Role-Playing nomination at The Game Awards 2020, an award that eventually went to the remake of Final Fantasy 7. Still, those looking for a great post-apocalyptic video game could certainly do an awful lot worse.
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