The Long Dark similar games & best alternatives

The Long Dark - Trailer
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The Long Dark

Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch • 2017

Should you play it?

THE LONG DARK is a thoughtful, exploration-survival experience that challenges solo players to think for themselves as they explore an expansive frozen wilderness in the aftermath of a geomagnetic disaster. There are no zombies -- only you, the cold, and all the threats Mother Nature can muster.

What works

  • Immersive survival mechanics
  • Atmospheric graphics and sound
  • Large explorable world
  • Episodic story mode
  • Frequent content updates

Things to keep in mind

  • Lack of multiplayer or cooperative mode
  • Steep learning curve
  • Slow pacing may not suit all players
  • Some bugs and ai issues reported
  • Long wait times between story episodes

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Survival: Fountain of Youth

  • Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts

  • The Flame in the Flood

  • Road to Vostok

  • Bootstrap Island

  • Into the Radius VR

More fantastical

Games that feels like The Long Dark but with more imaginative fiction

  • YAR: Forgotten Throne

  • Pine

  • The Axis Unseen

  • Stygian: Outer Gods

  • The Banner Saga 2

  • The Banner Saga

More social

Games that feels like The Long Dark but with more teamwork and cooperation

  • ASKA

  • ICARUS

  • Valheim

  • MISERY

  • Survival Nation

  • The Forest

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with The Long Dark. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with The Long Dark. These titles are not in What to play next.

The Long Dark: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Survival, Fellowship, Intimacy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fantasy, Leadership.

Last update: 21/08/2026