7 Days to Die is a fun game to play if you are looking to truly test yourself in a survival setting. The game is full of challenges, especially since the moon turns red every seven nights and zombies swarm your position. The hoard breaks down any barriers you hoped would keep you safe.

Related: 7 Days To Die: The Best Mods, Ranked

You will have to use your resources carefully and strategically build up your defenses if you want to survive. If you’ve been playing 7 Days to Die for a while, you may be looking for a new game to capture your attention. The list below contains some great games for you to try out.

Updated April 7, 2023, by Luke Ackroyd: Survival games have always been popular, with many different themes and mechanics to enjoy. Zombie survival games, particularly, are tense, thrilling experiences, and 7 Days to Die is a fantastic example. It is a challenging game that immerses you in its horror setting. But, if you've had your fill and are eager for more games like 7 Days to Die to play next, there are luckily many great choices to consider. Whether you are looking for another zombie survival game or just another action-packed adventure to get hooked on, this list has been updated with even more games like 7DTD to try next.

21 Project Zomboid

A Player Shooting A Zombie And A Player Running Away From A Horde Of Zombies In Project Zomboid

When looking for games similar to 7 Days To Die, Project Zomboid is often considered a fun alternative. Instead of a first-person shooter experience, you'll look down at your character as they explore this apocalyptic setting, but this never takes away from the tense, scary nature of the game.

This is another challenging sandbox adventure, where you'll begin in a random location and must collect supplies, explore and develop skills to help you progress. Alongside setting up a base of operations, you can also grab vehicles and explore the wider world further (or simply try to run down as many zombies as possible). Like 7 Days to Die, you have a lot of freedom to tell your own zombie apocalypse story alone or with your friends.

20 Sons Of The Forest

map overview of the mountaintop base; a snow-covered base with ziplines, feeder, seedbox, and a bench with two players sitting on it in Sons Of The Forest

If you want more survival games like 7 Days to Die but are happy to swap out the zombies for cannibals and mutants, then Sons Of The Forest is an exciting option. This horror survival game has you crash-landing onto an island full of dangerous threats as you attempt to find a missing billionaire and their family. But, it is very easy to get distracted by the various crafting mechanics available to construct your ideal forest campsite, with zip lines and elaborate defenses. The billionaire can wait…

Sons Of The Forest is a sequel to The Forest (which we talk about below), and it has made quite a few updates to the previous game in the series and is considered a standalone experience primarily. So whether you played the first game or not, this creepy world, its captivating law, and doing whatever you can to stay alive is worth diving into.

19 Zed Zone

A player looting near a crashed helicopter and a player breaking into a car park in Zed Zone

Zed Zone is another top-down zombie game with features similar to 7 Days to Die, such as various exciting weapons to find and great crafting mechanics to help you build a shelter to keep the zombies out.

RELATED: Best Zombie Games

A great addition to this survival experience is the inclusion of special infected. Similar to games like Left 4 Dead, you'll have to take on advanced zombies with special abilities that are far more challenging to take on. The Beast, for example, has super-human strength. Can you survive being trapped in the apocalyptic Zed Zone?

18 Meet Your Maker

Building the structures of your Maze with a monster guarding beside it in Meet Your Maker

When thinking of games like Seven Days to Die, you might not immediately think of Meet Your Maker, but it is still an exciting post-apocalyptic, first-person game full of action and suspense. Instead of surviving in an open world, you're building outposts with traps and monstrous guards and heading off with your friends to raid rival outposts.

If you loved the base-building aspects of 7 Days to Die, Meet Your Maker takes this to a new level, with many options to craft mazes for others to attempt to fight their way through. Meet Your Maker is a unique, exciting concept worth trying out for yourself.

17 Ark: Survival Evolved

Ark Survival Evolved player attacking dinosaur with bow and arrow

Ark: Survival Evolved is a game that puts you in a land filled with everything from dinosaurs to mythical creatures, depending on your map choice.

In order to survive, you must build a base, tame the very beasts trying to kill you, and uncover the secrets of the Ark. You can even choose to play in a PvP or PvE map for those who want to spice things up a bit.

16 The Forest

The Player fighting off mutants and cannibals with a bow and arrow in The Forest

Plenty of survival games have scary elements about them. That's only natural since survival in harsh conditions with nothing but danger around you is inherently terrifying for our more primal instincts. But The Forest is a game that can be considered an authentic cooperative horror experience.

In this game, a plane crash will leave you, either solo or with some friends, deep within an inescapable forest, and now you must struggle to survive. You can play with friends, but even if you choose to play alone, you'll soon learn you're not truly alone in those woods.

15 Valheim

The Player Looking Over A Lake In Valheim

Valheim is a logical recommendation if you like 7 Days to Die, as it has many of the same features. You must build a base, take care of your needs, and fight off recurring attacks from time to time in order to survive.

While Valheim takes a more medieval approach to technology compared to 7 Days to Die, it is still a game of procedural grinding, exploration, and discovery that will scratch that itch for something similar yet slightly different.

14 Raft

Two players fighting off a shark with a spear in Raft

Raft is a seemingly tranquil game that starts you off on a tiny raft that seems to be floating aimlessly through the ocean. Your job is to pull in flotsam and other ocean debris around you to expand your raft. Oh, and you have to do it before the shark that is always following you manages to turn you into a midday snack.

Raft is another game that can be played with friends, and it has a heavy sense of discovery as you explore beautiful locations and take on various threats too.

13 Resident Evil: Village

Lady Dimitrescu smiles at Ethan Winters, her daughters Bela, Daniela, and Cassandra behind her. From Resident Evil Village.

If one of your favorite parts of 7 Days to Die was the atmosphere and zombies, then you should try Resident Evil: Village. The game sends you to a small village searching for your missing daughter, where all types of horrors await.

Related: First-Person Horror Games To Play If You Like Resident Evil: Village

These horrors include tons of zombie-like creatures (lycans) that can't wait to take a bite out of you. The tall vampire Lady Dimitrescu broke the internet for a good reason, and all of the other antagonists in the game are as terrifying as they are intriguing.

12 State of Decay 2

A Player Aiming Their Gun Over An Abandoned Car In State Of Decay 2

State of Decay 2 is another game that is great to play with friends that sends you into a zombie-filled world. The game challenges you to build a community amid the zombie apocalypse by recruiting a team, settling somewhere, and fortifying a base.

Each day is unique as you explore different features and traits of your character. The game has different maps to explore to keep things fresh and exciting each time you play. So, if you can handle the tense combat encounters, you'll quickly get hooked into State Of Decay 2.

11 DayZ

Zombie Horde Chasing The Player In Day Z

DayZ is another zombie survival game that allows you to face off against other players. You have to build up your arsenal and manage basic needs in order to survive. The only problem is that other players roam the map for the same resources.

Adding the element of player interference makes a difficult task even more challenging. If you are looking for a zombie game and a PvP experience, you should definitely give this one a try.

10 Rust

A camera on side of building overlooking a lighthouse in Rust

Rust is another popular survival game whose website description literally tells you that everything is out to kill you. It's similar to Ark, as you start with an extremely basic way of harvesting materials and must slowly build yourself up.

The challenge comes from the fact that you must keep yourself from dying to create a more capable character. Instead of zombies, you must protect yourself from other players, so playing alone can be very dangerous. Bringing your friends along is an excellent idea for your Rust adventures.

9 Don’t Starve

The Ghost Of A Dead Player In Don't Starve Together

Don't Starve and Don't Starve Together are unique survival games with a top-down two-dimensional perspective and an art style reminiscent of Tim Burton. You are dropped into a dingy-looking world and must try and keep yourself alive while gathering resources.

Related: Don’t Starve Together: How To Revive

From cute to creepy, there are a lot of creatures to encounter around this mysterious world. Remember that even more adorable enemies like the hounds are still trying to kill you. Along your explorative adventure, you’ll find plenty of mysteries and artifacts to discover to help you out, but you’re in for a very tough challenge, even if there are not as many zombies around as 7 Days to Die.

8 Dead Island

Zombie Beach Goers Attacking The Player In Dead Island

Dead Island has been around for quite some time. The game starts by placing you as a tourist on an island that zombies quickly overrun. Your only chance of surviving is grabbing the closest weapon and making your way through the hordes. The game has been re-released in a definitive edition and is set in quite a memorable, scenic location (if you pretend the zombies aren’t there, at least).

You can play alone or with friends, exploring the island and getting caught up in fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping action. So, if you are looking for 7 Days To Die like games, be sure to give this one a try.

7 How To Survive 2

Players Exploring A Campsite In How To Survive 2

How to Survive 2 drops you into Louisiana with zombies that are vying to take a chunk out of you. You will need to build up your camp and gather supplies to ensure that you can survive for a long period of time.

The game has a top-down view and allows for both local and online multiplayer to get a big team of zombie-fighting survivors together and improve your odds. With character customization, crafting, and quests to accomplish, it’s a fun take on the zombie genre.

6 Days Gone

Deacon And Sarah On The Bike in Days Gone

Days Gone is a PlayStation and Windows exclusive that combines adventure and survival horror. You will be given a motorcycle to help you explore the world easier, but you must keep in mind how much fuel you have left while roaming around the world.

The game does have an interesting narrative but gives you several ways to take on the world and its various challenges.

5 Stranded Deep

A player constructing a house on the beach in Stranded Deep

Stranded Deep hits similar beats to Raft. They're both survival games about being stranded far from modern civilization with nothing but islands to scavenge and creatures of the sea and the land to avoid/hunt.

Although Raft leans a bit more towards its story, Stranded Deep prefers to give you a little context at the beginning and then drop you off in the world to explore and generally do whatever you want. In many ways, Stranded Deep feels a lot more like a traditional crafting-survival game experience, like 7 Days to Die.

4 Dying Light 2

Players Jumping over a rooftop in Dying Light 2

Dying Light 2 takes place in a world that zombies have overrun. In the game, you will need to survive as one of the few remaining humans, but this is more easily said than done.

With an entire city to explore, you can roam to your heart's content, completing quests while avoiding any dangers that may be in the way. Like many other survival games, Dying Light 2 can be played with others, allowing for a multiplayer experience.

3 Dysmantle

A player exploring a house in Dysmantle

As the name suggests, Dymantle is a zombie survival game that involves crafting. In this game, you will need to explore and break down items you come across to get the materials you are looking for.

While building outposts and crafting weapons, you will also need to defeat zombies and animals that pose a threat. Overall, think of this game as a scarier version of Minecraft.

2 Green Hell

A figure Standing In A Cave In Green Hell

Green Hell is similar to The Forest, so if you enjoy that game, then you should give Green Hell a try. In this game, there are no zombies; instead, you will need to survive the harsh Amazon jungle.

You will encounter hostile people, dangerous animals, and natural hazards in the Amazon. The game has a sense of realism, with many survival techniques that are used in the real world.