10 Best Solo Games in a World After the End
The apocalypse has happened. Civilization has collapsed, stores are closed, and with them, any hope for a normal life. But a huge number of games have appeared where you can experience what it's like to survive in a world that can't be fixed. No annoying allies by your side — just you, your gun or crowbar, and kilometers of dangerous silence. We've gathered the top ten solo projects for those who want to survive the apocalypse without leaving the couch.
A small warning: possible spoilers and a high concentration of gamer excitement inside.
10. Atomfall
- Release Year: 2025
- Developer: Rebellion Developments
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
If you thought nuclear disaster was only about Nevada or Chernobyl, the team at Rebellion is ready to surprise you. British post-apocalypse is something new. The game focuses on exploration and dialogue: you need to figure out what happened to this place and which characters can be trusted. However, it's worth warning those who might have been misled by comparisons to Fallout and BioShock: don't expect deep social commentary in the spirit of those series from Atomfall. You'll have to really delve into the intrigues of local factions to understand how to get out of the quarantine zone. It's a great example of how to make a project without tired clichés. Atmosphere is the main trump card here. Fog, radio interference, strange cultists, and the feeling that you're constantly being watched. Not the loudest game of the year, but for those tired of standard post-apocalypses with deserts and rusty cars — a breath of fresh British air. With a slight aftertaste of radiation.
9. Chernobylite
- Release Year: 2021
- Developer: The Farm 51
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
A scientist returns to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone to find his missing fiancée. Sounds like the plot of a bad movie, but the game turned out to be surprisingly solid. Each companion has their own personality, and if you treat them as expendable, they'll remember it. The Zone here is assembled from real 3D scans of Pripyat, so the graphics are a treat for the eyes. The developers actually traveled to the Exclusion Zone and scanned objects. Industrial zone, abandoned buildings, ominous sky: this isn't an abstract post-apocalypse, but a very specific place. Combat allows for both frontal assault and stealth play. The decision system affects the ending, so one playthrough is unlikely to show everything. The game isn't without its rough edges, but if you're drawn to the theme of Chernobyl and Soviet decay — it's not to be missed.
8. Wasteland 3
- Release Year: 2020
- Developer: inXile Entertainment
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tactical combat? Check. Character progression? Check. Choices with consequences? Of course. Everything as in the classics. Only some mechanics behave like a drunken ranger on ice. The role-playing system allows you to create a unique build: from a pacifist hacker to a mad bomber. The humor here is specific, sometimes goofy, sometimes blacker than coal, but almost always hits the mark. The game isn't afraid to laugh at itself, at the genre, at America, and at the player personally. There's co-op for two players, but it holds up in solo play too. Colorado here isn't just a backdrop: each location has its own character, its own factions, and its own history. Wasteland 3 doesn't try to be Fallout, but fans of the old parts will definitely enjoy it. Especially if you like it when a game gives real freedom of action and doesn't hold your hand.
7. Kenshi
- Release Year: 2018
- Developer: Lo-Fi Games
- Platforms: PC
You can gather a whole squad of similar losers, train them, and capture an entire city. The game world is huge and populated by strange races: from robot skeletons to insect people. The graphics are specific here, but the gameplay depth is such that you can lose yourself for hundreds of hours. The main thing is to survive the first couple of real days without ending up in slavery. The graphics are outdated, the interface is intimidating at first, and there's no real tutorial. But those who push through the first few hours usually get hooked for a long time. Kenshi isn't perfect, but, as is known, many geniuses have an unbearable character, which doesn't stop them from being damn geniuses.
6. Mad Max
- Release Year: 2015
- Developer: Avalanche Studios
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Desert, car, and fists — that's all you need. Your car nicknamed "Magnum Opus" here is practically the main character. You build it literally from scratch throughout the game, the story revolves around it, and you spend most of your time in it. Hand-to-hand combat is modeled after Batman Arkham: counters, combos, finishers. It works cleanly and pleasantly, though it lacks variety by the end. The game world, though made of sand, looks stunning even now. Dust storms here aren't just a special effect, but a real threat you need to hide from. The plot is simple, the open world is repetitive in places, and some mechanics are familiar by heart by the middle. But the atmosphere of a crazy post-apocalyptic road trip is conveyed 10 out of 10. This isn't a game where you need to turn on your brain and reflect — it's a game where you just relax. Turn it on, drive around, have fun. Sometimes that's enough.
5. Frostpunk
- Release Year: 2018
- Developer: 11 bit studios
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
The main mechanic here is laws. Every decision has its pros and cons, which the isolated society reacts to instantly, and you can't revoke an adopted decree. You'll have to decide: should children be forced to work in the mines, should people be fed soup with sawdust, and what to do with the critically ill. The scale of discontent and hope becomes the main nerve of the gameplay. Give people too much freedom — chaos ensues. Tighten the screws too much — you'll get a rebellion and go for a walk in the frost without a hat. You have to constantly search for balance, and a "correct guide" simply doesn't exist. One session lasts several hours, but you remember the decisions from it much longer. Frostpunk seems to lure you in and then makes you look back and ask yourself: was it worth it?
4. Death Stranding Director's Cut
- Release Year: 2021
- Developer: Kojima Productions
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Hideo Kojima made a game about a delivery man. It sounds boring exactly until you start playing. The main mechanic is balance management. Cargo is distributed across the body, and if you take too much, you'll start stumbling. Roads, zip-lines, and ladders are built by players, and structures from other people appear in your world. There's combat here too: you have to fend off raiders or hide from invisible creatures. The story, however, is typical Kojima: