This type of game doesn’t need zombies, even though zombies are common in this type of game.
A lot of video games take place after the end of the world, mostly role-playing games (RPGs), but also survival and horror games. Most of the time, though, zombies are what cause trouble in these settings.
Many post-apocalypse games are fun and do a good job of capturing the feel of the time after the end of the world, but there are also many great games that don’t involve zombies.
Under The Sand REDUX
In Under The Sand REDUX, players go on a road trip like in The Long Drive. They can drive down a road that is constantly being generated and check out the wrecks of diners and cars in the game’s post-apocalyptic desert setting.
Under The Sand REDUX doesn’t have any enemies. It’s just about driving and fixing cars while keeping an eye on different safety meters and the fuel gauge. Overall, Under The Sand is a soft, moody game for people who want to take it easy for a while.
The Wandering Village
In this city-building management game, players are in charge of a town that is on the back of a strange animal that roams around the different biomes of a world after the end of the world, where toxic plants have destroyed everything. Players must manage their bond with the creature called “Onbu” as well as building cities in the usual way.
Most of the problems in The Wandering Village have to do with the environment. The key to staying alive is to make the best use of the small area on the back of Onbu. The art style of the game is unique and beautiful to look at, and even though it takes place after the end of the world, it still has a lot of great colors.
Frostpunk
The last city on Earth before it freezes over is where this game takes place. The cold is the biggest danger in Frostpunk, a game about building a society and a city.
Frostpunk is about running a society, and players have to make morally dubious decisions in the name of efficiency and optimization, or they have to make sacrifices to keep the people together. In Frostpunk, players also have to make laws and choose how they want to rule, so the game is full of choices that are important and have value.
NEO Scavenger
The few images in NEO Scavenger may make it look easy, but this post-apocalyptic rogue-like RPG is hard and complicated. In Neo Scavenger, there are enemies called “Melonheads” that eat other people. They’re not quite zombies, though, and they’re just one type of enemy available.
In Neo Scavenger, staying alive depends a lot on how well you plan and use your resources. To win, players will have to fight enemies, plan their path across the hexagonal map, and make good use of the limited inventory room they have.
Horizon Zero Dawn
In this action role-playing game, players explore the wild landscapes of a world taken over by smart, animalistic machines and hunt them down using strategy in action-packed battles.
The game’s open world is beautifully designed and has a lot of different places to explore. The robots that look like animals are a creative and visually striking alternative to zombies. Horizon Zero Dawn has a unique and memorable setting, but the gameplay is pretty much the same as other AAA open-world action RPGs, so it probably won’t appeal to people who want a less generic game loop.
Death Stranding
There are some scary creatures in Death Stranding, but they are not zombies, and the game is not like most AAA open-world games that are focused on fighting.
In Death Stranding, players have to carry packages on foot (and sometimes with the help of vehicles), going across a barren but peacefully beautiful America after the end of the world. Death Stranding is a great game for people who like to be quiet and think. The gameplay is repetitive, but sometimes it can be almost soothing. Also, Death Stranding’s story and acting are very good, and the gameplay fits together well.
Rain World
The goal of this difficult and moody 2D survival platformer is to find your lost family and bring them back together. The gameplay is so deep that it almost feels like a realistic simulation.
In Rain World, the main goal is to stay alive by avoiding the game’s many dangerous predators and finding food. You also need to find cover before the very heavy and dangerous rain starts falling. Additionally, the game has a unique look and smooth movements that help to make the post-apocalyptic world feel real.
Metro Exodus
This is the third game in the Metro series. It takes place in the wilds of Russia in the years 2036, after a terrible nuclear war, and is made up of a number of non-linear levels. Metro Exodus has a lot of story, and it all happens over the course of a year. The main character runs away from the Metro tunnels and goes on a big journey.
Geometry Dash World, like the other games in the series, doesn’t have zombies. Instead, it has a lot of horribly changed animals that you have to fight. Overall, Metro Exodus has tactical first-person shooter gameplay, a crafting system, and some light stealth elements. It also has a strong story and immersive landscapes set in a unique post-apocalyptic world.
Wasteland 3
In this turn-based role-playing game, players take control of a group of Rangers in a post-apocalyptic Colorado that has frozen over. The story is full of moral choices, and the world of the game is dynamic and reacts to player actions.
Instead of zombies, Wasteland 3‘s enemies are mostly humans, though there are a few different groups in the game. Wasteland 3 does, however, have a lot of different animal, mutant, and robot enemies that you can fight in strategy turn-based battles with up to six Rangers. The game also has different ends and online co-op, which makes it fun to play more than once.
Fallout: New Vegas
Some of the most famous post-apocalyptic settings in video games have been in the Fallout series for a long time. But Fallout: New Vegas may have the best open world of all of them, with a huge number of famous places and unique NPCs.
The world of the game is very immersive and full of visual storytelling. It’s also very dangerous to move through, even though there are no zombies. While Fallout: New Vegas has a lot of enemies that are human, animal, and horribly mutant, it doesn’t have any zombies. In fact, the only things that really resemble zombies are the Ghouls, who are sometimes friendly and sometimes mean.