Rank 01Why this
Shares resource scarcity with The Long Dark.
- $2.49 (Price checked Nov 5)
- Deck Playable
- 2013
Games like The Long Dark
- 33 games
- Updated May 4, 2026
Players who liked The Long Dark also play
The closest matches to The Long Dark: Don't Starve, Project Zomboid, Subnautica, Valheim, and The Forest. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02Why this
Shares crafting with The Long Dark.
- $24.99 (Price checked Nov 4)
- Deck Verified
- 2013
Rank 03Why this
Also Open World Survival Craft and Crafting, like The Long Dark.
- $29.99 (Price checked Nov 4)
- Deck Verified
- 2018
Rank 04 
Rank 05 
The Forest
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Survival Horror, like The Long Dark.
Rank 06 
Sons Of The Forest
Why this: Also Survival Horror and Crafting, like The Long Dark.
Rank 07 
7 Days to Die
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Post-apocalyptic, like The Long Dark.
Rank 08 
Miasmata
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Walking Simulator, like The Long Dark.
The full ranked list: top 24 games like The Long Dark
Best match first, as plain text. The same list for AI assistants:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5The Forest
Also Open World Survival Craft and Survival Horror, like The Long Dark.
- 95% of 175,474 reviews
- 6
- 77 Days to Die
Also Open World Survival Craft and Post-apocalyptic, like The Long Dark.
- 85% of 124,117 reviews
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12ANGST: A TALE OF SURVIVAL
Shares temperature management and resource scarcity with The Long Dark.
- 88% of 64 reviews
- 13
- 14
- 15Heat Death: Survival Train
Shares resource scarcity and crafting with The Long Dark.
- 80% of 420 reviews
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- Released: 2017
- Developer: Hinterland Studio Inc.
- Price: $19.99checked Nov 5
- Steam Deck: Deck Verified
- 88% of 40,071 reviews
- Genres: Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Players highlight
- Handcrafted world feels alive and reactive
- Mastering survival turns it into a cozy escape
- Replayability through endless survival challenges
- Atmospheric
- Contemplative
- Immersive
More games like The Long Dark, sliced differently
Reviewers mention these as similar to The Long Dark
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Kenshi
Why this: Also Post-apocalyptic and Crafting, like The Long Dark.
Green Hell
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Crafting, like The Long Dark.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Why this: Same immersive mood as The Long Dark.
The Walking Dead
Why this: Same atmospheric mood as The Long Dark.
Rust
Why this: Shares resource scarcity with The Long Dark.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below The Long Dark at current Steam store prices.
ANGST: A TALE OF SURVIVAL
Why this: Shares temperature management and resource scarcity with The Long Dark.
Pacific Drive
Why this: Shares crafting with The Long Dark.
Heat Death: Survival Train
Why this: Shares resource scarcity and crafting with The Long Dark.
Fade to Silence
Why this: Shares temperature management with The Long Dark.
Northern Lights
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Post-apocalyptic, like The Long Dark.
Project Cobalt
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Survival Horror, like The Long Dark.
This War of Mine
Why this: Also Post-apocalyptic and Crafting, like The Long Dark.
Free alternatives
Free games the recommender matches to The Long Dark, limited to titles with at least 500 Steam reviews and 80% positive.
Unturned
Why this: Also Post-apocalyptic and Crafting, like The Long Dark.
No More Room in Hell
Why this: Shares resource scarcity with The Long Dark.
Walking Zombie 2
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Post-apocalyptic, like The Long Dark.
CHKN
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Crafting, like The Long Dark.
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
Project Zomboid
Why this: Shares crafting with The Long Dark.
Subnautica
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Crafting, like The Long Dark.
7 Days to Die
Why this: Also Open World Survival Craft and Post-apocalyptic, like The Long Dark.
About The Long Dark
The closest matches to The Long Dark: Don't Starve, Project Zomboid, Subnautica, Valheim, and The Forest. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If The Long Dark is your kind of game, the closest matches are Don't Starve, Project Zomboid and Subnautica — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as atmospheric, contemplative and immersive, and single out its crafting and death is permanent. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
The Long Dark is a survival simulation developed by Hinterland Studio Inc. and released in 2017 at $19.99 USD. Players navigate a frozen post-disaster wilderness where death is permanent and resources are scarce, requiring careful temperature management, navigation by memory, crafting, and wildlife avoidance to survive. Reviewers describe the handcrafted world as alive and reactive, while players characterize it as atmospheric, contemplative, and immersive despite the inherent stress of survival mechanics. The experience offers replayability through endless survival challenges, with some describing how mastering survival transforms it into a cozy escape and how elements like the soundscape of fire and cooking become hypnotic. The game runs Verified on Steam Deck and holds an 88% positive rating from over 40,000 Steam reviews.
About The Long Dark: 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.
Is The Long Dark worth buying?
Players recommend it
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 88% of 40,071 Steam reviews are positive.
- Last 30 days: 79% positive across 854 new reviews, in line with its all-time score.
- Price: $19.99 (checked Nov 9).
- People who recommend it had played a median of 59 h when they wrote their review.
- Critics had played a median of 80 h before turning negative, so complaints are about the long run, not the first hours.
- Steam Deck Verified.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Handcrafted world feels alive and reactive
- Mastering survival turns it into a cozy escape
- Replayability through endless survival challenges
- Soundscape fire cooking becomes hypnotic and immersive
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“Changing the review over many years. No finished story and no mod support yet. This game is almost 10 years old... While publishing a new DLC. Bad business practice.”
“Game is a lot of fun and if you're into endless survival games it's worth checking out, but as someone who prefers the narrative part of the game, I can't recommend it. The release of the final story chapter has been delayed multiple times…”
People who play it also play: Don't Starve, Project Zomboid, Subnautica
Frequently asked about The Long Dark
Can I run it?
Is The Long Dark verified for Steam Deck?
Yes — The Long Dark is Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve has confirmed it runs well on the Deck with full controller, text legibility, and default configuration support.
How much does The Long Dark cost?
The Long Dark is listed on Steam at 19.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
What games are most similar to The Long Dark?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside The Long Dark are Don't Starve, Project Zomboid, Subnautica.
Who developed The Long Dark?
The Long Dark was developed by Hinterland Studio Inc..