12 Best Games Like Kenshi That You Should Know Update 04/2024

Games Like Kenshi

Those who enjoy open-world survival RPGs like Kenshi will appreciate our list of the finest Kenshi-like titles.

With RimWorld and Dwarf Fortress, Kenshi is one of the best examples of genre-bending video games. As an open-world survival role-playing game, you’ll be venturing through a harsh wasteland full of endless obstacles and possibilities.

Kenshi’s unique systems and the unpredictability of its sandbox tend to captivate players who persevere through its steep learning curve. A game like this can easily consume hundreds of hours of your time without you even realizing it.

We’ve compiled a list of the greatest Kenshi clones to play in 2022. We’ll be primarily focused on PC games, but we’ve also added a few platform titles like Kenshi.

Let us know if we missed your favorite game in the comments section if we did. Finally, be sure to come back often because we’ll be adding new titles to this collection in the future.

1. Conan: Exiles

Conan Exiles

This list begins with Conan: Exiles, a survival game set in the horrific Open World of the same name, where you’ll have to fend off enemies and gather materials to construct fortifications and weaponry. There is a single-player mode as well as a multiplayer mode.

If you like Kenshi, you’ll be able to create your own path through the game and focus on what interests you most. For you, this could mean finding every bit of lore you can, decorating your base, or capturing NPCs and turning them into your slaves.

2. Medieval Dynasty

Open-world survival game Medieval Dynasty depends heavily on Kenshi’s squad management mechanics. Taking place in Europe during the Early Middle Ages, the game finds you building your own colony in the hopes of transforming it into a lasting kingdom.

For example, you’ll have to provide food and shelter for your villagers as well as defend them from wild animals. You’ll also need to make sure your main character has adequate food and resources to deal with bears, wolves, and whatever else the game throws your way.

3. Factorio

Factorio

The more members you have in your team, the more important base-building becomes. Factorio is another video game that stresses creating a strong foundation. Automating machines to harvest and purify resources for your own industrial utopia is at the heart of the game.

There are a lot of manual tasks that you’ll have to complete before you can use automation in your game. Upgrades in Factorio’s progression system let you use AI to program your machines, harness alternate energy sources, and more.

4. Frostpunk

Frostpunk is another game like Kenshi that features base-building in addition to colony management simulation. It takes place in a world where a new ice age began in the 19th century in an alternate universe.

In this game, you take control of the head of a hamlet that relies on a steam-powered heat generator for its very existence. Frostpunk is unique in that every action you make has a direct impact on the tale and the morale of your people.

5. RimWorld

RimWorld

And to top it all off, Kenshi fans may enjoy RimWorld’s seamless integration of base-building/survival/strategic gameplay. Before crashing-landing with a crew of space colonists, you can choose from a variety of biomes.

Your community’s success depends on meeting the physical and emotional needs of your colonists, which means building enough housing and expanding as needed. An AI-driven storyteller famed for its delightfully gruesome tales adds to the game’s deep-rewarding gaming cycle.

6. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

Kenshi-like sandbox games like Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord allow you to play as different character classes based on the game’s medieval background. It’s up to you whether you want to be a famous jouster, a wealthy trader, a blade for hire, or even a burglar.

As in Kenshi, the game’s party structure and management tools let you command armies of dozens to thousands into combat. Mount & Blade 2 is a much better game than the original in almost every respect.

7. Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Kingdom Come Deliverance

For those who appreciate Kenshi’s open-world brutality, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is likely to offer a similar experience. You take on the role of the blacksmith’s son, who joins a group of rebels to defend the rest of the community when raiders massacre his family and the entire hamlet.

You’re not a charismatic or mystical hero; rather, you’re just a fumbling oaf trying to get by in the same world as everyone else. Each night, you’ll need to locate food, drink, and a place to rest your head, among other necessities. In order to enhance immersion and realism, NPCs respond to your presence based on your appearance and how recently you’ve washed.

8. Ark: Survival Evolved

Arc is another one of those games that you either adore or despise, similar to Kenshi. It all boils down to personal preference and tolerance for grinding, pranking, and game-breaking bugs in the game. There are several fascinating new ideas incorporated into the survival genre, such as taming wild animals.

If you’re looking for a way to transport and protect your goods and your base from predators, slave dinosaurs are the way to go! Playing single-player instead of PvP allows you to build elaborate strongholds without fear of them being destroyed by another player.

9. The Forest

The Forest

Open-world survival game The Forest has you play as a man hunting for his son after the two crash-land on a lonely island full of cannibalistic creatures. Building a base, creating, and engaging in first-person warfare are all included.

Unlike other horror survival games, the AI of The Forest’s enemies reacts differently to the player depending on what time of day it is. If you’re not careful, it’s easy to become outnumbered and overwhelmed late at night.

10. Rust

For example, hunger, thirst, hypothermia, and radiation poisoning are all mimicked in Rust, along with other physical states like hypothermia and radiation poisoning. Additionally, you’ll encounter wild creatures, aggressive NPC’s, and other players.

Most of what you do in Rust is unscripted, allowing for some incredibly odd and exciting moments, especially when it comes to your interactions with other gamers. Like Kenshi, you can invade someone else’s base, rob them of their belongings, and even seize their territory for your own.

11. State of Decay 2

State of Decay 2

It’s your job to oversee a ragtag band of survivors in an evil wasteland in State of Decay 2. Once again, you begin with a single character and add to your roster as you advance.

Scavenging for resources and fortifying your base are the primary game mechanics. Resources in each map are limited, forcing you to carefully decide what goals you want to achieve and which skills you’d like to invest in.

12. Space Engineers

Sandbox games like this one allow players to explore the planets, moons, and asteroid belts of the universe. While it is possible to get to them, the game’s main focus is on resource collection and crafting in order to survive on a strange planet.

Space ships and vehicles are abundant, allowing you to cover large distances quickly and easily while establishing outposts. Creative and Survival modes are both included in the game for individuals who enjoy building things, and those who prefer a more demanding experience.