Fallout is blowing up right now thanks to another successful season of the TV adaptation on Amazon Prime. It leans harder into a specific game, Fallout: New Vegas, which is why so many players, old and new are jumping into it. For those uninitiated, there are some core concepts that a modern-day Fallout game presents.
The Best Post-Apocalyptic Games of All Time
A post-apocalyptic setting adds a certain uniqueness to a game. These titles left an everlasting impression on gamers.
It goes beyond just taking place in a post-apocalyptic world, because each setting is very distinct. It’s a post-war United States with first-person shooting, dialogue trees, deep leveling systems, and more. For those who want to go beyond the Fallout series, here are some good alternatives that are similar, but not exactly the same.
Mad Max
There Would Be No Fallout Without Max
Mad Max
- Released
- September 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Studios
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
Mad Max, the film series, is one of the most well-established post-apocalyptic franchises of all time, from which many other stories have pulled, including Fallout. This latest Mad Max game gives the titular Max his beloved car so he can drive around a dilapidated desert in an open-world action-adventure game.
Players will need to find gas, bullets, and other supplies by destroying the bases of nearby raiders, which will lower difficulty ratings in the area. The map is fairly large, with plenty of quests to tackle, but it’s not exactly an RPG. While Fallout lacks vehicles, the desert wasteland and the brutality of the raiders should make fans feel right at home in Mad Max. Plus, it's a good blueprint for Bethesda to pull from if they ever want to make a game with vehicular combat.
Days Gone
On The Road
Days Gone
- Released
- April 26, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Bend Studio
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action, Adventure
Days Gone is perhaps more akin to Mad Max than it is to Fallout, simply because players cruise around the gorgeous, lush forests of Oregon on their motorcycle, with gas being a necessary supply concern. While there are human raiders to worry about, this post-apocalyptic open-world is filled with zombies, both slow and fast versions, akin to the Ghouls in Fallout.
There are many more peaceful settlements to explore, like in Fallout games, where players can take on quests to help their fellow man, and get supplies to help themselves. It’s not an RPG, but there is plenty to do and see, with the one thing it has over Fallout games being the rich environment devoid of deserts and the hordes of (literally) hundreds of zombies.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
A Walking Apocalypse
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Released
- June 26, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach takes place in the deserted regions of Mexico and Australia, and there are even bunkers, much like the Vaults in Fallout. Players will rarely get to go inside them (unlike in Fallout), as players must simply deliver supplies to each settlement's leader on the surface.
While this world may seem empty at first, and not littered with half as many locations as Fallout games, there are still things to be discovered, from enemy base camps to lost packages that need to be picked up and delivered on behalf of fellow players. The crafting system is what Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 players will specifically appreciate about Death Stranding 2, as players can find blueprints to make new hiking gear or even structures in the environment, from ladders to bridges to shelters.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart Of Chornobyl
In Russia We Trust
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Released
- November 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Open-World, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the latest entry in the series, and it will feel right at home with the first-person gameplay of the modern Fallout games, just without the true RPG elements. Set in Ukraine, this environment is filled with dilapidated buildings, murky water, and forests, and it's more dangerous than most post-apocalyptic worlds.
8 Post-Apocalypse Games With The Best Stories, Ranked
On top of engaging gameplay, games like Days Gone and Horizon: Forbidden West provide gripping stories set after the apocalypse.
There are anomalies that can kill players if they get too close, along with radiation spikes, wild mutants, raiders, and more to worry about. Players will often have trouble getting supplies, falling more in line with survival horror games. The first few hours will be a struggle, but they will be worth it for anyone looking to play a more simulation-like take on a post-apocalyptic experience.
Metro 2033
Gassed Up
Metro 2033
- Released
- March 16, 2010
- ESRB
- M // Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
Metro 2033 does not have Vaults like Fallout, but most people still live underground. The difference here is that they hide out in the underground metro tunnels of future Moscow, hence the name. It’s also a more linear experience, and can be finished in a weekend.
Like Fallout, the currency in Metro 2033 is uncommon, with pre-war bullets serving as more powerful ammo, but also as a valuable money source. Players will have to decide whether they buy newer and stronger guns and use bad ammo in them, wield bad guns that fire good ammo, or some combination of the two. There is a lot of resource management, and the environment will keep players on their toes, like in the Fallout games, from low-lit areas requiring a lamp to toxic areas requiring a gas mask.
Atomfall
An Alternate Timeline
Atomfall
- Released
- March 27, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen // Blood, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Rebellion Developments
Atomfall is a retro-future post-apocalyptic world with an alternate history aspect, similar to the vibe of the Fallout series. Taking place after an event in the 1960s, time is frozen within that period in a small area of the UK. Everything is still lush and green around the highlands, but vehicles, bases, and weaponry are in a state of disrepair.
Players will find a lot of melee weapons at first, and even if they do find a pistol or rifle, it will likely be too rusty to be all that useful. Ammo is also extremely scarce early on, making the world a dangerous place. If Fallout fans want to explore bases, bunkers, caves, and camps, and feel more anxious due to low supplies, then Atomfall is a good alternative. Plus, there are factions to please, much like in Fallout: New Vegas.
Rage 2
The Road Warriors
Rage 2
- Released
- May 19, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Studios, id Software
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Rage 2 is an upgrade in the shooting department for Fallout fans who wish the modern games packed a bit more punch. Instead of finding random weapons, most weapons will be given during the story, like a shotgun and an assault rifle, and they can all be leveled up and modded to become more powerful. Alongside guns, players can gain nanomachine abilities, which act like psychic powers, including everything from pushing enemies away to rupturing their bodies.
There’s car combat in Rage 2, like in Mad Max, and the game overall has a big open-world to explore, mostly consisting of desert terrain with a few trees and water sources mixed in for good measure. Overall, Rage 2 may have more in common with Mad Max or even the Borderlands franchise, but Fallout fans can still appreciate the journey in this darkened apocalypse, along with the sharp first-person shooting mechanics.
Fist Of The North Star: Lost Paradise
Explosive Fingers
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise
- Released
- October 2, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is a bonkers adventure, based on the Fist of the Star manga/anime, about a martial artist, Kenshiro, who can use pressure points to heal injuries or literally make people explode. Anyone who loves getting the Bloody Mess perk in Fallout games will feel right at home with Kenshiro’s kung fu antics. While the game is based on a pre-existing property, it doesn’t follow any major story arcs, giving the Yakuza team at Ryu Ga Gotoku the freedom to do what they know best: create engaging stories set within one city and paced with some brutal (and sometimes absurd) melee combat.
7 Post-Apocalyptic Games with Unique Settings
Post-apocalyptic games are always very fun. Here are some wonderful titles with unique settings that add to the overall atmosphere.
Players can travel outside Sphere City with their car to collect supplies and do various missions, but the real appeal is getting to know the NPCs in town, along with doing odd jobs like becoming a bartender. While there’s not much engaging exploration in Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise akin to a Fallout game, it certainly has a fun, albeit bizarre, story to enjoy alongside the bloody action.
Wasteland 3
A Top-Down Revival
Wasteland 3
- Released
- August 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- inXile entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Strategy
For those who miss old-school Fallout games with a top-down tactical view, the Wasteland series is waiting as a spiritual successor, with Wasteland 3 being the most recent game in the franchise. Set in Colorado, players will seek refuge among various factions in the cold, snowy mountains, and based on their actions and dialogue choices, the story will shake out differently, which is one aspect Fallout fans enjoy a lot about the modern games.
The gameplay is strategic, like XCOM, giving players plenty of cover options on the maps to fire from safely. It’s a difficult game where no single choice seems safe, and thanks to the snowy mountains, it isn’t as drab and gloomy as Fallout's brown deserts.
Metal Max Returns
A Hidden SNES Gem
- Developer: Crea-Tech
- Publisher: Data East
- Released: September 29, 1995 (Japan)
- Platform: SNES
Metal Max Returns is an SNES remake of an NES game, both of which were never released outside of Japan, but thankfully, there is an English fan patch that's available. It’s a turn-based RPG where players start small by fighting mutants and raiders on foot, but they will eventually get a tank and build a small crew to take on bigger challenges.
The tank customization aspect is what this series is known for, and any Fallout fan wishing for vehicular gameplay to get introduced to the series will get a kick out of this retro game. The story is simple, with the combat and exploration aspects of this wasteland world coming first, but as a true RPG, Fallout fans will appreciate it.
Upcoming Post-Apocalyptic Games
Post-apocalyptic is a popular setting in many games, and there are several highly anticipated games for players to look forward to.