Summary
- Some open-world games value solo play for immersion and challenge, encouraging players to survive and overcome obstacles independently.
- Games like ARK: Survival Evolved and Dying Light offer tough but satisfying experiences that reward persistence and careful planning.
- Titles like The Forest and Rust showcase how solo play can enhance the tension and satisfaction of survival gameplay in open-world environments.
Some open-world games thrive on community or squad play, but others prove the value of standing alone. Whether set in post-apocalyptic landscapes, underwater voids, or endless wilderness, these games empower players to survive without the help of AI companions or online teammates.
In many cases, going solo enhances the immersion and elevates the challenge, where surviving alone isn’t a handicap but is instead at the core of the gameplay loop. Toeing the line between solo balance and multiplayer power, plenty of games reward players who carve their own path and overcome adversity on their own terms.
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8 ARK: Survival Evolved
Solo Play That's Tougher But More Satisfying
ARK: Survival Evolved
- Released
- August 29, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Though built for large tribes and online cooperation, ARK: Survival Evolved gives solo players plenty of tools to survive. With deep crafting systems and buildable fortresses, every action taken has a far greater impact alone, as though the grind may be harder.
Solo survivors must choose creatures for utility and protection, mine resources efficiently, and evade predators in the world. But even for newer players, the difficulty is never too much to overcome. The path is demanding, but the reward lies in complete self-sufficiency and lasting achievements that are earned through constant persistence and planning.
7 Dying Light
Movement That Is Best Mastered Alone
Dying Light
- Released
- January 27, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Techland
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Dying Ligh t was built with co-op in mind, but the solo experience stands tall. Mastering its parkour system becomes a personal form of problem-solving, and without backup during nighttime chases or large zombie encounters, the player must plan every movement and know their exit routes like the back of their hand.
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The city becomes a vertical playground for clever survivors. Every climb, craft, vault, and escape reinforces the player’s independence, and the game’s responsive traversal and combat systems make lone survival both tense and rewarding.
6 The Forest
Isolating Gameplay That Excels In Solo
The Forest
- Released
- April 30, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
While multiplayer can ease the tension in The Forest, solo play transforms the island into an even more haunting experience. Players need to build and defend themselves alone, but the level of tension brings with it some added excitement thanks to the lack of assistance.
Enemy AI adapts to the player’s progress, and every successful defense against cannibal raids is earned through stealth and ingenuity. Also, the exploration is more methodical, which makes facing the mutated horrors without a companion feel more like a tactical mission than an aimless walk into the woods.
5 Days Gone
No Need For An Extra Pair Of Guns
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
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Days Gon e may center around story missions and cutscenes, but the gameplay thrives in its survival mechanics. Fuel conservation and resource scavenging make for a slow-burn survival experience where Deacon’s journey mirrors the player’s own growth in hostile territory.
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Lone bikers must understand the terrain and be able to manage their resources accordingly to stay ahead of roaming hordes. Even without crafting complex shelters or hunting for food, every day alive in Days Gone is hard-earned and satisfying for players who don’t rely on NPCs to assist them.
4 Pathologic 2
Alone In A Plague-Stricken Town
Pathologic 2
- Released
- May 23, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ice-Pick Lodge
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Pathologic 2 delivers a bleak, unsettling experience that has players navigating a barren town full of distrust and dwindling time. There is no aid system to help players on their journey, as NPCs lie, barter unfairly, or straight up ignore the player, meaning that there are no safety nets or second chances.
It’s less about scavenging and more about ethical compromise, psychological resilience, and narrative endurance. Few games reward loneliness so intentionally. Victory isn’t about thriving, but about clinging to meaning in a decaying world.
3 DayZ
Multiplayer Survival Stripped To Its Brutal Core
DayZ
- Released
- December 13, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bohemia Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
DayZ is another multiplayer survival simulator where players can decide how involved they want to be with the rest of the players. Isolation introduces real tension, as every encounter can be a toss-up between a helpful savior and a bloodthirsty bandit, with no one to help the player if things turn sour.
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Going solo rewards patience that isn't found within a group. When hunted by infected or human threats, being alone doesn’t just create fear, but it gives the player a better sense of control over their surroundings, and a lot of agency in how they choose to approach the world.
2 Conan Exiles
Flourishing Just As Much Individually As A Group
Conan Exiles
- Released
- May 8, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Funcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Action-Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Conan Exiles encourages player conflict and clan dominance, yet it also enables solitary players to flourish with careful planning. Hiding base locations and focusing on survivability allows individuals to thrive without aligning with powerful groups or using others as a safety net.
Stealth and mobility trump brute force for the lone survivor. Building discreetly and striking tactically becomes a personal form of warfare. The reward for solo play is not just survival, but the thrill of staying alive in a world that expects failure from the unallied.
1 Rust
Solitude Becomes Strategy
Rust
- Released
- February 8, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Facepunch Studios
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Rust’s reputation for brutal multiplayer chaos often overshadows the impressive depth it offers for solo players. Lone survivors who play stealthily, avoid large groups, and build bases in remote locations can not only survive but flourish. Every aspect from raiding to defending becomes more satisfying when every success is self-earned.
Playing solo forces efficiency in the world and its gameplay. Survival becomes more than just an all-out gun battle, but more about concealment and opportunism. Rust’s unforgiving nature is exactly what makes solo victory feel so rewarding, with every success becoming a testament to a player's individual resolve in one of the most hostile open worlds available.
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