5 best post-apocalyptic games to play in 2024

There’s always something eerily enticing about post-apocalyptic games. They are gruesome and dark adventures in a fantastical world where there is no law and order, only chaos. Since time immemorial, human beings have fantasized about the end of civilization. Whether the world has been plagued by a lethal virus, crippled by an AI takeover, or devasted by a nuclear holocaust, we humans have imagined it all and managed to re-create these scenarios in post-apocalyptic games.

If you are in the mood for some uneasy adventures full of anarchy, destruction, and chaos, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best post-apocalyptic games ever created.

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5 post-apocalyptic games that you should try at least once

1) Fallout 4: New Vegas

The Fallout series is arguably the most popular post-apocalyptic game franchise. And among all the entrants, Fallout 4: New Vegas stands out as the best. Right from the vast open world featuring a retro-themed post-apocalyptic nuclear waste landscape filled with all kinds of life forms to quirky side characters and events that players run into, Fallout 4: New Vegas hits the bulls-eye.

Fallout 4: New Vegas and the Fallout games in general have re-created some of the bleakest post-apocalyptic environments for gamers to explore, full of mutants and other nasty beasts. Furthermore, the title manages to combine a bleak world design with an engaging storyline and a perfect blend of first-person shooting.

All the above-mentioned gunplay mechanics and features put together make Fallout 4: New Vegas a legendary RPG title in its own right worth playing at least once in our lifetime.

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2) Horizon Forbidden West

A direct sequel to the critically acclaimed action-adventure title Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West follows the journey of a young hunter girl named Aloy. The storyline in Forbidden West takes players into a unique post-apocalyptic scenario where machines rule, and humans have been compartmentalized into several squabbling tribes.

Horizon Forbidden West envisions a far-out future where machines and human communities live side-by-side. However, the land is dying, and humans have been ravaged by a mysterious new plague.

While new machines dominate most of the land, humans are on the brink of extinction. It’s up to Aloy now to venture far into the Forbidden frontiers that hide the mysterious new threat. Apart from a gripping storyline, the world of Horizon Forbidden West is a breathtaking one. No wonder it was the most Instagramed game in the year 2022.

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3) Dying Light 2

Dying Light 2 is a unique parkour-fueled zombie-slaying adventure where you find yourself in a post-apocalyptic citadel called The City. Infested by zombies, The City is divided into several rival factions that are locked in a never-ending conflict.

Dying Light 2 is a fast-paced post-apocalyptic game where you have to work your way through an urban sprawl killing zombies that’ll put your melee, wisdom, and parkour skills to the test. If you are looking for a high-octane zombie-killing post-apocalyptic adventure, then you should pick up Dying Light 2 in 2024.

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4) Metro Exodus

Metro is primarily a post-apocalyptic franchise consisting of a series of novels and three video games. Among the games, the latest entrant, Metro Exodus, released in 2019, is certainly not a post-apocalyptic game for the faint heart. Set in the nuclear wastes of Moscow, Russia, the world is in complete ruin. Whatever few survivors remain have fled to the subways of underground Moscow.

To make the situation worse, nasty mutants roam above the Moscow underground. You and a band of survivors must somehow navigate through the corridors and tunnels and eventually make it out into the countryside in search of a better life.

Metro Exodus presents an open-world environment where your player character explores a landscape devasted by nuclear waste in search of better supplies and fuel.

The title is a must-try, as the combat scenarios are diversified and challenging. Additionally, the open-world map offers a sharp contrast between the grey and gloomy post-apocalyptic Moscow architecture and the vast open stretches of the Trans-Siberian countryside.

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5) S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R line of games may have been dormant for a while now, but Shadow of Chernobyl, which was released in 2007, remains one of the best first-person shooter horror survivors ever created. The title remains a hallmark when it comes to inducing shock and horror combat in a post-apocalyptic set-up.

The title is centered on the same place where the Chernobyl nuclear disaster took place. In the Shadow of Chernobyl, a second nuclear disaster strikes, this time involving metaphysical forces. Radioactive beasts known as Anomalies lurk around every corner. Every encounter with such beasts in Shadow of Chernobyl is intense, and this post-apocalyptic game is a horror-inducing survivor shooter.

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Which of these post-apocalyptic games would you dare give it a go in 2024? Let us know in the comments below.

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