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25 Superb Games Like Ark: Survival Evolved in 2024
March 27th, 2024 - By Gavin Machetes

If you were captivated by Ark: Survival Evolved, numerous comparable games are ready to further enchant you.

Ah, you're interested in ARK: Survival Evolved! This is a thrilling survival-based game, developed and published by Studio Wildcard. Here, you have to survive, build, and dominate in an environment filled with prehistoric and fantastical creatures. The unique aspect of ARK is its blend of sci-fi technology with primitive tools and structures. You’ll start the game with basically nothing, having to gather resources and craft tools while building a safe place to rest. But it's not all craftsmanship and construction, this game takes on an open-world style with a day and night cycle, constant challenges, and of course, a chance to tame dinosaurs. And with both single and multiplayer modes, you can experience the highs and lows of survival alone or with friends.

If ARK: Survival Evolved is your style of game, there's a host of similar games you might like. Many of these belong to the same survival genre where resource management, environmental navigation, and in-depth crafting systems are key elements. Some combine these mechanics with horror elements, some with exploration elements, and others yet with combat-heavy gameplay. A few even incorporate the dinosaur theme that ARK is so famous for. I can list an array of games that offer a rich, diverse survival experience, some multiplayer and others single-player.

Ready to discover which survival games can deliver the same, if not even more excitement than Ark: Survival Evolved? Well, just hold tight because...


25. Rust

If you're a fan of Ark: Survival Evolved, Rust is the game for you. Rust shares the same open-world survival genre but adds a much higher focus on player interaction and combat. It provides a similar thrill of unpredictable encounters, the kind that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just like Ark, Rust also requires you to manage your hunger, thirst, and health, ensuring a similar balancing act to the survival aspect.

Rust offers a different kind of environment but keeps the thrill of taming and hunting, only here, it's more about wiliness and strategy than brute strength. The base building mechanics are very similar to Ark allowing you to build your fortress with various materials gathered from the world. Combined with the brutal realism and multiplayer chaos, Rust provides a challenging experience for those looking for an adrenaline rush. However, it also caters to those who want to experience a more casual playstyle with friends, tailoring the experience to the player's preferences.

Rust is available on Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, typically priced around $39.99 USD.

24. DayZ

Both DayZ and Ark: Survival Evolved share a similar core gameplay emphasis on survival, and the thrill of managing your resources, crafting tools and structures, and defending against threats in a world of uncertainty, danger, and exploration is equal in both. While Ark takes place in a prehistoric fantasy world abundant with dinosaurs, DayZ opts for a post-apocalyptic setting haunted by zombies. Both games have large, open-world maps that allow for a great deal of exploration, and they each also offer rich multiplayer experiences, so you can team up with friends or compete with others to survive.

What sets these two apart from many other survival games are their harsh, realistic approach towards survival mechanics and player freedom. Both DayZ and Ark require you to manage hunger, thirst, health, and other status effects, and both games offer the ability for players to construct their own bases and fortify them against outside threats. The sense of achievement when finally establishing a small safe haven in these brutal worlds is something genuine and extremely rewarding. If you enjoyed Ark: Survival Evolved, then DayZ’s grim atmosphere and relentless survival mechanics will surely hook you in.

DayZ is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $44.99 USD.

23. The Forest

If you're a fan of Ark: Survival Evolved, there's an excellent chance you'll find The Forest appealing. Just like Ark, The Forest is an open-world survival game which forces you to learn and adapt to your environment to stay alive. Stranded alone (or with friends in co-op mode) in an eerie forest after a plane crash, your goal is to build, explore, and survive while dealing with hostile creatures, much like the dinosaurs you have to contend with in Ark. The forest is teeming with cannibalistic mutants that you have to fight or avoid while gathering resources to build bases, craft items, and ultimately survive the harsh environment.

Also akin to the crafting and base-building aspects of Ark, The Forest enables you to create your own unique base, from simple shelters to intricate fortresses, using natural resources collected from the environment. The game's AI and the level of interaction available with the world, including its fauna, is truly remarkable. Its beautifully rendered forest, rich with flora and fauna, brings the atmosphere to life in a terrifyingly wonderful way. Moreover, the terrifying sense of unpredictability and dread, while fighting or hiding from the mutants, is comparable to the suspenseful encounters with dinos in Ark.

The Forest is available on PlayStation 4 and PC, typically priced around $20 USD.

22. Subnautica

Subnautica and Ark: Survival Evolved share many similarities that make them within the same sub-genre of survival-adventure games. Both games are renowned for their open-world environments; Ark offers a diverse range of terrains, from lava-spewing mountains to frigid snowfields, just as Subnautica presents its players with an alien underwater world. The crafting systems in these two games are similar, requiring the gathering of different resources to produce equipment. In Ark, you might be crafting weapons or building shelter to survive the dinosaur-infested world, while Subnautica will find you building submarines and underwater bases to explore and survive in the depths.

What sets these games apart and yet ties them together is the objective of surviving in a hostile environment. Ark: Survival Evolved has you navigating a strange world overrun with prehistoric wildlife where shelter and defences are crucial for survival. Subnautica, on the other hand, places you in an entirely aquatic environment teeming with alien sea life, focusing more on exploration and oxygen management. Both games have elements of fear and tension, as they pit you against the unknown and encourage you to think strategically on how to survive.

Subnautica is available on various platforms including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $30 USD.

21. Minecraft

If you enjoyed Ark: Survival Evolved, you should definitely give Minecraft a try and here's why. At first glance, Minecraft and Ark could be seen as two very different games - one a survival game with realistic graphics set in a world prehistoric dinosaurs, the other a sandbox block-builder with pixelated visuals. However, they share a comparable core dynamic. Both games immerse players in an open-world environment where resource gathering, crafting, and base building are key aspects. Survival is an essential part this world where players constantly contend with the environment itself and its various occupants, be it dinosaurs or night-spawning enemies in Minecraft's case.

Let's talk about the creative aspect that these two games share. Both allow the player to build and shape the surrounding world to fit their needs and imagination. Ark allows you to build your personal Jurassic Park while Minecraft offers the freedom to construct everything from a simple shelter to a sprawling cityscape or a working computer, given its complex redstone mechanics. What's more, both games offer multiplayer options, meaning you can team up with or compete against friends and Ark's tribe system is not too dissimilar from Minecraft's server communities. In essence, if you enjoyed the survival and building aspects of Ark: Survival Evolved, there's a good chance you'll also enjoy Minecraft.

Minecraft is available on multiple platforms including PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $26.95 USD.

20. Conan Exiles

Conan Exiles, much like Ark: Survival Evolved, immerses you in a world brimming with danger and thrilling adventures where survival is paramount. Boasting an open-world survival setting, you'll find yourself, not washed up on a dinosaur-infested island, but thrust into the merciless and captivating Conan the Barbarian universe. Just like in Ark, you will start with nothing and work towards crafting the necessary tools and structures, all while battling the elements, hunger, thirst, and an array of terrifying monsters.

Conan Exiles parallels Ark in its intensive resource collection and base-building mechanics. Just as in Ark, you'll spend countless hours gathering resources, taming creatures, and defending your base against a variety of threats. The game enhances the experience by offering a comprehensive thrall system that allows you to capture NPCs and put them to work in your base, much akin to Ark's dinosaur-taming mechanic. For anyone who loves the challenge presented in Ark: Survival Evolved and the sense of achievement when a fortified base stands tall amidst threats, Conan Exiles delivers the same thrilling experience with an added level of engagement in the form of its unique combat system, captivating lore, and detailed world.

Conan Exiles is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $40 USD.

19. 7 Days to Die

Just like Ark: Survival Evolved, 7 Days to Die is all about survival. It combines elements of first-person shooting, tower defense, role-playing games, and zombie horror into an open-world environment similar to Ark’s. You start with nothing, scavenge for supplies and resources to aid survival, build bases, craft weapons, and tools or even grow your food. But the main commonality you'll find intriguing is the freedom of exploring and shaping the environment which allows for a richer gaming experience.

Also, another significant similarity is in multiplayer mode. In Ark, you play cooperatively alongside or oppositionally against other gamers on the same server. Similarly, in 7 Days to Die, the game supports both single-player and multiplayer scenarios. So if you enjoyed the player interaction and cooperation, or the thrill of competition in Ark, you'll definitely appreciate this feature in 7 Days to Die. And just as Ark has you contesting with dinosaurs, in 7 Days to Die, you confront an equally daunting challenge; surviving against hordes of the undead who grow increasingly aggressive and cunning over time.

7 Days to Die is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, MacOS, and Linux, typically priced around $29.99 USD.

18. H1Z1

If you enjoyed Ark: Survival Evolved, then you might be interested in H1Z1. Both titles are based around the survival genre, and they both involve crafting and resource collecting to survive in a hostile environment. However, where Ark uses dinosaurs as its main threat, H1Z1 utilizes zombies, giving it a more horror-based edge.

In H1Z1, just like in Ark, you're dropped into the game with barely anything to your name, and the aim is to stay alive as long as possible. You'll have to gather resources, build a shelter, craft tools, and arm yourself to defend against the dangers of the world. Both games also offer PVP, where you can clash with other players to acquire their resources or simply to prove dominance. Yet, in H1Z1, surviving the environment itself can be the bigger challenge, with zombies lurking around every corner and weather changes affecting your needs and strategies.

H1Z1 is available on PlayStation 4, and PC, typically priced around $19.99 USD.

17. Raft

If you're a fan of Ark: Survival Evolved, Raft is another game in the survival genre that you'll thoroughly enjoy. They share similarities like survival-focused gameplay which places heavy emphasis on resource gathering and crafting. Additionally, both games provide a strong multiplayer experience which lets you team up with friends or other players to stand a better chance of surviving. In Raft, just like Ark, you start with almost nothing and use the resources around you to build, create tools, and craft the vital necessities for your survival.

While Ark: Survival Evolved takes place in a massive open world filled with dinosaurs, Raft puts you on an endless ocean. Here, the main enemy is not a dinosaur, but the circling shark that preys on you, and the ocean's depth that holds untold dangers. Despite the change in setting, the sense of urgency and danger is just as high. The ocean offers a unique setting that changes the way you have to think about surviving, but the core principles of resource management, base building, and survival remain constant. It's really a refreshing take on the survival genre while still maintaining the elements you love from Ark.

Raft is available on PC and Mac via Steam, typically priced around $20 USD.

16. No Man's Sky

As a fellow fan of Ark: Survival Evolved, you'll be pleased to hear that No Man's Sky shares many similar elements but in an entirely different setting, which would make a wonderful new adventure. Both games focus on the concept of survival and exploration but while Ark is set in a prehistoric world shared with other players, No Man's Sky thrusts you into an infinite procedural universe where you are the space explorer, discovering different planets and alien species along the way. Crafting is also a major part of both games, just as in Ark you have to use materials to build your capabilities and progressively enhance your equipment, similar concept is employed in No Man's Sky to upgrade your spaceship, exosuit and weapons systems.

A distinguishing factor about these two games is the feeling they give to the players. Ark: Survival Evolved focusing more on co-op play, allowing you to defend and attack bases with your friends which leads to an emphasis on PvP encounters. On the other hand, No Man's Sky leans more towards individual exploration, where the vastness of space and the quiet solitude that accompanies it, takes center stage. Though NMS now includes multiplayer elements, it retains that rewarding sense of personal accomplishment when you make discoveries on your own.

No Man's Sky is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, typically priced around $60 USD.

15. Miscreated

If you're a fan of Ark: Survival Evolved, then Miscreated is definitely a game you'd want to get your hands on. Much like Ark, Miscreated is also a multiplayer online survival game that throws you into a hostile, post-apocalyptic world where survival is a continuous struggle. The gameplay is similar - you collect resources, build bases, and fight off the very real threats that inhabit the world. However, you're not dealing with dinosaurs here, but mutants and other players. The player versus player experience is no doubt intense, making teamwork with friendly players crucial, just like in Ark.

You might find the environment in Miscreated eerily alive. As you explore the massive, wild terrain, you'll have to keep an eye out for weather changes and radiation hazards, as well as intimidating wildlife and other creatures. There's also a deep crafting and character customization system at your disposal to assist in your survival strategies, reminiscent of Ark's robust crafting mechanics. In addition, Miscreated features randomly generated loot and building elements, ensuring each playthrough remains unique and unpredictable.

Miscreated is available on Windows platform, typically priced around $25 USD.

14. Stranded Deep

If you loved Ark: Survival Evolved, there's a lot to get excited about in Stranded Deep. Both open-world games thrust players into challenging and immersive environments where survival is paramount and nothing can be taken for granted. While Ark: Survival Evolved had you navigating a prehistoric world filled with dinosaurs and other creatures, in Stranded Deep you'll find yourself marooned in the Pacific Ocean, battling hunger, thirst, and the elements on a series of increasingly treacherous deserted islands. You can explore, craft, and adapt just like you did in Ark, with dynamic weather and a day-night cycle adding intricacies and a realistic touch to your gameplay experience.

The thrill of exploration is equally present in both Ark: Survival Evolved and Stranded Deep as they boast densely packed, stunning worlds to explore. However, while Ark’s interrogative excitement was backed by raw power necessitated by primal dangers, Stranded Deep promotes a more intimate, solitary exploration upped by the lurking peril of the deep. Scavenging, resource management and crafting play a vital role in both games. But instead of fending off dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, in Stranded Deep, you’ll be striving to outlive perilous weather, predatory creatures of the sea, and the challenges of marooned life. All this while unfolding the mysteries of the ocean and islands.

Stranded Deep is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows, typically priced around $20 USD.

13. Scum

Scum is quite similar to Ark: Survival Evolved in several respects, particularly when it comes to the element of survival, which is at the heart of both games. Just like Ark, Scum places you in a ruthless environment from the get-go with the primary objective of surviving against the odds. It leans heavily on crafting, resource management, and character progression mechanics, reminiscent of Ark's base-building gameplay and skill trees. You're tasked with hunting down resources, creating shelter, and upgrading your character's skills, as part of your survival. There's also a focus on PvP combat among players, which again, should feel familiar given your experience with Ark.

Moreover, Scum steps up the realism, where keeping track of your nutritional intake, bodily functions, and even dental hygiene can impact your survival - think of it like Ark taking the survival and realism sliders and turning them up to eleven. The game's environment, while not featuring dinosaurs, is equally challenging with its weather dynamics and variety of locales, ranging from dense forests to military bunkers, not unlike the wildly differing Ark biomes. Plus, Scum offers a compelling and intense experience akin to Ark's more tense moments, where encounters with hostile players and AI-controlled enemies can lead to unpredictable and emergent gameplay stories.

Scum is available on PC through platforms such as Steam, typically priced around $30 USD.

12. Unturned

Unturned is an exciting survival game that shares a number of key elements with Ark: Survival Evolved, making it a natural next choice if you enjoyed Ark. Just like Ark, Unturned guarantees an immersive narrative where your survival instincts are put to the ultimate test. You get to scavenge for resources, craft equipment, and build fortifications to tide over the adversities. The game presents an expansive world to explore that's populated with hostile entities, lending to its thrilling nature. Both games sport an open world format, enabling you to create your own survival story as you traverse through the challenging terrain. The crafting system in Unturned is also strikingly detailed, quite reminiscent of the one in Ark.

Unturned, however, extends its gameplay beyond the PvE environment, offering an engaging PvP mode as well. This takes the survival experience up a notch as you now have other players to contend with, exactly like Ark: Survival Evolved's multiplayer mode. The visuals of Unturned are significantly different though, presenting a unique, blocky aesthetic as opposed to Ark's more realistic graphics. But this different graphical style only adds to Unturned's charm, resulting in a visually interesting and evocatively stark game world that still demands your survival skills. Whether you're fending off zombies or outwitting other players, Unturned is sure to quench your thirst for a survival experience akin to Ark.

Unturned is available on Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, and Xbox One, typically priced around $0 USD as it follows the free-to-play model.

11. State of Decay 2

Well, if you enjoyed Ark: Survival Evolved, you're definitely going to like State of Decay 2. Both games share a common theme of survival, resource management, and base building in an open-world environment. And just like in Ark, State of Decay 2 has a hostile environment filled with dangers, in this case, a world overrun by zombies. Survival is not just about fighting off zombies but also managing and sustaining a community, and forging diplomatic ties, similar to the dino taming you had to do in Ark.

One of the key similarities between the two games is the satisfaction you get from playing with others. State of Decay 2 supports four-player co-op that gives it a very similar feel to the multiplayer in Ark, allowing you to cooperate, strategize and survive together. Also, base building and fortification are key aspects of both games, requiring regular upgrades and fortifications, making sure to think about the right setup, storage, or even a farm or workshop, just like you did in Ark.

State of Decay 2 is available on Xbox One, Xbox series X/S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Windows platforms, typically priced around $30 USD.

10. Rising World

Rising World and Ark: Survival Evolved, both of these titles perfectly encapsulate the thrill and excitement of survival mechanics in gaming. In terms of mechanics, both function on a "learn by doing" principle. In Rising World, like in Ark, you start with virtually nothing, confronted with the task of using raw materials from your environment to construct your survival gear and shelter. Both games revolve around gathering resources, crafting tools, building shelters or bases, and exploring vast, open-ended worlds with potential dangers at every turn.

Additionally, Rising World and Ark: Survival Evolved also share a commitment to breath-taking visuals. The beautiful landscapes and rich details within the environment significantly immerse players into their world. Furthermore, both games allow a degree of creativity to thrive in the otherwise survival-centered gameplay. From designing your base in Ark or building whole towns in Rising World, the environmental manipulation is astounding. And while Rising World may lack the dinosaurs, Ark: Survival Evolved fans will still find the familiar visceral survival instincts, exploration, and crafting system to be a class of their own.

Rising World is available on the Steam platform, typically priced around $15 USD.

9. Outward

If you enjoyed Ark: Survival Evolved, then Outward might just be your next favorite game. Both games exist within the survival genre and emphasize player immersion. Like Ark: Survival Evolved, Outward sets you in a wild untamed world filled with marvelous creatures, dangerous environments, and vast lands to explore. In both games, you are expected to start with bare necessities, learn to protect yourself, craft tools, cook meals, build shelters, and gradually develop and define your own survival story.

While Ark: Survival Evolved leans heavily on taming, breeding dinosaurs, and progression, Outward adds a bit of RPG flavor with branching narratives and quests. Similar to Ark, Outward also incorporates multiplayer gameplay, which lets you explore with a friend in the same server. One unique selling point of Outward is its unique death mechanic, if you die you're not sent back to a respawn point, instead you'll wake up with varying events that have happened to you, keeping the immersion at peak. In both games survival isn't just about combat, it's about dealing with harsh environments, wild animals, hunger caused by the changing seasons, and more.

Outward is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows, typically priced around $40 USD.

8. Terraria

Both Terraria and Ark: Survival Evolved are centred around an open world survival game concept, each with unique elements that will surely tickle your fancy. If you enjoyed learning how to exist in the environment provided by Ark, Terraria's sandbox setting offers the same thrill, as you would face the same challenge of learning how to survive amidst different biomes. You’ll get to mine for resources, build a home or fortification, and fight off various creatures and monsters in adventurous combats, similar to Ark.

A major similarity between Terraria and Ark: Survival Evolved is the presence of multiplayer elements. You can team up with friends for a co-op play in the vast expansive world of Terraria, mirroring the cooperation and team play experience that Ark provides. Moreover, the crafting and building elements are also a big part of both games, where you can create weapons, build structures, grow your food, and more. Terraria doesn’t feature dinosaurs like Ark does, but the breadth of creatures, environments, and even bosses you have to fight off will give parallel excitement and challenges.

Terraria is available on Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $10 USD.

7. Don't Starve Together

Like Ark: Survival Evolved, Don't Starve Together is a survival-focused game that challenges you to manage resources effectively and adapt to a hazardous, ever-changing environment. Both games possess intricate crafting systems which allow you to construct a variety of tools, weapons and structures - a crucial part of your survival strategy. With its resident creatures and strange geological formations, the world of Don't Starve Together also carries the same sense of mysterious, untamed wilderness that makes Ark so appealing.

Don't Starve Together offers a distinct multiplayer experience similar to that of Ark. Just like in Ark, teaming up with other players can be essential to survival and can drastically alter the feel of the game, turning it from a savage survival simulator into a more lighthearted cooperative venture. However, it's not all sharing and caring. Both games also feature PvP interactions which add a level of competition and potential for treachery. With its stylized graphics and quirky horror-inspired setting, Don't Starve Together offers an engaging blend of familiar mechanics with new twists.

Don't Starve Together is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, typically priced around $15 USD.

6. Far Cry Primal

Both Far Cry Primal and Ark: Survival Evolved are action-adventure games that push survival of the fittest to the limit, except Far Cry Primal takes you back to prehistoric times. Both games have a rich, unique open-world environment but instead of dinosaurs in Ark, you get to experience mammoths, sabertooth tigers, and other dangerous predators of the Stone Age in Far Cry. An interesting feature of Far Cry Primal that you might enjoy, considering your experience with Ark, is the animal taming aspect. You can use these tamed creatures to aid you in combat or scout areas just like some tamed dinosaurs in Ark!

Coming to weapons, while Ark has a more futuristic touch with advanced gear and weaponry, Far Cry Primal keeps it raw and authentic to the era, meaning you'll have to rely on clubs, spears and bows, making the survival aspect much more challenging. This historical accuracy combined with vibrant landscapes creates an incredibly immersive experience. Both games offer a unique sense of accomplishment where your progress is measured by the improvements to your base and gear and increased ability to survive against the harsh conditions and the aggressive fauna of their harsh environments.

Far Cry Primal is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows, typically priced around $20 USD.

5. Conan: Exiles

Conan: Exiles and Ark: Survival Evolved both offer thrilling survival experiences in vast open worlds. Like in Ark, Conan: Exiles drops you into a harsh environment, equipped with nearly nothing, where survival is your primary objective. Both games require you to procure resources, craft tools and build shelters or bases as part of your survival strategy. They share a similar crafting and building system, which entails gathering materials like wood, stone and metal to construct your base. You will find pleasure in slowly seeing your small shelter turn into a mighty fortress just as you did in Ark.

They both provide a wide array of creatures and enemies to interact with, whether it's taming, fighting or just running away. Conan: Exiles, however, puts a bit more emphasis on the combat aspect of gameplay, offering an engaging melee combat system that encourages tactical thinking. The game also introduces its own twist by letting you enslave the game's NPC inhabitants to work or fight for you, adding another interesting gameplay element. If you enjoy the dino-riding and animal taming feature from Ark, you'll love the thrall system Conan offers. Plus, both games have a shared dedication to multiplayer gameplay, allowing you to join forces with other players or compete against them.

Conan: Exiles is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $40 USD.

4. Citadel: Forged With Fire

Citadel: Forged With Fire is an open-world survival game with a fantasy twist, much like Ark: Survival Evolved. You'll find yourself in a world of sorcery, mythical beasts, and high adventure, where you can hunt and tame these magical creatures, just as in Ark. The building is also a significant part of the gameplay - you get the chance to construct and defend your fortress. Using 'magic' (instead of technology as in Ark), you can craft a plethora of weapons, spells, and other magical abilities. The game also offers PvP battles where you can fight off or ally with other wizards, much like tussling with other survivors in Ark.

You'll love Citadel's sandbox style, giving players plenty of freedom to explore and shape their environment. This freedom is further enhanced by the flexibility in character customization and the variety of creative possibilities with the fortress building feature - a joy every Ark player understands and appreciates! You can fly on broomsticks or tame and ride dragons and eagles, providing a fresh take on Ark's dinosaur-riding mechanics. Here, you'll revel in the familiar thrill of fighting, crafting, taming, exploring, and surviving in an entirely fresh setting, combining the mechanics you loved in Ark with a delightful fantasy twist.

Citadel: Forged With Fire is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms, typically priced around $40 USD.

3. Osiris: New Dawn

Osiris: New Dawn, like Ark: Survival Evolved, is an exhilarating survival game, but set in the thrilling fringes of outer space rather than the prehistoric past. Just like Ark, Osiris: New Dawn involves open-ended exploration, resource gathering, crafting, building, and a cooperative multiplayer system. Adding to the fun is the fact that you're stuck on a distant planet with nightmarish alien creatures roaming the landscape - much like Ark's ferocious dinosaurs. Osiris even doubles down with more in-depth crafting and sophisticated, detailed base building, often requiring you to conduct scientific experiments to unlock new technologies.

Another striking similarity between the two games is the emphasis on cooperative play. Just as in Ark: Survival Evolved, working together in Osiris: New Dawn isn't just an extra - it's often necessary for survival, making the multiplayer experience far more engaging and thrilling. Additionally, while both games feature survival elements and combat, they also give you the freedom to tame the planet's wildlife, be it extraterrestrial creatures or prehistoric dinosaurs. So if you loved ATVing down a beach teeming with dinosaurs in Ark, imagine soaring in jump-jets over alien worlds with your allies - all while being stalked by hostile, monstrous creatures.

Osiris: New Dawn is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC, typically priced around $25 USD.

2. Survivalist: Invisible Strain

Firstly, similar to Ark: Survival Evolved, Survivalist: Invisible Strain is heavily focused on survival mechanics. It thrives on the same idea of finding yourself in an unknown world where you need to gather resources, craft items, build bases and survive against various threats. For instance, you'll venture out to gather wood for fire, craft weapons for protection, or build a sturdy shelter to endure the harsh environments. Not to forget, both games have a night and day cycle that influences the gameplay, making it all the more intriguing.

The second common aspect between these two games is the role of AI-controlled entities. In Ark: Survival Evolved, your biggest threat is probably the prehistoric fauna that you can also tame and use to your advantage. Similarly, in Survivalist: Invisible Strain, there are zombies, hostile humans and also friendly NPCs that you can recruit to your base. You can establish, grow and manage your community, negotiating with external factions - a feature that adds a layer of depth to the survival mechanics. The sandbox nature of both these games empowers you to shape your own story and gameplay, offering countless hours of fun and exploration.

Survivalist: Invisible Strain is available on PC platforms, typically priced around $10 USD.

1. Survive the Nights

If you've enjoyed the thrilling challenges of Ark: Survival Evolved, then Survive the Nights would be the perfect fit for you. Just like Ark, Survive the Nights prioritizes the survival aspect and pushes you to meticulously navigate an expansive open-world environment inhabited by relentless threats. Imagine scavenging for resources, securing shelters, setting up traps, and surviving against both human and zombie enemies in an environment that's designed with real to life mechanics - that’s Survive the Nights for you! Additionally, the game also emphasizes teamwork, making it a fantastic choice if you enjoy co-op gameplay. It's a game with richly detailed crafting and fortification systems reminiscent of Ark’s intricate gameplay mechanics.

Where Survive the Nights particularly shines is in its unique approach to fear and darkness. Unlike Ark's prehistoric setting, Survive the Nights plunges you into an eerie world that's constantly teeming with daunting threats, particularly during the night. The constant pressure of watching over your shoulder amplifies the game's gripping atmosphere while the detailed environment and intricate survival strategies add an impressive layer of depth to its gameplay. Additionally, the game features monthly major updates, keeping the game fresh and exciting, akin to the regular content drops enjoyed by Ark players.

Survive the Nights is available on PC (Windows and Mac), typically priced around $24.99 USD.

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