17 Games Similar To The ARK Series
The ARK series of games (Survival Evolved and Survival Ascended) offers a thrilling survival experience in a beautifully recreated world of dinosaurs and other creatures. The open world, taming options, PvP and PvE modes, and a deep progression system make the game appealing to survival and adventure enthusiasts. In this article, you'll find out what else similar games you can play.
17. The Front
The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future, but without dinosaurs like ARK: Survival Evolved. Enemies include people from hostile clans and mutants. Build bases to protect yourself and your resources. Create and set explosive traps to attract and destroy enemies. Fight invisible assassins and flying soldiers, use all possible means to neutralize extremely dangerous invaders. Create and control military and civilian vehicles. From tractor to tank.
16. Second Extinction
- Similarity: 20 %
- Metacritic: link
- Year of release: 2018
- Game play time: 15 hours
- Trailer: link
- Review: IGN
Second Extinction is a cooperative first-person shooter developed by Systemic Reaction studio. In the game, a team of three players fight the dinosaur mutants that have taken over the Earth. Players are offered a choice of different characters, each with unique abilities and an arsenal of weapons. The cooperative element is important: to successfully complete missions and survive in this cruel world, you need to carefully plan your actions and work effectively as a team. The progression system allows you to improve your character's skills and equipment as you progress through the game, making each new challenge more challenging and interesting. Reviews of Second Extinction vary: some players praise it for its intense battles with a large number of enemies on the screen at the same time and for the possibilities of cooperative gameplay; others note the repetitiveness of tasks and the need for a certain guide to start the game. You don't need to survive here as in ARK: Survival Evolved, but you do need to slay dinosaurs.
15. 7 Days to Die
- Similarity: 40 %
- Metacritic: link
- Year of release: 2021
- Game play time: 100 hours
- Trailer: link
- Review: IGN
7 Days to Die is an exciting blend of survival and crafting genres that allows players to plunge into a dangerous world plagued by the zombie apocalypse. Gameplay covers all aspects of survival: finding resources, building fortifications, growing food, and battling hordes of the living dead. Instead of dinosaurs like ARK: Survival Evolved, there are zombies. One of the main advantages is an open world of 16 kilometers squared. This world is fully destructible, allowing players to create and destroy buildings at their discretion. Every object in the game, be it a building or an item, can be disassembled or recycled into resources. This gives freedom and creativity in building defenses and bases. Danger is hidden at every turn. Every seventh day, the player is attacked by giant zombies, and only well-prepared players will be able to resist the onslaught. Different types of zombies are also present here, each with unique abilities and characteristics. The game aims to deliver maximum emotional intensity and a constant sense of danger. 7 Days to Die also provides a deep crafting system. Players can create weapons, tools, armor, medicines, and more from collected resources.
14. DinoSystem
The DinoSystem game is a survival and ecosystem simulator where the player is dropped into a world inhabited by dinosaurs. Which is so familiar to fans of ARK: Survival Evolved. The main feature of the game is the realistic approach to modeling the ecosystem: animals have their own way of life, needs and behavior. Gameplay can cover both controlling a single character and watching the development of the entire ecosystem. All elements of the game are designed with an emphasis on realism, from the physical needs of the character to changes in weather conditions. Gameplay can be challenging for newcomers due to the need to constantly monitor many aspects of survival. The visual style of the game does not strive for photorealism; it focuses more on creating a "lifelike" experience with simple but pleasing graphics.
13. Far Cry Primal
- Similarity: 50 %
- Metacritic: link
- Year of release: 2016
- Game play time: 20 hours
- Trailer: link
- Review: IGN
The plot of Far Cry Primal unfolds 10,000 years ago, in the Stone Age era. The player becomes the leader of a clan of hunters named Takkar. You will have to fight with different tribes and wild predators, explore the beautiful open world, learn to survive and resist dangers. Everything we love so much in ARK: Survival Evolved. The details of the environment, landscapes, vegetation and animals create a unique atmosphere of the ancient world. Players can hunt wild animals, use their resources to create weapons and tools, and collect plants to create healing remedies. The combat system in the game deserves a special mention. You are given the opportunity to use different types of weapons, such as bows, arrows, spears. Also in the game there are martial arts, which adds variety to the fights.
12. Green Hell
Based on realistic survival elements, "Green Hell" offers players to try to survive in a ruthless jungle. They will have to search for food, water, and protection from predators and other dangers. However, the most interesting part is diving into the story of the hero, who is trying to remember his past life and find out the reason why he ended up in such a confusing situation. The graphics are simply stunning, no worse than in ARK: Survival Evolved. The surrounding nature and forest detailing create an atmosphere that you want to immerse yourself in. The sounds of tropical nature, rustling leaves and rustling wind add realism to the game world. It is interesting to note that Green Hell offers not only a single-player campaign, but also a cooperative mode option, where you and your friends can join forces to survive together. It's always more fun together!
11. ICARUS
ICARUS is a survival game with realistic graphics and unique mechanics developed by RocketWerkz. The leader of the team is Dean Hall, known for creating DayZ. In ICARUS, players are sent to an alien planet after a terraforming project failed. The main goal is to explore the dangerous planet and collect valuable resources. But it is worth remembering that each descent to the planet is limited in time: if you don't return in time, the character can lose all his achievements. Gameplay is built around survival in difficult conditions: you need to extract resources, build shelters, hunt local fauna and fight atmospheric phenomena. Crafting and building elements here are detailed and well thought out. Even better than in ARK: Survival Evolved. One of the interesting aspects of ICARUS is the PvE-cooperative mode, which brings an element of socialization to the game: you can team up with friends for efficient task completion or work alone. The graphics in the game are a delight thanks to the advanced Unreal Engine 4 engine. The landscapes of the planet Icarus are amazingly realistic and detailed.
10. No Man’s Sky
- Similarity: 60 %
- Metacritic: link
- Year of release: 2016
- Game play time: 90 hours
- Trailer: link
- Review: IGN
Developed by Hello Games studio and released in 2016, this game immediately attracted the attention of the gaming community with its openness and boundless world that can be explored. The main advantage of No Man's Sky is its procedurally generated world. This means that each player faces a unique and unrepeatable journey, depending on how far they are willing to travel. With over 18 quintillion planets in the game, exploring them can be a real challenge. From every single item to giant galaxies, everything is randomly generated, making the game truly unique. Your main goal is to get to the center of the galaxy. However, on your way you will encounter various obstacles, both planetary and intergalactic in scale. You will explore planets, collect useful resources, build your own space station and improve your ship in order to overcome all the difficulties and move forward. No Man's Sky also offers the option of playing in multiplayer mode, which adds even more variety and interaction. You can meet other players on different planets, trade, build bases and even fight with friends. ARK: Survival Evolved fans will love it!
9. The Isle
As in ARK: Survival Evolved, you will find yourself on a mystical island where players will have to fight for survival in a world of dinosaurs. You will be able to choose one of six available dinosaur species and engage in a realistic fight for resources and territory. Each species has its own features and skills, so you will have to think out a strategy for survival. The developers put a lot of effort into creating realistic models of dinosaurs and working out the environment. Animations of movements and behavior of dinosaurs look especially great, which adds to the game's atmospheric and unique. The game offers different modes. You can choose the single player mode and explore the island alone or join an online session with other players to explore and capture the territory together. Communicating with other players is an essential part of the gameplay, as only by working together you can succeed. A huge advantage of the game is its constant development and the addition of new features and dinosaur species. The developers actively interact with the community of players, listen to their wishes and make updates to make the game even better.
8. Conan Exiles
- Similarity: 70 %
- Metacritic: link
- Year of release: 2015
- Game play time: 100 hours
- Trailer: link
- Review: IGN
The main task of the player in Conan Exiles is to build, fight and survive. The game world is full of dangerous creatures and hostile forces that will have to be fought to succeed. Players can also build settlements, improve them and recruit allies to fight enemies. With a flexible building system, players can create fortified fortresses or even entire cities. The game's carefully crafted world creates a stunning atmosphere and an impressive gaming experience. Every detail, from the scenery to the animals, is made with great love. Players also have the ability to customize their character by choosing their appearance, hairstyle and other details. In addition to the main story and adventure, Like ARK: Survival Evolved, Conan Exiles also offers a huge number of side quests and opportunities to explore. The open world is full of mysteries that can bring not only new adventures, but also valuable resources. Players can embark on a journey to find ancient artifacts, solve riddles, and make their way through Conan's wastelands.
7. Raft
A survival game in the ocean where you will have to collect resources, build, hunt fish and fight sharks. Your main abode is a small raft on which you will float in the vast sea. You can create and improve your raft, add compartments for storing resources and build a fighting rig to fight sharks. You can also expand your raft, improve your tools and create new items to increase your chances of survival. The graphics in the game perfectly conveys the atmosphere of the vast ocean and its dangers. A variety of sea creatures, beautiful sunsets and dynamic weather create a unique game world. "Raft" also offers a cooperative mode, where you can play with your friends and fight for survival together. Despite all the charms of the game, "Raft" has some drawbacks. The lack of story and narrative may not allow some players to fully immerse themselves in the game world. Additionally, resource gathering can be somewhat monotonous in the early stages of the game. Fans of ARK: Survival Evolved should still enjoy it though.
6. Smalland: Survive the Wilds
In the game Smalland: Survive the Wilds players control a small creature, who got into the world of huge objects, where even a leaf can become a shelter. The main goal of the game is to survive by collecting resources, building a shelter and protecting yourself from dangers. You will have to discover new territories, exciting anomalies and different regions full of mysteries. One of the great features of Smalland: Survive the Wilds is the opportunity to show creativity and imagination of the player. You can create and develop your shelters, build defenses and develop tools to ensure your safety and comfort. Every decision you make affects your ability to meet challenges, so strategic thinking and observation are key skills, just like in ARK: Survival Evolved.
5. The Forest
- Similarity: 70 %
- Metacritic: link
- Year of release: 2023
- Game play time: 30 hours
- Trailer: link
- Review: IGN
The player finds himself in the role of the only survivor after a plane crash on a mysterious peninsula, which already reminds ARK: Survival Evolved. The main task is to survive by creating shelters, gathering resources and defending against the aboriginal cannibals who inhabit the forest. The main focus of the game is on exploring the world and crafting. The player can build fortifications and traps for defense against enemies, get food and materials to create tools and weapons. A very interesting feature is the construction system, which allows you to combine different elements of structures to create unique buildings. Graphics of "The Forest" is quite qualitative for an indie project: detailed forest, changing weather conditions and cycles of day and night contribute to immersion in the atmosphere of the game. The plot of the game is non-linear - there is a main task to find the lost son of the main character after the plane crash, but the ways to achieve this goal can be different. Interaction with the game's world is not limited to fighting for survival; you can also explore underground caves and uncover the secrets of the peninsula. The Forest's gameplay is defined as a solid balance between survival, strategically planning your actions, fighting enemies, and building a base. It also offers a four-player co-op mode.
4. Grounded
- Similarity: 80 %
- Metacritic: link
- Year of release: 2020
- Game play time: 50 hours
- Trailer: link
- Review: IGN
The plot of the game takes players to a microscopic world where they turn into children reduced to the size of insects. Players will have to explore a huge garden full of dangers, build shelters and defend themselves against insects and other creatures. The open world offers a rich ecosystem with a variety of insect and plant species. You are free to create various constructions: from simple shelters to complex fortress-like structures. The game has received positive reviews for its unusual approach to the survival genre, interesting world and customization options. Grounded is certainly different from ARK: Survival Evolved, where instead of giant ants giant dinosaurs. But the gameplay is similar.
3. Rust
- Similarity: 80 %
- Metacritic: link
- Year of release: 2013
- Game play time: 80 hours
- Trailer: link
- Review: IGN
Players begin their adventure without clothes or resources on a huge island full of dangers, from other players to wild animals. The main aspects of the game include gathering resources (both natural and through destroying crafted objects), crafting items, and building shelters to protect yourself from the surrounding dangers. One of the key features of Rust is its PvP-oriented nature. A player can be killed or robbed at any time, which makes everyone constantly on guard and encourages the formation of temporary alliances or permanent clans to ensure greater security. Also worth noting is the crafting system - to create something complex and useful, you need to spend time studying the necessary technologies or find the appropriate blueprints. The environment of Rust is constantly changing thanks to periodic map updates and the addition of new gameplay elements by the developers, which keeps the community interested in continuing the game. Due to the high level of difficulty and the need for a significant time investment, Rust may not seem appealing to everyone. However, for fans of ARK: Survival Evolved, this project will be an invaluable experience.
2. Valheim
- Similarity: 80 %
- Metacritic: link
- Year of release: 2021
- Game play time: 60 hours
- Trailer: link
- Review: IGN
Players are sent to the Viking era, where they will have to fight mythical creatures and explore a huge open world in search of resources and treasures. The main goal of the game is to build your own Viking asgard and become a great hero. During the game players will have to improve their skills, build various structures, create weapons and armor, as well as explore mysterious locations and solve puzzles. There is also a multiplayer mode, which allows you to play with friends. Together with your comrades in arms you can explore the world, defend yourself from monsters and create magnificent constructions. It should be noted that Valheim also has an interesting progression system. The longer the player is in the world of the game, the stronger he becomes. With each difficult creature that managed to defeat, the hero gets new skills and abilities. ARK: Survival Evolved also has something similar.
1. ORION: Prelude
- Similarity: 90 %
- Year of release: 2013
- Game play time: 10 hours
- Trailer: link
The main feature of ORION: Prelude is the ability to fight both on your feet and on different types of vehicles, including jeeps, mechs, helicopters and even dinosaurs. Each type of transportation has its own features and capabilities, which makes the gameplay more diverse and interesting. The game has several modes for single and multiplayer play. Survival mode allows players to fight waves of enemies and survive as long as possible. Just in this mode, the game is most similar to ARK: Survival Evolved. The "Conquest" mode offers teams to fight for control of different territories on a huge map. There is also a "Slaughter" mode where players can simply enjoy endless battles against bots or other players. However, it is worth noting that the game is not without some flaws. For example, some players complain about balance and optimization issues. Also, some modes may require more players to reach the full potential of the game.
