DayZ
Games like State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 doubles down on the survival mechanics that the first one held near and dear to its heart. Players must constantly scavenge and manage resources and bring them back to base. There’s a finite limit to what you can carry, so there’s a perpetual balance between movement speed and loot reward. DayZ is another game which holds this strict survival mentality in high regard. The game is incredibly brutal, with one wrong move often meaning certain death. It’s a gritty, grounded zombie game set in a sprawling open world.
DayZ has been in Early Access since 2013 and has since seen a slew of great features and tweaks to the gameplay. It’s a little rough around the edges, something which will no doubt feel right at home for State of Decay players, but does manage to capture just how compelling survival mechanics are when implemented correctly.
Dead Rising 4
Games like State of Decay 2
While being a fairly straight-edge survival experience, State of Decay 2 does have a wacky side. This is most evident in the game’s approach to weapons, with there being a huge range of often ridiculous zombie-killing tools. Dead Rising 4 is known for its weird and wonderful weapons, offering up a huge arsenal of genuinely hilarious melee and ranged weapons. Part of the fun in Dead Rising 4 is experimenting with new weapons, from lawnmower blades to Mega Man blasters.
Clearing out huge hordes of zombies with a flamethrower/leaf-blower that you built yourself is never not fun, in a game which thankfully doesn’t take itself too seriously throughout.
Dying Light
Games like State of Decay 2
Dying Light is a first-person zombie RPG which combines elements of parkour with weapon crafting and melee combat. The game also features several survival mechanics and most notably a dynamic day/night cycle. Much like in State of Decay 2, it’s incredibly dangerous to venture out at night in Dying Light. There are terrifying enemies that emerge and spend the dark hours actively hunting you down, though XP is increased as well.
Since launch, there has been a ton of new content added to Dying Light. The best addition by far is that of vehicles, which open up the game’s world and combat options. For those who like bashing zombies with a car door in State of Decay 2, you’ll definitely like mowing them down with Dying Light’s hardy buggy car. Add in the fact that you can play along with a friend and you’ve got a game which State of Decay fans are sure to have fun with.
Left 4 Dead 2
Games like State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 boasts cooperative play as one of its headline new features. Up to four players can team up to comb the zombie-ridden world, sharing loot and taking down powerful enemies that would be foolish to take on alone. Left 4 Dead 2 features a similar co-op dynamic, though with a decidedly more arcade-focused slant. Left 4 Dead 2 allows four players to team up and blast their way through a series of well-designed levels filed with all manner of undead nasties.
There’s less of a survival slant, but the horror aspect is still there. There’s jump scares galore as players slowly progress through each level, often capped by a challenging boss fight.
This War of Mine
Games like State of Decay 2
Much of your time in State of Decay 2 is spent managing a group of survivors. Each one has their own needs, fears and attributes. Death is a very real possibility at all times, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Supply runs and side missions become dangerous very quickly, with disease, emotional effects and individual weaknesses often dragging the group down. It’s completely up to the player which course of action to take with troublesome survivors.
This War of Mine focuses almost entirely on this community dynamic, tasking players with keeping a group of refugees alive. The game is grounded in its approach to death, with every and any member of your group in danger at all times. The addition of children to the game ups the stakes even further, making This War of Mine a must-play for fans of the survival and management genres.
Just Survive
Games like State of Decay 2
H1Z1 has had one hell of a confusing time on the market so far. Originally designed as a zombie-survival game, H1Z1 was later turned into a battle royale game, with two separate versions spun out as their own releases. The zombie survival part was renamed Just Survive, and is currently still in Early Access. It features many of the features that fans love about the State of Decay series, including scarce resource management, and brutal zombie-combat.
Just Survive features the same addictive gameplay loop of slowly moving building to building searching for resources. The zombies are an ever-present threat, and large groups must be handled carefully or you risk losing hard-earned resources.
The Forest
Games like State of Decay 2
The Forest just released out of early access and has proven itself as a unique take on the survival horror genre. The game drops plays into an eerie and dense wooded area and tasks them with surviving. The woods are filled with terrifying cannibals which hunt and stalk the player and split up into separate and distinct tribes. It’s all about crafting to stay alive, as you set traps, build weapons and attempt to fight back against a smart and dangerous foe.
The Forest shares State of Decay 2’s sense of suspense and terror, with danger undoubtedly lurking around every corner. For fans of survival horror, there’s plenty of scares to be had and thanks to the intelligent AI, no two playthroughs will end up being the same.
The Division (Survival Expansion)
Games like State of Decay 2
The Survival Mode add-on for The Division might just be the game’s best asset. The main game dabbles in survival mechanics but is mostly a loot-based shooter. Survival Mode strips the player of all loot and gear they’ve earned, and drops them into the post-epidemic streets of Manhattan with a pistol, a bandage and some painkillers. From there it’s a brutal struggle for resources, as you manage the septic wound that is slowly killing you.
The race is on to track down a cache of anti-viral drugs hidden somewhere within the frost-bitten city. Snowstorms will kill you over time, as will other survivors. The stakes are much higher as well as the difficulty, and the game is all the more better for it.
So there you have it, games similar to State of Decay 2 if you’re looking for something similar. For more on State of Decay 2, be sure to check out our review.
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