10 Best Games Like The Forest To Play (Ultimate 2023 List)

Best Games Like The Forest: The Forest is an open-world horror survival game that takes you on an explorative journey on a secluded island. The Forest was initially released in 2014 by Endnight Games. The Forest gained worldwide popularity for presenting a perfect combination of Horror & Adventure in a single game. The game delivers a thrilling experience of an aircraft crash survivor. Now, the protagonist has to outlast the dangers of the forest and protect himself from deadly cannibalistic creatures in the pursuit of finding his son.

Are you a fan of Horror Survival Games and have been looking for more games like The Forest? We have curated the perfect list of Best Games Like The Forest for you! We will be presenting these games in the form of a countdown list by ranking them in order of positive fan reception.

Best Games Like The Forest

Despite being an older game, The Forest has managed to create a significant mark in the genre of Survival Games. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the game was ahead of its time. Realistic graphics, nonlinear gameplay, perfect jump scares, and an intriguing storyline presented just the right amount of thrill that we expect from any horror survival game. So much so that we still find ourselves looking for similar games like the Forest in 2023.

One of the best things about this beauty is that even after being a solid Horror game, it lets us steal some serene moments of peace in nature. The studios released the sequel of the Forest recently (23rd February 2023) called the Sons of the Forest. The game operates on a similar theme to its predecessor with improved graphics & gameplay mechanics of course.

Here’s our chance to relive the magic of the Forest. The sequel perfectly fits in the shoes of its predecessor and delivers that breathtaking gameplay experience that we had envisioned.

Now, without any further ado, let’s get started with the ultimate list of Best Games Like the Forest!

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10. Until Dawn

We decided to start the Ultimate Countdown of the Best Games like The Forest with the old classic, Until Dawn. This is a single-player horror survival game in which you get to operate a total of 8 characters. The objective of this explorative game is to survive the deadly Blackwood Mountains until help arrives. The fate of all 8 characters lies in the choices that the player makes during the gameplay.

The explorative game design encourages the player to make wise use of inventory and understand the clues that lead to ensuring the safety of the characters. If you are someone who enjoys choice-based games, Until Dawn is a good pick for you.

9. V Rising

V Rising is an innovative addition to Horror Survival Games. Even though the theme of the game varies from the Forest, the concept is pretty much the same. It is an open-world game where the player takes the embodiment of a weakened vampire. Just like the Forest, V Rising also requires a base building (castle). The only factor that is reversed is that the player is the predator in this game and must hunt prey to keep their blood level stable.

V Rising will offer a lot more, once it is fully released. What caught our eye about this game is the innovation and unique outlook given to a survival game. The game may also target more platforms on its full release.

8. Outlast 2

Next up in the list of Games like The Forest is the 2017 release Outlast 2. This is the 3rd installment of the Outlast series that unfolds in N. Arizona, covering the story of an investigative Journalist. The storyline is spookily addictive and gets better with each segment. We would give you a fair warning though, that the game displays various mature themes such as blood, nudity, sexual content, violence, and much more. If any of these topics make you uncomfortable, you may skip this one out.

This game will put your reflexes to the test with constant threat chasing you throughout the gameplay. Just like many other survival games, you will have to explore the surroundings and find usable items to outlive in the game.

7. Rust

Next in the list of Best Games like The Forest is unsurprisingly Rust! This is a multiplayer survival game that operates in similar surroundings as in The Forest. You will be deployed against the wilderness, animals, enemies, and other players in this open-world game. The only goal of this game is to survive. The game has succeeded in depicting the brutality of surviving in the wild quite effortlessly.

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The player has to create a base for themselves and protect it from invasion. The gameplay of Rust is brutal and will demand a lot of focus and alertness from you. If you are not cut out for fast-paced survival games, there are other games in this list that will suit your taste better.

6. Darkwood

Darkwood is a well-rounded Horror Survival game that heavily demands strategizing from the players. There is no straightforward course of events but a nonlinear approach to the way the story unfolds. The game attempts to mimic a natural timeline by incorporating a day and night time cycle. Players are given the opportunity to scavenge and work during the day and protect themselves from brutal threats at night time.

The game is quite spooky with constant stress on combat. The semi-open world design of the game gives plenty of explorative opportunities to the players. The game has decent graphics and mysteriously uplifting music that enhances the gaming experience. Darkwood is a must-try if you are a fan of horror survivor games.

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5. Alan Wake

Alan Wake is a narrative-rich survivor game that depicts the story of Alan Wake who is a renowned novelist in the game. The player takes the embodiment of Alan, who is dealing with writer’s block. Alan’s attempt to ease his mind with a vacation with his wife eventually leads to various catastrophic events. Now, Alan must leave no clue unturned to unravel the case of his missing wife. Surprisingly enough, the harsh events faced by Alan mimic the story of a novel that he wrote last. The Remastered version of Alan Wake has come out recently.

Unlike other Survival Horror games, Alan Wake does not operate on combat and the story unfolds rather smoothly. The game interaction is quite enticing and the players get really sunk into the storyline and striking visuals. If you enjoy suspense and psychological games then just go for Alan Wake without a single doubt.

4. Days Gone

The next marvel in the list of Best Games like The Forest is multiple awards winner, Days Gone! The game was crowned with the Game of the Year title by the Golden Joystick Awards in 2019. Not just this, Days Gone has managed to win Best Story Telling (Golden Joystick) and Best Visual Design Awards (TIGA) as well. We can already decipher that Days Gone is no ordinary game.

This single-player action survival game is purely based on fighting and combat mechanics. The game unfolds in an open-world environment in a post-apocalyptic scenario. There is no time to waste with zombies lurking at every nook and corner of the world. Do you have the skills to survive this hardcore survival game? There is only one way to find out!

3. The Long Dark

Next up in the list of best Games like The Forest is The Long Dark. Unlike general fast-paced survival games, The Long Dark presents a rather soothing gameplay. The theme and visual aesthetics of the game are uniquely crafty and pretty to the eyes. The game provides different modes according to the preference of the player. The main objective of the Long Dark is to survive in the harsh cold environments of the Canadian outskirts.

There are countless challenges that present to the player from time to time. Will you manage to survive with all the odds turned against you in this aesthetically pleasing game? Try it out if you want to experience a unique survival experience.

2. Green Hell

The next contender in the list of Best Games like the Forest is another forest-based survival game called Green Hell! This open-world game flares in the immensely diverse Amazon Rain Forest. The protagonist, Jake is an anthropologist who ends up at the bank of the Amazon River. Jake gets separated from his wife during their expedition to the local villages in the rainforest. The game has immensely captivating graphics and beautiful visuals. Just watching the trailer will make it very hard to resist playing this beauty.

Jake must find and protect his wife from the potential threat that lingers around her. Meanwhile, Jake also has to survive the adversities thrown at him by the threats of the jungle.

1. Chasing Static

At the top of the list of Best Games Like The Forest, we decided to keep this underrated beauty that arose from Indie Development. Chasing Static unfolds in North Wales where a bizarre phenomenon is playing with time. This is more of a narrative game that depicts the explorative story of Chris who ends up in a rural area of Wales.

The player gets to unravel a huge conspiracy in this game as Chris explores deeper into his surroundings. This game is comparatively shorter than other games on this list. The reason we put it on the top is due to the amazing fan reception it has gathered in such a small period of time. We definitely recommend this game if you enjoy survival games.

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