Games Like Hobo: Tough Life

Nobody – The Turnaround is a life simulator set in a parallel world that echoes modern society. Manage your time and resources carefully, strive to find a way through difficult times, and overcome the predicament you find yourself in.

Why similar: Survival 29.7%, Open World 20.7%, Sandbox 16.2%, Realistic 15.5%, Simulation 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: Shares the gritty urban realism and focus on the daily struggle of a down-on-their-luck protagonist trying to survive in a harsh society.

Bum Simulator is a sandbox game bursting with inappropriate humor and memorable characters. You live on the streets of Bumsville. Do you have what it takes to adapt, survive and become an urban legend?

Why similar: Survival 18%, Open World 16.5%, Base Building 12.9%, Simulation 9.8%, Sandbox 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: Offers a similarly themed urban sandbox experience focusing on the eccentricities and survival struggles of living on the streets.

In This War Of Mine you do not play as an elite soldier, rather a group of civilians trying to survive in a besieged city; struggling with lack of food, medicine and constant danger from snipers and hostile scavengers. The game provides an experience of war seen from an entirely new angle.

Why similar: Survival 46.3%, Base Building 18.2%, Crafting 13.3%, Realistic 6.8%, Atmospheric 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: Captures the same desperate atmosphere of managing basic survival needs and moral dilemmas under harsh urban conditions.

Plunge into the open-world survival simulation set in the extreme conditions of the uncharted Amazon jungle. Use real-life survival techniques to craft, hunt, fight, and gather resources, set a makeshift shelter, or raise a fortress. Survive alone or team up with your friends and challenge the jungle together.

Why similar: Survival 21.2%, Open World 11.9%, Multiplayer 11.8%, Base Building 10.9%, Online Co-Op 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: Delivers a similarly brutal survival experience where monitoring your physical condition and crafting tools are essential to staying alive.

Hunt, survive, build and lead in the harsh Middle Ages: Create your own Medieval Dynasty and ensure its long-lasting prosperity or die trying! Play alone or team up with friends to enjoy the ultimate medieval experience.

Why similar: Crafting 15.4%, Survival 13.7%, Base Building 13.2%, Open World 12%, Co-op 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on the same granular survival, crafting, and settlement-building mechanics, though set in a historical era rather than a modern city.

Obenseuer is an urban survival RPG game, where you become a property manager of a rundown unfinished tenement building, in an isolated quarantine district of Obenseuer. Maintain and upgrade your tenement for rent, uncover the secrets of this infamous district and grow your wealth with your craft.

Why similar: Survival 46.5%, Open World 25.9%, RPG 18%, Adventure 5.2%, 3D 4.4%

Why You'll Like It: Immerses you in a decaying tenement district where you must scrape by, manage your health, and survive in a hostile environment.

Become the best thief. Gather intel, steal things and sell them to buy hi-tech equipment. Do everything that a real thief does.

Why similar: Heist 26.3% ★, Open World 17%, Co-op 12.4%, Simulation 10.6%, First-Person 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: Matches the urban, unsanctioned lifestyle by letting you case neighborhoods and steal to get by.

Have you ever considered creating your own crime empire, without the legal and moral consequences? SIMULATE IT! Crawl into the dark alleys of the street business in this OG drug-dealing game, and make a fortune! A co-op sequel – DDS2 – is out NOW

Why similar: Open World 21.3%, Simulation 19.5%, Crafting 17.1%, Co-op 8.2%, Sandbox 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: Explores the gritty underbelly of society where you must carefully manage risk and resource acquisition on the streets.

Subsistence is a sandbox, first person, solo or co-op, PvE open-world survival game. Struggle through changing seasons to build a base, develop technology and gear-up in the hostile environment. Defend yourself from wildlife, the elements and AI hunters (who also build bases in the world).

Why similar: Survival 24.3%, Open World 15.8%, Crafting 15.6%, Base Building 13.6%, Multiplayer 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: Features a harsh open-world survival loop where securing shelter and gathering resources are vital against the elements.

The dead have risen and civilization has fallen. Now it's up to you to gather survivors, scavenge for resources and build a community in a post-apocalyptic world – a world where you define what it means to survive in this ultimate zombie survival simulation.

Why similar: Survival 23.4%, Base Building 20.9%, Open World 19.4%, Multiplayer 9.6%, Co-op 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: Emphasizes community management and grueling resource gathering in a world where every decision matters.

Take over the duties of a border guard inspector in a communist country of the 80's. Smuggling, corruption and forgery are the order of the day here. Be vigilant and earn the respect of your superiors.

Why similar: Open World 28.5%, Survival 19.7%, Realistic 14.6%, First-Person 11.9%, Simulation 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: Puts you in a gritty, blue-collar survival and law enforcement role where daily survival depends on your choices.

Mr. Prepper is about being prepared. You know something is wrong. The risk of a nuclear war is in the air and you need to get ready for what's coming.

Why similar: Survival 27.6%, Base Building 26.6%, Crafting 17.7%, Simulation 7.6%, Realistic 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: Combines rigorous survival preparation with crafting and resource management under societal pressure.

You’re out of jail, but the debt isn’t gone. Sneak, steal, and break into houses solo or in 4-player co-op. Use lockpicks, sleeping gas, and brute force to complete jobs, outsmart security, and make enough money before time runs out. Will you pay back what you owe, or lose everything?

Why similar: Heist 34.9% ★, Multiplayer 17.6%, Online Co-Op 17%, First-Person 8.4%, Simulation 8%

Why You'll Like It: Immerses you in the risky, urban underworld of planning and executing illegal operations.

Welcome to SCUM, a ruthless open-world survival game where deep character customization defines the prisoner you become. Loot, craft, hunt, build, and fight to outlast a hostile island where every choice can change your fate. Stay alive. Stay dangerous. Become harder to kill.

Why similar: Survival 22.3%, Open World 20.6%, Crafting 14.8%, Online Co-Op 11.7%, Sandbox 11.5%

Why You'll Like It: Offers a deeply detailed metabolic survival simulation where every bodily need must be meticulously managed.

In Home Behind, you take on the role of a refugee cast out from your homeland by a band of rebels. Your home and the peace you enjoyed has been destroyed, and your family has disappeared. Can you survive the struggle, famine, and sickness to make it to the safety of Europe?

Why similar: Survival 53.4%, RPG 22.9%, Simulation 11%, Adventure 10.9%, Atmospheric 1.8%

Why You'll Like It: Explores the desperate journey of a refugee trying to survive harsh conditions and personal struggles.

Old Market Simulator is a 1-4 player co-op game where you manage your market by ordering goods, growing produce, raising animals, fishing, and crafting items in your workshop, while hiring employees and expanding your business.

Why similar: Online Co-Op 28.2%, Co-op 17.5%, Multiplayer 17.2%, Simulation 14.1%, First-Person 11.6%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on managing a small enterprise from the ground up, echoing the economic struggle of starting with nothing.

Get a taste of prison life! Become a prison guard and deal with dangerous convicts. Prison management, lots of daily activities. Will you become the best guard in history? Or maybe you'll turn into the worst scumbag this Prison has ever seen?

Why similar: Open World 17.6%, Dialogue Heavy 15.9%, Sandbox 13.4%, RPG 11.6%, Realistic 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: Places you in a rigid, gritty institutional environment where daily survival routines dictate your gameplay.

It's ten years since the infection started. Long-established settlements are collapsing, one by one, for unknown reasons. Survivors are running to the hills to escape, hoping for safety in remote places. As another refugee, you're here to carve out a new life for yourself - by any means necessary.

Why similar: Base Building 20.1%, Open World 15.7%, Dialogue Heavy 14.3%, Survival 14%, Crafting 11%

Why You'll Like It: Blends survival and community-building elements with a focus on resource scarcity and human interactions.

VEIN is a post-apocalyptic survival multiplayer sandbox game. Gather supplies to survive, explore abandoned buildings, defend your home, and rebuild society, whether alone or with friends.

Why similar: Survival 19.9%, Open World 17.5%, Base Building 17.1%, Crafting 9.3%, Co-op 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: Provides a hardcore post-apocalyptic survival framework centered on scavenging and base building.

This is a multiplayer cooperative open world construction survival sandbox game, where you and your friends must find supplies and build shelters in this world. You have to keep an eye on your character's needs state at all times, a bad state is likely to lead to death.

Why similar: Survival 26%, Open World 20.1%, Crafting 13%, Multiplayer 10.7%, Co-op 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: Tests your ability to scavenge, craft, and build shelter in a brutal open-world environment.

What turns a drug dealer into a drug lord? Find out in DDS2, a first-person co-op sim set in a dynamic open world. Make contacts, cook drugs, and manage your cartel on Isla Sombra, where power is the only law.

Why similar: Open World 17.4%, Crafting 12.7%, Multiplayer 11.1%, Sandbox 10.7%, Co-op 9.4%

Why You'll Like It: Continues the gritty criminal enterprise gameplay with larger maps and expanded survival-trade mechanics.

The door to your robber’s career is waiting! Just crowbar the lock off and force your way through the threshold. Learn skills, collect tools and become a master of the thieving trade!

Why similar: Heist 30.7% ★, Open World 20%, First-Person 9.9%, Simulation 9.8%, Co-op 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: Expands on the urban crime loop with improved mechanics for casing and looting properties.

Become a crew member of an Interdimensional Express Train! Discover a new world full of mysterious creatures, enemies and places. Upgrade and customize your train, gather new materials and build better weapons. Play solo or online сo-op with up to 4 people.

Why similar: Survival 14.7%, Base Building 14.4%, Open World 11.7%, Co-op 10.6%, Crafting 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: Features an isolated crafting and survival loop where maintaining your mobile base is key to endurance.

Hardcore open-world survival where preparation is everything. Scavenge, craft, fortify during the day. When night falls, the infected hunt in numbers. Play solo or with friends in a brutal post-apocalyptic sandbox where survival is earned through smart decisions. How many Nights will you survive?

Why similar: Survival 20.7%, Sandbox 13.9%, Online Co-Op 12.3%, Multiplayer 12%, Co-op 11.8%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses heavily on tactical survival, boarding up structures, and weathering harsh nights.

Homeless Simulator is a homeless person simulator. Homeless persons are those who find themselves living on the streets because of family conflicts, somebody’s fraud, loss of the job or health problems. They are those who need help.

Why similar: Survival 26.6%, Open World 20.8%, Sandbox 15.2%, Simulation 15.1%, First-Person 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: Attempts to capture the street-level survival mechanics and scavenging loops of urban poverty.

First-person homeless crime sandbox. Steal, drink, hallucinate and crush rival bums in chaotic online co-op.

Why similar: Survival 18.7%, Open World 16.8%, Co-op 15.2%, Multiplayer 12.9%, First-Person 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: Revisits the street-level urban survival and brawling themes with a comedic, gritty twist.

You have experienced the sudden loss of your wealth, which has compelled you to abandon your previous life and begin anew. By venturing into the game world, you can construct settlements and forge alliances with other players, ensuring that you will always have exciting challenges to undertake.

Why similar: Survival 15%, Base Building 14.4%, Open World 12.9%, Crafting 12.1%, Sandbox 9.5%

Why You'll Like It: Combines survival and RPG progression elements in a harsh, unforgiving wilderness setting.

MISERY is a 1–10 player co-op survival game set in a nuclear disaster zone. Here, every day is a struggle: search radioactive ruins for resources, build your bunker, craft weapons, and explore a weird, procedurally-generated world with your friends. Beware of anomalies, monsters, and armed bandits.

Why similar: Survival 19.9%, Base Building 15.9%, Open World 14.7%, Online Co-Op 12.2%, Crafting 12%

Hard Times is an extreme urban survival game where you have to put yourself into the shoes of a homeless man, taking on all the challenges that daily survival places in the great metropolis of indifference.

Why similar: Simulation 27.3%, Survival 24.1%, Crafting 16.4%, Sandbox 15.2%, Action 12.1%

Why You'll Like It: Explores the harsh reality of urban poverty and survival mechanics in a simplified 2D format.

Scavenge abandoned ruins, craft gear from scrap and salvaged materials, and fight the environment itself as hunger, exposure, and exhaustion push you to your limits. There are no second chances—only adaptation or death.

Why similar: Base Building 18.9%, Survival 18.6%, Open World 16.2%, Crafting 15%, Multiplayer 6.2%

Why You'll Like It: Delivers a straightforward open-world crafting and survival challenge reminiscent of early-stage resource loops.

Raft™ throws you and your friends into an epic oceanic adventure! Alone or together, players battle to survive a perilous voyage across a vast sea! Gather debris, scavenge reefs and build your own floating home, but be wary of the man-eating sharks!

Why similar: Survival 24.8%, Multiplayer 12.6%, Co-op 12.2%, Base Building 11.6%, Crafting 11.3%

Survive in a living post-apocalyptic city. Scavenge, craft, and build to stay alive, while earning trust or sparking conflict with the NPCs and factions who shape your fate.

Why similar: Base Building 21.5%, Survival 20.7%, Open World 18.7%, Crafting 16.7%, Sandbox 11.9%

Experience the struggle which a homeless man goes through in a humorous manner. Primitive elements of contemporary life that we take for granted, such as staying warm, well-nourished, and hygienic, will become an issue.

Why similar: Base Building 36.1%, Survival 33%, Simulation 11%, Realistic 10.2%, Atmospheric 5.3%

Homeless Simulator 2 is a homeless person simulator. Homeless persons are those who find themselves living on the streets because of family conflicts, somebody’s fraud, loss of the job or health problems. They are those who need help.

Why similar: Survival 26.7%, Open World 21.2%, Sandbox 14.2%, Simulation 12.9%, First-Person 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: Continues the street survival simulation format with updated urban environments and challenges.

MIST SURVIVAL is a Single-player, survival stealth sandbox game Players will experience the Apocalypse stimulation in the form of virus pandemic, the players have to deal with it to survive through the difficulties such as finding shelter and food, threats from the environment and climate: wild animals, bandits, infected, and dense mist t

Why similar: Survival 33.4%, Open World 21.9%, Base Building 18.1%, Crafting 11.1%, Sandbox 7.5%

Welcome to Keplerth! Try to survive on a hostile alien planet in this 2D sandbox RPG, where you can choose to live alone or fight side by side with your friends in the online multiplayer mode. Survive, build, farm, fight, and explore your way to victory in this open-world adventure!

Why similar: Survival 22.6%, Open World 20.4%, Sandbox 16%, Base Building 10.6%, Multiplayer 8.6%

Experience the struggle which a homeless man goes through in a humorous manner. Primitive elements of contemporary life that we take for granted, such as staying warm, well-nourished, and hygienic, will become an issue.

Why similar: Base Building 42.6%, Survival 37.3%, Simulation 12.8%, 3D 7.3%

KeepUp Survival is an open-world base-building and exploration game set in a natural, abandoned world. Build, gather, survive, and shape your own story on a mysterious island.

Why similar: Survival 15.3%, Base Building 14.9%, Open World 13.7%, Crafting 11.3%, Co-op 9.7%

Make a living for yourself in a city full of opportunity while you meet a variety of locals, explore unique locations, and work your way to the top in this open-world life simulator.

Why similar: Survival 20.2%, Open World 20.1%, Sandbox 14.8%, RPG 9.6%, Realistic 7.9%

Shakes & Fidget is a hilarious fantasy role-playing satire and at the same time, an award-winning RPG! Sounds crazy? With over 50 million enthusiastic players, it ranks among the most celebrated online role-playing games worldwide!

Why similar: RPG 64.4%, Story Rich 24.4%, Adventure 11.2%

Crushed — is an Singleplayer and Multiplayer First-Person Survival Sandbox in an Open World! Challenge the wild and be ready to survive in harsh conditions. Explore the world, get resources, cook food, build a house, farm, hunt, and enjoy nature.

Why similar: Survival 17.9%, Open World 15.9%, Base Building 14.1%, Crafting 11.8%, Sandbox 9.7%

Winter Survival is a story-driven survival game where trauma turns reality into a reflection of your breaking mind. Battle cold, hunger, hallucinations, and adapt to the wilderness as it adapts to you.

Why similar: Survival 21.7%, Base Building 21%, Open World 19.1%, Crafting 11.3%, Sandbox 8.8%

CHANGE is an award nominated homeless survival experience set in a randomly created city with rogue-like elements. Explore, survive, earn perks, find items & kindness to develop your character & escape to a new life. Over 7 years of development & over 200 updates so far!

Why similar: Open World 28.4%, Survival 24.9%, Dialogue Heavy 20.3%, RPG 14.7%, Story Rich 11.7%

Pohinki Simulator is a survival game set in a polish neighbourhood, where you need to explore the open world in search for trash in order to survive and gain power. Build structures, experiment with found items, and become the most powerful bum alive!

Why similar: Base Building 23.6%, Survival 22.1%, Sandbox 15.4%, Open World 14%, First-Person 7.6%

HumanitZ is an isometric, open-world sandbox survival game set in a world ended by a zombie outbreak. Survive alone or with friends by scavenging, crafting, building, and fighting to last as long as ‘humanly’ possible. You can’t change the past, but you can fight for the future of humanity.

Why similar: Survival 19.1%, Base Building 17.4%, Open World 15.8%, Crafting 12.3%, Sandbox 9.4%

Survive and colonize Mars alone or in online co-op. Build and upgrade your base, craft equipment, mine resources, produce water, oxygen and food, explore an open world, and repair complex machinery in a technical survival sandbox.

Why similar: Base Building 17.5%, Survival 15.6%, Open World 13.6%, Crafting 12.9%, Online Co-Op 10.4%

The apocalypse is here, and you saw it coming. Survival Log is a zombie-apocalypse hoarding survival sim. Hoard supplies, reinforce your home, and optimize every run before zombies flood the city. Every failure becomes experience. You must adapt and survive this time.

Why similar: Survival 29.5%, Base Building 26.8%, Crafting 16.1%, Simulation 9%, Story Rich 7.5%

Next Day is a multi-player SURVIVAL game with elements of RPG, in an imaginary country in Eastern Europe. Carry out an array of tasks, learn skills, and develop your character. Have shootouts with opponents and earn a reputation.

Why similar: Survival 31.3%, Open World 23.3%, Multiplayer 12.6%, Crafting 10.7%, Co-op 7.5%

Too long in this prison, time to get out of here. Pull the carpet and start digging with a teaspoon. Watch out for the guard, sell him the junk you find. Trade toilet paper with the prisoners. Get better items and improve your stats. Expand the tunnel, use glow sticks and dynamite. Will you escape?

Why similar: Multiplayer 22.4%, Simulation 18.6%, Realistic 18.2%, First-Person 16.1%, 3D 9.2%

Search for valuable items stashed in abandoned barns. Take part in storage auctions, bid high and buy yourself a chance to find exclusive items hidden in the past.

Why similar: Simulation 24.8%, Sandbox 23%, Realistic 16.5%, First-Person 15.5%, Multiplayer 9.4%

Embark on an unpredictable survival journey in Start Over. Solo, co-op, online, explore diverse landscapes, craft through 4 tech tiers, encounter wildlife, and trade or raid for resources. Choose your path, defend against waves, and shape your destiny in a dynamic world. Are you ready to Start Over?

Why similar: Base Building 17.3%, Survival 16.1%, Crafting 12.8%, Open World 9.8%, Sandbox 9.8%

Camping Simulator lets you experience what camp means by preparing your backpack wisely for challenging conditions of nature. You can play all the experiences with up to 8 friends in multiplayer mode or single player mode.

Why similar: Survival 20.2%, Crafting 15.3%, Co-op 13.3%, Sandbox 12.7%, Base Building 8.5%

Shrunk again, but the world is much larger. In this open-world, single-player or co-op survival adventure, craft weapons and armor, build your base, and traverse the playground on your buggy. But something else is out there—and it hasn’t forgotten you.

Why similar: Survival 19.7%, Base Building 16.2%, Open World 13%, Crafting 9.7%, Co-op 9.5%

Starting from a homeless person who wakes up at a bus station. All you have is a penny in your pocket and some cash in your bank account. Go out into the city and work hard to earn your first money. The streets will be your home.

Why similar: RPG 34.3%, Crafting 20.9%, First-Person 15.7%, Adventure 12.6%, 3D 8.8%

Enter the creative paradise of Scrap Mechanic! Build fantastic machines, go on adventures with your friends and defend against waves of evil Farmbots in this imaginative multiplayer survival sandbox. With Scrap Mechanic’s powerful creation tools you can engineer your own adventures!

Why similar: Survival 16.6%, Open World 15.3%, Crafting 13.2%, Base Building 12.4%, Sandbox 11.6%

Embark on an adventure set in a fantasy survival RPG. Visit a borderless, open world where you manage resources to construct your base and new types of equipment to support your conquest.

Why similar: Survival 15.9%, Base Building 14.7%, Open World 13.1%, Crafting 12.5%, Online Co-Op 8.8%

Project Zomboid is the ultimate in zombie survival. Alone or in MP: you loot, build, craft, fight, farm and fish in a struggle to survive. A hardcore RPG skillset, a vast map, massively customisable sandbox and a cute tutorial raccoon await the unwary. So how will you die? All it takes is a bite..

Why similar: Survival 30.4%, Open World 19.3%, Multiplayer 10.7%, Sandbox 10.5%, Crafting 8.9%

'Night of the Dead' is an open-world game that combines elements of exploration, tower defense, survival, and crafting. Traverse a world dominated by zombies while collecting various resources and powerful equipment. Build a fortress to survive the hordes of zombies that swarm every night!

Why similar: Base Building 14.8%, Survival 13.4%, Open World 12.9%, Crafting 11.3%, Online Co-Op 9.8%

Erzurum is a winter survival game which you will struggle against freezing temperatures, the wild nature, hunger and thirst.

Why similar: Survival 22.7%, Open World 17.7%, Crafting 16%, Multiplayer 10.7%, Realistic 9.5%

A 1-4 player physics based fishing simulator. While drinking and boating you suddenly crash into a small island. To work your way back home you have to learn How to Fish.

Why similar: Online Co-Op 27.6%, Multiplayer 26.6%, Co-op 23.5%, First-Person 12%, 3D 4%