Games Like Kenshi

A sci-fi colony sim driven by an intelligent AI storyteller. Generates stories by simulating psychology, ecology, gunplay, melee combat, climate, biomes, diplomacy, interpersonal relationships, art, medicine, trade, and more.

Why similar: Base Building 26.7%, Survival 16.5%, Sandbox 14.7%, Management 14.1%, Building 11.6%

Why You'll Like It: Like Kenshi, it turns suffering, injury, faction trouble, and base management into emergent stories where disaster is part of the fun.

A strategy/action RPG. Create a character, engage in diplomacy, craft, trade and conquer new lands in a vast medieval sandbox. Raise armies to lead into battle and command and fight alongside your troops in massive real-time battles using a deep but intuitive skill-based combat system.

Why similar: Open World 32.7%, Sandbox 27.4%, Character Customization 17.1%, RPG 15.1%, Simulation 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers the same rise-from-nobody fantasy through open-world trading, recruiting, warfare, and sandbox faction play.

Lead a mercenary company in this tactical RPG set in a medieval fantasy world. Chase fame and fortune as you choose where to go, who to recruit, which contracts to pursue, and how to train and equip your men in a procedurally generated open world campaign.

Why similar: Sandbox 26.6%, Character Customization 24.9%, Open World 24.8%, RPG 12.8%, Simulation 11%

Why You'll Like It: This is a similarly harsh sandbox about training up a fragile squad, managing injuries and losses, and carving out your own path in a dangerous world.

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: RTS 17.3%, Post-apocalyptic 14.1%, Base Building 13.6%, Stealth 11.2%, Character Customization 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: Its biggest Kenshi-like strength is that nearly anyone can be recruited as you build a community, sneak, scavenge, and survive in a reactive sandbox.

In a land torn asunder by incessant warfare, it is time to assemble your own band of hardened warriors and enter the fray. Lead your men into battle, expand your realm, and claim the ultimate prize: the throne of Calradia!

Why similar: Open World 40.7%, Sandbox 32.5%, RPG 21.7%, Simulation 5.1%

Why You'll Like It: Warband shares Kenshi’s open-ended career freedom, map-level travel, troop growth, and self-directed climb from drifter to warlord.

Bringing you to an exotic desert where you’ll recruit, train, and guide your troops into battle against rival cities and factions. Embark on an adventure that’s uniquely yours; Customizable characters, professions, and factions. The land is filled with a variety of hidden secrets.

Why similar: Open World 30.1%, Sandbox 19.6%, Action RPG 18.9%, Character Customization 18%, RPG 13.4%

Why You'll Like It: It mixes open-world exploration, party building, faction politics, and RTS-style battles in a way that feels very close to Kenshi’s squad sandbox.

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 24.6%, Open World 17.6%, Post-apocalyptic 15.8%, Sandbox 14.2%, Crafting 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: Though more survival-focused, it captures Kenshi’s unforgiving sandbox, skill-by-doing progression, base building, and constant sense that one mistake can ruin you.

The Matchless Kungfu is an open world sandbox RPG game based on a WuXia background. You can play any martial arts role you imagine in this wild world. Travel through the great wilderness, or be the leader of the group. The most important thing is, build your own story and live the experience!

Why similar: Strategy RPG 15.3%, Base Building 12.6%, Sandbox 12.5%, Open World 12.3%, Crafting 11.8%

Why You'll Like It: It delivers open-ended martial-arts sandbox play with survival, exploration, building, and self-directed progression that echoes Kenshi’s freedom-first design.

Rise up in a search for immortality in this strategy sim and management game based on Chinese mythology. Rebuild your sect and train new disciples through the path of cultivation. Research magic and gather mystical artifacts, face ancient dangers and other sects in your path to spiritual ascension.

Why similar: Sandbox 23.6%, Base Building 14.8%, Simulation 14.3%, Survival 12.8%, RPG 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: This is another deep emergent sandbox where training people, building a home, and dealing with a hostile world creates complex self-made stories.

Establish and expand your own settlements, liberate the land and assist its villagers, and recruit others to your cause while learning more about a life you had to leave behind. Command your forces, prove your valor through combat, and cement yourself as the hero of your people.

Why similar: Survival 24.1%, Open World 23%, Crafting 22.5%, Building 17.7%, RPG 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its loop of surviving in an open world, recruiting NPCs, assigning jobs, and growing a settlement strongly overlaps with Kenshi’s base-and-people management.

Build, quest, and conquer across an infinite procedurally generated world. Play alone or with friends as you establish a settlement and explore deep dungeons, fight monsters and bosses, mine rare ores, craft magical equipment, recruit specialists for your colony, and more!

Why similar: Sandbox 17%, Crafting 16.7%, Open World 15.9%, Base Building 15.4%, Survival 14.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its combination of exploration, building a settlement, recruiting residents, and adventuring with followers makes it a lighter but very strong Kenshi alternative.

Wartales is an open world RPG in which you lead a group of mercenaries in their search for wealth across a massive medieval universe. Explore the world, recruit companions, collect bounties and unravel the secrets of the tombs of the ancients!

Why similar: Party-Based RPG 37.9%, Open World 25.4%, RPG 14.3%, Sandbox 12.1%, Survival 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: It scratches the mercenary-band side of Kenshi with open-world roaming, party upkeep, injuries, prisoner management, and contract-driven freedom.

Build a fortress and try to help your dwarves survive against a deeply generated world. Keep your dwarves happy, grow their community and beware of digging too deeply. The deepest, most intricate simulation of a world that's ever been created.

Why similar: Base Building 21.5%, Building 17.8%, Sandbox 16.8%, Management 16%, Survival 14.8%

Why You'll Like It: If your favorite part of Kenshi is emergent chaos, faction simulation, injuries, and building up a home in a hostile world, this is the deepest version of that idea.

Inhabit a deeply-simulated science fantasy world and chisel through layers of thousand-year-old civilizations. Build a character from over a hundred mutations and cybernetics. The award-winning sandbox roguelike & RPG full of robots, deep lore, and sentient plants.

Why similar: Open World 39.6%, Character Customization 24.8%, Survival 22.9%, RPG 12.7%

Why You'll Like It: This is another legendary sandbox RPG where the world is dangerous, character growth is messy and memorable, and player stories matter more than scripted plot.

Soulash 2 is a sandbox RPG roguelike with a procedurally generated open world, simulated history, skill-based progression system, customizable abilities, material-based crafting, building, trading, and the possibility of total mayhem. Will you save your world or destroy it?

Why similar: Sandbox 19.5%, Base Building 17.3%, Crafting 17.3%, Open World 16.7%, Survival 13.2%

Why You'll Like It: This is a highly systemic sandbox RPG where you can roam, craft, build, and shape the world with very little hand-holding, much like Kenshi.

NEO Scavenger is a game where you must survive in the wasteland long enough to figure out who you are. Each turn, you must decide where to go, how to scavenge for supplies, and how to deal with anything and anyone you encounter.

Why similar: Post-apocalyptic 30.7%, Survival 26.5%, Crafting 16.3%, Sandbox 9.6%, Open World 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: It shares Kenshi’s cruel survival ethos, hard-earned progress, and constant improvisation, just in a more solitary and turn-based form.

It's one year after the collapse of civilization and self-centered hedge fund manager Joe Wheeler emerges from his specially constructed bunker in search of food. This is a huge open-world RPG where you have the freedom to play how you want - but your choices have consequences.

Why similar: Survival 16.2%, RTS 13.2%, Post-apocalyptic 12.3%, Base Building 12.2%, Open World 10.7%

Why You'll Like It: It offers open-world survival, recruiting allies, building a safe haven, and scrappy action in a lower-budget but clearly related sandbox formula.

Successor to the roguelike RPG "Elona". Adventure, survival, crafting, home-building, myths passed down, and stories of humans and Elea spun. What scars will you leave on the land of Ylva?

Why similar: Character Customization 33.4%, Open World 27.5%, Sandbox 26%, RPG 13.1%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a similarly weird and open sandbox where adventuring, survival, base building, and NPC-driven systems create unpredictable long-form runs.

Build, scavenge, craft, and perform occult rituals to survive in a demon-infested, post-apocalyptic colony simulation. Will you survive Judgment day?

Why similar: Base Building 19.7%, Post-apocalyptic 18.9%, Survival 14.6%, Sandbox 10.2%, Crafting 9.8%

Why You'll Like It: This one leans more colony sim, but the mix of base growth, survivor management, crafting, and fighting off a hostile world fits Kenshi’s survival-builder appeal.

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: Base Building 26.9%, Survival 23.2%, Open World 21.7%, Post-apocalyptic 13.6%, Sandbox 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: Managing a growing survivor community, building bases, scavenging, and leveling distinct characters gives it a Kenshi-like blend of squad care and harsh survival.

In the anarchic world of Freeman: Guerrilla Warfare, only the mightiest warlord rules. Start with a pistol and a few militias, you will set yourself on a wild and ambitious journey towards world domination. Enjoy the immersive combination of intense FPS and sandbox strategy.

Why similar: Open World 28.9%, Sandbox 27.9%, RTS 21.4%, RPG 17.6%, Simulation 4.1%

Why You'll Like It: It mirrors Mount & Blade-style overworld sandboxing while adding modern tactical gunfights and squad command for players who love Kenshi’s RTS-action blend.

KeeperRL is a retro dungeon simulator with roguelike and RPG elements. Take the role of an evil keeper and build a formidable dungeon. Recruit sinister minions, equip and train them to explore the world and fight the forces of good.

Why similar: Base Building 23.6%, Building 18.8%, Sandbox 17.5%, Management 16.6%, Survival 15.2%

Why You'll Like It: It combines base building, direct unit control, raids, and a sandbox mentality in a way that appeals to Kenshi’s strategy-heavy side.

Welcome to Han Xiongnu Wars. A stand-along game and synergy of historical Far East and multiple features in role-playing, real-time strategy and action gameplay. This game brings you to the eventful years of the early Han Dynasty, and faithfully presents the ancient eastern culture with many objects and scenes faithfully reconstructed...

Why similar: RTS 24.3%, Sandbox 18%, Open World 16.5%, Action RPG 16.1%, Character Customization 15.8%

Why You'll Like It: As a historical Mount & Blade-style sandbox with army building and open-world progression, it fits the same drifter-to-commander fantasy Kenshi fans enjoy.

SpellForce 3 - The perfect blend between RTS and RPG!

Why similar: RTS 46.4%, RPG 20.4%, Open World 12.3%, Character Customization 8.5%, Base Building 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its hybrid of RPG party control, real-time tactics, and larger-scale strategy hits a similar mechanical crossover even if it is less sandbox-driven.

Total Conflict: Resistance is a unique symbiosis of global strategy, tactics and first-person action. Realistic mass battles, many types of armored vehicles, weapons, uniforms, unique mechanics, immersive free gameplay. Lead any state and bring it to greatness!

Why similar: RTS 47.1%, Real Time Tactics 43.3%, Simulation 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: Its blend of strategic map control, personally fought battles, squad command, and sandbox war progression lines up with Kenshi’s RTS-meets-action sensibility.

You are the captain of a starship venturing through a massive open universe. Customize your crew and take command at the helm of your very own ship as you explore a galaxy torn apart by internal strife, alien threats, and political intrigue.

Why similar: Management 27.6%, Sandbox 27.6%, Open World 20.5%, Simulation 12.5%, RPG 11.9%

Why You'll Like It: In a sci-fi form, it offers the same self-directed sandbox life of recruiting a crew, taking contracts, trading, fighting, and growing from small-time nobody to major force.

Re-experience the thrill and challenges of managing a Gladiator arena in this management/simulation game. With new content, new graphics, Quality of Life updates, and all DLCs packed into this new experience, this is how Blackthorn Arena was meant to be experienced.

Why similar: Real Time Tactics 17.7%, Crafting 15.6%, Base Building 15.3%, Strategy RPG 15%, Management 14.8%

Why You'll Like It: Training, equipping, and managing a roster of fighters scratches the part of Kenshi that is about turning weak nobodies into lethal specialists.

Command, endure, and prosper in The Iron Oath, a turn-based tactical RPG where the fate of your mercenary company rests on your decisions. Customize your roster, build your renown, and discover the secrets that await in the medieval fantasy realm of Caelum.

Why similar: Party-Based RPG 32.3%, Strategy RPG 26.4%, Open World 16%, Character Customization 15.6%, RPG 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: Its grim mercenary-company management, persistent wounds, world travel, and emergent campaign structure make it a good fit if you love Kenshi’s squad hardship.

Embark on a perilous journey across a realm forsaken by the gods and devastated by an arcane cataclysm. Lead a traveling company through a harsh, unforgiving world where survival is never guaranteed in Vagrus, an award-winning turn-based post-apocalyptic fantasy RPG.

Why similar: Strategy RPG 39.8%, Open World 26%, Post-apocalyptic 22%, RPG 12.2%

Why You'll Like It: While more narrative-heavy, it captures Kenshi’s harsh caravan survival, trading, world travel, and scraping by in a hostile setting.

Build and manage your own castle settlement in a land reclaimed by wilderness. With detailed management, survival strategy, and a moddable sandbox world, Going Medieval challenges you to build the mightiest colony this side of the apocalypse.

Why similar: RTS 17%, Real Time Tactics 16.3%, Base Building 14.5%, Crafting 11.3%, Sandbox 10.9%

Dive into a living medieval fantasy sandbox RPG where the world moves with or without you and factions rise and fall. Become a thief, hunter, or sellsword, survive alone or with a party, and shape your story in a fully enterable world where every building, cave, and road hides opportunity or danger.

Why similar: Party-Based RPG 16.7%, Sandbox 11.3%, Building 10.9%, Open World 10.6%, Crafting 10.6%

Calradia is a land at war, offering great riches and even greater dangers to adventurers and mercenaries that flock to shed their blood on its soil. With courage and a strong sword, an unknown stranger can make a name as a warrior. Free-form sand-box gameplay.

Why similar: Open World 30.9%, Sandbox 23.9%, RPG 21%, Action RPG 11.3%, Character Customization 9.3%

Stoneshard is a hardcore turn-based RPG about the harsh life of a medieval mercenary: travel with your own caravan, descend into procedurally generated dungeons, learn new skills, survive hunger and injuries - and remember, every mistake can mean death and loss of progress.

Why similar: RPG 33.2%, Survival 32.3%, Sandbox 20.9%, Open World 13.5%

KINGDOMS is a procedural medieval RPG in a randomly generated open world. The main feature of KINGDOMS is a smart AI system that completely controls NPC behavior. As the player, you can fully interact with this massive world and become any person you want to be.

Why similar: Building 19.2%, Open World 19%, Crafting 14.8%, Survival 14.1%, Sandbox 13.3%

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 16.7%, Building 16.5%, Base Building 12.5%, Survival 10%, Open World 9.8%

UnderRail is an old-school turn-based isometric role-playing game that features a large open post-apocalyptic world, deep and challenging combat and an intricate storyline.

Why similar: Post-apocalyptic 42.9%, RPG 23.1%, Crafting 15%, Open World 13.2%, Sandbox 5.8%

Age of Reforging: The Freelands is a medieval high-freedom sandbox adventure CRPG. You'll be a reforger in the freelands chosen by the Goddess to embark on a medieval adventure tour at your own pace, gathering teammates, fighting for survival, and craft your unique legend!

Why similar: Party-Based RPG 19.2%, RTS 15.8%, Strategy RPG 14.1%, Real Time Tactics 13.1%, Sandbox 12%

Blackthorn Arena is a strategy/management sim with a real-time/turn based combat system, set in a world of mythical monsters and classic fantasy races. Play as the master of Blackthorn Arena, train your slaves into gladiators, forge them into your champions, and send them to fight for your glory!

Why similar: Real Time Tactics 28.3%, Building 17.7%, Management 17%, Sandbox 16.7%, Open World 12.3%

Hardcore and realistic; LiF is a Medieval multiplayer sandbox RPG, with free terraforming, a rich crafting system and preset and modular building construction. With engaging survival aspects, no target physics-based combat and a unique formation system - along with numerous other features - LiF is not for the faint of heart!

Why similar: Crafting 20%, Open World 19.3%, Sandbox 17.6%, Survival 17.2%, Building 16.8%

In XenoHaven, gather resources to build shelters, enslave alien beasts to work for you, and run restaurants and shops. Delve into dark underground dungeons, defeat swarming insectoids and mighty bosses, and craft powerful gear to conquer the alien world.

Why similar: Base Building 18.6%, Sandbox 15.6%, Open World 15.3%, Crafting 13.8%, Survival 13.4%

A colony sim set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia. Build and defend your base. Manage your survivors. Engage raiders, aliens, Remnant soldiers and other factions in real-time-with-pause combat. Or use stealth to outwit them. Explore the massive world. Survive at all costs

Why similar: Real Time Tactics 12.2%, Party-Based RPG 11.3%, Base Building 10.6%, Strategy RPG 9.9%, Crafting 8.3%

Embark on a space voyage with your ragtag crew of civilians in search of a new home. Build spaceships tile by tile, create optimal gas conditions, manage the needs and moods of their crew, encounter other space-faring groups, and explore the universe in this spaceship colony simulation.

Why similar: Base Building 18.1%, Post-apocalyptic 14.1%, Building 13.6%, Sandbox 13%, Management 12.8%

To escape from pursuit, as the leader of your sect, guide your disciples to rise again! Engage in farming and hunting, train in martial arts, and forge weapons and armor. Build your sect's base and fortifications from the ground up to survive in this perilous, ambition-filled martial world!

Why similar: Base Building 15.6%, Sandbox 11.8%, Management 11.5%, Building 11.3%, Immersive Sim 10.2%

This survival game is packed with features including crafting, exploring, building, excavation, farming, fishing, capturing creatures, torture, battle, and a story with many forks along the way. The objective is to escape the island, but is that really your only choice?

Why similar: Open World 19.5%, Survival 18.1%, Sandbox 15.3%, Character Customization 12.1%, Base Building 11.3%

Nomadic Survival MMO. Build wooden walking machines to travel to new lands. Create clans and fight for territory. Resources deplete fast, so take your sword and scavenge, pirate, and trade to stay alive.

Why similar: Survival 18.3%, Open World 16.6%, Crafting 14.2%, Building 13%, Sandbox 10.9%

Brigand: Oaxaca is a highly difficult post-apocalyptic RPG/FPS set in Mexico. Emphasis is on challenge, a branching story with multiple endings, and total freedom of action (kill friendly characters, rob stores, jump across roofs, etc.).

Why similar: Party-Based RPG 19.8%, Strategy RPG 17.1%, Immersive Sim 14.4%, Open World 11.3%, Action RPG 10.3%

7 Days to Die is an open-world game that is a unique combination of first-person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games. Play the definitive zombie survival sandbox RPG that came first. Navezgane awaits!

Why similar: Survival 17.9%, Base Building 16.1%, Post-apocalyptic 15.7%, Open World 12.9%, Building 12.2%

Disgraced is a unique samurai themed role playing game that allows players to lead a rebellion in a fight for freedom against a cruel and tyrannical Shogun in Feudal Japan.

Why similar: Samurai 48.9% ★, Party-Based RPG 17%, Character Customization 10.5%, Open World 10.1%, Base Building 8.4%

A brutal survival management simulator set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Keep your faction of survivors alive, maintain your shelter and scavenge the ravaged world for resources. Befriend and trade with the factions you meet or conquer them by force.

Why similar: Post-apocalyptic 21.4%, Base Building 17.6%, Survival 14.8%, Building 10.1%, Management 9.4%

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: Sandbox 18.8%, Building 17.6%, Open World 16.1%, Survival 15.8%, Base Building 9.6%

Force of Nature is a Sandbox game that combines Action, Adventure, RPG, Strategy and Management genres

Why similar: Crafting 20.8%, Survival 17%, Sandbox 14.1%, Open World 13.2%, Building 12.9%

Foxhole is a massively multiplayer game where thousands of players shape the outcome of a persistent online war. Every individual soldier is a player that contributes to the war effort through logistics, base building, reconnaissance, combat, and more.

Why similar: Base Building 31%, Sandbox 23.1%, Open World 21.3%, Crafting 19.5%, RPG 5%

Sheltered is a deep and emotional survival management game. You take on the role of protecting four family members who, after a global apocalypse, have found their way to a deserted shelter.

Why similar: Post-apocalyptic 22.4%, Base Building 22%, Survival 20.3%, Management 9.3%, Building 7.6%

Your journey to building a vast space empire begins behind the controls of a single ship. Explore, trade, fight, and build as you rise to command fleets, stations, and entire economies in a living, fully simulated universe that reacts to every decision.

Why similar: Sandbox 24.3%, Open World 23%, Immersive Sim 21.1%, Management 20.8%, Simulation 10.7%

Explore, loot and fight in an open world action game set in a post-apocalyptic future after a devastating meteor strike. Assemble your team and take the fight to the enemy or choose a stealthy approach to gain the upper hand. Expand your base to research new gear and get ready to survive the fall.

Why similar: Real Time Tactics 16.1%, Stealth 15.4%, Base Building 15.1%, Post-apocalyptic 14.7%, Crafting 12%

Raiders! Forsaken Earth is a strategy/management game where you play as the leader of a merciless band of post-apocalyptic marauders. Build up your organization while extorting, kidnapping, and destroying the last remnants of civilization. The wasteland doesn't need another hero...

Why similar: Strategy RPG 15.9%, Base Building 14.5%, Post-apocalyptic 12.4%, Sandbox 11.6%, Building 11.5%

Waste Walkers is a gritty post-apocalyptic role playing game that allows players to discover the horrors of the apocalypse through a harsh struggle for survival.

Why similar: Base Building 15.7%, Post-apocalyptic 15%, Character Customization 13.2%, Sandbox 12.9%, Open World 12.8%

Forge your epic in Huaxia: Warring States. Form your clan, conquer the lands, and build an empire. The fate of heaven & earth lies within you hands.

Why similar: Strategy RPG 17.6%, Real Time Tactics 17%, Action RPG 11.7%, Management 11.2%, Character Customization 11.1%

Mortal Online is a first-person medieval fantasy MMORPG, set in a huge, open, unforgiving world. Choose your race, choose your playstyle, choose a profession, choose where to place your loyalties - if you have any...

Why similar: Open World 31.3%, Sandbox 27.4%, Survival 18.9%, Crafting 12%, RPG 10.3%

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: Post-apocalyptic 16.3%, Base Building 15.6%, Crafting 14.6%, Sandbox 12.6%, Open World 12.3%