Conan Exiles is an open-world survival game where the player is thrown into the brutal world of the franchise popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s films.
The game features many examples of survival genre mechanics – the player starts the playthrough with little to no resources and has to fight not only against the enemies but also unforgiving elements. In Conan Exiles, finding water, food, and shelter will be as important as honing combat skills. Conan Exiles is a decent title that can be wholeheartedly recommended to the fans of survival genres.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Far Cry Primal Special Edition | 2016-02-23 | Adventure | Ubisoft |
 | Rust | 2018-02-08 | Adventure | Facepunch Studios Ltd |
 | Ark Survival Evolved | 2017-08-29 | Adventure | Efecto Studios |
 | Kenshi | 2018-12-06 | Indie | Lo-Fi Games |
 | The Elder Scrolls Online Summerset Digital Collectors | 2018-05-21 | RPG | Zenimax Online Studios |
 | The Elder Scrolls Online | 2014-04-04 | MMO | Zenimax Online Studios |
 | Valheim | 2021-02-02 | Sandbox, exploration | Iron Gate AB |
 | The Forest | 2018-04-30 | Adventure | Endnight Games Ltd |
 | Raft | 2018-05-23 | Adventure | Redbeet Interactive |
 | Middle Earth Shadow Of War Definitive Edition | 2017-10-10 | Adventure | Monolith Productions |
 | The Elder Scrolls Online Collection Blackwood | 2021-06-01 | MMO | ZeniMax Online Studios |
 | Hellblade Senuas Sacrifice | 2017-08-08 | Adventure | Ninja Theory |
 | Gloria Victis | 2016-06-09 | Action & Shooter | Black Eye Games |
 | Scum | 2018-08-29 | Action, survival | Gamepires |
 | 7 Days To Die | 2013-12-13 | Adventure | The Fun Pimps |
 | Dont Starve Together | 2016-04-21 | Economy | Klei Entertainment |
 | Don't Starve | 2013-04-19 | Adventure | Klei Entertainment |
Rust
| Release year: | 8 February 2018 (PC), 21 May 2021 (PS4, XONE) |
| Developer: | Facepunch Studios, Double Eleven |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | Expansive open-world environment, with a focus on survival |
Facepunch Studios’ survival game gives the player everything they could expect from the genre – vast open environment, a multitude of crafting options, and the perspective of imminent death breathing down their necks.
Fans of Conan Exiles will find a lot to enjoy about Rust. The setting – an open-world region divided into various biomes – is very similar to the eponymous Exiled Lands. Similarity can also be found in various mechanics – crafting, managing the player’s stats, etc.
However, while Conan Exiles stuck pretty closely to its medieval fantasy setting, Rust blends various themes, leaning towards abstract sci-fi, where the player will start the game crafting primitive spears and summon Apache helicopters after leveling up some.
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ARK: Survival Evolved
| Release year: | 29 August 2017 (PC, PS4, XONE), 30 November 2017 (Switch) |
| Developer: | Studio Wildcard |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | An online sandbox, set in a lore-rich world |
Ark: Survival Evolved is one of those titles that need no introduction. One of the most popular action-adventure/survival games in recent years will definitely satisfy the fans of Conan Exiles with its complex crafting system and survival mechanics.
While Ark: SE has been popularized by its highly detailed customization options (which players had used to create characters that would make P.T. Barnum uncomfortable), its main feature is the story – something you wouldn’t expect in an open-world survival game.
While most titles throw the player into the thick of it with little explanation, the world of Ark is filled with tidbits of lore that paint a bigger picture of the game’s setting. The fans o complicated background information will enjoy the time spent with Ark, as will the fans of excellent survival games.
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Kenshi
| Release year: | 6 December 2018 |
| Developer: | Lo-Fi Games |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | A large variety of customization options, with various character paths to follow |
Kenshi blends survival gameplay with RPG features, giving the player a title unlike any others – one where a non-linear narrative coexists with the rules and mechanics of role-playing games.
Kenshi’s main selling point is its non-linear story. The player is put in the game world, and from that point forward, they can do virtually anything. Initially, the game offers little in terms of resources, making the player to struggle for survival. But with time, the player will unlock new skills and shape the protagonist of the game into the character they want.
The player’s actions will not go unnoticed in the world of Kenshi, and certain decisions will influence future events. The game, however, in no way punishes the player for making a bad call. Instead, it rewards them with new narrative scenarios set against the backdrop of post-apocalyptic fantasy land.
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The Elder Scrolls Online
| Release year: | 4 April 2014 (PC), 9 June 2015 (PS4, XONE), 8 June 2021 (PS5, Series X/S) |
| Developer: | ZeniMax Online Studios |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | It's an online multiplayer game set in a fantastical world, with quests to complete and monsters to slay |
The MMORPG version of the popular Bethesda series brings the best features of The Elder Scrolls into the online multiplayer arenas.
The Elder Scrolls Online features all the elements of the TES series the players have grown to love, embellishing them with some new mechanics to please the fans of online gameplay. The game is set in the familiar world of Tamriel, where the player can visit some of the regions they know from the single-player installments of the series.
The player can choose from a variety of races and classes, join factions and complete quests to level up and increase their skills – you know, the typical MMORPG stuff. While survival mechanics are virtually non-existent in this game, the fantasy setting and complex RPG gameplay should be enough to satisfy the fans of Conan Exiles.
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Valheim
| Release year: | 2 February 2021 (Early Access) |
| Developer: | Iron Gate Studio |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | It features a mythological setting, in which the mettle of a man is tested against the will of gods and monsters |
The Early Access sensation of early 2021, Valheim capitalizes on the popular trend of Norse mythology, bringing the players an open-world survival game, where the equal focus is put on combat and exploration.
The titular Valheim is one of the worlds of Yggdrasil, a proving ground for those who wish to be granted entry into Valhalla. The player takes the role of a Viking warrior, who awakens in this mysterious land, and must defeat powerful monsters to earn entry to the Hall of Heroes.
Gameplay-wise, Valheim doesn’t surprise the players who played other survival games, including Conan Exiles. The game’s main draw is its simplified graphics design, an impressive, procedurally-generated world map, and the general feel of playing as a badass Viking.
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The Forest
| Release year: | 30 April 2018 (PC), 6 November 2018 (PS4) |
| Developer: | Endnight Games |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | You can experience a survival-horror scenario with a friend through multiplayer |
The Forest might not be the most polished game on our list, and its gameplay might not offer much variety in terms of mechanics. But, much like Ark: Survival Evolved, The Forest draws the player in with its intriguing story, at the same time offering a decent, albeit paint-by-numbers survival gameplay.
The players will find in The Forest all the staples of survival game: starting the game with little resources, exploring an open world in search of materials to craft items, etc. All this has been done before and will be done in the future in many other titles. This is why the intriguing plot of The Forest stands out so much from the standard gameplay.
The story follows a father, a survivor of a plane crash, looking for his kidnapped son on a plateau inhabited by all sorts of alien creatures. The fans of survival games and mystery TV shows in the vein of “Lost” will definitely enjoy Endnight Games’ production.
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Raft
| Release year: | 30 April 2018 (PC), 6 November 2018 (PS4) |
| Developer: | Redbeet Interactive |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | Because you can explore vast areas and expand your "hub" through crafting. |
Raft puts the player as a survivor on a vast ocean, left adrift on a makeshift raft. With little to no resources, the survivor must travel the procedurally generated landscape, searching for food and other consumables, as well as materials to expand their vessel.
The survival mechanics in Raft require the player to expand their vessel and manage various meters, such as hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. All those are absolute classics, but somehow Raft manages to make them intriguing by virtue of an incredible setting. The vast ocean the player will travel is filled with items that can be used for crafting.
The player can use a hook to fish them out of the water or simply swim towards them to collect. However, the game makes sure that the player thinks twice before leaving their vessel, as the tide can sweep the raft leaving the player at the mercy of sharks. The game features a multiplayer mode, in which two players can cooperate in order to increase their chances of survival.
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Middle-earth: Shadow of War
| Release year: | 10 October 2017 |
| Developer: | Monolith Productions |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | It features settings well known to the fans of fantasy literature |
Shadow of War might not be an example of a survival game, but a title based on the world of J.R.R. Tolkien is a perfect choice for the fans of the fantasy world of Conan the Barbarian.
Shadow of War improves upon the gameplay features of its predecessor, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. The revolutionary Nemesis system is expanded with new features. The protagonist Talion gains new powers that he can use against Sauron’s minions.
The story ties more directly to the plot of the books, with the characters of Shelob and Gollum making a guest appearance. If you’re interested in finding out what fate awaits for the last Ranger of the Black Gate and his wraith companion, then you should definitely play Shadow of War.
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Far Cry Primal
| Release year: | 1 March 2016 (PC), 23 February 2016 (PS4, XONE) |
| Developer: | Ubisoft Montreal |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | The protagonist is a quasi-barbarian hunter. The game allows you to tame wildlife |
Far Cry Primal abandons the exotic locations and shootouts with bloodthirsty warlords and takes the player to a very different world, where mammoths and sabretooth tigers ruled the forests and plains of the world.
It’s impressive how such a drastic change of setting didn’t change too much about the mechanics of Far Cry. In Primal, the player still explores the semi-open world, this time as a hunter named Takkar.
Takkar possesses all the skills of a 10,000 B.C. hunter, such as throwing spears and shooting arrows, but he can also communicate with animals and use them to attack. Completing optional quests, taking over enemy encampments, unlocking new skills – all these features of a classic Far Cry game are present in its “prehistoric” spinoff. The fans of Conan Exiles will also find themselves at home here.
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Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
| Release year: | 8 August 2017 (PC, PS4), 11 April 2018 (XONE), 11 April 2019 (Switch) |
| Developer: | Ninja Theory |
| How is it similar to Conan Exiles? | A hack and slash game set in a world built on myths and legends |
Senua’s Sacrifice is all about the lore. Norse myths and legends ooze from the screen told by Druth, an Irish bard and a spiritual companion to the protagonist of the game. As Senua travels further towards her goal in Helheim, the truth and myth begin to blend, making it impossible to tell the madness from reality.
A lot has been said about Hellblade’s ambitious origin – an AAA game made by a small development team, tackling the issues of living with the stigma of mental illness. We won’t deliberate on that here, focusing instead on the meat of the game – an epic tale of a woman venturing into the Norse underworld to save the soul of her lover.
The setting of the game is definitely darker than that of Conan Exiles, but the fans of the legendary and mythical themes will find a lot to enjoy here. Also, the game features a permadeath system, represented by the rot slowly consuming Senuas body after every failed encounter. It might not be exactly the kind of survival the players are looking for here, but it’s enough to keep them on their toes at all times.
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Lands of myths and legends
While deciding on what makes some games similar to Conan Exiles, we looked at various factors. That’s why on our list, you’ll find not only typical survival games, where the player has to struggle against the elements to keep themselves from dying but also titles which feature deep lore, rich stories set in fantastical worlds full of monsters and magic. The fans of Conan Exiles interested only in the survival gameplay aspects of the game will definitely find something to play on our ist, as will those who seek epic tales of heroic deeds