Dying Light was a great game about trying to survive in a city overrun by an incalculable horde of zombies of various types.
The game was a great mix of exciting first-person combat against the overwhelming number of ravenous brain-munchers, fun, parkour-heavy traversal of the open world, and a great risk-reward system hidden behind the day-night cycle.
There was also a thread of survival horror woven into these elements, with many tense encounters, resource management, and ghoulish monsters just waiting for nightfall to rampage through the unlucky city of Harran. Thankfully, the game didn’t force you to go alone, as it featured both a co-op multiplayer, and an asymmetric PvP mode wherein you could become a powerful zombie and attack other players’ games.
But every game ends, eventually, and what’s left then? Nothing but a void in the shape of your favorite gameplay and story elements. You could just replay the game, sure. Or you could play something that has the things you liked.
With this in mind, we’ve assembled a list of games that have some things in common with Dying Light, in various proportions, so you can find something you need.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Project Zomboid | 2013-11-08 | Indie | The Indie Stone |
 | 7 Days To Die | 2013-12-13 | Adventure | The Fun Pimps |
 | Gtfo | 2019-12-09 | Action | 10 Chambers Collective |
 | Ghostwire Tokyo | 2022-03-25 | Action | Tango Gameworks |
 | Ghostrunner | 2020-10-27 | Action | ONE MORE LEVEL |
 | Ghostrunner 2 Brutal Edition | 2023-10-24 | Action | One More Level |
 | Mirrors Edge | 2009-01-13 | Adventure | DICE |
 | Mirrors Edge Catalyst | 2016-06-09 | Adventure | DICE |
 | State Of Decay 2 Juggernaut Edition | 2018-05-22 | Action & Shooter | Undead Labs |
 | State Of Decay Yose Day One Edition | 2015-04-27 | Horror | Undead Labs |
 | Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition | 2014-09-05 | Adventure | Capcom Game Studio Vancouver |
 | Dead Rising 2 | 2010-09-27 | Horror | Capcom Vancouver |
 | Dead Rising 4 Deluxe Edition | 2017-03-14 | Action & Shooter | Capcom Game Studio Vancouver, Inc. |
 | Dead Island Definitive Edition | 2016-05-31 | Action & Shooter | Techland |
 | Dead Island 2 | 2023-04-21 | Action Survival | Deep Silver Volition |
 | Dishonored 2 | 2016-11-11 | Action | Arkane Studios |
 | Dishonored Definitive Edition | 2012-10-11 | Action | Arkane Studios |
 | Dishonored Death Of The Outsider | 2017-09-15 | Action | Arkane Studios |
 | Killing Floor 2 Deluxe Edition | 2016-11-18 | Horror | Tripwire Interactive |
 | Killing Floor | 2009-05-14 | Horror | Tripwire Interactive |
 | World War Z Aftermath Deluxe Edition | 2021-09-21 | Action | Saber Interactive |
 | Days Gone | 2021-05-18 | Action | SIE Bend Studio |
Dead Island (series)
| Release date: | 2016-05-31 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | Techland |
Before there was Dying Light, Techland tapped into the thrilling zombie rampage box with Dead Island, which got a sequel in 2023.
The open-world environment, hordes of entertainingly dangerous zombies, and a focus on melee combat is all there. Unlike Dying Light, however, you have a few characters to choose from, each with different traits and proficiencies.
The original DI takes place on an island, which became an unfortunate location for an infection turning people into violent zombies. What follows is a series of hectic fights and quests revealing more of what happened. The sequel, Dead Island 2, takes place 14 years later, as a new outbreak puts Los Angeles under quarantine, and you play as survivors who might aid in the creation of a cure.
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Ghostwire Tokyo
| Release date: | 2022-03-25 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Tango Gameworks |
Ghostwire Tokyo doesn’t have zombies, but it is awash in other monstrosities to fight.
They are heavily (and often directly) inspired by the Japanese yōkai, a host of supernatural creatures both modern and classical. The yōkai have raided modern-day Tokyo after a mysterious event made all humans disappear. Well, all except you, thanks to an accidentally helpful spirit.
This union not only saved you, but also grants you various magic abilities, which will be extremely handy against hostile creatures roaming Tokyo. Combat is fast-paced and quite spectacular thanks to detailed hand animations and flashy powers, and there is a parkour aspect as well, mostly powered by grappling to tengu spirits floating near the roofs, giving the game a pleasant verticality.
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World War Z
| Release date: | 2019-04-16 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Saber Interactive |
Have you played Dying Light and decided “needs more zombies”? Well, this is it, this is more zombies.
Based on a famous movie and a famous book, World War Z, and its Aftermath upgrade, is a great way to just lay into zombies with weapons and traps. Sure, it’s a third-person action game, rather than FPP, but it’s arguably a better option with hundreds of zombies to deal with it.
It’s also not really an open world game, instead, it uses dedicated levels. But on the flip side, fighting the zombie hordes is thrilling, and the game’s several character classes (such as Hellraiser or Fixer) make for an excellent multiplayer experience, with several modes supporting the story-oriented co-op campaign. Welcome to nearly literal swarms of zombies heading toward you.
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Killing Floor 2
| Release date: | 2016-11-18 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | Tripwire Interactive |
Killing Floor 2 reduces the scale somewhat, compared to WWZ, and returns to the first-person perspective.
KF2 is a wave-based horde mode shooter, with a thrilling boss fight at the end of each wave as a lethal punctuation mark. The game can be played both solo and in a team of up to 6 players, but it’s more fun with friends, as usual for this kind of game.
Zeds drop cash and experience, which can be used to get better gear and upgrade your perk/class, respectively. Each gained perk level provides various boosts, and every now and then: a selection of additional skills. It also has its own version of the Be the Zombie multiplayer mode allowing for a refreshing asymmetric PvP experience.
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7 Days to Die
| Release date: | 2013-12-13 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | The Fun Pimps |
7 Days to Die is a survival game with a strong element of crafting and construction.
Every seventh day your dwelling gets assaulted by Blood Moon-crazed zombies and beasts acting in a much more aggressive and purposeful manner than usual. If you don’t prepare well, all your defenses will be breached, and you’ll end up as a fodder for monsters. Good luck.
There are several biomes in the game’s open world, including a desert and snow fields, each presenting different threats and opportunities, including crafting resources. Building your base is incredibly accessible thanks to an intuitive, voxel-based system. Ultimately, though, you will need to get your hands dirty, both when you’re out scavenging and during the Blood Moon.
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State of Decay 2
| Release date: | 2018-05-22 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | Undead Labs |
If the element of Dying Light you’re interested in isn’t necessarily the high-octane FPP combat, but a community thriving in a zombie-infested world, then State of Decay 2 might be just the thing you need.
It has a large open world full of rundown remnants of civilization ruined by a zombie apocalypse, and it gives you the chance to build a new outpost for the scarce survivors.
The survivors you recruit each have their own set of traits and talents, making them suitable for some tasks more than others, and as your base grows in size and complexity, skillful staff management will be important. Of course, you’ll also explore the wide world, fight zombies, and try to establish positive relations with other survivor enclaves. You’ll be quite busy.
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Project Zomboid
| Release date: | 2013-11-08 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | The Indie Stone |
Project Zomboid is something of an oddball on the list.
It’s neither first-person, nor an action game, but there is no title that can give you the gritty vision of zombie survival. You won’t be playing as a cool fighter, or a community hero. You’re just a regular person without special training and barely rudimentary crafting skills. Meanwhile, the zombies might be slow, but they are relentless.
PZ uses an isometric camera perspective and despite relatively simple graphics, the depth of gameplay is impressive, including crafting, detailed injury system, various well-being metrics, and more. It won’t give you a taste of power, but the satisfaction of surviving in the zombie-infested suburbs is incredible, even if you’re eventually going to die and become a zombie yourself.
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Dishonored (series)
| Release date: | 2012-10-11 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Arkane Studios |
Now we’re entering the “no zombies” zone of the list, and what better game series to begin with than Dishonored.
These sandboxy supernatural assassin simulators are top of the class in the immersive sim genre, giving players large levels, a target to eliminate, and a range of fun tools you can use in many, many creative ways.
The games are set in a world inspired by late 19th/early 20th century England, but one with weird animals, occult powers, and downright steampunk-like technology. Each campaign across three games puts you in the shoes of a highly skilled agent/assassin with a bone to pick against some higher political or supernatural power, and while the stories are great, the FPP gameplay is top-tier.
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Mirror’s Edge
| Release date: | 2009-01-13 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | DICE |
Mirror’s Edge is light on combat (or at least lighter than Dying Light), but it has parkour for days.
You’re playing as Faith Connors, a courier working for the underground group trying to circumvent government surveillance. What this means for the game, it that you’ll be running across rooftops, jumping off ramps, sliding under railings, and more. Achieving a fluent run is incredibly satisfying.
Of course, it takes a bit of work to discover the fastest route, master the required sequence of actions, and defeat enemies without losing momentum. There is a real element of mastery and flow involved. The aesthetic supports both themes and gameplay, with sterile environments reflecting the overbearing government and optimal parkouring routes marked with striking colors.
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Ghostrunner
| Release date: | 2020-10-27 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | ONE MORE LEVEL |
Mirror’s Edge wasn’t much into combat, so maybe it’s not what you look for after Dying Light.
What about Ghostrunner, then? It has a lot of thrilling cyberpunk parkour and a one-hit-one-kill combat which requires reflexes, precision, and planning, because you are just as squishy as your enemies. Thankfully, you have plenty of abilities to give you an edge.
Ghostrunner offers a fast-paced cyber-assassin experience in an interesting setting and with a fairly simple, but compelling storyline.
It shares Mirror’s Edge element of mastery, but thanks to your character’s superhuman abilities the levels can go much wilder. And the best part is that if you like Ghostrunner, it got a great sequel in 2023, so you can binge them!
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Parkour and devastation
This is the end of the list, for now. Hopefully, you found something shaped like the void Dying Light left in your heart, be it zombie re-murder, dashing traversal, or exciting combat. Open worlds or discrete levels, zombies or people, third- or first-person camera, plenty of options to find what you’re looking for.