Top 10 Post Apocalyptic Videogames

This game takes place after a catastrophic event called, fittingly enough, “The Event,” after which humanity has been left in shambles. Your goal is to return home and reunite with your family, and along the way you document your journey with a handheld camcorder, which you can look through from time to time to see the story from another perspective. The game’s high points where when you got to interact with other crazy survivors, and take them out with surprise machete kills.

First Person Shooters and open world games are two of our favorite genres, and this title combines both. Not only that, but the irradiated “Zone” where the game takes place is hauntingly desolate and beautifully designed. Unfortunately, it’s not as deserted as you’d like, because you’ll have to deal with enemies like Bloodsuckers, Snorks, Pseudogiants, and more. As intimidating as they are, most of them are pretty easy to take out with just a headshot or two.

This title is considered by many gamers to be the one of the best installment in the legendary RPG series, alongside VII, thanks in large part to its engaging narrative and unforgettable characters. The world becomes post-apocalyptic late in the game when its antagonist, the evil general Kefka, destroys the world you inhabit and reduces it to a wasteland. It’s up to you and your allies to rebuild the planet and defeat Kefka once and for all.

This turn-based RPG was one of the first in the genre, and it set the bar high for years to come. Taking place after nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union ravaged the world, you command the Desert Rangers through missions to rescue survivors, fight bad guys, and recruit new squad members. The gripping storytelling and gorgeous retro graphics keep the action nail biting from start to finish.

In this game, an asteroid hitting the earth is only the start of your troubles. After emerging from a bunker, you’re left with the few other remaining survivors to defend your homes from bandits and mutants. Thankfully, you’ve got awesome weapons to protect yourself with; like the wingstick, which is a boomerang designed to take your enemies’ heads off. Amazingly fluid animation brings the horrors of the apocalypse to life, as enemies scramble and climb over any and all surfaces in order to eat your face.

Unlike the popular AMC series, which loosely follows Robert Kirkman’s graphic novels, this game is inspired by the books but tells its own story. The result is an immersive, haunting, and engaging experience that pushed the limits of what many thought was possible from video game narrative. The title forces you to make decisions that heavily affect how the story plays out, and you’ll never forget the relationship between Lee and Clementine.

Plenty of games deal with Russian as an antagonist, but its nice change of pace when you get to play at one. In this FPS, you play as a Ranger who’s trying to find the single surviving Dark One, a supernatural species who can live on Moscow’s radioactive surface. A real benchmark for powerhouse PCs, Last Light’s amazing visuals bring the apocalypse to life better than any other game to date. Also, Nazis. Future Nazis!

The game originally known for introducing the industry to it’s amazing cover system, later adopted by countless other franchises. More than just a gimmick, this system really pushed the idea that you were a soldier hunkering for dear life against brutal gunfire. However, the story is often forgotten. On the planet Sera, mankind is on the brink of extinction thanks to a raging war against the subterranean locust horde. But hey, you wanted a chance to use that chainsaw bayonet of yours, didn’t you?

You won’t know who’s worse in this game: the fungus zombies called Clickers, or the hostile human survivors. As you travel across what’s left of the US, trying to transport a young girl named Ellie, both forces will do everything they can to try and stop you. But The Last of Us is more than just your average zombie shooting gallery, as the stunning visuals, beautifully crafted environments and deep, emotional character arcs make for an unforgettable experience.


Before we get to our number one, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions:
“Half-Life 2” (2004)
“Beneath a Steel Sky” (1994)
“Tokyo Jungle” (2012)

The threat of the world ending has yielded some pretty great games, but none of them are as incredible as this RPG. After your father disappears from the shelter known as Vault 101, you escape and track him down through the radioactive ruins of Washington D.C. Along the way, you’ll encounter evil military leaders, and deadly mutated monsters, all who want you dead. What truly sells the theme really well is the game’s 1950’s art style, parodying atomic bomb survival at the time mixed with its “happy times” propaganda.

Do you agree with our list? What post apocalyptic setting do you think you’d survive? For more destructive Top 10’s published daily, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com