24 Games Like Raft: Top Survival & Crafting Picks in 2026
The search for games like Raft is all about finding that same mix of survival, crafting, and discovery that keeps you hooked for hours. You want the tension of gathering resources before night falls, the challenge of building something out of nothing, and the thrill of exploring dangerous environments with friends.
This review is here to help. We’ve put together 24 survival games that capture the same feeling Raft delivers while adding their own twists. Some throw you into vast oceans or harsh wilderness; others test your teamwork against tough enemies, but all of them promise that same addictive loop of gathering, crafting, and surviving.
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Our Top Picks for Games Like Raft
Some survival games come close to matching Raft‘s mix of crafting, tension, and teamwork. Out of all the options, these three stand above the rest for how well they capture that same feeling.
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Buy now7 Days to Die 2013Blends zombie survival, crafting secrets, and tower defense into a post-apocalyptic wasteland sandbox
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Buy nowConan Exiles 2017A brutal open-world survival action RPG where players fight sandstorms, beasts, and enemies while building cities, managing thralls, and engaging in PvP or co-op play.
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Buy nowValheim 2021A Viking-themed survival sandbox set in a procedurally generated world featuring crafting, building, exploration, and epic boss battles in solo or co-op mode.
These three are the strongest starting points if you’re looking for your next survival adventure. But there’s plenty more ahead, so keep reading to discover all 24 games worth trying.
24 Games Like Raft: Craft Your Way To Survival
1. 7 Days to Die [Zombie Survival Game With Base Defense and Crafting]
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2024 |
| Creator/s | The Fun Pimps |
| Average Playtime | 50–200 hours depending on world size and progression |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Resource gathering, crafting, base-building, and co-op survival, with much heavier combat and base defense. |
7 Days to Die blends zombie survival, crafting secrets, and tower defense into the best sandbox game experience. Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the game challenges players to scavenge resources, craft weapons, and build defenses against relentless hordes of undead.
Daily life is split between exploring cities, looting ruins, farming, and upgrading fortifications. Combat relies heavily on crafted gear and modded weapons, while survival depends on food, water, and careful planning. The game’s voxel-based world means nearly everything can be destroyed or reshaped, letting players design elaborate forts, underground bunkers, or towering castles to withstand sieges.
The aesthetic is gritty and harsh, with sprawling forests, deserts, and decaying towns that all feel dangerous. Community discussions often highlight the sheer freedom of playstyles: some players go full RPG survival, others lean into base defense engineering, and many just enjoy the chaos of surviving co-op blood moon nights.
My Verdict: 7 Days to Die is a great pick for players who enjoy Raft‘s gathering, crafting, and base-building loop but want a much more combat-heavy survival challenge.
GAMES LIKE 7 DAYS TO DIE
2. Conan Exiles [Savage Survival Game Set in the World of Conan]
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| Year of Release | 2018 |
| Creator/s | Funcom |
| Average Playtime | 40–200 hours depending on progression and multiplayer |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | You start with almost nothing, gather materials, build increasingly ambitious bases, and explore a dangerous world alone or with friends. |
Conan Exiles drops you into the Exiled Lands with nothing but a loincloth, a raging thirst, and the sun trying to cook you alive. Early on, just finding water, a bit of food, and a roof over your head feels like a win. Then the game opens up fast: that sad little sandstone hut becomes a fortified compound, crafting benches start popping up everywhere, and before you know it you’re running a full-blown settlement instead of just a place to crash. Along the way you’ll be hunting, cooking, dodging heatstroke and frostbite, and hauling more stone than any one exile should.
Building is where Conan Exiles really shines. You can raise walls, towers, lifts, traps, and defenses, then carve out dedicated workshops for every kind of crafting. The real kicker is thralls: captured NPCs you can turn into guards, blacksmiths, cooks, and laborers, so your base slowly starts running itself. Recent updates have also taken a lot of the busywork out of building and crafting, pulling materials straight from nearby storage instead of making you juggle inventories.
And there’s plenty to drag you away from home, too. Ruins to loot, world bosses to topple, punishing biomes, dungeons, sorcery, and, if you pick a PvP server, other players eyeing your walls. Co-op feels a lot like splitting jobs in Raft: one person gathers, another builds, and then everyone gears up together before heading somewhere that’ll probably get you killed.
My Verdict: Conan Exiles is a great fit for Raft fans who love watching a tiny survival camp grow into something massive, but want heavier combat, deeper building, and a far harsher fantasy world.
GAMES LIKE CONAN EXILES
3. Valheim [Norse-Themed Survival Game With Boss Battles and Co-op]
| Platforms | macOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2021 |
| Creator/s | Iron Gate AB, published by Coffee Stain Publishing |
| Average Playtime | 40–150 hours depending on progression and co-op play |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Co-op exploration, resource gathering, crafting, sailing, and gradually turning a basic shelter into a proper home base. |
Valheim takes survival into Norse mythology, sending you to the Tenth World, a procedurally generated purgatory for fallen Vikings. Solo or with up to ten players, you’ll gather resources, raise shelters, forge weapons, and cook hearty meals, blending the depth of the best simulation games with brutal combat and exploration. Staying alive also means venturing into the unknown to take on hostile creatures and massive bosses.
The building system lets you construct everything from modest huts to sprawling Viking halls, with mechanics like structural integrity and ventilation adding depth to construction. Combat is stamina-based, encouraging timing and preparation rather than button-mashing. The world itself feels alive; misty forests, frozen mountains, and stormy seas all provide unique resources, enemies, and challenges.
Co-op elevates the experience, as teamwork is often the key to overcoming both environmental threats and the epic bosses tied to progression. Sailing a longship across stormy seas with your crew, then storming a boss altar together, is the kind of shared moment so many games like Valheim try to recreate. A Viking-themed survival sandbox with procedural worlds, cooperative play, and unforgettable boss battles, Valheim appeals to Raft fans who want survival mechanics with a grander, more mythical scale.
My Verdict: Slow-burning, gorgeous, and endlessly rewarding in co-op, Valheim takes Raft‘s survival loop on a grander journey where every new biome and boss feels like an adventure worth sailing for.
GAMES LIKE VALHEIM
4. ARK: Survival Ascended [Best for Creature Taming]
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S |
| Year of Release | 2023 |
| Creator/s | Studio Wildcard, Grove Street Games, Instinct Games / Studio Wildcard, Snail Games USA |
| Average Playtime | 50–150+ hours |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Co-op scavenging, crafting, base-building, and steady progression from basic tools to advanced survival tech |
ARK: Survival Ascended starts out like any other survival game: you punch trees, craft a stone pickaxe, and throw together a thatch hut that probably won’t survive the night. Then a Raptor shows up, and things escalate fast. Before long you’re building fortified bases, gearing up properly, and heading out on expeditions into parts of the map that very much want you dead.
What really sets ARK apart is taming. Dinosaurs become your workforce, your transport, and your best defense. A Doedicurus plows through stone, a Brontosaurus hauls more than your whole tribe combined, and the first flight on a Pteranodon makes the map feel a lot smaller. Those Unreal Engine 5 visuals come at a cost, though. On a high-end gaming laptop, dense jungles and sunset skylines look incredible. On anything weaker, they turn into a slideshow.
If the co-op side of Raft is what keeps you coming back, ARK scratches that itch even harder. One friend gathers, another builds, someone handles taming, and someone else inevitably gets eaten while “just scouting ahead.” It’s messy in the best way, and it’s easily one of the best multiplayer survival games to sink a weekend into with your crew.
My Verdict: If Raft‘s gather-build-explore rhythm hooked you, ARK: Survival Ascended cranks it way up, trading sharks for T-Rexes and adding deeper progression plus a whole roster of dinosaurs to tame and ride.
5. Project Zomboid [Best Hardcore Survival Sandbox]
| Platforms | PC, macOS, Linux |
| Year of Release | 2013 |
| Creator/s | The Indie Stone |
| Average Playtime | 100+ hours |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Scavenging, crafting, base-building, co-op survival, and slowly turning a fragile shelter into a sustainable home |
Project Zomboid takes everything you love about scavenging and building in Raft and adds one brutal twist: the world is actively trying to end your run. You’ll raid houses for canned food and hammers, board up windows, hoard painkillers, plant a few rows of cabbage, and slowly turn a sketchy suburban house into a base that can actually keep you alive for the long haul.
What makes it so memorable is how quickly one small slip snowballs into a full-blown disaster. Trip a car alarm and half of Knox County comes shambling toward your safehouse. Pick up a nasty cut on a routine supply run, and suddenly you’re limping home with a horde on your tail. Even running low on clean water can drag you back outside when every instinct says stay hidden. It’s that constant tension that earns it a spot among the best open-world zombie games out there.
Multiplayer is where the Raft comparison really clicks. One friend clears houses for loot, another tends the crops or handles carpentry, and someone else keeps the car running for supply trips across the map. Over time, your base stops being just a shelter and becomes the heart of everything your group does.
My Verdict: Project Zomboid keeps Raft‘s scavenging, crafting, and home-building appeal, then turns it into a far deeper and more unforgiving survival sim where every mistake counts.
GAMES LIKE PROJECT ZOMBOID
6. V Rising [Vampire-Themed Survival Game With Base Building]
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation 5 |
| Year of Release | 2024 |
| Creator/s | Stunlock Studios |
| Average Playtime | 30–100+ hours (massive replay via PvP, base raids, and updates) |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Gathering resources, upgrading gear, building a large permanent base, and exploring farther as your character becomes stronger. |
V Rising casts you as a freshly awakened vampire in a gothic world, clawing back to power by feeding, crafting, building a castle, and battling bosses in fast ARPG combat. With multiplayer chaos on top, it’s easily one of the best open-world games for survival fans who like a bit of bite.
Players gather resources by night, hunt humans for blood types that grant unique perks, and build sprawling castles as their base of operations. The gameplay loop involves crafting gear, raiding enemy strongholds, and slaying powerful bosses to absorb their abilities and evolve. PvE and PvP servers offer entirely different experiences, from slow, methodical building to brutal clan warfare with full loot mechanics.
V Rising‘s dark fantasy aesthetic is top-tier: brooding forests, cursed villages, and haunted castles come alive with detailed isometric visuals and dynamic lighting that changes from day to deadly sunlight. The world feels alive and dangerous, especially when other players are out for blood.
My Verdict: V Rising sinks its fangs into fans of survival crafting, PvP raiding, and vampire lore. It’s addictive, atmospheric, and ruthless, perfect for players who want to build empires and burn others to ash.
GAMES LIKE V RISING
7. Smalland: Survive the Wilds [Shrunken Open-World Survival Game Set in a Massive Wilderness]
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2024 |
| Creator/s | Max Ent Games Ltd / Merge Games |
| Average Playtime | 30–80 hours (exploration, taming, and co-op progression) |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Co-op gathering, crafting, exploration, and customizable bases, with creature taming adding another layer to progression. |
Smalland: Survive the Wilds shrinks players down to tiny Smallfolk entering an overgrown, giant world abandoned by humanity. Tasked with securing a new home for your people, you explore dense forests, toxic swamps, and forgotten human ruins where simple puddles become lakes and blades of grass tower like skyscrapers.
As one of the most inventive games like Raft, it merges classic survival crafting with a high-fantasy adventure tone. It forces you to climb the bottom of the food chain to claim your place in the wilderness.
Gameplay focuses heavily on resource harvesting, gear crafting, and creature interaction. A standout feature is the ability to tame, mount, and battle alongside various insects and wildlife – leaping massive distances on grasshoppers, scurrying across terrain on spiders, or gliding through the forest canopy on birds.
Base-building offers total creative freedom: you can build sprawling encampments on ground level or claim a massive Great Tree base that persists and transfers across multiplayer servers.
My Verdict: A miniature-scale open-world survival game with creature taming, gliding, and Great Tree base-building, Smalland: Survive the Wilds is ideal for Raft fans looking for strong progression, atmospheric world-building, and cooperative exploration from a whole new perspective.
8. Rust [Most Competitive Survival Game With Intense PvP]
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| Year of Release | 2018 |
| Creator/s | Facepunch Studios |
| Average Playtime | 40-80 hours (depends on servers and playstyle) |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | You start almost empty-handed, gather materials, craft equipment, and build a base – only with much more PvP pressure. |
Rust throws you into the wild with nothing but a rock and a torch. From that moment on, survival is entirely up to you. You’ll need to gather resources, build shelter, and craft weapons, all while avoiding (or ambushing) other players who want exactly what you have.
PvP is intense, unforgiving, and often unpredictable, making every encounter feel personal. What makes Rust stand out is its brutal realism and chaotic player dynamics. One moment you’re peacefully farming mushrooms, the next you’re gunned down by a fully geared clan. It’s the kind of experience so many games like Rust try to capture, but few match its raw tension.
My Verdict: The tension never stops, but neither does the satisfaction when you finally take control of a server. If you’re into hardcore survival with raw competition and massive replayability, Rust is essential.
GAMES LIKE RUST
9. Subnautica [Top High-Pressure Survival Game in an Alien Ocean]
| Platforms | Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows, macOS |
| Year of Release | 2018 |
| Creator/s | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
| Average Playtime | 30–70 hours depending on exploration depth |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Ocean exploration, scavenging, crafting, survival meters, and building safer bases as you venture farther from familiar waters. |
Subnautica begins with a crash landing on an alien ocean planet, and survival means heading straight into the depths. The world stretches from shallow coral reefs to volcanic trenches, bioluminescent rivers, and endless cave systems, each hiding both beauty and danger.
Exploration is tied to managing oxygen, collecting resources, and slowly building the equipment needed to go deeper. Bases on the sea floor act as safe havens, while submarines and diving suits open the way to uncharted zones.
Every layer of the ocean feels alive. Peaceful fish swim in schools while predators stalk the shadows, forcing you to decide when to fight and when to flee. Resource gathering feeds directly into crafting; one dive might bring food and water, while another might yield rare minerals for advanced gear.
As progress continues, the story unfolds through wreckage and mysterious alien structures, hinting at what happened on this strange planet. The visuals lean heavily on vibrant colors and glowing bioluminescence, making exploration as breathtaking as it is unsettling.
My Verdict: Subnautica is a perfect choice for Raft fans who want the same balance of scavenging, crafting, and survival, but in a setting that feels truly otherworldly.
GAMES LIKE SUBNAUTICA
10. Sea of Thieves [Best Pirate Adventure Game With Naval Exploration]
| Platforms | Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Cloud Gaming |
| Year of Release | 2018 |
| Creator/s | Rare Ltd. |
| Average Playtime | 50–200 hours depending on goals and crew activity |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Sailing with friends, managing a shared vessel, exploring islands, gathering loot, and dealing with unpredictable threats at sea. |
Sea of Thieves hands you a ship and a whole ocean of trouble. Solo or with friends, you’ll hunt buried treasure, fend off sea monsters, and keep a wary eye on rival crews itching to steal your haul. That mix of teamwork and chaos makes it one of the best pirate games you can set sail in.
Every voyage unfolds differently; maybe you’re fighting a Megalodon, maybe you’re getting robbed by another crew, or maybe you’re singing shanties with strangers at an outpost. The game thrives on unscripted chaos, where PvE and PvP constantly intertwine.
Combat is real-time and clunky in the best way, sailing feels weighty and physical, and teamwork is essential to success. The cartoonish water effects, storm systems, and day-night lighting make each journey feel cinematic.
My Verdict: A perfect fit for Raft or Valheim players who crave emergent multiplayer storytelling with an oceanic twist, where every mistake becomes a memory, and every voyage tells its own tale.
GAMES LIKE SEA OF THIEVES
11. Subnautica: Below Zero [Frozen Ocean Alien Survival Game With Deep Exploration and Submersibles]
| Platforms | PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS |
| Year of Release | 2021 |
| Creator/s | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
| Average Playtime | 25–50 hours depending on underwater exploration and narrative discovery |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Underwater scavenging, crafting, base-building, and progressively exploring more dangerous areas with better equipment. |
Subnautica: Below Zero takes you back to the ocean world of 4546B, but trades tropical reefs for freezing Arctic waters. You play as Robin, who’s come to uncover what really happened to her sister, and what the corporation behind it is hiding. The survival-crafting loop will feel instantly familiar to Raft players, but voiced dialogue and a character-driven story give this one far more narrative weight.
Staying alive means juggling two threats at once: running out of air beneath the ice, and freezing to death on the surface. You’ll craft thermal gear, piece together underwater habitats, and unlock vehicles that let you push deeper and farther than ever before.
The standout is the Seatruck, a modular sub you can bolt new sections onto, from fabricators and storage to sleeping quarters and even a creature aquarium. Visually, Below Zero is stunning, with bioluminescent plants lighting up the depths, blizzards rolling across glaciers, and leviathan encounters that are pure nerves. Those dark, glowing trenches are where the best gaming monitors really earn their keep, with deep contrast making every flicker of light (and every shadow moving toward you) pop.
My Verdict: If Raft left you wondering what’s lurking beneath the waves, Subnautica: Below Zero has the answer, wrapped in frozen biomes, a build-your-own Seatruck, and a story worth sticking around for.
GAMES LIKE SUBNAUTICA
12. Green Hell [Best Jungle Survival Game With Realistic Difficulty]
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2019 |
| Creator/s | Creepy Jar |
| Average Playtime | 25–80 hours depending on playstyle |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Gathering basic materials, crafting survival gear, building shelters, and managing hunger, hydration, and environmental dangers. |
Green Hell drops you deep into the Amazon rainforest, a setting that feels as dangerous as it is alive. The game isn’t about simple crafting; it’s about surviving the harshest conditions nature can throw at you.
Every action has consequences: eating the wrong mushroom can poison you, untreated wounds can fester, and exhaustion can break your focus. The jungle itself becomes an opponent, with unpredictable weather, hostile wildlife, and your own mind working against you.
Players spend their time foraging for food, building shelters, and crafting tools from wood, stone, and vines. Hunting animals provides much-needed nutrition, but staying alive also means keeping track of hydration, carbohydrates, protein, and fats. There’s also a psychological layer, prolonged isolation or constant stress leads to hallucinations, turning survival into both a physical and mental challenge.
Visually, the game leans on gritty realism: dense vegetation, muddy rivers, and eerie nights create an atmosphere that feels oppressive yet authentic. A hardcore tropical jungle survival sim with realistic health, nutrition, and psychological mechanics, Green Hell appeals to players who want a test of endurance that feels brutally authentic.
My Verdict: It rewards patience and careful planning, offering an experience that’s less about relaxation and more about pushing your limits against one of Earth’s harshest environments.
GAMES LIKE GREEN HELL
13. Don’t Starve Together [Stylized Co-Op Survival With Dark Humor]
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
| Year of Release | 2016 |
| Creator/s | Klei Entertainment |
| Average Playtime | 30–150 hours depending on playstyle and server settings |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Co-op gathering, crafting, food management, base-building, and preparing your group for increasingly dangerous survival threats. |
Don’t Starve Together drops you into a twisted, hand-drawn wilderness and then just… leaves you there. No tutorial, no quest markers, no hand-holding. You’ll figure out you need twigs, flint, and grass to survive the first night, but everything after that is trial and error. Mostly error. Eat the wrong mushroom or stray too far from the fire after dark, and the game will happily remind you why it’s called Don’t Starve.
Every season brings fresh misery. Winter freezes you solid, summer sets your base on fire, and a giant one-eyed Deerclops might stomp through camp right when things are going well.
Multiplayer turns it all into glorious, shared panic: one friend herds beefalo, another babysits the crockpot, and someone inevitably dies to spiders and spends ten minutes as a ghost begging to be revived. That chaos is exactly why it’s still one of the best co-op games to play with friends who can laugh at their mistakes, and the scratchy, gothic art makes even the worst deaths weirdly charming.
My Verdict: Don’t Starve Together is a perfect pick for Raft fans who want a stranger, harsher survival experience, especially if they enjoy learning the hard way, one ridiculous death at a time.
GAMES LIKE DON'T STARVE TOGETHER
14. Stranded Deep [Best Ocean Survival Game With Sharks and Crafting]
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux |
| Year of Release | 2020 |
| Creator/s | Beam Team Games, Beam Team Publishing |
| Average Playtime | Around 25–60 hours, depending on survival style |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Ocean survival, island exploration, scavenging wrecks, crafting tools, and literally building your own raft. |
Stranded Deep strands you in the Pacific after a plane crash, and it’s up to you to figure out how to stay alive. Procedurally generated islands keep each run feeling a little different, whether you’re scavenging wrecks, searching for supplies, or planning your next trip across the water. If you’ve burned through the best survival games and still crave that desert-island feeling, this one’s hard to beat.
You’ll scavenge wrecks, craft tools, and slowly piece together shelters, rafts, and even advanced creations like a gyrocopter. Survival goes beyond building. You need to manage health, hunger, thirst, and exposure, which adds weight to even the simplest daily tasks.
One day might be spent fishing for food, while another could see you patching wounds, farming potatoes, or braving storms at sea. The atmosphere balances calm beauty with constant risk: sunsets and clear waters quickly turn into wild weather and close encounters with sharks or whales.
Open-world survival across a procedurally generated oceanic archipelago makes Stranded Deep a strong match for players who love Raft‘s loop of gathering, crafting, and enduring.
My Verdict: It keeps you on edge while rewarding creativity and persistence, making every hour feel like a battle you’ve genuinely fought to win.
GAMES LIKE STRANDED DEEP
15. Outward [Hardcore Fantasy Action-RPG With Immersive Survival Mechanics]
| Platforms | PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2019 |
| Creator/s | Nine Dots Studio / Prime Matter |
| Average Playtime | 40–120 hours depending on faction choices and open-world exploration |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Survival needs, crafting, long expeditions, limited supplies, and preparing carefully before leaving the safety of your home base. |
Outward drops players into the dangerous fantasy realm of Aurai, not as a chosen hero, but as an ordinary adventurer who must pay off a family debt just to keep their home.
Standing out among RPGs and games like Raft, it seamlessly weaves strict survival mechanics, such as managing fatigue, body temperature, disease, and hydration, directly into an open-world action-RPG framework. The game features no hand-holding or fast travel, requiring you to navigate vast biomes using physical maps and compass landmarks.
A signature feature is the physical backpack system: your pack holds your tent, cooking pot, lanterns, and supplies, but wearing it during combat slows your dodge rolls. Progression is tied to joining one of four distinct factions, mastering skill trees from specialized trainers, and crafting weapons, elemental potions, and warm armor sets to survive harsh winter cold and desert heat.
Visually, the game delivers a rugged, high-fantasy wilderness filled with ancient ruins, bioluminescent caves, and sweeping vistas that reward curious explorers. Community feedback frequently praises its split-screen and online co-op modes, its unforgiving defeat mechanics, and the authentic sense of adventure that comes from surviving long journeys on foot.
My Verdict: Outward is ideal for Raft fans who want a grounded, challenging adventure where survival mechanics directly influence high-stakes combat and world exploration.
GAMES LIKE OUTWARD
16. Occupy Mars: The Game [Hard Science-Fiction Mars Colony Survival and Base Building]
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2026 |
| Creator/s | Pyramid Games / PlayWay S.A. |
| Average Playtime | 30–90 hours depending on base expansion and sandbox exploration |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Resource gathering, life-support management, technical crafting, and gradually turning a hostile environment into a functioning home. |
Occupy Mars: The Game is a lot more hands-on than Raft, but the core fantasy is the same: you show up with almost nothing and slowly turn a place that wants you dead into somewhere you can actually live. On Mars, that means mining ore, pumping out oxygen and water, coaxing crops out of red dust, and expanding your base one module at a time, all while praying nothing breaks when you’re three kilometers from the airlock. After years in Early Access, the game finally hit its 1.0 release on January 30, 2026.
What really sets it apart is just how technical everything gets. You’re not just slapping down walls and crafting benches. You’re fixing busted machinery, wiring up power and life-support networks, driving rovers, and physically swapping out parts when something fails. And something always fails. The 1.0 update piled on even more to tinker with, too, including expanded chemistry, vertical grid building, more food options, and extra base-building tools.
It also earns its spot on this list more than ever now that online co-op is officially in. One person mines, another builds, someone keeps the greenhouse alive, and someone else heads out to explore, while everyone takes turns panicking when the oxygen alarm goes off. It’s got that same “everyone has a job” energy as Raft, just with a lot more wiring and a lot less ocean.
My Verdict: Occupy Mars: The Game is a great pick for Raft fans who love building a self-sufficient base, but want a more technical survival sim where oxygen, power, and maintenance matter just as much as crafting.
17. Grounded [Backyard Survival Game With Bugs and Shrinking Fun]
| Platforms | Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 |
| Year of Release | 2022 |
| Creator/s | Obsidian Entertainment |
| Average Playtime | 40–100+ hours (replayable with co-op, base-building, and survival modes) |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Co-op scavenging, crafting stations, expandable bases, gear progression, and dangerous expeditions away from safety. |
Raft makes you feel small against a massive ocean. Grounded takes that literally. You’re shrunk to ant size and stranded in an ordinary backyard, where grass stalks are building materials, a dropped juice box is a landmark, and a ladybug can ruin your entire afternoon. Along the way, you’ll uncover the bizarre science experiment that got you here in the first place.
The loop feels instantly familiar to Raft players: gather, craft, build, and push a little further each time. Start with pebble tools and grass-plank shelters, then work up to fortified bases and armor made from the very bugs that once chased you. Nights get dangerous fast, with wolf spiders roaming in the dark, and the pond hides diving bell spiders plus a koi fish that fills the same “don’t stay in the water too long” role as Raft‘s shark. It all shines brightest in co-op, where friends can split up jobs, then regroup to take on bosses like the Broodmother.
My Verdict: Grounded is a charming, surprisingly intense survival game that nails Raft‘s co-op crafting spirit, just with a lawn instead of an ocean and way more spiders.
GAMES LIKE GROUNDED
18. Breathedge [Comedic Sci-Fi Space Survival Game]
| Platforms | PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2021 |
| Creator/s | RedRuins Softworks / HypeTrain Digital |
| Average Playtime | 15–35 hours depending on space exploration and story progression |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Floating through hazardous space debris to collect resources, manage oxygen, craft equipment, and expand your survival capabilities. |
Breathedge hurls players into the deep void of space following a catastrophic crash of a massive galactic hearse, leaving you stranded amid debris, floating coffins, and frozen wreckage.
Often described as an interstellar alternative to games like Raft, it blends classic open-world survival crafting with an absurd, satirical narrative tone, complete with an immortal chicken companion used as a multi-tool and duct tape as a primary repair resource. Survival requires carefully managing limited oxygen reserves as you make short, risky spacewalks to scavenge vital components from the floating wreckage.
Starting with primitive oxygen tanks and basic tools, you craft thrusters, radiation suits, and specialized vehicles like the Rocket Car to explore distant debris fields and unearth corporate conspiracies. Modular base building lets you construct orbital space stations equipped with power generators, airlocks, and decorative living quarters to serve as safe havens in the vacuum of space.
The aesthetic combines retro-futuristic Soviet-inspired technology with bright, cinematic space vistas littered with surreal cosmic wreckage. Community discussions highlight its dark humor, absurd dialogue, and the satisfying core loop of upgrading your suits and oxygen capacity to venture deeper into hazardous, radiation-filled sectors.
My Verdict: Breathedge is ideal for Raft fans looking for a space-themed survival sandbox with a playful, sarcastic narrative tone.
19. Astroneer [Hardcore Space Survival With Chill Exploration Vibes]
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2019 |
| Creator/s | System Era Softworks |
| Average Playtime | 30–100 hours depending on exploration and building focus |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Relaxed co-op exploration, resource gathering, modular base-building, vehicles, and steady technological progression. |
Astroneer takes survival away from the oceans and jungles and instead places you on colorful alien planets spread across a vast solar system. The goal is not just staying alive but thriving through exploration, resource management, and base-building.
With the unique Terrain Tool, players can reshape the land itself, digging tunnels, sculpting surfaces, or carving pathways to uncover hidden resources. This mechanic sets it apart, turning the environment into both a canvas and a challenge.
Progress comes from building modular bases, setting up automation systems, and linking power networks to keep everything running. You might craft vehicles to cross massive planets, set up extractors to automate mining, or create rail systems that tie your network together.
Despite the vibrant art style and playful look, the game hides real depth: biomes differ drastically, and venturing underground into vast cave systems brings its own risks and rewards. A colorful, sandbox space exploration game with terrain-deforming mechanics at its core, Astroneer is perfect for players who enjoyed Raft‘s crafting and teamwork but want a more creative, lighthearted take.
My Verdict: Its mix of freedom, cooperation, and experimentation makes it stand out as one of the most approachable survival titles.
GAMES LIKE ASTRONEER
20. Sunkenland [Post-Apocalyptic Ocean Survival With PvE and Raids]
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows |
| Year of Release | 2023 |
| Creator/s | Vector3 Studio |
| Average Playtime | 25–80 hours depending on exploration and co-op play |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Ocean-based scavenging, diving for resources, crafting equipment, building fortified bases, and exploring flooded ruins. |
Sunkenland imagines a post-apocalyptic Earth where rising seas have swallowed cities with secrets, leaving only scattered islands and half-submerged ruins. Survival here means scavenging the remains of the old world while defending yourself from raiders and mutants. Players spend their time diving into sunken skyscrapers, collecting rare resources, and transforming scraps into tools, weapons, and vehicles.
Exploration extends below the surface, where dark waters hide both valuable technology and lurking dangers. On the surface, you’ll engage in clan warfare, fortify defenses with traps and turrets, and expand your territory piece by piece.
The game’s oceanic survival focus makes it stand out. Its mix of deep-sea exploration, crafting, and constant underwater tension provides a harsher, more combat-driven spin on the Raft formula.
My Verdict: Sunkenland offers a world where every dive could be your last, and every base you build feels like a true stronghold against the apocalypse.
21. The Long Dark [Best Solo Survival Game in a Frozen Apocalypse]
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2017 |
| Creator/s | Hinterland Studio Inc. |
| Average Playtime | Around 40–100 hours depending on mode and playstyle |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Careful resource management, scavenging, hunger and temperature systems, and risky expeditions away from shelter. |
The Long Dark drops you into a frozen Canadian wilderness after a geomagnetic disaster, where every step is a fight for survival. Unlike most survival titles, there are no zombies or mutants, just you, the cold, and the unforgiving landscape.
Managing hunger, fatigue, warmth, and calories becomes a constant balancing act, with every action carrying a cost. Exploration is deliberate and tense, with wolves, bears, and moose as ever-present threats, while limited resources push you to make tough choices.
Visually, the game takes a stylized yet bleak approach, with muted palettes and stark landscapes that highlight the solitude of survival. Community players on Reddit often praise the “no hand-holding” design, which forces careful planning and punishes recklessness.
My Verdict: Fans love this game because it captures the pure essence of isolation and survival genre, making every decision matter in a way that few other titles achieve.
GAMES LIKE THE LONG DARK
22. Flotsam [Floating City Builder With Waterworld Survival Themes]
| Platforms | Windows, macOS |
| Year of Release | 2025 |
| Creator/s | Pajama Llama Games |
| Average Playtime | 15–30 hours depending on exploration and build pace |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Scavenge floating debris, recycle it into useful materials, and expand a mobile ocean settlement as resources run out and you move on to new waters. |
Flotsam is a colorful city-building survival sim set in a post-apocalyptic, waterlogged world where your town floats across the ocean. Instead of building on land, you construct your town atop scavenged debris, floating platforms, plastic scraps, driftwood, and remnants of the old world.
Your crew of quirky drifters must gather food, distill water, rescue stranded people, and recycle ocean trash into tools and buildings. The game’s cheerful visual aesthetic contrasts its survival roots, featuring a bright, saturated palette, clear skies, and an upbeat tone that makes the apocalypse feel strangely wholesome.
Despite the scary visuals, dangers still exist: polluted zones, food scarcity, illness, and unexpected weather events. What sets Flotsam apart is how it lets your entire city move; you’re not stuck in one place. Once an area runs dry, raise anchor and tow your whole base toward new waters and discoveries.
My Verdict: Flotsam‘s mix of lighthearted tone and strategic complexity, especially for those who want something more mobile and modular.
23. Palworld [Creature-Taming Survival Game With Farming and Guns]
| Platforms | Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 |
| Year of Release | 2024 |
| Creator/s | Pocketpair |
| Average Playtime | 30–80 hours (with massive replay value in multiplayer and breeding) |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Gathering, crafting, base-building, co-op exploration, and automating your growing home with creatures instead of machines. |
Palworld drops you into an open world full of fluffy, big-eyed Pals, then puts them to work. They’ll chop wood, mine ore, farm, build your base, and fight alongside you, sometimes with actual guns. It borrows Pokémon’s look, but the tone is a whole lot darker.
Between exploring and base-building, you’ll deal with poachers, brutal biomes, and plenty of ethical gray areas. You can breed Pals for stronger traits, and if food runs low, butchering one is always an option.
Colorful visuals and over-the-top combat keep things lighthearted, even at its grimmest. Hop on a Pal to fly, swim, or gallop across the map, or assign it to a factory line pumping out power, food, and ammo.
Every Pal has different skills, work abilities, and battle traits, so managing your base and planning fights feels like a full-blown strategy game on its own. Like Raft, it’s at its best with friends, whether in four-player co-op or on dedicated servers with up to 32 players. It’s adorable, unhinged, borderline dystopian, and it absolutely works.
My Verdict: Palworld nails a wild blend of cuteness and cruelty, perfect if you enjoy Raft-style crafting but want a survival game packed with creatures, automation, and constant surprises.
GAMES LIKE PALWORLD
24. We Happy Few [Dystopian Survival Game With Drug-Fueled Paranoia]
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now |
| Year of Release | 2018 |
| Creator/s | Compulsion Games |
| Average Playtime | 20–60+ hours (story-driven, high replay with survival mode and alternate endings) |
| Why It Feels Like Raft | Scavenging supplies, crafting useful items, managing survival needs, and exploring a hostile world with limited resources. |
We Happy Few is a narrative-driven survival adventure set in a drug-fueled, retrofuturistic 1960s England. You play as one of three rebellious citizens in the city of Wellington Wells, where society has chosen blissful ignorance over reality. To survive, you must sneak, craft, conform, or fight your way through a collapsing world obsessed with artificial happiness.
The core gameplay mixes exploration, stealth, survival mechanics, and resource management. You’ll scavenge supplies, craft weapons, avoid detection, and decide how to handle the deranged citizens hooked on “Joy” pills. Combat is optional, but intense when needed, especially when your cover is blown.
My Verdict: With its mix of story arcs, crafting, and moral choices, it’s perfect for fans of survival games who want their experience to feel personal, unpredictable, and just a little off-kilter.
FAQs
The best game like Raft is 7 Days to Die if you enjoy intense survival and base-building, or Grounded if you want co-op crafting with a unique twist. Both offer similar game mechanics with distinct atmospheres.
Raft is popular because it blends survival, exploration, and base-building in a relaxing but challenging ocean setting. Its co-op mode, constant updates, and simple mechanics make it highly replayable and fun with friends.
Raft is a first-person survival crafting game. Players must gather resources, build floating structures, and survive against threats like sharks while exploring islands and uncovering a larger story.
Yes. Booga Booga and Islands on Roblox share similarities with Raft, offering open-world survival, crafting, and exploration. They’re simplified, but great for younger audiences or casual players.
