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Don’t Starve Together perfectly translates the tension and excitement of the original game into a multiplayer experience, but it’s not the only title that achieves such magic. Accordingly, here are 18 multiplayer games that are like Don’t Starve Together for fans of the fantastic survival game to enjoy.
Updated April 14, 2022, by Tom Bowen: When it comes to multiplayer survival games, few are quite as enjoyable as Don’t Starve Together, which is now available for the Nintendo Switch. This is all the more impressive, perhaps, when considering that the original game wasn’t really designed with multiplayer in mind. For as great as the game is though, there’s only so long that players can enjoy it before it starts to feel a little stale. Mods can certainly help in this regard, but those playing on console or lacking the technical know-how to install these mods may instead choose to look elsewhere for games that are similar to Don’t Starve Together. Thankfully, the genre has its fair share of top titles for those people to choose from.
18 Space Engineers
It took around six years for Space Engineers to come out of early access although fans of the game will argue that it was well worth the wait. The game looks great and continues to receive regular updates with the most recent coming in November 2020. At this point, it’s overflowing with content to the point where completing it all will take players hundreds of hours. That’s not a bad return at all for a title that costs less than $15!
The game shares quite a few similarities with No Man’s Sky in terms of its core mechanics, but where the latter chooses to focus on providing an endless sandbox for players to explore, Space Engineers instead devotes itself to giving its players a first-class multiplayer experience. Whether or not it truly succeeds in this regard is debatable, but it’s hard to argue that what it does provide isn’t both unique and enjoyable.
17 Outward
It’s rare to find a game that’s able to challenge players without ever feeling unfair, but that’s exactly what Outward manages to achieve. Better still, as well as online multiplayer, the game also offers local split-screen which is becoming increasingly rare in the modern age. It’s certainly not without its flaws, but they’re far outweighed by the many, many positives.
Its graphics are certainly nothing to write home about, but what it lacks in visual fidelity, it more than makes up for elsewhere. The game features a slew of old-school RPG mechanics and combines them with some of the more recent survival game concepts to great effect. Choices feel meaningful and gameplay is fluid which together leads to a wonderful experience whether playing on one’s own or together with a friend.
16 Grounded
Released in mid-2020, Grounded is one of the most original survival games on the market and, for those old enough to remember it, will likely invoke fond memories of the classic eighties comedy, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. That’s because the plot is somewhat similar, with players taking on the roles of young children who have been shrunk down to the size of ants.
In order to survive, they’ll need to brave an army of insects while being sure not to starve or dehydrate. Much of the game takes place within the confines of a single backyard, with new areas becoming available as the main story progresses. Naturally, these new areas contain stronger, more dangerous insects like spiders and bees, ensuring that the difficulty level increases together with the player’s skill.
15 Raft
Those who enjoyed being thrown straight in at the deep end in Don’t Starve Together will likely have a lot of fun with Raft. They’ll begin their playthrough with nothing but a single scrap of wood, but will eventually find the materials and resources needed to expand that lonely plank into the game’s titular raft. Well, they will if they can survive for long enough to find what they need, anyway.
Like many other survival games set on deserted islands, Raft places a big emphasis on finding food and water. Some of the islands that players visit are also home to dangerous creatures like sharks and bears, which can make exploration both challenging and exciting due to the increased dramatic tension. Exploring and surviving with friends through the game’s online multiplayer mode only makes for a more enjoyable experience.
14 We Need To Go Deeper
The hand-drawn art style employed by Deli Interactive’s We Need To Go Deeper is incredibly reminiscent of the one used in Don’t Starve Together, making this a great option for those who liked the look and feel of Klei Entertainment’s smash hit. That’s not the only thing that’s similar though, with many of the survival elements found throughout the title feeling incredibly familiar as well.
Set on a submarine deep underwater, We Need To Go Deeper allows for up to four-player co-op and forces players to deal with unusual and often terrifying sea creatures. It’s one of the more challenging survival games on the market in that respect, but, for those looking to test both themselves and, most likely, their patience with their fellow players, We Need To Go Deeper is definitely the game for them.
13 Rust
It was always clear that Rust had something special about it but it took quite some time for the game to truly realize its full potential. That said, watching the game’s evolution since it debuted in 2013 has been nothing short of remarkable with improvements made right across the board. It’s still recognizable despite these many changes, but the experience it provides is entirely different today. Well, apart from the griefers, that is. Sadly, they’re still just as prevalent as ever!
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Originally based on DayZ, the game has gone on to find its own identity and has become one of the most popular online survival games out there. It features crafting, base-building, hunting, and PvP as well as a wide range of customization options. The game has now sold more than nine million copies and maintains a strong and dedicated fanbase to this day. This means that finding people to play with remains simple even in spite of the game’s advancing years.
12 The Wild Eight
After their plane crashes in the middle of nowhere, a group of eight survivors are left stranded in the wilderness and must adapt in order to survive. As they wait to be rescued, they have to work together in order to avoid falling victim to the mysterious entities that surround them. It may have taken developer Fntastic a little longer than some would have liked to get The Wild Eight working as promised, but, for a low-budget crowd-funded game, the end result is pretty damn impressive.
Some may not like the game’s minimalistic art style, but those able to look past its simplicity will find a lot to like elsewhere. It features a strong narrative, solid crafting mechanics, and an intriguing world that’s sure to pull players in. Where it really shines, however, is through its multiplayer mode which helps to provide players with a real sense of purpose and an added significance to all that they do.
11 Green Hell
Players will need to wade into the experience slowly if they’re to have any hope of making it out on the other side as there’s a lot to learn when it comes to the game’s mechanics. For that reason, those who lack patience might be better served elsewhere. Anyone who’s willing to put the time in, however, will come away from their time with Green Hell with a big smile on their face - especially if they played through it with friends.
10 Factorio
Factorio takes some of the doom and gloom aesthetic of Don’t Starve Together and mashes it together with a Sim City-esque structure in what’s a deeply engrossing experience. Factorio is a construction and management simulation title that allows players to construct and maintain factories while they manage resources and other necessary factors.
There are plenty of games like Factorio, but the heavy focus on factories is an asset, as is the fact that this game can also be a two-player experience where both players are paranoid over resource management.
9 Starbound
Starbound is an ambitious action-adventure game that takes place after the destruction of Earth and is set on a spacecraft and various planets. As players explore the galaxy they acquire different necessary items and resources for survival and engage in a number of quests and missions.
Starbound features a stripped-down graphical style that works in its favor. It’s a game that can be tackled with more than one player, which makes the experience even more enjoyable, and the team survival aspect feels very reminiscent of Don’t Starve Together.
8 7 Days To Die
7 Days to Die should be a mandatory experience for any fans of Don’t Starve Together. It takes the same multiplayer survival aspect and cranks up the severity in a post-apocalyptic open world full of zombies.
7 Days to Die is as much a tower defense game and first-person shooter as it is a survival horror game. It juggles all of these genres well in a title that doesn’t feel complicated. It really allows players to work together in creative ways to survive and it’s a well-developed title.
7 Stardew Valley
To be fair, Stardew Valley is much more of a riff on Harvest Moon and other classic simulation role-playing games than it is on Don’t Starve Together, but it still manages to tap into the same energy due to its addition of multiplayer.
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Stardew Valley can be done alone and it’s a very calming experience, but bringing a partner into the fun is a much more relaxing alternative to the tension that’s present in Don’t Starve Together. Both titles are also largely open-ended and more about the players’ shared experience than a strong narrative.
6 ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolved had some kinks in it upon its initial release, but it’s fortunate that they’ve since smoothed them out and brought multiplayer into the picture. ARK is another survival experience game, but it’s a notable exception because it involves dinosaurs.
It’s a satisfying change of pace to be able to hunt down and also survive against these prehistoric beasts as well as forge rudimentary weapons. It’s even more enjoyable with a partner along for the ride since it’s a smart idea to have reinforcements against a dinosaur.
5 Orcs Must Die! 2
Tower defense games can be a lot of fun and they’re some of the most reliable forms of multiplayer or co-operative gaming. The Orcs Must Die! games tap into that popular genre, but then inject it full of beastly orcs and other supernatural monsters.
Orcs Must Die! 2 is a graphical upgrade and brings some appreciated new features into the game. It’s even more of a treat to work through this defense and action title with a friend. It certainly makes it easier to take out the hordes of monsters.
4 The Forest
Titles like Don’t Starve Together have helped solidify just how much of an audience there is for apocalyptic survival games that push players to work together as a team. The Forest riffs on the same ideas that a lot of the games in the genre explore, but it uses the unassuming environment of a forested area as a pressure cooker for horror.
The game is full of unnerving enemies that are pure nightmare fuel and it amplifies the disorienting nature of the woods. It’s the kind of title where a partner is helpful just for moral support.
3 Terraria
Terraria is a title that offers up something for everyone in its open sandbox environment. There are basic survival and resource management mechanics, but there’s also plenty of crafting, collecting, or hunting.
There are certainly shades of Minecraft present in Terraria, but the teamwork aspect and the idea of surviving through a crisis make the game feel like Don’t Starve Together more than other games. Terraria has such a charming art style and it’s a game that’s not afraid to throw some crazy ideas and visuals at the audience, much like Don’t Starve Together.
2 Rising World
Rising World tries to be true to its name and really act as a new home for gamers. There’s the ability to create and destroy environments, but also robust activities like fishing. Rising World even features a day-night cycle and a weather rotation system, all to create a more diverse experience.
Rising World allows players to work together and hang out in each other’s worlds. Rising World was a little rough around the edges at first, but it’s grown into quite a full and satisfying title. It’s a much less stressful multiplayer experience than Don’t Starve Together.
1 Miscreated
Miscreated takes the multiplayer survival aspect that’s present in Don’t Starve Together and many of these titles and tries to find its niche by turning up the difficulty level. Miscreated looks at an especially dangerous post-apocalyptic wasteland where players don’t just have to worry about mutants, but the unforgiving effects of nature, as well as other players themselves.
It’s a tense experience and the game knows how to create genuine fears. Miscreated’s madness still hits hard if it’s played with strangers, but it’s only made better with more friends in the game.
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