Kenshi
A free-roaming squad based RPG. Focusing on open-ended sandbox gameplay features rather than a linear story. Be a trader, a thief, a rebel, a warlord, an adventurer, a farmer, a slave, or just food for the cannibals. Research new equipment and craft new gear. Purchase and upgrade your own buildings to use as safe fortified havens when things go bad, or use them to start up a business. Aid or oppose the various factions in the world while striving for the strength and wealth necessary to simply survive in the harsh desert. Train your men up from puny victims to master warriors. Carry your wounded squad mates to safety and get them all home alive.
What it feels like
The world is brutal and unforgiving—loss of limbs, enslavement, and cannibalism are real threats without sugar-coating. The tone balances grim survival with the quiet beauty of forging bonds with a struggling squad against the odds.
What it's about
Surviving in a harsh desert world against starvation, injury, slavery, and cannibals is the central struggle. Steam tags and setting suggest a ruined, deserted world; steampunk elements hint at collapsed civilization.
How it plays
The core loop centers on building, training, and directing a squad of distinct individuals from weakness to mastery. Purchasing, upgrading, and operating player-owned buildings as safe havens and business centers is a major progression path. Real-time squad combat with positioning, ranged/melee mix, and spatial awareness drives core moment-to-moment play.
How it's structured
The core design explicitly rejects linear story in favor of open-ended player-authored sandbox objectives: trader, thief, rebel, warlord, farmer, slave are all valid playstyles. Free-roaming traversal of a large continuous desert world is foundational; players choose where to go and what to pursue without gatekeeping. Designed as a solo experience where the player commands a squad; no multiplayer component.
Kindred games
Shares Sandbox, Open World, Post-Apocalyptic, Base Building.
Both lean into Sandbox, Open World, Post-Apocalyptic, Base Building.
Shares Open World, Survival Against Nature, Resource Management, Character Builds.
Both lean into Open World, Survival Against Nature, Resource Management, Character Builds.
Shares Sandbox, Open World, Base Building, Survival Against Nature.
Both lean into Open World, Sandbox, Base Building, Survival Against Nature.
Closest hidden gems
A lesser-known kindred — Sandbox, Open World, Survival Against Nature, Base Building. 88% positive across 4,765 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Sandbox, Single-Player, Open World, Survival Against Nature.
A lesser-known kindred — Party Management, Grid Tactics Combat, Resource Management, Base Building. 87% positive across 4,324 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Party Management, Grid Tactics Combat, Single-Player, Resource Management.
A lesser-known kindred — Sandbox, Base Building, Resource Management, Crafting. 90% positive across 4,944 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Sandbox, Single-Player, Base Building, Resource Management.