Plains of Pain similar games & best alternatives

Plains of Pain - Trailer
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Plains of Pain

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2023

Should you play it?

Survive in a post-apocalyptic open-world sandbox alone or with friends. Explore a procedural wasteland scorched by heat and chaos. Build a base, develop skills, craft tools and weapons, trade for what you need, complete deadly quests, earn faction reputation, or take part in faction wars.

What works

  • Immersive post-apocalyptic setting
  • Deep survival and crafting mechanics
  • Frequent developer updates
  • Support for solo and multiplayer co-op
  • Addictive gameplay loop

Things to keep in mind

  • Low multiplayer population
  • Clunky inventory and building systems
  • Early access bugs and crashes
  • Steep learning curve for new players
  • Some grind and repetition

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • MISERY

  • MAZEBOUND: Hunt, Gather, Run!

  • Dead In Vinland

  • StarRupture

  • Knights End

  • Windrose

More relaxing

Games that feels like Plains of Pain but with a more relaxing feel

  • Valheim

  • Voidtrain

  • 5089: The Action RPG

  • First Dwarf

  • DYSPLACED

  • Everwind

Less intimate

Games that feels like Plains of Pain but with less focus on close relationships

  • Human Host

  • Kenshi

  • 3089 -- Futuristic Action RPG

  • Erenshor

  • Nested Lands

  • Brigand: Oaxaca

More competitive

Games that feels like Plains of Pain but with more competition against others

  • Dune: Awakening

  • Rem Survival

  • Survivalist: Invisible Strain

  • Reign of Darkness

  • Saleblazers

  • Empyrion - Galactic Survival

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Plains of Pain: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Survival, Leadership. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation.

Last update: 04/08/2026