If you are searching for games like Once Human, you are usually chasing one of three things: the base building, the open-world survival loop, or the mix of PvE shooting with optional PvP. According to its Steam page, Once Human is a free-to-play survival game from Starry Studio, published by NetEase Games and released on July 9, 2024. No single alternative copies all of that, so this list sorts eight PC games by what they share with it.
A note on prices: they are the regular list prices shown on each game's Steam US store page, checked in October 2026. Steam sales change them often, so check the page before you buy.
Which survival games are most like Once Human?
| Game | Genre | Price (Steam list) | Platforms | What it shares with Once Human |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STALZONE | PvPvE extraction shooter | Free to play | PC (Windows) | Anomaly-scarred world, factions, free to start |
| Rust | PvP survival | $39.99 | PC (Windows, Mac) | Base building and raiding, online PvP |
| Fallout 76 | Open-world survival RPG | $39.99 | PC (Windows) | Post-apocalyptic base building and co-op |
| 7 Days to Die | Zombie survival sandbox | $44.99 | PC (Windows, Mac, Linux) | Crafting, base defense, co-op |
| Palworld | Creature survival-crafting | $29.99 | PC (Windows) | Base automation, shooting, co-op |
| Dune: Awakening | Open-world survival MMO | $49.99 | PC (Windows) | Persistent shared world, base building, large-scale survival |
| DayZ | Hardcore survival sandbox | $49.99 | PC (Windows) | Scavenging in a post-collapse world, PvPvE |
| Sons Of The Forest | Survival horror | $29.99 | PC (Windows) | Crafting, building, threats you can't ignore |
Of the eight, only STALZONE is free to play on Steam, so it is the answer if you want a free survival shooter on PC without spending anything. Every other game here is a one-time purchase.
What is the best free alternative to Once Human?
STALZONE (EXBO, free to play, Windows). This is the game formerly known as STALCRAFT: X. Its Steam page describes it as a PvPvE extraction shooter set in an anomaly-twisted Chernobyl Exclusion Zone divided between rival factions, with a persistent world that does not wipe your progress.
Players who like Once Human's strange, hostile setting tend to find the same appeal here: anomalies are real hazards, and the world is shared with other players. The difference is the pressure. STALZONE leans harder into player-versus-player risk, while Once Human is PvE-first. Our STALZONE beginner guide explains how the no-wipe extraction loop works if you want to know what you would be getting into.
Which games have the same base building and crafting?
Rust (Facepunch Studios, $39.99, Windows and Mac). Per its Steam page, the only aim is to survive, and everything in the world wants you dead, including other players. If you enjoy the base-defense side of Once Human and like the idea of PvP raiding, Rust is the genre's best-known example, though it is far less forgiving of newcomers.
Fallout 76 (Bethesda Game Studios, published by Bethesda Softworks, $39.99, Windows). Released on April 14, 2020, it is a multiplayer open-world RPG in post-nuclear America where you explore, build and complete quests. Players who like Once Human's camp building and PvE focus often look here first.
7 Days to Die (The Fun Pimps, $44.99, Windows, Mac and Linux). Steam describes it as a mix of first-person shooter, survival horror, tower defense and RPG. Its horde-style base defense makes base design matter in a way that will feel familiar to anyone who has fortified a Once Human base.
Palworld (Pocketpair, $29.99, Windows). Steam describes it as a multiplayer open-world survival and crafting game built around creatures called Pals that you fight, farm and build alongside. It overlaps with Once Human's Deviants, the strange creatures that help automate your base, though the tone is much lighter. Steam currently lists a July 9, 2026 release date.
Which games feel like Once Human's open-world survival?
Dune: Awakening (Funcom, $49.99, Windows). Released on June 10, 2025, it is described on Steam as a single- and multiplayer open-world survival game with RPG elements, set on Arrakis. If you want a big shared world with crafting and base building and a stronger license behind it, this is the closest large-scale option.
DayZ (Bohemia Interactive, $49.99, Windows). Steam frames it as a post-apocalyptic survival game where you compete or cooperate with other survivors for limited resources. It is much harsher than Once Human, so it suits players who want tension over progression.
Sons Of The Forest (Endnight Games, published by Newnight, $29.99, Windows). A survival horror game set on an island, with crafting and building. Its Steam page lists co-op, but it is a smaller-scale game than Once Human, built around a single island rather than a large shared server.
How do you pick the right one?
- You want free: STALZONE is the only one here that costs nothing to start.
- You want to build and raid: Rust, or Fallout 76 if you prefer PvE.
- You want co-op with friends: 7 Days to Die, Palworld, Dune: Awakening and Sons Of The Forest all list online co-op on Steam.
- You want scale: Dune: Awakening is the large-world option.
- You want the harshest survival: DayZ.
If you are still deciding whether Once Human itself is worth keeping, read our Once Human review for how it holds up today. And if you stay, our best Once Human builds guide covers the meta builds.
Which of these games should you try first?
Start with the one that matches the part of Once Human you enjoy most. For a free try, STALZONE is the obvious pick. For base building, Rust or Fallout 76. For a larger world, Dune: Awakening. All eight are available on PC, and none of them replaces Once Human exactly, which is why it is worth deciding what you want to keep before you install anything.
