New and Upcoming Post-Apocalyptic Games to Keep an Eye on in 2019 and Beyond

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2019 has been a pretty good year so far for fans of post-apocalyptic games. Metro Exodus, Rage 2, Days Gone, and the Resident Evil 2 remake are just a few of the noteworthy titles in this popular subgenre released earlier this year. Not a bad selection. However, 2019 is far from over and there are a lot more games that use similar themes just around the corner. With that in mind and in no particular order, let’s take a look at some of the most promising new and upcoming post-apocalyptic games you should keep an eye on in 2019 and beyond.

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Atomic Heart

Atomic Heart looks like a blend between Metro and Nier: Automata with a bit of Bioshock thrown into the mix. The game draws inspiration from many sources but still manages to feel unique thanks to its neo-Soviet setting. Atomic Heart takes place in an alternate reality where the USSR never collapsed and instead went on to become highly technologically advanced. Things eventually got out of hand, however, and now a robot uprising is threatening to destroy the world.

Release Date: 2019.

Chernobylite

Chernobylite is an upcoming survival-horror game with RPG elements that takes place in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. One of the biggest selling points of this title is that it features a highly accurate 3D-scanned recreation of The Zone. Chernobylite feels very much like a spiritual successor to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. In addition, the game also borrows certain elements from titles like Fallout 4 and This War of Mine. Overall, a very interesting project that has the potential to become one of the biggest sleeper hits of 2019.

Release Date: Fall 2019.

The Last of Us Part 2

There’s really no need to introduce this title because The Last of Us Part 2 is one of the most highly anticipated post-apocalyptic games out there. The game was first revealed back in December 2016 and immediately become one of Sony’s biggest upcoming exclusives. There’s a lot we still don’t know about the game, including its release date. However, it’s clear at this point that Sony seems to want to launch it alongside the PS5.

Release Date: TBA. Rumored to launch in the first half of 2020.

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Dying Light 2

Dying Light 2 looks like the logical progression of the series based on what we’ve seen so far. The world is bigger and more detailed compared to that of the original, the combat is more brutal, and there are plenty of interesting new gameplay mechanics. A big selling point here is that you get to play as an infected survivor bestowed with superhuman abilities. The protagonist excels at parkour and melee combat so expect this to be a pretty visceral and action-packed experience.

Release Date: Spring 2020.

Death Stranding

I felt a bit hesitant about putting Death Stranding on a list of post-apocalyptic games because there’s still so much we don’t know about its world. Let alone the overall plot. However, it does seem like the game features a near-future setting where most life forms have become extinct and civilization as we know it has collapsed. We’re not quite sure why the game’s world is in its current state but it could be related to some of the supernatural forces we’ve seen in the trailers. Maybe. It’s still pretty hard to figure out what exactly is going on in this game. Luckily, we’re finally going to find out in just a few months.

Release Date: November 8, 2019.

Scavengers

Scavengers is the debut project of Midwinter Entertainment. The team is composed of some of the folks that brought us Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians. Scavengers is inspired by Halo 5’s Warzone mode and takes place on a near-future version of Earth that’s undergoing a new ice age. We’ve already seen a bit of gameplay at E3 2019 and we expect to see a lot more in the near future. Midwinter will start organizing playtests later this year and you can click here to sign up.

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Darksiders Genesis

I’m cheating just a little bit here because Darksiders Genesis isn’t technically a post-apocalyptic game. Rather, it is a prequel to the first Darksiders and takes place before the cataclysmic events that left Earth in shambles. That said, I wanted to include it anyway because the spin-off will give us more insight into why the Apocalypse was triggered in the first place. Despite featuring a slightly different setting, the game looks like a must-play for fans of the main series.

Release Date: 2019.

Beautiful Desolation

This indie title is set in a dystopian future and looks very reminiscent of classic CRPGs like the original Fallout. However, looks can be deceiving. Beautiful Desolation is actually a retro-futuristic puzzle-adventure game that puts a lot of emphasis on story and atmosphere. What’s really interesting about Beautiful Desolation is that it takes place in Africa. That’s a very welcome change of scenery considering most post-apocalyptic games tend to be set in Europe or the US.

Release Date: Q4 2019.

Biomutant

Biomutant is a very interesting upcoming title in which you play as a small mammal that constantly evolves as you progress throughout the game. The open-world RPG puts a lot of emphasis on the Kung-Fu fighting mechanics. But you can also focus on melee, range or mutant abilities as your primary means of dealing damage. The world itself features a mix of sci-fi and fantasy elements where you can encounter everything from small woodland critters to giant robots.

Release Date: 2019.

Wasteland 3

One of the most popular post-apocalyptic games of all time is getting another sequel next year. This time around, the game will take place in a post-apocalyptic version of Colorado that has become little more than a frozen wasteland. The game is being developed by inXile Entertainment, the team behind Wasteland 2 and more recently Torment: Tides of Numenera. If Wasteland 3 is anything like its predecessor, we’re in for a real treat.

Release Date: Q1/Q2 2020.

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Neverdark

Neverdark takes a frighteningly realistic approach to what a post-apocalyptic society might look like. The year is 2030 and humanity is faced with a global blackout that shuts down all electronic devices and communications. Consequently, society descends into chaos and humanity is soon on the verge of extinction due to famine, disease, and war. The game plays like a mix of RTS and 4X strategy and tasks the player with leading a group of survivors who are trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild society from the ground up.

Release Date: TBA.

Last Oasis

Last Oasis takes place in an alternate version of Earth where the planet has stopped spinning on its own axis. This leads to a number of worldwide environmental changes While one half of the planet is being battered by the scorching Sun, the other remains cold and equally inhospitable. The surviving humans now roam the land atop giant machines known as Walkers. Their goal is to stay in the narrow strip of land that can still support life, which constantly moves as the planet continues to orbit around the Sun.

Release Date: September 3, 2019.

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG

Encased is an upcoming isometric RPG inspired by the first two Fallout games. Other sources of inspiration include Divinity: Original Sin, Baldur’s Gate, and Pillars of Eternity. The gameplay borrows elements from all of those titles but the setting and atmosphere were heavily influenced by Fallout, complete with 1950s style post-war propaganda. Despite that, Encased is more of a tribute than a rip-off from the looks of it. The game is being developed by a team that includes, among others, former members of Larian Studios. That should tell you quite a bit about what to expect from Encased.

Release Date: TBA.

Remnant: From the Ashes

Remnant is a brand new project from Gunfire Games, the team that brought us Darksiders 3 late last year. The post-apocalyptic landscape they used here is definitely reminiscent of what we saw in the company’s previous title but the gameplay is quite different. Remnant is a third-person shooter with RPG elements that encourages players to team up with others in order to overcome its difficult challenges. This is Gunfire’s first real foray into multiplayer so we’re excited to see what they’ve come up with.

Release Date: August 20, 2019.

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Doom Eternal

Nothing says post-apocalyptic wasteland like a planet that has just suffered a demonic invasion. After dealing with the demonic forces on Mars, the Doom Slayer returns to Earth to find that the planet has been overrun by the armies of Hell. You know what that means – it’s time to rip and tear once again. Doom Eternal looks to build upon everything that made its predecessor so successful. New types of demons, weapons, kill moves, you name it. In addition, the game is also getting a new 2v1 multiplayer mode, which sounds pretty interesting.

Release Date: November 22, 2019.

Phoenix Point

So far we’ve talked about post-apocalyptic games set in the wake of natural disasters, zombie outbreaks, robot uprisings, and good old Biblical-themed demonic invasions. But what about alien invasions? Don’t worry, that’s where Phoenix Point comes in. The game is a spiritual successor to X-COM created by Julian Gollop, the mastermind behind the original series. Despite all the controversies surrounding Phoenix Point’s Epic Games Store exclusivity, we still recommend keeping a close eye on this one. That goes double if you’re a fan of the original X-COM or the more recent (XCOM) series.

Release Date: December 2019.

The Surge 2

The Surge 2 isn’t quite a post-apocalyptic game but it does come awfully close. The game takes place in a dystopian future where society is on the brink of collapse. To make matters worse, technology has advanced to a point where it can no longer be kept in check and robots are starting to rampage across the world. The Surge 2 uses the same souls-like formula we’ve seen in the original but improves upon its predecessor in pretty much every way.

Release Date: September 24, 2019.

Code Vein

If you’re a fan of Dark Souls you’re definitely going to love this one. Code Vein is a new souls-like title set in the not too distant future where “a mysterious disaster has brought collapse to the world as we know it.” The game features an anime vibe, complete with colorful visuals and a story revolving around bloodthirsty vampires. The visuals are a bit of a departure from Dark Souls’ dark and grim art style. However, the gameplay is very much inspired by From Software’s popular RPG series.

Release Date: September 27, 2019.

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2

We couldn’t put together a list of upcoming post-apocalyptic games without at least mentioning S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. There’s not a lot to say about the game because we know next to nothing about it at the moment. What we do know is that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is being developed by GSC Game World, the same folks who brought us the original trilogy. We also know that the company has big plans for this new entry. Everything else is a mystery at this point but the fact that the series is being revived after a decade is enough to get us very excited.

Release Date: 2021 (Estimated).

Honorable Mentions

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The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds isn’t really a post-apocalyptic game. But we did want to mention it anyway because of its similarities to Fallout: New Vegas. The game is being developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the creators of New Vegas, and seems to feature many of the same gameplay elements.

Release Date: October 25, 2019.

Extinction Protocol

Extinction Protocol is an interesting upcoming game that looks like a 2D side-scroller but plays like a mix of RTS and tower defense. The concept is pretty unique and the game features great atmosphere and visuals so it might be worth checking out if you’re a fan of indie titles.

Release Date: Q2 2020.

Unbound: Worlds Apart

Unbound: Worlds Apart is another interesting indie title with very beautiful visuals. The game features unique reality-shifting mechanics that allow the protagonist to freely travel between two different worlds, one of which was ravaged by a cataclysmic event. Unbound looks and feels a lot like Limbo but the game is very much its own thing and shows a lot of promise.

Release Date: TBA.

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GhostWire: Tokyo

There’s not a whole lot of info regarding GhostWire: Tokyo just yet but we do know that the game takes place in a world where people are suddenly disappearing. The E3 2019 reveal trailer depicted a twisted version of The Rapture where supernatural forces are taking people to some unknown dimension. Not really sure what’s going on but it certainly looked interesting.

Release Date: TBA.

Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil

Mutant Year Zero recently got a new expansion that picks up where the base game left off. Seed of Evil adds a few more hours of content along with a new mutant squad member that looks like a moose. Need I say more? Mutant Year Zero was one of the most interesting post-apocalyptic games of 2018 so make sure to give it a try if you haven’t already.

Release Date: July 20, 2019.

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This War of Mine: Fading Embers

This War of Mine also got a new expansion not too long ago, nearly five years since the game’s initial launch. Fading Embers is more of the same and adds a few new locations to explore along with a new story-driven scenario. Fading Embers is the final expansion pack for This War of Mine so now would be a great time to jump back in for another playthrough if you want to experience all the game’s content.

Release Date: August 6, 2019.

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Jason Moth

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