The 10 Best Games Like Rimworld

What are the best games like Rimworld?

Rimworld is one of the most popular management and survival games in the world, and it has drummed up a lot of enthusiasm for the genre.

Fortunately, there are many games with similar mechanics, though not all of them are worth rushing out to buy.

To make finding the best management and survival games like Rimworld easy, we’ve created this handy list!

The 10 Best Games Like Rimworld

These have been chosen after careful consideration based on their gameplay and reviews from players and critics.

We’ve also played through all of them ourselves to ensure that they deliver a satisfying gameplay experience.

So, if you’re ready to test your management skills, here’s our list of the 10 best games like Rimworld:

10. First Feudal

Kicking off our list, we have First Feudal, a survival colony management simulator that allows players to become medieval feudal lords.

When you start the game, you will only have a few settlers and a limited number of resources to get your settlement off the ground.

A bit similar to the best games like Terraria, First Feudal will take a lot of careful colony management if you want to succeed.

You will have to delegate tasks to your settlers in order to gain more resources and goods, including crops, equipment, and important buildings.

However, once your settlement starts expanding, you’ll have to watch out for bandits who will attack you to raid your resources.

To repel them, you will need to have a militia ready to go that can fight back whenever the bandits show up.

There are ten professions available to which you can assign your settlers; however, if you want to attract more to your settlement, you’ll need a few things.

You’ll have to make sure that there are enough buildings for new people to be comfortable, as well as enough food for everyone.

While hunting and gathering may work in the beginning, to really expand, you’ll need to start investing in agriculture.

Of course, the seasons also change, so you’ll need a food stockpile and warm enough housing before the winter sets in!

9. Going Medieval

Going Medieval is currently in early access, but it is already proving to be a fantastic alternative to Rimworld with similar mechanics.

Like First Feudal, this game is all about building a colony in the medieval age and doing your best to sustain it and make it thrive.

In this game, you can design, build, and expand your own colony, building it up from small huts into towering stone fortresses.

However, because much of the world has been ravaged by the plague, there are always threats looking to grab what you’ve got.

You will always have to be prepared to deal with raids, and you can increase your defenses by building walls and exterior traps.

There are also weapons and gear that you can research and craft to give your settlers a fighting chance on the battlements.

That said, there is also starvation and the elements that you’ll need to contend with by building warm shelters and stocking up on food.

With update 9 coming soon that adds new environmental overhauls, now is the perfect time to pick up this game if you’re a fan of Rimworld!

8. Amazing Cultivation Simulator

Up next, we have this strategy and management sim that is based on Chinese mythology and revolves around the search for immortality.

In this game, there are various sects that those searching for immortality devote their lives to, and you get to create your own!

As a grandmaster, players get to rebuild the Taiyi Sect from the ground up by training apprentices, gathering knowledge, and expanding.

You will also have to manage your school, grow your cultivation sect into a spiritual center, and create relationships with other sects.

However, while doing all of this, you will also have to do what you can to maintain the balance between good and evil!

Yes, while trying to keep your sect together, you will also be responsible for protecting people from supernatural threats.

What makes this game even more fun is that the maps are randomly generated for each run, so you will always experience something different!

There are 10 cultivation laws you can practice, and as you achieve a higher status, you can prolong your lifespan.

This game is really in-depth, and there is a ton of content to explore, with even more planned to be added in future updates!

7. Factorio

One of the best games like Minecraft, Factorio is all about creating your own automated factory and producing increasingly complex items.

In this game, you have to mine resources, research new technologies, build your own infrastructure, and automate production, all while fighting enemies.

Yeah, this game isn’t just about leisurely production; there are enemies that you will have to face off against in order to keep producing.

You see, the locals aren’t too thrilled about your factory exploiting their planet’s resources, and so they’ve decided to retaliate.

We’re sure there is a fundamental lesson here about the value of nature, but in Factorio, you’re fighting to keep the exploitation going!

There is even a multiplayer co-op mode where you can work with your friends to create even larger factories.

This game even supports mods to overhaul gameplay and make it easier or much harder, depending on what you want.

While the core gameplay is built around free play, there are also scenarios you can choose to play through to shake things up.

If you play through all of the maps and scenarios, you can even create your own using the map editor!

6. Prison Architect

Prison Architect, as the name suggests, is all about building a maximum security prison that is impossible to escape from.

In this game, players take on the role of warden and have to try and contain the most dangerous and ruthless inmates in the world.

However, this is easier said than done, as you’ll have to create an impenetrable compound, but it has to make sense.

For instance, you’ll have to make sure that you don’t restrict crowd flow too much, or fires, fights, or full-blown riots can occur.

You will also have to have armed guards, doctors, psychologists, and lawyers on staff to keep things running smoothly.

Every prisoner will require customized treatment programs, reform workshops, and labor schedules as well to ensure they don’t have time to collaborate on an escape.

Once you have built your facility to your standards, you can even try to escape from it yourself using Escape Mode.

Or, if you’d rather, you can head to Online Mode and try to escape from any of the user-made prisons to test your skills on something unknown.

With the final update for this game out, there is already talk of a 3D sequel, so now is the perfect time to start playing!

5. Dwarf Fortress

Dwarf Fortress is like a mashup of the best games like Ark Survival Evolved and Rimworld, and keeping your dwarves alive is extremely difficult.

This game has been around in some capacity since 2003, and it only recently made its way to Steam and Itch.io in 2022.

Every game is set in a procedurally generated world where players control a group of dwarves and attempt to build a successful fortress.

However, this isn’t just a building free-for-all, as you will also have to worry about keeping your dwarves fed and sane.

Yeah, your dwarves can end up losing themselves to madness, kind of like Thorin Oakenshield when he goes mad over the search for the Arkenstone.

Oh, and there are also dragons to worry about, so you really can live out your Hobbit fantasies with this game!

Dwarf Fortress is an absolutely massive game with over 200 types of rock and mineral types, dynamic weather, and hundreds of animals and monsters.

You really are going to have to think strategically if you want your fortress to thrive in this game!

4. Space Haven

Space Haven is currently in early access, but it has already become a hit on Steam with a ton of very positive reviews.

This game takes place during the course of a space voyage where a crew of civilians is looking for a new place to call home.

It is up to players to build up their spacecraft and manage all of the crew’s needs while also exploring the vast universe.

You can customize your ship or station as much as you want, including every wall and piece of the hull.

There is even a simulated gas system that you have to monitor to ensure that the Oxygen and CO2 levels are kept optimal for life.

Additionally, in this system, there are hazardous gases that can build up, so you’ll want to make sure you have the right scrubbers to purify the air.  

The characters that you’re looking after also have complex personalities, skills, and traits that make them better suited for specific tasks.

Just like in the best games like Fire Emblem, you’ll need to know what your team is good at before assigning them to a specific job.

All of this has to be taken care of while you try to organize away missions and deal with aliens who sometimes board your ship to cause chaos!

3. Oxygen Not Included

Oxygen Not Included is a base-building and survival game with strategic gameplay, and it revolves around trying to create a thriving space colony.

This game starts players deep in a space rock that is randomly generated every time a new game is started.

It is up to you to excavate areas, build facilities, and ensure that all of your space settlers are able to survive and thrive.

The base building in this game is extremely in-depth, and everything, including the plumbing and power systems, is up to you to build.

You can’t just slap down a shower and expect it to function; instead, you actually have to set up pipes for water input and drainage!

Of course, as the name suggests, you will also have to monitor the oxygen levels, and the Oxygen Overlay allows you to see it flowing in real-time.

If that wasn’t enough, you have the temperature to contend with as well, and you’ll have to make sure your base doesn’t get too cold or too hot!

This is easily one of the best survival games of all time, especially for fans of Rimworld, because it shares a lot of the same mechanics!

2. Civitatem

A bit similar to the best games like Civilization, Civitatem is all about building a medieval city and working to make it thrive.

In this game, you’ll have to manage all of your settlers and assign one to be the elder, who is responsible for leading everyone else.

Elders never sleep and can be specialized in many different ways, though you will also have to pay close attention to your settlers.

Every settler has different skills, and you need to make sure you’re choosing the best ones for specific jobs.

Each map is procedurally generated, and there are dynamic events that occur, including raider attacks and natural disasters.

The seasons also change, providing new challenges, such as trying to stock up on food and build warm shelters before winter.

In order to win the game, you will have to build one of the two end-game buildings that will make your town a center of knowledge and trade.

There are three difficulties you can choose to play on, with the most difficult posing a significant challenge even to veterans of Rimworld!

1. Frostpunk

Taking our number one spot is Frostpunk, a game set in a post-apocalyptic world where players are the rulers of the last city on Earth.

In this game, the entire world is frozen over, and steam-powered technology has been developed to help stave off the cold.

Not only will you have to grapple with efficient resource collection and management, but keeping the city running often means setting empathy aside.

As the ruler of this city, you will also have to make laws to regulate things such as food provision, healthcare, and daily routine.

However, it is very easy to push your society to the breaking point with totalitarianism if you’re ruling with an iron fist.

On the flip side, too much compassion can quickly lead to dwindling resources and productivity, so nothing is black and white.

Will you become a benevolent leader or someone that people revile and fear? The choices are never easy in this incredibly well-designed game!

Frostpunk really gives players a ton of freedom to run things however they want, which is one of the many reasons we can’t get enough of it!

There’s even a sequel set to release in 2024 that’s set 30 years after this game, and we honestly can’t wait to play it!

Summary

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the 10 best games like Rimworld and that you’ve found some you can’t wait to play!

Although you can’t go wrong with any of these great games, we highly recommend checking out Frostpunk if you haven’t already.

It is remarkably in-depth, and the amount of freedom it gives players is second to none, making it perfect for fans of Rimworld!

Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best games like Rimword:

1. Frostpunk
2. Civitatem
3. Oxygen Not Included
4. Space Haven
5. Dwarf Fortress
6. Prison Architect
7. Factorio
8. Amazing Cultivation Simulator
9. Going Medieval
10. First Feudal

Which game like Rimworld will you play first? Leave a comment below.