16 Games Like The Last Of Us That Will Invade Your Mind In 2025

In numerous respects, The Last of Us and its follow-up, The Last of Us Part 2, elevated the standard for narrative in gaming. Set within a realistic take on a zombie apocalypse, these titles depended equally on well-crafted, emotional exchanges between characters as they did on stealth mechanics and battling daunting monsters, weaving tales that are hard to forget. These narratives resonated so deeply that they resulted in an HBO series adaptation–with the second season currently airing.

However, there are many titles similar to The Last of Us that also invoke the unique and compelling elements that characterize it–from the profound bond between the player character and their companion, to the heart-pounding fear of being pursued by terrifying foes, to the precise gameplay mechanics that render combat both exhilarating and intensely visceral.

Below, you will discover 16 games and franchises akin to The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part 2, exploring or enhancing various aspects of the experience that contribute to the emotional weight of Naughty Dog’s narrative-driven adventure. Most of these are action-adventure or horror titles that share similar themes–some narrate profound tales and have characters that form strong connections, while others innovate on third-person combat and stealth mechanics or evoke a comparable atmosphere to The Last of Us, and some craft horror experiences that are simply unparalleled in other forms of media.

Regardless of their intentions, like The Last of Us, these are games that create memorable experiences that may linger with you and perhaps invade your dreams. For more, check out our selections for the top horror games or top survival games.

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• Developer: Naughty Dog
• Release Date: August 22, 2017
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, PC
• Genre: Action-Adventure

Naughty Dog initially refined its cinematic, narrative-driven methodology with the Uncharted series, and out of all entries, Uncharted: Lost Legacy is the most authentic representation of that experience. It bears a close resemblance to The Last of Us, as you take on the role of Chloe Fraser (instead of the iconic Nathan Drake), spending nearly the entire game with Uncharted 4’s semi-antagonist, Nadine Ross. Similar to The Last of Us Part 2, Lost Legacy is a linear title featuring several expansive areas to explore, through which character growth and humorous exchanges between Chloe and Nadine echo the interactions between Joel and Ellie or Ellie and Dina. Incorporating stealth as a combat option, Lost Legacy ultimately feels like a slightly lighter iteration of The Last of Us.

• Developer: Creative Assembly
• Release Date: October 7, 2014
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
• Genre: Survival Horror

The height of suspense in The Last of Us is stealthily maneuvering around adversaries actively hunting you, but no game evokes the terror and anxiety of being pursued quite like Alien: Isolation. Creative Assembly’s adaptation of Ridley Scott’s iconic 1979 film is a masterclass in stealth-horror gameplay, placing you in the crosshairs of the terrifying alien creature with only limited tools at your disposal to distract or deter it, but not for extended periods. The alien relentlessly tracks you throughout much of Alien: Isolation, responding in credible and terrifying ways, compelling you to outwit it to survive. The game truly shines when you’re up against the alien, but its human and android foes will also challenge your stealth abilities, echoing the same tension that makes The Last of Us so gripping.

• Developer: Crystal Dynamics
• Release Date: March 5, 2013 / November 10, 2015 / September 14, 2018
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
• Genre: Action-Adventure

The revamped Tomb Raider franchise that commenced in 2013 builds upon the key elements that shaped the series, while highlighting stealth, crafting, and survival–many of the same gameplay features found in The Last of Us. Across all three installments, protagonist Lara Croft must leverage her survival skills to fend off swarms of enemies, maintaining concealment to set traps and perform ambushes. Tomb Raider incorporates combat and shooting dynamics akin to those seen in The Last of Us alongside its stealth components, and adds in some Uncharted-style environmental navigation, striking a balance between both of Naughty Dog’s celebrated series.

• Developer: Capcom
• Release Date: January 25, 2019
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch
• Genre: Survival Horror

Capcom’s reimagining of its survival-horror classic, Resident Evil 2, is an outstanding modernization of the gameplay elements that helped establish the genre, which eventually influenced The Last of Us. RE2 takes place in the Midwestern town of Raccoon City amid a catastrophic zombie outbreak, featuring unlikely heroes Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield fighting for their safety.

the town is consumed by chaos. A clear connection can be established between the eerie and unsettling atmosphere of the Raccoon City Police Station, populated by relentless zombies, and the devastated settings within The Last of Us. Although Resident Evil 2 is far from a game centered around stealth—largely involving running, shooting, and panic—it encapsulates much of the same anxiety and foreboding that lend The Last of Us its emotional weight.

• Developer: Tango Gameworks
• Launch Date: October 13, 2017
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
• Category: Survival Horror

The Evil Within aimed to revive the core elements of survival-horror games, blending features of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4. The outcomes were mixed, yet Tango Gameworks truly excelled with its sequel. The Evil Within 2 delves into a supernatural narrative and classic, albeit frightening, horror clichés, diverging from The Last of Us while offering a similar gameplay experience that prioritizes stealth to navigate and defeat formidable foes. What sets The Evil Within 2 apart, aside from its narrative depth, is its expansive suburban environments, colossal foes, and intense, unconventional boss battles. While both games share gameplay similarities, if you are seeking an outright horror narrative filled with gore and thrills, The Evil Within 2 will satisfy that craving.

• Developer: Sony Santa Monica
• Launch Date: April 20, 2018 / November 9, 2022
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, PC
• Category: Action-Adventure

The success of Naughty Dog’s cinematic storytelling approach has influenced many of Sony’s first-party studios. With the revival of God of War, Sony Santa Monica employs similar techniques. Like The Last of Us, God of War is another “dad” game wherein you take on the role of a paternal figure, journeying with a child and nurturing their bond throughout an adventurous road trip. While God of War focuses more on action, its intricate storytelling and exceptional character development result in an emotionally rich experience that extends well beyond mere combat against draugr and trolls. The story continues in God of War: Ragnarok, further enhancing the relationships among the characters.

• Developer: Remedy Entertainment
• Launch Date: May 14, 2010 / October 27, 2023
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Category: Action-Adventure

Remedy Entertainment crafted a more supernatural thriller rather than pure survival horror with the first Alan Wake, but the sequel delves fully into the horror theme ten years later. The Alan Wake games are considerably more peculiar than The Last of Us yet share a commitment to narrating a distinctive story through the medium. In these games, the plot involves a supernatural being leveraging its powers to escape and unleash chaos, manipulating a novelist’s storytelling as the tool to rewrite reality. The third-person shooting mechanics and dark, creepy environments evoke similar emotions and terrors as those in The Last of Us, but it’s the captivating, deeply personal narratives of the Alan Wake series and their emphasis on characters that will keep you engaged throughout both titles.

• Developer: Asobo Studio
• Launch Date: May 14, 2019 / October 18, 2022
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Category: Action-Adventure Stealth

In recent years, gaming has significantly improved at narrating stories that foster profound connections among the player, the protagonist, and AI allies. Central to A Plague Tale: Innocence is such a relationship. You control Amicia as she seeks to escape a lethal plague of rats and the French Inquisition with her five-year-old brother Hugo. Stealth plays a vital role in the Plague Tale games, focusing on the careful manipulation of hordes of rats to create pathways or overpower adversaries. The Plague Tale series captures a feeling of disempowered vulnerability, with threats lurking everywhere, but it is the bond between Amicia and Hugo that truly renders the story captivating.

• Developer: Visceral Games / Motive Studio (remake)
• Launch Date: October 13, 2008 / January 27, 2023 (remake)
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Category: Survival Horror

When it comes to locations, Dead Space couldn’t be further removed from The Last of Us, taking place centuries in the future aboard a massive mining spacecraft, starkly contrasting with a devastated modern America. However, in terms of atmosphere, it delivers similar gut-wrenching terror as monstrous, formerly human creatures emerge from the shadows, intent on tearing you apart. In Dead Space, these ‘necromorphs’ are grotesque abominations that were once crew members of the Ishimura, now reduced to twisted forms with sharp bones and jagged teeth. They can’t be vanquished through ordinary means, requiring players to sever their limbs using advanced mining equipment to immobilize them. The recent remake of Dead Space enhances the visuals and storytelling of the original while preserving the intense atmosphere that has cemented its status as a modern horror classic.

• Developer: Frictional Games
• Launch Date: September 22, 2015
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
• Category: Survival Horror

SOMA is a creation of Frictional Games, a studio that left a significant mark on horror gaming with Amnesia: The Dark Descent and…

its mechanics compel participants to sprint and conceal themselves from its creatures, rather than confront them head-on. This same tactic is evident in SOMA, a futuristic narrative unfolding within a partially devastated facility located deep beneath the ocean. Frictional does an exceptional job crafting a stifling and eerie ambiance in its dystopian environment, but you’ll also feel a strong urge to uncover the storyline within SOMA and discover the fate of the inhabitants of the facility as much as you will be captivated by the game’s more terrifying sequences. SOMA’s narrative stands out as its most captivating aspect, investigating profound themes of existence, mortality, identity, and the conception of self.

• Developer: Telltale Games
• Release Date: April 24, 2012
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
• Genre: Adventure

When discussing impactful zombie titles with compelling narratives, Telltale’s The Walking Dead set the benchmark. The episodic game takes place in the universe of Robert Kirkman’s graphic novel series, telling a unique story centered around a man named Lee and a young girl named Clementine whom he discovers and cares for as the zombie apocalypse escalates. The bond between Lee and Clementine is central to The Walking Dead’s narrative, and player choices influence the individual Clementine evolves into across not just a single game but four “seasons.” Emotional, heart-wrenching, terrifying, and intense, The Walking Dead may not showcase the gameplay intricacy of The Last of Us, but it holds its own in storytelling.

• Developer: Massive Entertainment
• Release Date: March 8, 2016 / March 15, 2019
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
• Genre: Action RPG

If you’re looking for more of the third-person cover-shooting dynamics central to The Last of Us, the Division games can fulfill that need. Massive’s live titles are open-world RPGs rather than straight narrative-driven experiences, yet they possess some mechanical similarities as you battle through devastated urban environments following a brutal pandemic that has ravaged much of the nation. Rather than using makeshift weapons, you’ll rely on various firearms and an array of gadgets like drones during combat against different factions vying for control in a collapsed New York and Washington D.C.

• Developer: Bend Studio
• Release Date: April 26, 2019
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, PC
• Genre: Action-Adventure

Similar to The Last of Us, Days Gone envisions a world after a cataclysmic event where humans have devolved into mindless, cannibalistic beings. However, the approach taken here differs as Days Gone provides you with a motorcycle to navigate and sets you loose in an expansive world to discover. Swarms of “freakers” roam the Oregon landscape, yet the freedom of gameplay allows you not only to combat the infected, but also to lure them towards other adversaries to use them as a weapon. The significant emphasis on character development and a poignant narrative ensures that Days Gone offers a similar exploration of the end of civilization.

• Developer: 11 bit Studios
• Release Date: November 14, 2014
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, PC
• Genre: Survival

The side-scrolling strategy title This War of Mine is recognized for being intense and challenging, attempting to portray the struggle for survival in a war-torn area. You manage a group of survivors taking refuge in a building while conflicts rage outside. Restricted by snipers during daylight, you use your time to craft tools, prepare meals, and care for your group. Nights provide an opportunity to scavenge for resources in perilous nearby zones. This War of Mine confronts players with moral dilemmas, as you come across others and decide how far you’re willing to go to endure. It’s a dark and challenging experience that embodies themes seldom tackled in gaming.

• Developer: Undead Labs
• Release Date: May 22, 2018
• Platforms: Xbox One, PC
• Genre: Survival

Facing a zombie outbreak is somewhat less daunting when you have companions by your side. State of Decay 2 immerses you in a realm dominated by the undead, tasking you with forming a community and locating other survivors. The permadeath feature ensures that if your characters perish, they remain dead, which compels you to keep them healthy and safe from infection—failure to do so results in the loss of their unique traits and skills. Additionally, State of Decay 2 allows collaboration with other players in a cooperative mode, enabling you to venture into the open world for scavenging and seeking survivors. If you hold an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you can access it there.

• Developer: Ninja Theory
• Release Date: October 5, 2010
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
• Genre: Action-adventure

One potent aspect that makes The Last of Us resonate is the bond that evolves between the main character Joel and his charge Ellie throughout their journey. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West explores a somewhat similar concept, despite the characters starting from a very different dynamic. Set in a distant future post-global conflict, Enslaved features the protagonist Monkey who is bound by a young woman named Trip through a “slave headband,” compelling him to assist her. Should Trip perish, the headband will end Monkey’s life. With no option but to collaborate, the relationship they forge develops in fascinating and unexpected directions.