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

In a lot of ways, The Last of Us and its sequel, The Last of Us Part 2, raised the bar for storytelling in games. Set in a grounded version of, essentially, a zombie apocalypse, they relied as much on well-written, emotional interactions between characters as they did on stealth gameplay and fighting horrific monsters, crafting horror stories that are hard to forget. Those stories were so impactful that they led to an HBO TV series adaptation–its second season is airing right now.

But there are a lot of games like The Last of Us that also evoke the specific and powerful elements that define it–whether it’s the strong relationship between the player character and a companion, the fearful intensity of being hunted by terrifying monsters, or the sharp gameplay mechanics that can make combat as satisfying as it is overwhelmingly visceral.

Below, you’ll find 16 games and franchises like The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part 2, riffing on or building on different parts of the experience that make Naughty Dog’s story-driven adventure so powerful. Most of these are action-adventure games or horror games that share similar ideas–some tell deep stories and have characters with which you’ll form a bond, some push third-person combat and stealth mechanics in smart directions or have a similar feel to The Last of Us, and some create horror experiences you simply can’t get in other media.

Regardless of their goals, like The Last of Us, these are games that create experiences that will stick with you, and maybe haunt your nightmares. For more, check out our picks for the best horror games or best survival games.

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