Best Games Set In Chernobyl

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 was a pivotal moment which ultimately accelerated the collapse of the USSR, making it one of the most historically significant events in recent history. Due to the nature of the incident, a large exclusion zone was established to prevent radioactive contamination, leading to many speculations and conspiracy theories as to what may be happening there. It makes for an ideal video game setting in which treacherous conditions and a high number of life-ending threats combine to create an eerie and seemingly inhospitable environment.

While some games opt for a realistic approach and adhere to historical accuracy, others have sought to add their own spin on the disaster and its ensuing fallout. Reports of mutated insects and animals in real life have also led to the creation of innumerable fictional creatures and entities that may dwell within the exclusion zone. The abandoned city of Pripyat in modern day Ukraine serves as a haunting monument which regularly features as a setting in video games.

Updated January 11, 2025, by Andrew McLarney: With the release of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the focus has returned to Chernobyl as a dynamic and fascinating video game setting. Even decades after the event of the nuclear meltdown, it still continues to intrigue and inspire developers with its potential. New titles have been added to include a wider variety of genres including horror and exploration, as well as some classic and well-known titles which feature Chernobyl as a prominent setting.

10

SWAN: Chernobyl Unexplored

A Creepy Horror Game With Plenty of Scares

• Developer: Volframe
• Release Date: April 2021
• Genre: Horror

An abandoned nuclear facility and the evacuated towns surrounding it make for an ideal horror setting, but SWAN: Chernobyl Unexplored takes things one step further by adding its own unexplored area and mysteries related to the meltdown.

Players will have to keep their wits about them as they creep through the dimly-lit corridors and darkened rooms of the fictional SWAN Institute. The game makes use of the creepy environment while bringing a distinctly medical focus to the setting.

9

Chernobyl: The Untold Story

A Realistic Indie Thriller

Chernobyl: The Untold Story is an indie psychological thriller produced by Mehsoft and released in 2018. Players will need to explore a variety of locations such as a school, a hospital, a cinema, and a pool, but along the way they will encounter hostile enemies and ghoulish figures.

One big part of the game is its emphasis on radiation poisoning and the way it can erode mental faculties. The player-character will oftentimes hallucinate, leaving players wondering if what they have just seen is a genuine threat or an illusion.

8

Liquidators

A First-Person Horror Game Honoring The Real-Life Heroes Of Chernobyl

Liquidators is a first-person, atmospheric horror game with pixelated graphics but an extreme amount of attention directed towards historical authenticity. The game centers around the three brave divers who were sent on what was believed to be a suicide mission in an attempt to drain the steam suppression pools beneath the fourth reactor building.

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Extensively focusing on the three divers, Valeri Bespalov, Alexei Ananenko and Boris Baranov, all three of whom lived into old age and were awarded the Hero of Ukraine honor, Liquidators pays a fitting tribute to their efforts. Purchases of the game currently go towards aiding displaced children in Ukraine with the help of Unicef.

7

Chernobyl: Road Of Death

A 2D Shooter With Loads Of Content

Chernobyl: Road of Death is 2D shooter with survival and rogue-like elements from Diedemor Studio. Players are tasked with navigating the exclusion zone and preventing a second explosion from happening inside the nuclear power plant itself.

Along the way, players will encounter mutants and armed soldiers, as well as copious amounts of radiation. The game’s pixel art style works perfectly in this setting, and the amount of content in the game is very impressive for a small studio’s debut game. Chernobyl: Road of Death is certainly worth checking out for any fans of games such as Project Zomboid and OTXO.

6

Chernobyl Liquidators

A Realistic Depiction Of The Disaster Clean-Up Efforts

Another game largely centered around the first responders and emergency services on-site at the disaster is the upcoming Chernobyl Liquidators. Players will take on several different roles and be required to fulfill their requisite duties, which should give a comprehensive perspective of the types of jobs and tasks people had to carry out at the time.

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With modern graphics and a variety of extremely detailed environments, early screenshots and gameplay footage look very promising, with the game expected to be fully released in Q2 of 2024. For anyone interested in the Chernobyl theme or emergency responders in general, this one should go straight on the wishlist!

5

Isotopium: Chernobyl

A “Remote Reality” Game Where Players Explore A Real-World Diorama Via Remote Controlled Robots

Isotopium: Chernobyl is a one-of-a-kind game in which players control real-world miniature robots via a live camera feed and explore a carefully constructed, Chernobyl-inspired, diorama. Players need to explore and collect isotopes from around the environment in order to compete with others on a global leaderboard.

Dubbed as the first “remote reality” game, there truly is limitless potential for this untapped medium. One of the great features of the game is the ability to explore the incredibly detailed model environment, and admire the craftsmanship that has gone into creating it.

4

Chernobylite

Chernobyl Meets A Sci-Fi FPS

Another underrated game from a smaller developer, Farm 51’s Chernobylite offers players an intense and largely narrative-focused FPS experience with survival and RPG mechanics implemented, too. While many comparisons have been drawn to the likes of the Stalker and Metro series, Chernobylite is smaller in scope and more linear than open-world.

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The story is one of the best to make use of the Chernobyl setting, inventing a rare new and highly sought-after substance which gave the game its title. The game features a good combination of fantastical sci-fi elements combined with gritty realism, and there is always plenty to do from survival and crafting to recruitments and base customization.

3

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)

“All Ghillied Up” Is A Legendary CoD Mission

Although the majority of the game is set elsewhere, it was the Chernobyl mission, “All Ghillied Up” which really launched the entire Call of Duty franchise into the stratospheric popularity it still maintains today. As a young Captain Price, players accompany Captain MacMillan on a stealth mission as they attempt to assassinate Imran Zakhaev.

In addition to this, several of the multiplayer maps including “Bloc,” “Vacant,” and “Pipeline” were set within the Chernobyl blast radius, allowing players to visit haunting relics such as the famous abandoned swimming pool and ferris wheel.

2

S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat

Systems

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Released

February 2, 2010

Multiplayer

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Local Multiplayer

Engine

x-ray engine, proprietary engine

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ESRB

m

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How Long To Beat

15 Hours

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Dating back to 2007, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series is one of the most iconic survival franchises in gaming history and is notorious for its combination of immersion and difficulty. Players are tasked with surviving in “The Zone” and must battle all manner of enemies, from armed mercenaries and scavengers to irradiated mutants and supernatural entities.

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Stalker: Call of Pripyat is technically the third game in the series, following Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Skies, but generally Call of Pripyat has aged the best. Even without mods, the visuals still hold up well, and players can even journey deep inside the nuclear reactor itself.

1

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

The Iconic, Unforgiving Open-World Series

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the latest game in the beloved STALKER series, and once again takes place in the area surrounding Chernobyl’s erupted nuclear plant. From anomalies and mutants to bandits and paramilitaries, The Zone is still as dangerous as ever for players either returning or entering for the first time.

Though the game has had its technical difficulties, and the reactor itself currently remains out-of-bounds, STALKER 2 is still a worthy successor in the franchise and arguably embodies the very best attributes offered by the series.