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 FPS game pro tips 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.

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  Developer: Volframe

  
  


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  Release Date: April 2021

  
  


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  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 FPS game missions makes use of the creepy environment while bringing a distinctly medical focus to the setting.

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.

Liquidators is a first-person, atmospheric horror FPS game Cheats 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.

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.