An indie studio asked the same question—and what we’ve seen so far looks very promising.

This new sandbox RPG is tailor-made for fans of Valheim, Fallout, and Resident Evil. The survival genre is packed with sandbox RPGs right now, and players are spoilt for choice on Steam—for better or worse. If you like survival-based RPGs (think Valheim and Fallout) with a dash of Resident Evil-inspired horror, look no further than Nighthold by 2 Zombie Games.

After a corporate starship crash, the crew is stranded on a hostile alien planet where each night, the Rot rises from the ground—a mysterious phenomenon that annihilates everything it touches. To survive, locals build elevated shelters called “nightholds.” Outsmart rival human camps, fight for resources, and claim cryptic ancient technology left by a lost civilization. Search for a working escape pod to send out a distress signal, but remember: in this brutal world, survival always comes first. Dive into a fully destructible open world where every action leaves a mark. Explore dynamic environments shaped by realistic weather and fire systems—set a building ablaze and watch it burn to ashes. Craft, cook, fish, and interact with NPCs who build their own camps and react to your decisions. Form alliances, take on quests, or destroy anyone who stands in your way. The world is alive, and your fate is shaped by your choices.

Daytime is your prep window: gather resources, craft tools and weapons, and reinforce your Nighthold. But when night falls, the Rot appears, infecting enemies, buildings, and even the people around you. Defend yourself from these corrupted threats and learn to control the infection to turn the tide in your favor—or fall victim to it. Survive alone, or team up with friends for seamless, cross-platform co-op. Build, explore, and conquer the night together—or take on this unforgiving world on your own terms.

Based on the embedded video below, Nighthold looks incredibly promising: its crafting and survival systems are shown off with stylish cel-shaded visuals. Whether Nighthold is as good as it looks remains to be seen. We’ll find out at launch. Announced last December, the game’s been in development for some time—so add it to your Steam wishlist in the meantime.

Source: Gamingbible, Steam

We’re thrilled to introduce a new game we’ve been working on — Nighthold.
A co-op sandbox RPG with survival elements.
Make sure to wishlist Nighthold and stay tuned — more updates are coming soon!https://t.co/0pUZ6Zcl4l pic.twitter.com/bqS1rqFeZr

— 2zombie (@2zombiegames) December 6, 2024