Kenshi: Forge your own Path in this Sprawling Sci-fi World

Kenshi is a brutal, open-ended sandbox RPG set in a sprawling post-apocalyptic sci-fi world. With no set story, no chosen one, and no guiding hand, Kenshi gives players total freedom to live out a story of survival, struggle, and self-determination. You start as a nobody—starving, weak, and alone—and can evolve into anything from a wandering trader to a warlord commanding armies.

Its hallmark is player agency: everything is emergent, unforgiving, and systemic. Think Dwarf Fortress meets Mount & Blade with a sci-fi twist. There’s no level-scaling, and the world doesn’t wait for you to catch up.

Plot and Setting

Set in a desolate, ruined world where ancient technologies and broken civilisations lie buried under sand and ash, Kenshi drops you into a dystopia filled with warring factions, cannibals, slavers, and mysterious ancient machines.

There’s no single narrative, but lore is scattered across ruins, dialogues, and books. The setting hints at a fallen world of once-great empires, AI-driven cataclysms, and biotechnological experiments gone wrong. You can choose to uncover these stories or ignore them completely in favour of carving your own legend.

The world is harsh, with hunger, injury, and capture constantly threatening you. Weather systems, faction politics, and wildlife all interact in a dynamic, unscripted environment.

Gameplay Features

Total Freedom

No quests or mandatory objectives. Become a mercenary, thief, farmer, rebel, slaver, monk, or nomad—or all of them at once.
You can play solo or recruit dozens of characters to form a group, town, or private army.

Squad-Based Tactical RPG

Control multiple characters at once, issuing commands in real time.
Use pause and speed-up functions to manage large squads or react to ambushes and battles.

Detailed Character Progression

Stats improve through use—no classes or XP. You get better at what you do by doing it: running builds athletics, mining builds strength, getting beat up builds toughness.
Permanent injuries (like losing limbs) lead to cybernetic replacements or adaptations.

Base Building and Economy

Build your own outposts or fortified towns, complete with crafting stations, defences, farms, and research labs.
Manage supply lines, defend against raids, and create self-sufficient economies.

Factions and World Simulation

The world doesn’t revolve around the player—factions war, migrate, and react dynamically.
Kill a faction leader, and power structures shift. Make enemies or allies depending on your reputation and past actions.

Themes

Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

Ruined tech, failed utopias, and buried AI secrets form the world’s forgotten backbone.

Anarchic Survivalism

There are no governments or heroes—only factions, tribes, and whoever has the power to take and hold land.

Persistence Through Pain

Kenshi rewards suffering and adaptation. Broken bones and lost limbs are part of the journey.

Player-Created Narrative

The best stories in Kenshi are the ones you create, forged from hard-earned victories and tragic losses.

Visuals and Audio

Kenshi is graphically modest but visually distinctive. The barren landscapes, jagged ruins, and spartan UI emphasise the game’s harsh tone. Each biome—from radioactive plateaus to fungal swamps—carries its own dangers and visual personality.

The ambient soundtrack is minimal and atmospheric, reinforcing a sense of isolation and resilience. Sound design favours utility over spectacle, immersing you in a world where tension and quiet survival matter more than bombast.

Have you played Kenshi? What’s your favourite part of it? We’d love to hear from you.

Other things you might want to know: