Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead

Released Mar 2023

The epitome of a modern traditional roguelike: with turn-based play and a RPG-like skill progression system, it hearkens back to some of the major aspects of this genre. This game has an incredible depth, with a deep inventory system, vehicles and boats, NPCs with their own stories, and more.

85% positive · 551 reviews
Not yet
Released, but still in active development
High confidence
Active Development
Not yet
Released, but still in active development
High confidence
Active Development

Where to buy

Steam $19.99
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Evaluation

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead officially launched on Steam on March 31, 2023, following over a decade of community-driven development. The game has since received a consistent series of major stable releases: 0.H Herbert shipped on December 26, 2024, and most recently, 0.I Ito arrived on August 24, 2026 — just three days before this assessment. The August 24, 2026 developer post confirms that the Steam publisher returned to active work after a personal hiatus of roughly 2.5 months, and successfully delivered the 0.I stable release to Steam. The developer explicitly states they do not intend to stop releasing stable updates, and the store description reinforces this with language about "ever expanding content, with new major updates released regularly." The established pattern of major stable releases (approximately annually) remains intact, and the developer's return post shows no sign of winding down. This is an actively developed, community-driven open-source roguelike with a long track record of sustained updates.
Evidence
Developer announces 0.I (Ito) stable release has arrived on Steam, confirming they have returned to development after a personal hiatus and a lengthy integration process. Linux build is also restored.
news post · Aug 24, 2026 source content shipped
high
0.H Herbert stable release shipped to Steam. Developer mentions excitement for features already planned for 0.I (new UI, savefile size improvements), signaling continued development.
news post · Dec 26, 2024 source development ongoing
high

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
KorGgenT
Achievements
39
Platform
Windows, Linux
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player

About this game

An apocalyptic cataclysm has happened… more precisely, all of them did, all at once. Within the last few years, riots and wars shook the Earth, devastating its population, and finally, the grid has completely collapsed. As if that weren't enough, there are zombies?! Evil mushrooms!? Giant hornets?! You'll need to make the best of things and figure out a way to survive. In this expansive survival RPG, you'll have to find or craft tools, kill monsters, gather allies, build your home base, grow crops, and survive a world that grows ever harsher around you. Find a working vehicle and use that to explore the wasteland of New England! Who was the mysterious "XEDRA" that left artifacts around the dying world, and how are they connected to the cataclysm?

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is the epitome of a modern roguelike: with turn-based play and a RPG-like skill progression system, it hearkens back to the classics of the genre while building on them in unexpected ways. The depth of this game will surprise you, with a cleverly-designed inventory system, the ability to drive vehicles on land or water, well-written NPCs with their individual stories, and more. The scope of Cataclysm is unparalleled in the genre, thanks to a dedicated community that works to create this game collaboratively, as we have for over ten years.



  • Complex and diverse enemies from ever-mutating legions of the undead, to giant insects, to existential horrors from between worlds.
  • Unparalleled vehicle building and customization system.
  • Immersive, exquisitely detailed crafting system covering everything from smithing and soldering to keeping your sourdough starter fed.
  • Build almost anything you can imagine, from a wattle-and-daub shelter in the woods to a tower of reinforced concrete and living alien resin.
  • Populate your base with NPC allies that help you craft and keep you company.
  • Explore one of the most detailed and immersive skill and proficiency systems in any RPG.
  • Ever expanding content, with new major updates released regularly.
  • Challenging, rewarding game balance that forces you to evaluate every step, or pay the price. You'll soon see why most of the world's population is dead!



  • …want to feel like you might actually be able to survive against an incredibly harsh and unforgiving apocalypse.
  • …have ever wandered through a hardware store thinking "This would be a great place to hole up when the zombies come."
  • …love survival RPGs but get frustrated when you can't hotwire one of the nearby broken-down cars, weld a makeshift ram to the front, and plow it through the gates of the next story-important area.
  • …enjoy detailed simulation-style games, but also want to mutate into a bizarre cat-girl slime mold creature with a cybernetic gun arm in one.



What do you get for purchasing the Steam Edition of CDDA?
  • Steam cloud support for save games.
  • Graphical achievements.
  • A chance to help the CleverRaven team in supporting one of our long-term developers, working on one of the best open-source games on the internet.
  • More planned… check back soon!
Last evaluated Aug 27, 2026
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