The short verdict
Kenshi is for Skyrim players who loved ignoring the main quest so much they wish there was none. You start as a nobody in a harsh world and can become a trader, a slave, a warlord or a corpse. Its visuals are dated and the controls are closer to a strategy game, but few games offer this much genuine freedom.
Kenshi and Skyrim at a glance
| Kenshi | Skyrim SE | |
|---|---|---|
| Steam rating | 96% · Overwhelmingly Positive Steam | 92% · Very Positive Steam |
| Metacritic | 75 MC | 74 MC |
| Critics (OpenCritic) | Not rated | 81 · Strong OC |
| Platforms | PC | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 |
| Steam Deck | Steam Deck Playable | Steam Deck Verified |
| Mods on Nexus | 1,704 Nexus | 141,888 Nexus |
| Steam release | Dec 6, 2018 | Oct 27, 2016 |
| Developer | Lo-Fi Games | Bethesda Game Studios |
| Co-op | None | None (single-player) |
| Perspective | Top-down | First & third-person |
Ratings, dates, developers, co-op modes and Steam Deck status from the official Steam store; critic scores and platforms from OpenCritic; mod counts from Nexus Mods. Refreshed automatically.
What feels like Skyrim
- Complete freedom to go anywhere and be anyone from minute one.
- Huge open world with factions that react to what you do.
- Massive modding community.
What is different
- Squad-based, point-and-click control closer to a strategy game.
- No main story — you write your own.
- Extremely harsh early game and dated presentation.
Skip Kenshi if…
You want direct action combat and handcrafted quests.
Is Kenshi a good alternative to Skyrim?
On our five-trait comparison, Kenshi scores 64% similar to Skyrim(close) and ranks #11 of 13 on ouralternative Skyrim list. Complete freedom to go anywhere and be anyone from minute one. The biggest adjustment for Skyrim players: squad-based, point-and-click control closer to a strategy game.
Kenshi trailers & video reviews
Official trailerWhere to play Kenshi — price, Steam Deck & players
Price on Steam
$11.99 $29.99 −60%
US price on October 14, 2026 — check Steam for today’s price ·price history
How long is Kenshi?
Playtimes vary hugely with how much you explore. See community-submitted completion times on HowLongToBeat.
Kenshi PC system requirements
Minimum
- OS
- 64-bit Windows
- Processor
- Dual-core 64-bit
- Memory
- 6 GB RAM
- Graphics
- Pixel shader 5.0 capable card
- DirectX®
- 11
- Hard Drive
- 14GB HD space
Recommended
- OS *
- Windows 7 64-bit
- Processor
- Quad-core 64-bit
- Memory
- 16 GB RAM
- DirectX®
- 11
- Hard Drive
- 14GB HD space
From the official Steam store page · verified October 14, 2026
Latest official Kenshi news
Community Update: 3 Million Copies Sold
Greetings Kenshi crew Since its original launch in 2018, Kenshi has found its way into the hands of more than 3 million players. In recognition of this milestone and the community that helped us achieve it, we wanted to…
Community Update: Fresh Faces, New Merch, and a Halloween Recap
Greetings Kenshi crew, Work on Kenshi 2 is keeping us plenty busy, but we wanted to take a moment to share a few updates from around the studio: new faces, new merch, and a quick look back at something you might’ve…
Community Update: Kenshi - Meet the Makers (video)
Hey Kenshi crew, We’ve just released a new video: Kenshi: Meet the Makers. It's an informal look behind the scenes with Chris Hunt - creator of Kenshi and founder of Lo-Fi Games, and Nat Mikkelson - Lo-Fi’s Managing…
Community Spotlight #19
Well then sandblown strangers, how fares your journey? Here’s to hoping you find a rare pause to down your tools and take stock; a fleeting breath between berserker screams and the gnashing of cannibal teeth to ponder…
Official announcements from the developer’s Steam news hub, updated automatically.
Kenshi mods & community
Community links are fan-run spaces; opinions there are players’ own, not ours.
Community
What Skyrim players say about Kenshi
Reviews from players on this site, answering the questions Skyrim fans actually ask. Published instantly, moderated afterwards.
No player reviews yet
Played Kenshi? Be the first Skyrim fan to tell others whether it scratches the itch.
Kenshi FAQ
Is Kenshi like Skyrim?
Partly — we rate it 64% similar to Skyrim. Complete freedom to go anywhere and be anyone from minute one. The biggest difference: squad-based, point-and-click control closer to a strategy game.
Is Kenshi on PS5 or Xbox?
We can only confirm the PC version on Steam. Check the developer’s official site for console versions.
Does Kenshi work on Steam Deck?
Valve rates it Steam Deck Playable, according to its Steam store page.
Does Kenshi have co-op?
No. Its Steam store page does not list co-op modes; like Skyrim, it is a single-player game.
Does Kenshi have mods?
Yes. Nexus Mods hosts 1,704 mods for Kenshi, downloaded 10,796,030 times.
Is Kenshi worth playing?
Steam players rate it 96% positive (“Overwhelmingly Positive”) from 117,366 reviews. Skip it if: you want direct action combat and handcrafted quests.
How long does it take to beat Kenshi?
It depends heavily on how much side content you do. See community-reported completion times on HowLongToBeat.
