Minecraft, Subnautica, Palworld and many more: Survival games have been around for ages, and an endless series of games have already tried to dominate the genre. But which games have succeeded? Here are 10 of the best survival games ever made.
What could be better than chilling in the safe environment of your own living room, wrapped in a cozy blanket with a cup of hot chocolate while fighting for survival? Most gamers have tried a survival game at some point in their video game career. Whether it's a relaxing 2D title like Terraria or a serious survival simulator like The Long Dark, survival games offer a massive range of diversity
If you're itching to play one of these games and wonder, "Where the hell should I start?", we've compiled some of the best survival games for you. Grab your pickaxe and join us on a journey across the survival games genre!
The 10 Best Survival Games
The following list of survival games is sorted by their release year. Which game suits you best depends on your taste.
Minecraft (2009)
The oldest game in our list is a true indie hit that has managed to make the big leap to become a AAA title. The sandbox game with its trademark "blocky" artstyle was first released in 2009 by indie developer Markus "Notch" Persson. And with 300 million copies sold, it is now the best-selling video game in the world. It's no wonder, then, that Microsoft acquired the Minecraft license in 2014, thus cementing the game's legendary status.
Similar to building blocks in the real world, you can let your imagination run wild with creativety. But it's not just the sandbox aspect that makes Minecraft so special.
In survival mode, you have to secure your base for... well, survival. Along the way, you encounter countless secrets of the world, such as pirate ships, sunken temples, and gates to hell. And when you've had enough, you travel to the End and defeat the Ender Dragon. Yes, I just spoiled the end of Minecraft.
But your options don't end there. The Minecraft community is so huge that numerous mods can bring out the best and craziest aspects of the game, changing not only the look, but everything you can imagine.
Minecraft is available on PC, macOS, Linux, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and mobile phones. It's included in the Game Pass .
Terraria (2011)
Dig, fight, explore, build! Nothing is impossible in this action-packed adventure game. The world is your canvas and the ground itself is your paint.
Terraria is the mother of 2D sandbox games. In the game, you are free to explore the randomly generated world as you wish. Along the way, you'll encounter various biomes, different layers of terrain, as well as enemies and even bosses to fight. You gather resources to improve your equipment and build a base that will regularly be visited by traders.
In Terraria's survival mode, you also need to fend off hunger and thirst, protect yourself from darkness, and rest regularly.
For those who enjoy retro charm and freedom, this game is definitely worth checking out.
Terraria is available on PC, MacOS, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch. It's included in the Game Pass .
Don't Starve (2013)
Don't Starve should appeal to anyone who is drawn to Tim Burton-esque aesthetics and a challenge.
At the start of your game, you choose one of many characters with special abilities and are then dropped into the wilderness. Nothing is explained to you, but you quickly realize that it's all about hardcore survival.
You gather resources, establish a food source, and strive to stay alive night after night. And if you get lost in the darkness, you become prey to plenty of shadow monsters. During the day, you explore the world, which holds countless mysteries. But be warned: This game requires a high tolerance for frustration because you'll often find yourself starting over from scratch.
Since 2016, you can also experience the indie hit with friends: Don't Starve Together is available as a separate game and offers a whole new perspective.
Don't Starve is available on PC, macOS, Linux, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and mobile phones.
Subnautica (2014)
What's more of a mystery than the deep sea? Right! The deep sea on other planets. In Subnautica , that's where you're heading.
You find yourself in the 22nd century, with space exploration well underway. With your spaceship, you crash on a water planet and save yourself using an escape pod. Your goal, besides survival, is to find a way off this planet and reach the safety of your space colony. As you create a base to survive, you discover bits of the story in the form of emergency call recordings and text messages, uncovering the fate of your crew and the secrets of this planet.
Underwater, in addition to gathering resources, you encounter breathtaking underwater landscapes and numerous life forms, not all of which are friendly. You must always keep an eye on your available oxygen and water pressure, which you combat by improving your equipment.
In the first sequel Below Zero, the merciless cold is added to the mix, accompanying you on another journey through the history of this mysterious water planet. Soon we will also receive another sequel.
But remember: Always wait an hour after eating before going back into the water.
Subnautica is available on PC, macOS, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch.
No Man's Sky (2016)
The journey of No Man's Sky is a wild rollercoaster ride. When the game was released in 2016, a wave of outrage swept through the player community. The highly anticipated title initially appeared to be a disappointment, with promised features missing and a game world that, while vast, felt empty. So why is the game on this list? Good question!
Since its rocky launch, No Man's Sky has undergone significant improvements. In the game, you are a space explorer faced with 18 trillion procedurally generated planets. The worlds you encounter are colorful and now quite diverse.
Through numerous patches, new content has been continually added, delighting every survival enthusiast. Features such as vehicles, multiple story quests, base building (including underwater), animal husbandry, space pirates, and much more have been introduced.
No Man's Sky has proven that with passion, even mediocre games can reach unimaginable heights (although we can still bemoan the game's laumch and its empty promises).
No Man's Sky is available on PC, macOS, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch. It's included in the Game Pass .
The Long Dark (2017)
Taking a stroll in the warmth of the sun's rays? Watching wild horses and cute ducks? Leisurely cultivating a wheat field? If all of that sounds too idyllic for you, then you should pay attention now, because in The Long Dark, none of that exists.
In this game, you're plunged into the icy landscape of northern Canada. Thanks to a plane crash, you're character is left stranded in the middle of the snow-covered mountains.
You can choose to follow the story or simply fight your way through survival mode. Whatever you decide, the journey will be arduous; calories become your most precious commodity, wild predators your greatest enemies.
And to make matters worse, you not only have to keep track of hunger and thirst but also the cold. How long can you survive in this merciless wilderness?
The Long Dark is available on PC, Linux, macOS, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch.
Ark: Survival Evolved (2017)
If your hard drive is too empty for your taste, I can highly recommend this game. Ark: Survival Evolved clocks in at over 200 GB, and that's not even including all the DLCs.
You can expect a game with an incredible amount of content that will keep you busy for thousands of hours (speaking from experience, some friends of mine lead a second life in this game).
Ark is a game that you can play solo or with friends, and you can explore the fantastic worlds of this gam on private or public servers. But beware, these worlds are inhabited by a variety of dinosaurs.
You'll need to integrate into the food chain, build a base, and even breed dinosaurs. Explore the environment in water, on land, and in the air, and encounter the numerous possibilities the game offers. A series of DLCs (many of them free) have added additional maps and dinosaurs, so you'll never run out of things to do.
Ark is probably the closest thing to a real Jurassic Park experience.
Ark: Survival Evolved is available on PC, Linux, macOS, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch.
RimWorld (2018)
I admit, RimWorld is not a classic survival game, but rather a construction and management simulation. However, since the survival of your colony is constantly on the edge, it could be interesting for survival enthusiasts.
In simple 2D graphics, you manage the progress of your colonists, who have once again crash-landed on a foreign planet. You try to establish a livelihood and optionally leave the planet again.
You must gather resources, construct buildings, grow food, conduct research, and defend against threats such as wild animals, hostile tribes, and natural disasters. The game is known for its emergent stories, which arise from the interactions of characters and randomly generated events. The special thing about it: These events are moderated by a narrator chosen by you, who, with the help of AI, enables unique storylines.
RimWorld is available on PC, Linux, macOS, PlayStation and Xbox.
Valheim (Early Access 2021)
Surviving in death? Yes, you heard right! Valheim makes it possible. The name of the game refers to a world of Norse mythology where you go after you die. This world is akin to a purgatory and is plagued by creatures of chaos. Your task is to assist the Allfather Odin in restoring order to Valheim.
In classic survival fashion, you gather resources in the procedurally generated world, build a base, and defend yourself against enemies who want to take you down. Not only can you experience all of this alone, but you also have the option to play with up to 10 friends in one game world.
The various biomes offer increasingly challenging enemies and proper boss fights. However, if you prefer a quieter country life, you can focus on animal husbandry.
Although the game is the second most recent in our list, it doesn't stand out for its cutting-edge graphics but rather appeals to your nostalgia with a retro look reminiscent of early 3D games. Valheim is still in the early access phase, so be aware that not everything will run as smoothly as intended.
Valheim is available on PC and Linux. It's included in the Game Pass .
Palworld (Early Access 2024)
So new, yet so successful. At the beginning of the year, Palworld rocked the gaming world. With up to 2 million players simultaneously, the indie hit became a nearly unbeatable top game on Steam overnight.
The game takes place on the fictional Palpagos Islands, inhabited by a variety of creatures called "Pals." These beings must be fought and captured to be used in building camps or in combat. The game offers single-player, cooperative mode for up to 4 players, and online games for up to 32 players.
The unique selling point of the game is arguably its Pals. With their Pokémon-like aesthetic, they appealed to even the most survival-weary gamers who had always wanted to give the pocket monsters a gun. Fans referred to the survival phenomenon as the game that Pokémon could have become and should have become.
Palworld is also still in Early Access, so don't expect a 100% finished game. However, the content offered to you is already impressive and worth experiencing.
Palworld is available on PC and Xbox. It's included in the Game Pass .
Honorable mentions
The list could go on endlessly, but you know how it goes: Only the very best games deserve a spot in the top 10. However, we don't want to keep you from discovering a few more survival gems.
- Project Zomboid (2011): A minimalist pixel zombie apocalypse game.
- This War of Mine (2014): A sideview game that focusses on surviving in a war.
- Rust (2018): A classic 3D survival game where you start naked and gradually build up your life.
- Raft (2018): A game where you have to survive on a flooded planet by living on a raft.
- Sons of the Forest (2023): The sequel to the survival hit "The Forest," where you must secure your survival in the wilderness and defend yourself against bizarre mutants.
And with that, we've reached the end of our small but well curated list of the best survival games. We hope we could present you with diverse games that piqued your curiosity. So then: Happy Surviving!
Did we forget a game? Tell us about your favorite survival games in the comments!