Ark: Survival Ascended
Ark: Survival Ascended takes survival games to a whole new level by adding dinosaurs and sci-fi weaponry to the mix. You’ll start out as a caveman and eventually progress to a dinosaur-riding space marine with a laser pistol. In addition to fighting dinosaurs, you can also tame and ride them, which adds a new level of fantasy to the game. After dozens of updates and expansions, this game even got an engine upgrade renaming it to Ascended while we await the release of the sequel.
Grounded
Grounded is a survival game that takes place in the backyard of a house. You’ll need to build a base, weapons, and equipment out of unusual materials like acorns and bug parts to try to survive against all the big bad bugs in the yard while you find a way to return to normal size. Just like in the movie, you have never seen bugs in such a terrifying way as this. If you’re especially put off by spiders, there’s a handy arachnophobia slider to make those at least less horrifying.
Minecraft
Minecraft is one of the most popular survival games of all time. It’s a sandbox game where you can build anything you can imagine, and you’ll need to use your creativity to survive in the game’s world. You’ll need to eat, build shelter, and explore the rest of a massive world full of secrets and surprises, all while battling dangerous creatures, or even other players. It isn’t a very hard survival game since you can easily overpower yourself and remove all the challenges in just a few in-game days, but there are an infinite number of mods to keep it interesting.
Sons of the Forest
Sons of the Forest is a sequel to the popular survival game The Forest. It’s a more linear game than its predecessor, with a clear story and progression path, but you’re still free to spend as much time as you want surviving on the island. The scenario is a bit like Lost, except that instead of a group of mysterious people on the island, the island you crash land on is filled with cannibals and horrific mutants. The AI on the cannibals is especially fun since they aren’t just mindlessly attacking you. Instead, you might see one or two just watching you from the edges of the forest, or run away when they see you brutalize one of them.
Subnautica
Subnautica is a survival game that takes place in an alien ocean. You’ll need to manage your air and pressure as you explore the deep sea, and you’ll encounter a variety of dangerous creatures. If you didn’t have a fear of the deep before you played, once you start encountering some of the bigger sea creatures in the deep, dark depths, you certainly will afterward. You can also snag a meaty expansion as well if you liked the base experience to get even more.
Valheim
Valheim is a survival game that takes place in a Viking-inspired world. You’ll need to build a base, craft weapons and armor, and explore the world to survive. The game features a unique building system that allows you to create complex structures, and the combat is challenging and rewarding. You are placed in a Viking-inspired world with a simple but striking art style. All the monsters, weapons, and structures are ripped right out of Norse mythology, but it also makes you consider a lot of things you wouldn’t normally need to in a survival game. For example, if you light a campfire to stay warm inside a house but don’t have a chimney or window for smoke to escape, you could suffocate.
Palworld
Palworld is a survival game that mixes in monster catching and taming with base building and resource managing. You’ll need to build a base, collect resources, and train your Pals to fight in order to survive. The game features a unique art style and a charming cast of characters. The survival mechanics aren’t super punishing, but do enough to make you want to build a base where your Pals can do all the grunt work of mining and processing resources for you so you can get better weapons and fight tougher Pals.
