The survival genre has been incredibly popular in the recent years, and it’s not hard to understand why. Sure, it’s convenient to go to a grocery store and get your food, or to live in a comfy rented flat with slick furniture from Ikea. But sometimes it’s fun to imagine a world where the modern amenities are not readily available and you have to rely on your resourcefulness and strength to gather food, craft necessities, build your own shelter and protect yourself from enemies, wild animals or other hostile creatures Survival games give us a chance to live out this fantasy But with so many titles to choose from which one is the best to immerse yourself in? Hopefully, our list of top 10 best survival games will help you choose! Without further ado, let’s dive in!
- Number 10 – Rust Rust is something of a classic of the genre, including all the expected mechanics – allowing you to hunt, gather resources, fight wild animals build and defend your base – or die in the process and respawn naked with a rock as your sole companion in an infinite loop. While the environment of the game is by no means welcoming, Rust is also quite focused on the PvP element, so fighting (or joining)other players is a must if you want to succeed. Start by hitting others with rocks, and progress all the way to rocket launchers crafted with your own two hands in no time! Fun fact before you start playing though – you can’t choose the appearance of your character, as their gender, skin color, and the size of some body-parts are randomly generated and permanently assigned to your steam ID. Just like in real life.
- Number 9 – Oxygen Not Included Leading a group of space colonists stranded on an asteroid your main task is to turn the hostile underground caverns into an environment welcoming for more colonists. The problem is – breathable air is very limited, and it’s your job to come up with methods to purify what’s left or synthesise more oxygen. Of course, ventilation issues are not the only ones you’ll come across cultivating food, developing new technologies and ensuring access to water will also need your attention if you want your new colony to thrive.
- Number 8 – PUBG While the majority of survival games pit the players against the environment with PvP elements as an occasional nuisance, PUBG flipped the formula. Here the other players are the main threat, as only one can be left standing in the end. The players begin the game with nothing to their name and have to scavenge to arm themselves if they want to have any chance at surviving. This simple, yet effective formula allowed PUBG become one of the most successful battle royale simulators, and spawn a chain of copy catsin its wake.
- Number 7 – Ark Survival Evolved Also known as “the one with dinosaurs”, Ark is quite similar to many other examples of the genre, with the exception of including the prehistoric reptiles inhabiting the expansive open world. Of course, the dinosaurs are one of many things that can kill you, but through a lengthy process, you might also be able to tame them and even ride them. And honestly – there aren’t many things cooler than a pet dino, which explains the popularity of the game.
- Number 6 – This War of Mine This War of Mine focuses on the civilian perspective of war, often omitted from war-themed games. You will take care of a group of survivors who spend most of their days hiding in a building, avoiding snipers and other dangers. During the night, some of them can leave the safe house to scavenge for resources, food and medicine. But This War of Mine is painfully realistic and there are no easy choices – you might be forced to steal medicine for your daughter from an elderly couple, resulting in their death or kill to gather food necessary for your survival resulting in psychological trauma that might impair your character’s well-being. All that makes the game with comparatively straight forward mechanics a deep and memorable experience
- Number 5 – State of Decay Amidst a zombie apocalypse, your task is to keep a group of survivors alive. Each of the survivors you collect for yourgroup comes with different skillset and traits, which can be helpful or detrimental to your efforts. The first game is strictly single-player,which might be a minus for some, but for others it means you can focus on managing your own base and enjoy the storyline without the risk that a player with too much time on their hand will come and destroy your safe house in your absence. However those who prefer a multiplayer experience will be happy to know that the sequel (out at the end of May 2018) includes a co-op mode.
- Number 4 – Frost punk Released in April 2018, Frost punk is a game developed by the creators of This War of Mine– which means you can expect being forced to make some heart-wrenching decisions. The world of Frost punk is a frozen wasteland,and you have to keep your populace warm if you don’t want them to freeze to death like millions of people before them. In order to keep the heat generators going,you might have to make a choice to allow child-labor in coal mines – which will make the populace angry. You might think that it doesn’t matter if your people are complaining, as long as they’re alive to do it – but apart from warmth,and classic resources such as food, you will also have to manage their hope, as if too much of it is lost, the game will be as over as if everyone simply starved. All in all, Frost punk is a game that test show fast it will take for power to corrupt the people in charge – which, in this case,is you.
- Number 3 – Don’t Starve Don’t Starve has your character face the terrors around them alone, with monsters lurking around the forest and oppressive darkness that can barely be kept at bay. The grim atmosphere is enhanced by the simple yet stylish art design, which, combined with a drab and depressing colour palette creates an unmistakable aesthetic of the game. Fans of co-op experience will enjoy Don’t Starve Together, including some tweaks to the characters to make them more team-play oriented and allowing you to try to create a safe shelter for yourself with help of a friend.
- Number 2 – Conan Exiles Out of Early Access in May 2018, Conan Exiles allows you to roam the world envisioned by Robert E. Howard in his Conan the Barbarian series. Set in a ridiculously harsh and unwelcoming world known from the pulpy novels, the game will have your barbarian character try to build the legacy of their clan. You will start trying to create shelter and make sure you have enough to eat, but if you live long enough, you might create your own fortress or even a city. And hey – not many games outside of some very particular genres give you the option to choose the size of your endowment during character creation, so that’s worth noting too.
- Number 1 – Sub nautica Although Sub nautica hasn’t managed to create as much a buzz as some other entries on the list, it’s definitely worth playing if you love the survival genre. Unlike many of the grim dark worlds full of blood and despair, Sub nautica is a much less depressing experience, full of bright and colorful fish, clear waters and soft sand. Although deeper layer of the ocean might be less welcoming and filled with not-so-friendly creatures, swimming around the higher ones is supremely relaxing. In the world of violent and gritty survival games, Sub nautica is quite unique, allowing you to relax in an underwater world straight out of a nature documentary. And the plot is surprisingly engaging, too!
So that’s it for our list! Did we include your favourite game, or are we missing something? Let us know in the comments.