9 upcoming survival games that aren't just 'chop wood, mine ...

9 upcoming survival games that aren't just 'chop wood, mine ore, repeat' ; Retreat to Enen ; Forever Skies ; Above Snakes ... Skiptomaincontent PCGamer PCGamerTHEGLOBALAUTHORITYONPCGAMES Search Subscribe (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) (opensinnewtab) UKUSCanadaAustralia PCGamerMagazineSubscription(opensinnewtab)(opensinnewtab)Whysubscribe?Subscribetotheworld's#1PCgamingmagTryasingleissueorsaveonasubscriptionIssuesdeliveredstraighttoyourdoorordeviceFrom$10.99(opensinnewtab)View(opensinnewtab) News Reviews Hardware BestOf Magazine TheTop100 Forum More PCGamingShow Podcasts NewsletterSignup CommunityGuidelines AffiliateLinks Meettheteam AboutPCGamer PopularEldenRingSurvivalgamesStrayGTA6LaptopdealsFF14 PCGamerissupportedbyitsaudience.Whenyoupurchasethroughlinksonoursite,wemayearnanaffiliatecommission.Here’swhyyoucantrustus. 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Ilovesurvivalgames.Mostly.Ido,attimes,experienceabitofburn-outaroundtheresourcemanagementloop:choptrees,hitrocks,andhuntanimalssoIcancrafttools,buildbases,andcookfood.Andrepeat.Especiallythetree-chopping.Itendtogetreallysickofthat.AmazonPrimeDaydeals:seeallthebestearlyoffersrighthere.SoI'malwaysonthelookoutforanewsurvivalgamewithatwist,oranewtakeonsurvivalsystems,oronethathasalittlesomethingextragoingonunderthehoodinadditiontotraditionalsurvivalgenreloops.Withsomanysurvivalfansoutthere,therearealwaysabunchofnewsurvivalgamesonthehorizon,butnotallofthemlooklikethey'redoinganythingallthatdifferently.Withthegenre'stendencytorepeattropesinmind,herearenineupcomingsurvivalgamesthatstandoutfromtherest.RetreattoEnenReleasedate:August5,2022Asurvivalgamewheretheultimategoalisto…relax?I'minterested.Don'tworry,there'sstillhunting,fishing,exploration,andbase-building(thoughI'mthrilledtohearthere'szerotree-chopping)butthekeytosurvivingisinmindfulnessandmeditation.InRetreattoEnen,Earthisinrecoveryaftercenturiesofdestructionsothefewremaininghumansaredeterminedtoliveineco-friendlyharmonywithnatureratherthanrazingforestsjustsotheycanbuildasecondstoryontotheirbases.Learningtocenteryourselfandmastertheartofmeditation(thesystemswerecreatedincollaborationwithmentalhealthspecialists)iscriticaltoyourhealthandsurvivalabilities.Interesting!Andthere'sawhopping45minutesofgameplayinthevideoabove.ForeverSkiesReleasedate:Late2022TheEarthisinruins(apopularconceptforsurvival)butit'snotalldoomandgloom:Yourbaseisablimp.Iwantablimp-basemorethanIcanexpressinwords,eveniftheplanethastofallintoruinformetogetit.InForeverSkiesyou'realonescientist(atleastuntilco-opisaddedsometimeafterlaunch)soaringabovemangledcitiesinacustomizableblimp.Dockwithskyscrapers,scroungeforsupplies,craftgear,andtrytouncoveracureforadeadlyvirussotherestofhumanity(they'rehidinginorbit)canreturntoEarth.It'splannedforearlyaccessinlate2022.IAmFutureReleasedate:2022Survivaldoesn'talwaysneedtobeagrim,bitterexperience,andIAmFuturelookscolorful,bright,anddownrightjolly,aswesawwhenitappearedonThePCGamingShow.Awakeningaftersixyearsinacryosleeppod,ourherosetsaboutaruinedcitythat'sbeenreclaimedbynaturetostartrebuilding.Disassemblebustedcomputersandcarstobuildnewtech,craftAI-controlledbotstohelpdoyourchores,andenjoyfishing,farming,cooking,gardening,andbase-buildinginthissurvivalcraftgame.Butkeepacloseeyeout—atnighttherearesomedangerouscreaturesandyou'llneedtobuilddefensesforyournewhome.AboveSnakesReleasedate:Early2023I'malittlewaryofgamesfeaturingNativeAmericansunlessthereareNativeAmericansonthedevteam,butatleastthedevelopersaysthey'reworkingwithNativeAmericanconsultants"fromtimetotime"andarelookingformore.TheinterestingthingaboutsurvivalgameAboveSnakesishowtheworldisgenerated—andit'sgeneratedbytheplayer.Asyouexploretheisometricworldmadeoftiles,theplayercreatesnewworldtilesandplacesthemdependingontheirneeds,therebycreatingtheveryworldthey'resurvivingon.It'saneattwistthatputsyouincontrolofthebiomesthatpopupasyouexplore,gather,craft,build,andsurvive(againstzombies,apparently?)AboveSnakesisinalphaandisexpectedtolaunchinearly2023.DerelictsReleasedate:TBAAsyoucanseeabove,there'skindofalotgoingoninDerelicts,fromintricatebase-buildingandresourcemanagementtoassemblylinestocombatwithmonstersto…wait,weretheyjustonaspaceship?InDerelicts,youcrashlandonanirradiatedEarthandsettoworkcraftingyourselffromthestoneagetomodernweaponsandtools.ItlookslikeRust,onlywithco-opinsteadofPvP,plusweirdmonstersandmaybeatouchofSatisfactory.Eitherway,it'sintriguing,beautiful,andlookslikeithaslotsofcomplexity...evenwhenitcomestoallthatwood-chopping.Impressive,especiallyforagamewithaone-persondeveloper.SonsoftheForestReleasedate:October2022Granted,youaregonnabechoppingahellofalotofwoodinthefollow-uptoEndnightGames'TheForest,buttakinganaxetoatreedoeslookratherexquisite.Andjustlookatthehole-diggingat41secondsinthetrailerabove!I'veneverbeensoexcitedtouseashovel.InSonsoftheForestyou'reonceagaintrappedonamysteriousisland,thistimefilledwithdemons,tryingtoscratchoutyoursurvivalamongthehorror.Whenhideousghoulsaren'ttryingtoteardownyourbase,youcanuseyouraxetocutwindowholes(ratherthansimplychoosingawall-with-a-windowtemplatefromthebuildingmenu)whichlooksalmostascoolastheholesyougettodig.Ifyoulikeyoursurvivalwithanequaldoseofhorror,thisshouldbeonyourwishlist.NightingaleReleasedate:Late2022(EarlyAccess)Nightingalehasbeenonmyradarsinceitwasfirstrevealedlastyear.WithaVictoriangaslampfantasystyleandaprettydeepalt-historybackstoryinvolvingthediscoveryofmagicanditsimpactonhumancivilization,it'sgotcrafting,estate-building(they'retoofancytojustcallbases),andasystemforcreatingnewrealmstoexplorethatinvolvescraftingspecialcards.Therewillalsobewaysaroundcombatwithcertainfactionsbysolvingconflictswithcompromises,soifyoudon'trelishtheideaofbattlingtremendousfaegiants,youmightbeabletocomeupwithapeacefulsolution.Theco-opsurvivalgame,whichwillsupportupto10players,isaimingforanearlyaccessreleaseneartheendof2022.Frostpunk2Releasedate:TBAThere'snomysteryastowhysurvivalfansareexcitedforthesequeltoFrostpunk,acitybuilderthatchargesyoutoprotectitsfrostbittencitizens,oratleastasmanyofthemasyoucan.Frostpunk2takesplace30yearsafterthemegastormthatendedthecampaignintheoriginalgame,wherehumansarestillsufferingthroughanendlesswinteryethavebegunexpandingtheirfrostycitiesratherthanjustbarelysurvivingtheircreation.Theageofcoalisoverandoilisthehotnewcommodity.Willitresultinjustasmuchdeathanddestructionasoilhasintherealworld?Yes,Ithinkitwill.ThisisFrostpunk,thegrimmestsurvivalgamearound.Wedon'tknowwhenFrostpunk2willbereleased,butwe'reexcitedtofreezeourbuttsoffwhenitgetshere.OccupyMarsReleasedate:2022TherehavebeennoshortageofgamesaboutestablishingacolonyonMars,butOccupyMarsstandsoutintermsofcomplexityandrealism(thoughitalsolookslikeitcanbesomesillyfun,asthevideoabovedemonstrateshowmanywaystherearetodie).You'lluserealistictoolsanddevelopmachinesbasedonreal-worldtechnologyasyoubuildabase,searchforandextractwater,setupsolararraystopoweryourcolony,growyourownfoodingreenhouses,andevendealwithchallengeslikecablemanagement,soldering,andothercomplexsystems.There'sademototryinadvanceofitsreleaselaterthisyear,andarovermechanicsimulatoryoucanplaybythesamedeveloper,whereyoujustfocusonkeepingafleetofMarsroversupandrunning. ChristopherLivingston (opensinnewtab) ChrisstartedplayingPCgamesinthe1980s,startedwritingaboutthemintheearly2000s,and(finally)startedgettingpaidtowriteabouttheminthelate2000s.Followingafewyearsasaregularfreelancer,PCGamerhiredhimin2014,probablysohe'dstopemailingthemaskingformorework.Chrishasalove-haterelationshipwithsurvivalgamesandanunhealthyfascinationwiththeinnerlivesofNPCs.He'salsoafanofoffbeatsimulationgames,mods,andignoringstorylinesinRPGssohecanmakeuphisown. Seecomments PCGamerNewsletter Signuptogetthebestcontentoftheweek,andgreatgamingdeals,aspickedbytheeditors. ContactmewithnewsandoffersfromotherFuturebrands Receiveemailfromusonbehalfofourtrustedpartnersorsponsors ThankyouforsigninguptoPCGamer.Youwillreceiveaverificationemailshortly. Therewasaproblem.Pleaserefreshthepageandtryagain. 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