The best survival games on PC in 2021 | Rock Paper Shotgun

The best survival games on PC in 2021 · 24. Among Trees · 23. UnReal World · 22. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead · 21. No Man's Sky · 20. Rust · 19. Ifyouclickonalinkandmakeapurchasewemayreceiveasmallcommission. Readoureditorialpolicy. Forawhile,backinthelate2010s,youcouldn'tseemtomoveonline,forthesheernumberofearlyaccesssurvivalgameslyingaroundtheplace.Agoodfewofthemwerebrilliant;many,manymorewerenot.Morestillwereoverlookedforhighlevelsofjankintheirearlydays,buthavesincegrownintobeautifulthingsthankstoregularupdates.How,then,canyoupickoutthegemsfromthisbigpileofsurvivalgamedetritus?Easy;we'vemadealistof24ofthebest.It'snotexhaustive,butit'llcertainlygiveyouenoughfishing,craftingandwolf-avoidingtokeepyoubusyforagoodwhile. It'sworthnotingthatwe'rebeingprettybroadwithourdefinitionof"survival",here,aswewantedtooffersomethingslightlydifferentfromabiglistoffirstpersonwildernessgameswherea)yougethungryandb)stuffclipsthroughwallsallthetime.Therearegamesonthislist,infact,whichhavebarelyanythingincommonwitheachother,beyondthefactthattheplayermust,y'know,survive. That'sobviouslyaprettykeyconcepttoalotofPCgames,admittedly.Butwe'vechosenasetwhich,attheirveryhearts,feellikethey'reaboutkeepingyourself-orothers-aliveinthefaceofahostileuniverse.Whetherthathostilitytakestheformofextremeweather,horridbeasts,ortheaccumulationofnoxiouswastegasesinanasteroidcolony,isentirelydependentonyourpersonaltastes.Sogoahead-chooseyourpoison: Alternatively,ifyou'reexhaustedfromprisingawolf'smouthfromyourneck,youmightwanttowatchthesplendidvideoversionofthislistinstead.Infact,it'srighthere: WatchonYouTube Bestsurvivalgames Thelinksbelowwilleachsendyoudownthepipestotheentryyou'reafter,oryoucanscrollthroughthepostandhavealittlesniffatthemall.Andifyougettotheendwithnothingbutasenseofbiliousfurythatweommittedthebestsurvivalgameofalltimefromthelist,restassuredthatit'srightthereatposition25.Writeyourownentryforitinthecommentsbelow,andwe'llconsideritforinclusioninfuturereivsions.Now,intothewild: AmongTrees UnRealWorld Cataclysm:DarkDaysAhead NoMan'sSky Rust Pathologic 7DaysToDie Minecraft Kenshi Starbound Frostpunk OxygenNotIncluded ProjectZomboid Darkwood Raft TheForest Terraria Astroneer ThisWarOfMine Don'tStarve NeoScavenger RimWorld TheLongDark Subnautica 24.AmongTrees WherecanIbuyit:EpicGamesstore WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:TheLongDarkisanotherforestedsurvivalgame,albeitalotlessrelaxing. Relaxationmightnotbewhatyouassociatewithgamesinwhichyou'lldiebystandingaroundtoomuch,butAmongTreesmanagesit.You'redroppedinabeautifulforest,inwhichyoucanbarelymoveforbumpingintocutebunniesandwoodpeckers,andthensetaboutexploring.Youscavengeforfoodtoeat,butyouquicklytransitionfromstuffingrawmushroomsinyourmouthtobuildingaweegreenhousenexttoyourgrowingcabin.It'ssurvivalasHenryDavidThoreauimaginedit,ratherthanBearGrylls. Thereareliteralbears,though,amongthegame'sfewthreats.Therearealsodifficultysettings,thatletyoufillyourbootswithpoisonmushroomsifyouwish.Itremainsabeautifulforesttoexploreeitherway,andwellworthavisiteveninitscurrentearlyaccessstate. 23.UnRealWorld WherecanIbuyit:Steam,Itch WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Catacylsm:DarkDaysAheadisapost-apocalypticroguelikethatstrivesforsimilardepthofsimulation. ThefirstreleaseofFinnishsurvivalroguelikeUnRealWorlddidn'tcontainalloftheseedsthatwouldmakeitoneoftheworld'sgreatestandmostdistinctivesurvivalgames.Bythemid-nineties,solodeveloperSamiMaaranenhaddiscoveredtheformulathatwouldallowthegametoendureformorethantwodecades.Stillindevelopment,withregularupdatesaddingmajorfeaturesaswellasapplyingtweaks,UnRealWorldisagameaboutsurvivalinharsh,realisticconditions.It'sasurvivalgamethatexistedbeforethefloodofearlyaccesscraft‘emups,anditoffersamorecompleteandcompellingvisionthananythingelseinthegenre.Thecostiscomplexity,anold-fashionedinterface,andbasicgraphics,buttherewardsarewellworththeeffort. 22.Cataclysm:DarkDaysAhead WherecanIbuyit:It'sdonationwareviatheofficialsite. WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:RimWorldremainsthe'procgenstorybox'ofchoiceforfolkswhowantcleanergraphicsandamodernUI. Sincalleditaroguelikeyoucouldplayfortherestofyourlife,and"UnRealWorldsetinanearfuture"whereeverythinghasgonewrong.Youstartbygeneratingaworld,thenassignstatstoacharacter,andthenheadofftosurvive.Thatmightmeanhidinginabandonedbuildings,scavengingforfood,andrepairingmachinerywiththemechanicsskillsyougaveyourselfatthestartofthegame.Itmightmeanbecomingarollerbladingwunderkind,wipingoutzombieswithaslingshot,anddesigningyourownbicyclefromscratchusingthegame'smodularvehicledesignsystem. Whateverkindofpersonyoubecome,thesystemsatyourfingertipsareabsurdlydetailed.C:DDAhasvarietyanddepth,andifyoucanovercomeitsASCIIgraphicsorsimpletilesets,youwillberewardedwithyearsandyearsofstoriestotell. 21.NoMan'sSky WherecanIbuyit:Steam,Humble,GOG WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:EliteDangerousisagreatspacetradinggamewithoutthesurvivalelements.Don'tStarveisgoodmultiplayersurvival. It'seasytooverselltheideathatNoMan'sSkywasafloponreleaseandhasonlyclaweditswaybacktorespectabilityintheyearsofupdatessince.Closertothetruthwouldbetosaythatitdidagreatjobofprovidingacertainkindofexperienceatlaunch(andsoldloadsintheprocess),andnowitprovidesamorevariedsetofexperiences.Fromthebeginningtonow,oneofthoseexperienceshasbeensurvival.IfyouwanttoplayNoMan'sSkyonasetofhostileworlds,scrabblingtogetenoughresourcestobuildshelterortofuelthenextdesperatejumpacrossthegalaxy,youcandothat.Itwillnowrewardyouwithprettierandmorevariedplanets,giantsandworms,mechstopilot,palstopartnerwith,andmuchmore.Therearestillbettersurvivalgamesonthislist-20ofthem,infact-butfewofthemcanmatchNoMan'sSkyforscaleandpolish. 20.Rust WherecanIbuyit:Steam,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Ifyouwanttostartmoresurvivalgameswithyourgenitalsout,there'sConanExiles. GettingstartedinRustcanbeabitofapaininthearse.Afterwakingupnakedandclueless,you'llspendhourssmashingrocksandchoppingdowntreeslikeaStoneAgedrone,andchancesarethatyou'llendupasnackforwildanimalsbeforeyou'vehadachancetoputalittlebasetogether. Onceyou'reabletoprotectyourself,though,Rust’sappealbecomesmoreapparent.Agatheringexpeditionisalotmoreexcitingwhenthere'sachanceyou'regoingtogetinashootoutwithpacksofotherplayers.Thecompetitioncreatespredatorsandprey,whichcanleadtohighlyimbalancedfights,butthatmakesitallthemoresatisfyingwhenyoustartfightingbackandwinning. 19.Pathologic WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Thereisn'tanythingreallylikePathologic,butIce-PickLodge'sothergames,TheVoidandKnockKnock,aretheclosest. TosayPathologicisunlikeanyothersurvivalgameisalittlebitredundant,asit’sunlikeanyothergame,regardlessofgenre.It’sasurvivalRPGthat’slacedwithpsychologicalhorror.Playingoneofthreehealers,yourgoalistouncoverthesourceofaplaguethat’sslowlykillinganotherworldlytown,andyouonlyhavetwelvedaystodoit. Thetownhasitsownrhythmandschedule,andeventswilloccurwhetheryou’retheretoparticipateornot.Astheplaguespreads,thetown’sinhabitantscanstartdyingoff,leavingthemunabletoprovideyouwithinformationorhelponyourquest.Avenuesareconstantlybeingclosedoff,whileotherswon’topenatallunlessyou’replayingasaspecificcharacter.Andyouwon’tlearnanythingatallifyougetsickorbecomemalnourished.There’saconsequencetoeverythingyoudoinPathologic,thoughit'snotalwaysapparent.Youcanincreaseyourreputationbyeasingthepainoftheill,butthosemightberesourcesyouneedlater,orforyourself.Thewholegameisagloomy,ethicalconundrum. 18.7DaysToDie WherecanIbuyit:Steam,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Should7DaysToDieprovetoostressful,thenyou'llprobablywanttosinkbackintotheblockydelightsofMinecraft.Ifit'smoreholdingoutagainstthehordesyouwant,though,giveTheForestandProjectZomboidago,whichyoucanfindelsewhereonthislist. Atfirstglance,7DaysToDieseemslikejustanotherzombiegame,theintersectionatwhichMinecraftsomehowinexplicablycollideswiththelikesofDayZ.Buttodismissitbasedonitscrudegraphicsandmisshapenlandscapeswouldbetogreatlyunderestimatethismuddy-lookingcraft'emup,asit'sprobablytheclosestthingwe'veeverhadtoaninteractivezombiemovie.ThezombiesareproperRomero-stylemeatbags-theirslow,shufflingcorpsesbarelyregisteringyourpresenceasyouventurefurtherandfurtherafieldwitheachnewscavengingtrip. It'salldesignedtolullyouintoafalsesenseofsecurity.Youthink,"Yeah,thosetrapswilldothetrick"whenyouhunkerdownatnight.Thethegamethrowsaswarmatyouandallhellbreaksloose.It'sclassiczombiemoviemistakes101.Youshouldhaveknownbetter,andyetyoufallintotheirtrapeverysingledamntime.Ultimately,7DaysToDieknowshowtoapplyjusttherightamountofpressuretokeepyouonyourtoes-provideditdoesn'tchewthemoffinyoursleepfirst,ofcourse. 17.Minecraft WherecanIbuyit:Mojang,Microsoft WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Infiniminerstartedthewholeblockycraze,butyoushouldalsocheckoutTerraria,whichyou'llfindelsewhereonthislist. Minecraftisbestknownforthecreativeendeavoursit’sinspired,likebuildingallofMiddle-Earth,butthere’sasurvivalgameintheretoo,fullofdeadlynightsandCreeperswaitingtoblowupeverythingyou’veworkedsohardtocreate.Hunger,thirstanddeathaccompanyyouasyoudigundergroundandexploreinfinite,proceduralworldsfullofmonstersanddungeons. Abrilliantcraftingsystemmeansthatyouhaveagreatdealoffreedomwhenitcomestohowyousurvive.Youmightbuildautomatedsystemsandsprawlingmines,becominganindustrialpowerhouse;ormaybeyou’llchoosethesimplelife,rearinganimalsandgrowingcrops.Allthemodsandgamemodesmeanthatyoucanessentiallybuildyourownsurvivalgame,oryoucanfocusonsomethingelse,likebuildingaflyingpirateshipwithabunchofmates.Andifyoufancyanadditionalchallenge,there’sahardcoresurvivalmodethatdeletestheentireworldwhenyoudie.It’snotforthefaintofheart. 16.Kenshi WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:RimWorldisacolonymanagementsurvivalgamethat'salsoagreatstorygenerator,butifyoupreferKenshi'sRPGelements,thenFallout4hascompanionsandsettlementbuildinginafamiliarnuclearpost-apocalypse. Kenshiislotsofdifferentthingstolotsofdifferentpeople,butthisstrategicbuildingsurvivalRPGisallaboutfindingyournicheandmakingitwork.Wheremanysurvivalgamesrunoutofpurposeassoonasyoustabiliseyourfoodsupply,Kenshiopensmorepossibilities.Whetherit'sestablishingasustainablefarmwhereyoucanrecruitpeopletodefendit,orbecomingaskilledenoughthieftosupplyyourneeds,Kenshiisasumptuousbountythatfeedsallkindsofplaystyles. Itsworlddoesn'tfititselfaroundyourneedsandwants,butit'snotparticularlysetagainstyou,either.Afterall,themostcommon'bandits'areoftenjustbandsofstarvingpeoplefightingforscrapsoffood.Itallgivesourhumblecampasenseofambitionbeyondpureself-interest.Thislandcouldprovideforpeople,wethink.Ifwecanprotectit,maybewecouldstarttochangethings.Andbeforeweknowit,wehaveateamofrecruitsrunningafactoryinourabsencewhileweleadourtinyfoundingtriooutintotheworld,campingoutundertwinmoons,fendingoffunfamiliaranimals,andaccidentallyoffendingapowerfulfactionofreligiousbigots.Welp,weguesswehaveenemiesnow,gang.Bestheadbackhomeandfigureouthowtosurvivethis,too. 15.Starbound WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:OxygenNotIncludedisaverydifferentkindofspacesurvivalgame,butifyouliketheideaofrunningspacestationsandcolonies,itmightbeyourcupoftea. It'sveryeasytowanderoffthebeatentrackinStarbound,asthesheernumberofdiversionsanditemsyoucanchaseisalmostoverwhelming.Eventually,though,you'llrealisejusthowfaryou'vecome.You'lllookbackonthetimewhenyouplacedyourveryfirstforgeinyourveryfirstmudhutwithatwinkleinyoureye,fornowyou'vegotbiggerfishtofry.You'rebuildinghugespacestationsnowandterraformingentireplanets,fightinginspaceandbuildinghugesci-ficities. Ittakesawhiletogetthere,ofcourse,butthere’ssomuchtodoinbetween.Youmighthappenuponahugeanchoronarandomplanet,andaboveit,aflyingpirateship.Diggingunderground,youcanencountereverythingfromancienttemplesdedicatedtoeldritchgods,toresearchlabspopulatedbyapescientists.It’saprettylivelyplace.Wemustconfessthatwetypicallyplayonthecasualdifficulty.Itmeansyoudon’thavetoworryabouthunger,andtherearenoadditionalpenaltiesfordeath.Hungercandriveasurvivalgame,butStarbounddoesn’thavethescarcitytomakestarvationameaningfulproblem.It’sjustanuisance.Evenwithouthunger,thereareothersurvivalconcerns.Acidrain,extremetemperatures,hostilealiens-there’snodearthofwaystodie. 14.Frostpunk WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Ifharshmanagementgameswithcrappyweatherfloatyourboat,checkoutBanished. It’shardtofeelproudofadecisioninFrostpunk.Withtheworldfrozenoverandthelastdregsofhumanityhuddledaroundatitanicfurnace,you’vegotoneoverarchinggoal:keepthemalive.Toachievethis,yourpeopleneedwarmthandfood,butthat’seasiersaidthandone. It’snotenoughtoplonkdowntherightbuildingsandstartsendingyourcitizensoutintothewildernesstohuntforresources.Youneedtonurtureasocietythatcanweatheraniceage,andifthatmeansenactinganemergencyshiftlawtoforceworkerstostayattheirpostfor24hourstonetyouthecoalyouneedtolastanotherday,sobeit.Yourworkerswon’tbetoopleased,butyou'llhavetoweatherthatpotentialdisasterfurtherdowntheroad. Tryingtofindabalance,keepingpeoplecontentandalive,takesalotoffine-tuning,butthat’stheheartofFrostpunk.Evenwhenarevoltisbrewingandthefrostisencroaching,there’salwaysachancethatmovingsomeworkersaroundorenactinganewlawmightsaveyou.Evenifthingslooklikethey’regoingyourway,you’rereallyteeteringonaknife’sedge,anditmightonlytakethesuddenappearanceofsomerefugeestoshatterthedelicateecosystemofyourcity. 13.OxygenNotIncluded WherecanIbuyit:Steam WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:RimWorldisbasicallyOxygenNotIncludedbutwithsmarterworkersandlessurine,whileFactorioisperfectforloversofthemoretechnicalproduction-line-yaspectsofthesekindsofgames. There'ssomethingorigami-likeabouthowagameofOxygenNotIncludedexpandsandunfoldsovertime,transformingfromsomethingsoinitiallysimpleintoamasterpieceofengineeringwithenormousdepthandcomplexity. Beginningyourjourneyinthecentreofa2Dasteroidwithjustthreesimple-mindedclones(calleddupes)atyourbeckandcall,youmustdigoutsomesemblanceofabase,cobbletogethersomesourcesoffoodandoxygentostopyourselfdyingwithinthefirstcoupleofdays.Thenit'sallaboutexpandingoutwardsfurtherandfurtherinthehopesoffindingsolutionsthatareslightlymorerenewable,allwhiletryingtokeepyourunbelievablysuicidaldupesfromfulfillingtheirgreatestdesires. There'snohand-holdinginOxygenNotIncluded,whichcanbewhatpreventsalotofpeoplefromgleaningwhat'ssowonderfulaboutit.Attimesitcanfeellikeyou'respinninghalfadozenplatesatthesametime,eachofwhichhaveachanceofspontaneouslyburstingintoflameseveryfewseconds.Andthat'sanintimidatingfeeling.Butspendenoughtimetakingcareofyourlittledupe-farmandyou'llbegintounderstandthelanguageofpipesandplumbing,laddersandbladders,pollutionandprostitution(okay,wemadethatlastoneup,butthere'sprobablyamodouttheresomewhere). 12.ProjectZomboid WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:There'snodearthofzombiegames,butifyou'rewantingtobeuptoyourneckinanimatedcorpses,you'llbewantingtoplayDeadRising. Azombiesurvivalgamethatseemsreluctanttoleaveearlyaccess,ProjectZomboidisanisometricsandboxthatdropsyouinatownandtasksyouwithsimplynotdying,whichiseasiersaidthandonewhenhundredsofzombiesarewaitingtomakeasnackoutofyourbrain. ProjectZomboid’sobsessivelydetailedsimulationdeservestopbilling.Takevehicles,forinstance;they’rearecentaddition,andtheyprettymuchfunctionlikerealcars.Youcanlockthem,breakintothem,hotwirethem,fiddlewiththethermostat,muckaroundwiththeradio,stripthemforparts-everything’stakenintoaccount.Therearepracticalreasonsforallthisgranulardetail,soyou’llbenefitfromtemperaturecontrolsduringextremeweatherwhilesmashingawindowtobreakintoacarwillmakeitlesssecureifzombiesattack. Thissimulationextendstothenaturalworld,aswell,soittakesintoaccountprecipitationlevels,snowfallandtemperature,andthentheworldreactsaccordingly,physicallychangingandputtingnewdemandsonplayers.It’salltremendouslyambitious,andthelongdevelopmenttimemakesmoresensewhenyouseewhat’sbeenaddedovertheyears. 11.Darkwood WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Trythebewildering,unsettlingLoneSurvivor. Darkwoodissothickwithdreadthatyoualmosthavetowadethroughtheforest.It’satop-down,2Dhorroraffairthatlimitsyourfieldofviewandthenfillstheshadowswiththingsfromyournightmares.You’renevergettingthefullpicture,andanynumberofbone-chillingcreaturescouldbelurkingjustoutofreachofyourtorch. Whenthesunisup,youcangooutsideandexplore,scavengingforresources,butwhennightfalls,you’vegottogetbacktothecomparativesafetyofyourcabinandpreparefortheworst.Boardupwindows,movefurniturearound,settrapsunderneathwindowsandnexttodoors,andthenwait.Atfirst,it’sjustnoises-scratchingatthewalls,knocking,banging-butitwon’tstaythatway.Eventually,yourbarricadeswillbesmashedintosplinters.Theforestissurrealandalwayschanging,movingfurtherandfurtherawayfromreality,soyou’llalwaysfeellikeyou’reonthebackfoot.Youcan’ttrusttheDarkwood,orthepeoplewhodwellwithinit. 10.Raft WherecanIbuyit:Steam,Itch WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Formorewaterysurvivaldelights,takeadiveintoSubnautica.Ifyou'dratherstayabovesealevel,however,thenFlotsamisanotherraft-basedsurvival'emup,justwithoutthekillersharks. Whileothersurvivalgamespityouagainstableak,oftenzombie-riddenhellscape,Raftcastsyououttosea.Trappedallalone(orwithabunchoffriendsifyouplayinco-op)onyourtitularpileofwoodenplankswithnolandasfarastheeyecansee,RaftisabitlikethevideogameequivalentofTheLifeofPi. Exceptinsteadoftryingtostayalivewithahungrytigerasyourmaroonednextdoorneighbour,it'sthesharksyou'vegottoworryaboutinthisearlyaccessbrinysurvivalsim,asthey'llchompchompchomptheirwaythroughpracticallyanythingtheycanfitintotheirtoothymaws-includingthatricketyraftofyours. Fortunately,Raftisn'tjustaboutdefendingyournewfoundhomefromtheterrorsofthedeep.Whilehungerandthirstlevelsmustbeperpetuallytoppedup,Raftalsoletsyouindulgeyourslightlysillierside,givingyouthescopetocraftmulti-storeypalacesifyousowish,repletewithsharkheadtrophiesandanyotherbitsandbobsyoufindfloatingintheocean.AndgoodnessistherealotofflotsamswimmingaboutinRaft.Whateverhappenedtothewiderworldoutthere,you'llfindalotofit'sendedupinthesea. 9.TheForest WherecanIbuyit:Steam,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplayingYoumightfancytryingyourluckagainsttheAmazoninGreenHell. Yearsafteritfirstappearedonearlyaccess,westillvividlyrememberourfirstencounterwithTheForest’stribeofmutantcannibals.We’djustfinishedbuildingashelterwhenwesawoneofthem,standingmotionless,staringatus.Andthentheyvanished.Wepanicked,ofcourse,andrandeeperintotheforest.Theydashedbetweentrees,silently,anditwasimpossibletotellhowmanyofthemtherewere.Therecouldhavebeentwoorthree,orawholearmyofthem.Wewerelostandfranticand,finally,unconscious.Whenwewokeup,wewereintheirlarder,surroundedbymeat.Humanmeat. TheForestisastressful,terrifyingnightmare.Atnightit’sevenworse.That’swhenthecannibalsgetbolder.Ifyouseetheirtorchesflickeringinthedistance,you’llknowyouneedtofindsomewheretohide.You’renotentirelyhelpless,though.Youcansurroundyourbasewithtrapsandfortifications,tauntingthecannibalstotrytheirluck.They’referocious,butthey’reclever,too,workingtogethertotakeyoudown,andprotectingtheirinjured.Thesearen’tmindlessmonsters,butratherawholesocietythat’sdeterminedtoturnyouintodinner. 8.Terraria WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Directyourpick-axetowardsSteamWorldDig2. YourfirstinstinctmightbetoconflateTerrariawitha2DMinecraft,whatwithalltheminingandcrafting,butTerrariapinchesjustasmuchfromactiongamesandRPGs,sendingyoubelowthesurfaceofitsrandomly-generatedworldstokillmonstersandsnatchloot.Andbecauseeverydungeonworthitssalthasavillagefullofpeoplereadytohelpadventuringheroes,youcanbuildoneyourself.Withshelter,NPCchumsandworkstations,you’llbeabletomakeincreasinglymoreambitiousexpeditions. Sinceitlaunchedallthewaybackin2011,Re-LogichavelavishedTerrariawithupdates,sothereareabewilderingnumberofmagicalweaponsandhandytoolsyou’reabletocraft,andplentyofmonsterstotestthemagainst.Thefurtherintoityouget,themorewilditbecomes.YoucouldloseyourselffordaysintheWiki,readinguponhowtogetrocketbootsorgunsmadeoutofsharks,butthejoyofdiscoveringthingsforyourselfisalsoahugepartofTerraria’sappeal.It’sfullofsurprises,andyouneverreallyknowwhatyou’regoingtofindwhenyoustartchippingawayatacavewallwithyourpick-axe. 7.Astroneer WherecanIbuyit:Steam,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:SpaceEngineersisagoodsourceofcosmicco-opshenanigans. PlayingAstroneermakesusincrediblyhappy.Survivalshouldbehard,butAstroneerisbuiltonawildnewidea:whatifitactuallywasn’thardatall.Madness!Theonlythingyouneedtoworryaboutisoxygen,butaslongasyou’rehookeduptoabaseoravehicle,you’llneverrunout,andyoucankeeptoppingupyourownsupply.Withthattakencareoff,youcanstartexpandingquickly,goingonlongexpeditionsintogorgeousalienfrontiers.Ratherthanaruggedsurvivalist,you’reascientist,studyingnewworldsanddevelopingresearchoutposts. Byjumpingstraightintoadvancedtechnology,yougettoplayaroundwithrocketsandconstructfactorieswhile,inanothersurvivalgame,you’dstillbeputtingtogetheryourfirstlogcabin.Beforelong,you’llbeflittingofftonewworldsandmoons,searchingformoreresourcesandscientificcuriosities.Evenwithoutthestruggle,Astroneerhasplentyofmomentum.It’salovelyco-opgame,too,andthatextrapairofhandsmeansyoucanbringmorebackwithyoufromexpeditionsandstartembarkingonmoreambitiousresearchandconstructionprojectsearlier.Sinceit’sentirelycooperative,it’snotthetypeofsurvivalgamethatwilltestfriendshipsordevolveintoargumentsoverwhowasmeanttobringthesparebattery. 6.ThisWarOfMine WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Shelteredhitssomeofthesamenotes,butyou'relookingafterafamilyinthepost-apocalypse. BetweenthisandFrostpunk,it'sclearthat11bitStudiosclearlyhaveaknackforcreatingbleak,yettensesurvivalmanagementgames.ThisWarofMineissetduringafictionalwar,taskingyouwithlookingafterasmallgroupofsurvivorsstuckinsideabesiegedcity.Duringtheday,survivorshavetostayindoors,andthat’swhenyoumanageyourhideout,choosinghowtospendprecious,fleetingresources.Therearesomanydemands,butsofewproblemsyoucansolveatonce. Whenthesungoesdown,youcanchooseasurvivortosendoutintothedarkness,tosearchforsuppliesintheruinedcity.Terriblethingshappenoutthere.Yoursurvivormighthavetocommithorrificactstogetthemedicineandfoodtheirfriendsneed,returningtothebasecoveredinemotionalscars.Guiltandshamecanweighonsurvivors,makingthemlosetheirappetiteandeventheirwilltolive. ThisWarofMinedoesn’tglorifywarortheabilitytosurviveone;ittellsharrowingstoriesandforcesplayerstowrestlewiththeethicsofsurvival.Withitsmoreintimateperspective,it’salsoquiteabitmoreeffectivethanFrostpunk.It’snoteasytocareabout100facelessrandos,butwefeltcompletelyresponsibleforthewell-beingofBoris,Katiaandtherestofoursurvivors. 5.Don’tStarve WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Don’tStarve’sbrilliantco-op,Don’tStarveTogether,takessomeofthepressureoff,butalsothrowsinnewwrinkles,likecompetitionoverfood.Or,ifyoudon'tmindgettingabitwet,checkoutTheFlameintheFlood. KeepingyourbellyfullisapersistentconcerninDon’tStarve,butrunningoutofnutritiousgrubisfarfromtheonlythreatfacinganysurvivorsunluckyenoughtogettrappedinthisgothicwilderness.Killerbees,territorialpigmenandgiant,one-eyedbirdscanallsendyoutoanearlygrave,butotherdangersarelesstangible.Evenyourownmindcanbecomeanenemy,summoningshadowyhallucinationswhoseattacksarealltooreal. You’vegottopushthroughitall,venturingoutintothesanity-reducingwildernesstohuntforresourcestofeedyourscienceandalchemymachines.It’saracetogethomebeforeitgetsdark,too,buildingupbeforetheworldbecomesevenmoredangerous.Everystepyoutakeawayfromthesafetyofyourcampfireorbaseputsyoumoreatrisk,butthecallofadventureisalluring. 4.NeoScavenger WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:NeoScavengerisprettysingular,butifyoulikehexesandexploration,RenownedExplorerswillkeepyoubusy. There’smorethanahintofFalloutinNeoScavenger’swasteland,especiallyifyousurviveforlongenoughforthestorytostartunfurling,butwhereFalloutisapost-apocalypticpowerfantasy,NeoScavengerneverpassesupanopportunitytoremindyouhowvulnerableyouare.Thisisagamewherealittlescratchcanultimatelykillyou.It’smerciless,butonlyifyoulookateachabruptlifeasafailure,insteadofwhattheyreallyare:self-containedfables. Killinglotsmutantswon’tgiveyouexperience,anditwon’tsuddenlygiveyouatraitthatmakesyouamoreeffectivemutant-murderer.Instead,throughfailureandsuccess,you’lllearnthebestwayofdealingwithwhatevercrisisyoucomeacross.It’sthebestkindofpermadeath.Startingagainisexcitingbecauseit’sachancetotestoutanewcharacterbuild,mixingandmatchingdifferentabilitiesandflaws.Certainlocationsarefixed,butthemapdoesgetreconfiguredwhenyoustartanewlife,sowon’tbeconstantlyrepeatingthesamejourneys. 3.RimWorld WherecanIbuyit:Steam,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:OxygenNotIncluded.Itdoesn'thaveviolentraids,butitdoeshavealotofpee. RimWorld’sstrandedcolonistshavealottocontendwith:wildanimals,raiderattacks,diseases,drugaddictionandeventheirfellowcolonists.It’saharshplace,andkeepingthemalivetakesalotofwork. Theelaboratesimulationmeansthatsurvivingamountstomorethanjustkeepingcolonistswell-fed.Ifoneofyourcolonistsgetsintoabigfightwiththeirpartner,spirallingintoadepressionandrefusingtoeat,itwon’tmatterifyou’vegotafreezerfulloffood.Andwhatifthatcolonistisalsotheonlydoctor?Now,ifsomeonegetsbadlyinjured,whichisboundtohappen,theymightnotbeabletogetthemedicalaidtheysodesperatelyrequire.Everythingfromstresstounseasonablyhotweathercanspelldoomforyourcolony. Notsurprisingly,we’vebecomeprettyfamiliarwithfailure,butwe’restillnottiredofstartingoveragainandagain.Therearejustsomanywildlydifferentpathstotake.We’vebuiltcoloniesinsidemountains,nurturedvillagesoffarmers,ledabandofraidersandtriedtogetrichbystartingatradingcompany.It’smindbogglinglyopen,andevenafterporingcountlesshoursintoit,we’veonlyscrapedthesurface. 2.TheLongDark WherecanIbuyit:Steam,GOG,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Thoughnotasurvivalgame,FirewatchfeelsalotlikeTheLongDark.Bothgamesareprofoundlybeautifulandexceptionallyisolating;mostofthetimeit'sjustyouandthetrees. TheLongDark’svast,snow-blanketedwildernessisaharshanduncompromisingplace.Itsepisodicstorymode,Wintermute,servesasagentleintroductiontoitsharsh,yetbeautifulworld,butit'sthegame'ssurvivalmodethat'sthetrue,open-endedtestofyourmettle,droppingyouintoafreezingworldandthenleavingyoutofindyourownway.You’vegottofindshelter,andthenventureouttofindsupplies,allwhiletryingtokeepyourcalorieintakeupandyourbodywarm.Gettingreadytoleavetheshelterfeelslikeplanningawildernessexpedition. Youhavetoworryaboutyourbasichumanneedsandverylittleelse,butthat’sactuallyaprettybigjob.You’vegottoworkoutyourdiet,howfaryoucantravelonafullstomach,exactlyhowmuchtimeyou’llhavebeforeitgetsdarkandthetemperatureplummets,andthentherearethecontingencyplansforthingslikeblizzards-you’renotpoppingoutforaquickdrink. Therearelotsoffascinatinginterpretationsofthesurvivalgenreinthislist,butTheLongDarkstickstothefundamentalsandworksmagicwiththem.InsteadoffillingjourneysfromAtoBwithenemies,competingplayersandmorejunkthanyoucouldpossiblyknowwhattodowith,TheLongDarkfillsthemwithatmosphere.Hikesarefraughtwithtension,asyoukeepanearoutforwolfhowlsandpraythatthewinddoesn’tpickup.There’sstilloccasionallytimetoplaythepartoftourist,however.ThemapisastarklybeautifulsliceofCanadianwilderness,sowhocouldbeblamedfortakingabreakfromscavengingtosnapafewshots? 1.Subnautica WherecanIbuyit:Steam,Humble WhatelseshouldIbeplaying:Ifyouwanttotrysurvivingontopofthewavesinsteadofbeneaththem,takeaganderatRaft. Survivalgamesdon’tcomemorealienthanSubnautica,orlesshospitabletohumanlife.Stuckonanunderwaterplanet,youmustdelvebelowthewavestofindfoodandresources,eventuallyconstructingyouveryownunderwaterbasesandsubmersiblevehicles. 3Dmovementandalackofoxygenmakeeventhemundaneactofgatheringbitsofscrapatenseadventure.Dangercancomefromanydirection,andifyoustayunderwaterfortoolong,you’llgetanastyreminderthatyou’rethealienonthisworld,dyingasyougaspforair.Vehicles,airpumpsandoxygentanksallowyoutostayunderforlonger,however,andthemorefamiliaryoubecomewiththeworld,themoretheoceanstartstobecomehome. Massiveforestsofkelp,labyrinthineunderwatercaves,infinitevoidsthatcontaincreaturesthesizeofsmallislands-everybiomefeelslikeitsownlittleworld.You’remoreJacquesCousteauthanBearGrylls,cataloguingthedenizensoftheoceanandtryingtounlockitsmysteries.Whilethere’sconstantpressuretoeat,drinkand,obviously,breathe,Subnauticaisalsoanuncommonlyrelaxingsurvivalgame.Despitemyriadthreatslurkinginthewater,it’spredominantlyaboutthepeaceful,thoughtfulexplorationofastunningalienworld. MoreFeatures Thebestgamesyoumissedin2021:Aerial_Knight'sNeverYield Runandfun HirunCryer 12 hoursago 2 ThesixthRPS2021ChristmasCracker It'sanhonestlaugh RPS 20 hoursago 5 Thebestgamesyoumissedin2021:co-open CanyougetsomeofthenicefruitjuiceIlikeplease OisinKuhnke 1 dayago 1 ThefifthRPS2021ChristmasCracker Genuinelyreallyenjoythisone RPS 1 dayago 8 LatestArticles Thebestgamesyoumissedin2021:Aerial_Knight'sNeverYield Runandfun HirunCryer 12 hoursago 2 ThesixthRPS2021ChristmasCracker It'sanhonestlaugh RPS 20 hoursago 5 Thebestgamesyoumissedin2021:co-open CanyougetsomeofthenicefruitjuiceIlikeplease OisinKuhnke 1 dayago 1 ThefifthRPS2021ChristmasCracker Genuinelyreallyenjoythisone RPS 1 dayago 8 We'vebeentalking,andwethinkthatyoushouldwearclothes Totalcoincidence,butwesellsomeclothes BuyRPSstuffhere