The act of survival is something that we do every day, and some people take it to extreme lengths to prove they can survive. In video games, you can do that without all the risks. So here are a few of those such games.
#11 Minecraft
Hate us all you want, we’re putting Minecraft at the bottom of this list, and you all know exactly why! This game does have a Survival Mode, but it’s hardly the most important part of the game, now is it?
No, it’s not. The game is much more renown for its harvesting of resources and using them to build whatever the player wants whenever the player wants to. It’s a simple yet beautiful thing that doesn’t have to be questioned because it works.
So yeah, you can do a survival run in the game, and some of you might enjoy it. But the other games on this list are very much dedicated to the survival game theme and thus they’re higher up.
Also, Minecraft Steve is in Smash Bros somehow and that’s something we cannot forgive.
#10 Astroneer
For example, Astroneer is a title that’ll have you trying to survive multiple planets in space and transforming them so that you can live on them.
Yes, you’ll be able to go to 7 planets in a very unique solar system and see all that they have to offer. Then, you can work with other players in order to terraform them into something truly special. This includes being able to it above ground, below ground, and anything in between.
It won’t always be easy, but if you are able to pull it off, you’ll have multiple planets to call your own. Which is more than we can say in the real world currently!
#9 Vigor
Vigor is a looter shooter mixed with a survival game that takes place in modern day Norway after an apocalyptic event happened.
You’ll play as a character of your own making and then have to scour the land for supplies and resources that you can use to survive. All the while trying to outlast the other players in the game and the creatures that roam the country.
The game has many modes, including being able to challenge other players to battles! Or, you can jump into the Chronicles: Perseverance story mode and follow a woman named Freyja as she searches for a new home. Either way, you’ll need to survive as long as you can.
#8 Scrapnaut
Here’s a unique survival game for you. Scrapnaut is a top-down base-building survival title that is infused with Steampunk elements. Plus, you can play it alone or with other players in co-op!
You’ll have to explore the world you are in and its various biomes, then build up a home and a farm for you to live in and grow. Then, take what you grow and make a variety of meals that’ll make you happy.
The exploration element will help you find rare resources that you can use to expand your craft, as well as help you create things like your own electricity!
Just beware, you aren’t alone out there, and enemies may be too much for you at times, so run away if so!
#7 Tribes of Midgard
In Tribes of Midgard, it’s you up against the forces of Ragnarok itself! Luckily for you, you won’t have to battle this alone. If you’re smart that is.
You’ll be able to have up to ten players in a single game. You’ll start with nothing but the loincloths upon you and thus you’ll search the lands for various materials and items to build yourselves up. By day, you’ll build yourselves up, and then at night, you’ll face the mighty giants that aim to destroy the world!
With each session you play in you’ll get smarter, stronger, and more experiences so you know what to expect. Or, you can play the other modes and create your own adventure!
#6 Dying Light
It wouldn’t be a survival games list if it didn’t have a zombie title in it, right? Well, Dying Light is on the Switch, and thus it more than fits the criteria.
You’re dropped into a city that is being overrun with zombies. You have orders to figure out what happened, and survive long enough to find out what to do next. Which isn’t easy when the people of the town are just as bad as the zombies!
You’ll need to use your training and your parkour skills in order to bound around the city, fight off the enemies both living and dead, and see how your choices affect all around you.
#5 Terraria
In most survival games there is a large world for you to go and wander around. But in Terraria, it’s not just that you can go and explore, it’s literally that you can go and do whatever you want in this planet.
Plus, every single time you start a new game, the planet will be different from the one before it. Thus giving you an infinite amount of places to explore and do things in.
Do you want to just explore the world and see all that’s there? Do it. Do you want to build up your life on the planet, complete with a city in your honor? Do it! The game boasts some of the best freedom/sandbox gameplay you’ll find, so definitely try it out.
#4 Ark Survival Evolved
A great example of large scale survival games, Ark Survival Evolved puts you on an island known as Ark, and leaves you to survive. You’ll have nothing on you as you arrive, and then have to get all you can to withstand what awaits you!
Find resources to craft items, then go hunting to get food to survive! Just be warned, the things on this island are beyond modern times. Dinosaurs, we mean there are dinosaurs on this island, alright? You can even tame them and ride them into battle!
The island offers much, but you have to survive it to get it.
#3 Smoke and Sacrifice
Smoke and Sacrifice is a bit of a different game for this list, because it’s not just a survival title, it’s a narrative-RPG. You’ll place as Sachi, a woman who has learned a terrible secret about the world at the cost of her child.
Now, she must wander the world and figure out the truth behind all that has happened. But there are terrible threats that await her on her journey. She must get the right resources and build herself up to take on the threats and survive the dangers that are truly all around her.
Will she be able to figure out what happened with her child? Or will the world take her before that happens? You decide.
#2 The Survivalists
A classic game in many respects, The Survivalists will put you on a deserted island expects you to survive it! You’ll need to build up a shelter, then seek out resources to eat, get water, and fight off any threats that may come from the depths of the island itself.
What’s that? You don’t want to live on the deserted island alone? Good! Because The Survivalists will let you play the game co-op style and as a result, you’ll work together to live together.
Did we mention the monkeys? Yeah, if you need an extra set of hands, tame and train the monkeys and you’ll to do even more!
#1 Don’t Starve Together
The original Don’t Starve game was a triumph in the survival genre due to how it was very uncompromising in terms of its gameplay. The catch was that you had to play the game alone. Don’t Starve Together on the other hand is an expansion that’ll let you survive with some friends.
Not that this will be easier for you, but it will give you a small leg up on the purpose of the title. You’ll still find yourself in a place of mystery and have to figure out how to live long enough to unravel the questions around you. Including that of “The Constant”.
You can play with your actual friends or get help from players online! As long as you survive, does it matter who you’re with?
