25 Best PC Survival Open-World Games

PC gaming is often at its best when you have long and detailed adventures to go on. So if you’re a fan of open-world survival games, check out these titles!

#25 Palworld

Platform: PC Xbox One XSX|S
Release Date: January 19, 2024 (early access)

Steam | Xbox

When it comes to a certain OTHER “monster-catching franchise,” you rarely, if ever, had to worry about your avatar’s survival. After all, the whole point of that game was simply to battle monsters and not have to worry about what they might do to you.

But in Palworld, survival is something that should absolutely be on your mind. Why? Because these monsters won’t be afraid to come after you and potentially kill you!

That’s why you need to see out and use the power of the “Pals” to stay alive. Train them to be strong so they can fight off everything you come across! Or, if you face an unstoppable foe, use the Pals to sacrifice themselves so you can get away!

#24 Minecraft

We’re not sure if you saw this in a previous list of ours, but we made a promise that we’re doing our best to uphold it. Simply put, we will always put Minecraft as the first game on a survival titles list because, in our minds, it’s not really a survival game!

You don’t play this title for its survival elements! Instead, you play it to build all sorts of things with your friends or yourself. Yes, there is a survival mode that you can do, but it’s very thin compared to all the other games we have here on this list.

We have upheld our promise, so let’s move on.

#23 Astroneer

Now let’s take you to another title that’s not quite the survival experience but features a vast open world. Several of them, in fact.

In Astroneer, you’ll be tasked with going to seven different planets in the game and shaping them however you want. That’s right! You can terraform planets and then build upon them however you desire.

Will you build a standard city that you can easily expand? Or will you head deep into the planet’s crust to make the ultimate underground lair? Each planet has different terrain to build on, so do what you feel is best.

#22 VRising

It’s a hard life being a vampire lord. You go to sleep for an extended period of time, and when you wake up, everything you know is gone! Your castle, your powers, your followers, everything is gone!

In VRising, it’s your job to survive and get everything back. You’ll start rebuilding your castle and finding humans to drain their blood. The more blood you get, the more your powers grow. As you expand your reach, you can bring people to your side.

But don’t think you are untouchable. There will be plenty of challenges for you to face. So fight off foes, and rise to become the ultimate vampire lord!

#21 Unturned

What happens if you were to take a zombie-style world and turn it visually into a block-filled one? You’d get Unturned!

In the low-poly game, you are one of the few survivors in a world where zombies are everywhere. You must travel the land looking for materials to survive with and avoid getting turned into one of the undead.

How you go about doing that is up to you. You can choose to find items that will help you fight zombies when you see them. Or you can choose to avoid them anytime they pop up. As long as you’re in the land of the living? You’re doing good.

#20 DayZ

DayZ is a zombie-survival game where you’ll have a 230 square kilometer map to live on and must decide how you will survive every moment of every session.

In this title, you will feel the pain of death. The trick is to delay it as long as possible. So wander through the area known as Chernarus, fight off any zombies you see, and make it to the next day of your in-game life.

You won’t be the only survivor in this area, but that doesn’t mean you can trust them. Other players might stab you in the back. Or they could be your greatest ally. It’s up to you to discern what to do so that death doesn’t take you.

#19 Rust

When you’ve been around as long as Rust has, you’ve done well to refine your gameplay and ensure that players have much to do.

The game will put you on an island with other players and creatures, and you must fight them all off to survive. The problem you’ll face is you have nothing to start with, not even clothes! So go through the island and find what you need. Or kill other players and take what they have!

You can benefit from years of content additions within the game. So go have fun with other players, and do what it takes to survive!

#18 Grounded

What if we told you there’s a grand survival experience going on right now in your background? You might not see it at first, but that’s because you lack the proper perspective. Grounded will give you that perspective, as you’ll play four kids who are shrunken to the size of an insect and left to survive in a backyard.

The world looks very different when you’re that small. So you’ll need to explore this “new world” and ensure you can fight off the insects that aren’t going to be nice to you.

Unravel the mystery of your condition and figure out what else lurks within the blades of grass.

#17 Project Zomboid

When you know death is coming, you’ll do everything you can to survive as long as possible. In Project Zomboid, you’ll get to experience that firsthand.

You’ll play as survivors from two towns attempting to withstand the zombie horde coming for them. Only through their wits and skills can they survive day to day. So you’ll need to go from house to house in the area to gain supplies or weapons and then build shelters and defenses to keep the zombies out.

It’s not just the zombies you’ll need to be wary of. Your characters will have mental breakdowns. Random things will happen to make your situation worse. Endure these to see how long you can last!

#16 SCUM

What happens when you have a survival game invoking people’s love of entertainment shows? You get SCUM. The title features you and other players as prisoners who have to fight on televised events where survival is the goal, and the hope is to be free of the island you’re on.

The game specifically focuses on the survival element, and you’ll have deep customization and progression options to help you feel as though you have choices on what you do.

There are multiple ways to play the game, including 64-person online matches or renting your own island to have fun with friends!

#15 RimWorld

How will you survive in a world where the story changes based on the whims of an AI narrator? Jump into RimWorld and find out!

The game is a mix of survival titles and colony builders. You’ll begin as three survivors of a crash landing on a remote planet. From there, you’ll build up your colony and attempt to make it successful. As time goes on and the people around you grow in number, you’ll face new dangers from without and within.

You can face anything from space pirates to mutinies and more through the random story! So keep everyone happy, help them survive, and be prepared for the unexpected!

#14 Outward

If you were to play Outward, you’d find yourself in a deep and challenging experience in a rugged land. You’ll play a simple adventurer seeking wonders and truth in this area. But since you are “no one special,” that means you’ll have to maintain your health and well-being on your journey.

As you travel, you’ll uncover hidden secrets, marvelous cities, powerful monsters, magic, and more! What you choose to do and where you want to go is in your hands.

The world is begging to be explored, and there are plenty of missions to take on. So grab your gear and head out!

#13 Starbound

You know you will have fun when you have a full-on universe to explore and no restrictions on what you can do.

Starbound is s survival game where you can do whatever you want as you travel across the stars. There is indeed a “story” that you can follow in which you’ll be a hero that saves all life. Or you can skip that and do something else. Like what? Well, you can build ships to travel across the universe. You can choose to colonize other worlds and run them like a businessman. You can dive deep into other worlds to find treasures or rare creatures. It’s up to you!

The stars await!

#12 Raft

Certain survival scenarios are tougher than others. Raft will put you in one of the most dangerous. You’ll be a young man on a raft in the middle of the ocean, and you must survive.

To do so, you’ll look for and use whatever is around you to get by. Even the trash that floats around you is a valuable resource in this game. Use what you find and expand your raft and capabilities. If you think you can use it? Use it!

Be sure to go fishing so you can eat. Or, if all of this sounds too daunting to do alone, you can take on this challenge in a co-op mode!

#11 The Forest

On the surface, The Forest sounds like a typical survival game. You are someone who survived a plane crash in a forest and must work through the pain and uncertainty to survive.

But when night falls in this forest, things get crazy. During the day, you’ll do the typical survivor checklist. You’ll build a shelter, scavenge for supplies, get food and water, etc. But the moment night approaches, you’ll need to prep for a fight.

There are mutants within this forest. They are smart, powerful, can work together, and have one desire: get to you! Fight until the morning, then prepare for a new battle as the darkness draws closer.

#10 ARK: Survival Evolved

Multiple survival games put you in a scenario that has you starting with “nothing” and working your way up. ARK: Survival Evolved is one such title, but with a few twists along the way.

You’ll create your character and land on the island known as Ark. After that. It’s your job to wander the island, find materials to craft items, and survive the inhabitants there. That includes other players whom you can choose to work with or kill.

Oh, and there are also dinosaurs on the island. So that shouldn’t be too tough for you to get around, right?

The more you survive, the more technologies you’ll have access to, and the bigger the possibilities.

#9 Terraria

What if you were given an entire world to explore and do what you want in it? How would you handle that? In Terraria, you’ll get your answer.

Each time you start a new game in this title, you’ll receive a completely new procedurally-generated world to have fun in. Of course, what you do in that world is up to you.

For example, if you crave adventure, you can explore the world from top to bottom and see what you find. You can go on treasure hunts and see what wonders are hidden around you. Or you can build a city and see how far you can expand it!

With so many options, you’ll have plenty to do.

#8 Don’t Starve

Allow us to ask you this. How challenging do you want your survival game to be? If you want a title that won’t “hold your hand” and forces you to think on your own, get Don’t Starve.

The game is known to be “uncompromising” as it puts you in a mysterious land with no clue how to get home and expects you to survive on it.

You’ll have no guide, no clues or tips on what to do next or how to survive. You’ll need to be observant, clever, and dedicated to figuring out how to live. That won’t be easy, considering the island is full of monsters and is not your typical island.

Think you can survive here?

#7 Valheim

Valheim is a game set in a massive world begging to be explored and built on. What’s more, you don’t have to play the game alone. Instead, you can join nine other players and inhabit a land full of wonders and dangers.

Once you make landfall, build a settlement and start exploring the area around you. Of course, the more you build, the more you can do. That includes making powerful weapons that can fell foes in a single strike!

Or if you feel the call of the water, get in your ships and sail to other lands! Each place you go to will be unique and have random creatures you’ll encounter.

#6 Green Hell

There are few places in the world more dangerous than the Amazon Rainforest. So treacherous is that place that no human has fully wandered through it and made it out alive. Something has always turned them back or taken their life. So how did you end up in one of the most dangerous spots on Earth?

That is the question you’ll unravel in Green Hell. Trapped in the middle of the Amazon and haunted by memories of your past, you’ll seek to find a way out of this dangerous land and unravel the truth of what led you there.

But the truth might not be what you hope it to be.

#5 Conan Exiles

So, what is best in life? Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women!

But, to get to a point where you can do that, you’ll need to survive the tough Hyborian Age within Conan Exiles.

After being saved from certain death by Conan himself, you’ll wander through the world and attempt to make a name for yourself. But how you do it is up to you. For example, you can go solo and fight monsters, gods, and other players to obtain dominant status. Or you can team up with players to make cities to prosper off of.

#4 7 Days to Die

If the world of 7 Days to Die, monsters are everywhere, and it’s not just the undead you have to fear. The game prides itself on having millions of players and many options to do as you attempt to survive.

First, you’ll have a massive world to explore. There are several biomes here where you’ll find survivors and zombies, so be prepared for something around every corner! Second, there are loads of weapons that you can find or craft to help you survive. So pick something you know you can use.

How long you survive in this world depends on your plan and how far you will go to stay alive.

#3 Subnautica

Are you ready to survive “Under The Sea?” Sadly, this isn’t a Disney title for having fun with mermaids. Rather, Subnautica is an intense survival experience set on an alien world.

When your ship crash lands in the oceans of this planet, you’ll have to think fast from the moment you start to survive. First, you’ll need to find items to build a shelter, so you’re not stuck in your SCUBA-style suit. Then, you’ll have to explore the waters to gain more materials and learn more about the world you’ve crashed onto.

But remember, you’re on an alien world, and these waters aren’t uninhabited. So be ready to fight the creatures of the depths if they get aggressive!

#2 State of Decay 2

Given that we don’t know if the third game will ever release, it’s only fair to talk about the deep survival experience that State of Decay 2 offers. In the game, you’ll not be solely in charge of your well-being. Instead, you’ll be in charge of a community of survivors within a zombie-filled world.

You’ll watch over them and guide their every move to build a new home within this apocalypse. Build your community and then set up defenses to protect it. But be warned! You’ll need to ensure you’re self-sustaining, and when that doesn’t work, you’ll have to send out people for food, supplies, or to fight threats.

If they die, they’re gone. Will you be able to keep the community alive?

#1 The Long Dark

Hailed as one of the greatest survival games ever, The Long Dark is arguably the ultimate test of survival out in the wilderness. The game doesn’t put you against monsters or “world-ending threats.” Instead, you’re stuck in the Canadian wilderness and asked to endure the harsh conditions that are all around.

The game makes it very clear that to survive. You must do everything possible for your character. Find food, build shelter, get rest, and fight off animals in the area. The game doesn’t have a traditional save system because you’ll play until your character dies, and then you’ll start over from the beginning.

If you want more depth, head to the story mode and try to survive it!