8 Upcoming Survival Games of 2023 to Test Your Mettle

Despite the fact that we’re all just trying to survive 2022, there are plenty of games coming out next year that show us things could be way more intense. At least we don’t have to hunt anything down for food. Nor are we hunted down. From zombie outbreaks to colonizing a new world, here are the best upcoming survival games of 2023 that will test your will to survive and thrive.

#8 Stranded Alien Dawn

• Release date: April 25, 2023
• Developer: Haemimont Games
• Publisher: Frontier Developments plc
• Platform: Microsoft Windows

Stranded Alien Dawn is most definitely a survival game, but it’s one that has a unique set of circumstances for you to overcome.

You will play as the leader of a small group of people who have been marooned on an alien planet. Now, in order to survive, you must forge, craft, defend, and manage with your fellow survivors on all major things.

You’ll have to build a shelter to get through the nights and defend against some of the creatures that might see you as a threat. You’ll have to look after the physical and mental health of your crew to make sure they’re all doing alright.

Store food, build and expand to make life more habitable, whatever it takes to keep going.

#7 Occupy Mars: The Game

• Developer: Pyramid Games
• Platform: Microsoft Windows
• Release date: Full Release May 10, 2023
• Publishers: Pyramid Games, PlayWay

If you’ve ever wanted to explore Mars in a more realistic setting that Occupy Mars is perfect for you. It’s a very technical experience, forcing you to complete all the necessary tasks for survival on an inhospitable planet like Mars. You’ll have to find water, generate oxygen, build and repair any structures you’re needing, and gather the resources needed for every aspect of expanding. You will have to learn certain skills as well, such as soldering, using electronic measurement equipment, and how to properly structure connecting greenhouses and the cables that run between them. Detailed games have a large appeal for many people, and Occupy Mars has its sights set on being the best the Survival genre has to offer.

#6 Voidtrain

• Platforms: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S
• Developers: Nearga, HypeTrain Digital
• Publishers: Nearga, HypeTrain Digital
• Release date: May 9, 2023

Voidtrain is an interdimensional survival game where you use resources to upgrade your tricked out train. The planet you wind up on is filled to the brim with unique creatures and monsters for you to conquer or run in fear from. This unique world is procedurally generated every game so each run you have will look a little different from the rest. But the gorgeous artstyle, unique weapons and tools will remain the same. Allowing you to better plan and customize your train every time. The train customization also seems to be rather special. You start with a small trolly but have full control over how you expand on it. The size, cars, and even the era your engine is from are just some of the different ways you can make your train feel like home.

#5 Wildmender

• Developer: Muse Games
• Publisher: Kwalee
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
• Release: Sep 28, 2023

Wildmender is a spiritual game in which you will try to use arcane magic to revive the world one oasis at a time. In a hostile desert world full of wraiths, you will learn to utilize ancient magic to gather seeds and care for them. You will have to craft shelter for yourself against the weather by gathering resources. You can revive plant life and cater to it. Build irrigation systems to help your garden thrive. While the oases that you can create are very beautiful, you can also go on quests to rescue and learn from ancient gods. It will be up to you and up to three friends to bring the world back from a lifeless desert and shape it into a bountiful garden.

#4 Valheim

• Developer: Iron Gate AB
• Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass
• Release: March 14, 2023 Xbox

Valheim did very well on Steam in 2021, despite the developing team being only five people! Because it was one of the top-earning games of 2021 on Steam, the developers have since hired some more people and delivered an Xbox version of the game. Valheim is a survival game that lets you explore the world of the Vikings according to Norse mythology. Built great halls and other shelters, scout for resources, and fight off the monstrous beasts of Norse mythology.

There are multiple biomes, each with their own monsters and challenges. These biomes are also procedurally generated, so you can play as many times as you want. Also, don’t worry too much about eating. If you do, great, you’ll have bonus health. Not eating won’t kill you though, so you are free to focus on the other aspects of the game. You go it alone or play with up to 10 people.

#3 Forever Skies

• Developer: Far From Home
• Publisher: Far From Home
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Release: June 22, 2023

Forever Skies is an survival action game where you return to a version of Earth that has been destroyed by an ecological disaster. You will have to use science in order to survive long enough to repair the Earth piece by piece. Scavenging for resources will help you survive and create the tools you need to repair buildings as well as your airship. Speaking of, your airship is your customizable home and lab, so you will will be able to make it completely yours. You will not be entirely alone on Earth, as there are still some creepy creatures lurking about. The biggest thing to fear may be the mysterious illness you have to find a cure for though. This single-player game will keep you busy for hours as you explore and study the world around you.

#2 Gord

• Developer: Covenant.dev
• Publisher: Team 17
• Platforms: PC
• Release: Aug 17, 2023

In a world heavily inspired by Slavic folklore, you will try to lead your people into the Forbidden Lands. Gord is a survival and strategy RPG that drives home the message that we are all in this together. As you move your Tribe of the Dawn into more dangerous lands, their individual experiences during side quests will shape their personalities and well-being. If their loved-ones die or they encounter a horrible creature along the way, it can impact their sanity, and they may leave you.

The continued community is your goal moving forward, so do your best to manage the terrible scenarios that will come your way. In fact, these scenarios are customizable by you. You get to pick everything from the setting, the weather severity, the objective, the creatures, and how difficult it will be. Setting a challenge for yourself to overcome is part of the reward. The folklore and level of detail make this game look like hours of fun, and because of how much of it is procedurally generated, there is the potential to play over and over again.

#1 Sons of the Forest

Platform: PC
Release Date: February 23, 2023
Steam

If you’re ready for your next big survival experience, prepare for Sons Of The Forest. In the game, you’re tasked with going to an island to retrieve a billionaire who has gone missing. But the moment you arrive, you’ll see just how bad things will get.

There are mutants and monsters all over the island, and you’ll need to survive long enough to get off this tortured place! But how will you survive? That’s entirely up to you. You’ll have various resources you can use to build shelter, craft weapons, and more.

Use everything you have on you and whatever you find on the island. It may be the difference between life and death.

Disclaimer: This article was updated on 12/13/23 as we continue to adjust this list with new entries or remove games due to delays or failure to captivate audiences.