When it comes to survival games, they come in all shapes, sizes, and settings. Here are the best new survival games you’ll want to check out this year. Of course, some of these games will likely slip past 2024 so there’s games here you can keep tabs on for the upcoming year. Likewise, these games are not ranked in any particular order. Without further ado here are the best new survival games of 2024.
Looking for some new survival games to check out this year? We have you covered. Here’s our picks of some of the best upcoming survival games heading into the marketplace in 2025.
#10 Nightingale
- Platforms: PC
- Before You Buy
Let’s step back to Victorian time with this game. In Nightingale, players are thrown into the Victorian ages but with a unique twist. Humanity in this game has managed to trigger the ability to open different realms to explore. However, our game follows a protagonist trapped after an unusual event. Your goal is to get back and figure out what’s going on.
Of course, you’ll have to venture into new realms as you seek a way back home, each with its own procedurally generated landscapes and various enemies you’ll have to face. That said, this is still a survival game. So, you can expect to find precious resources to keep your vitals up and ensure your character gets enough rest. That might be easier said than done, depending on what realm you stumble into.
#9 Bellwright
- Platforms: PC, XBO, X/S
When the prince is murdered, you suddenly find yourself framed. Now, the crown demands your life, and it’s caused you to narrowly escape. But you won’t live your life in the shadows for long. Instead, it’s time to seek answers; the only way to find things out is by returning to where it all started.
A new ruthless leader controls the kingdom, and you have more than a few citizens willing to raise arms with you. Gather your army, build up your forces, collect resources to live in the harsh lands, and slowly take back the kingdom. It won’t be easy, but as you gradually expand your kingdom, make new allies, and free more areas from tyranny, you’ll become one powerhouse of a force to reckon with.
#8 V Rising
- Platforms: PC, PS5
V Rising is a bit of a different take on a survival game. Usually, survivor games feature humans striving to stay alive in nature or other disastrous threats. However, in this game, we’re a vampire. You’re stepping into the role of a being with ancient power, and now you have a whole gothic world to do as you please. But that’s easier said than done.
You’ll have to ensure your vampire protagonist doesn’t succumb to their untimely demise. It starts with gathering resources to maintain your vitals or building up structures. For example, you’ll need to hunt for blood, gather resources to build up a castle, and, of course, stay in the shadows, far from the reach of the burning sunlight. Do you have what it takes to lead a legion?
#7 Sons of the Forest
- Platforms: PC
- Before You Buy
So, you think going to an island that has a rich billionaire on it is going to be fun, huh? Clearly you don’t know what Sons of the Forest is all about. You are indeed going to an island to try and help out a billionaire, but it won’t be a “pleasure cruise.”
Instead, you’ll encounter the various monsters and mutants that call the place home, and you’ll have to figure out a way to survive on that island—you’re now trapped on it!
The more time you spend there, the more the island will change and evolve, so do what must be done to make it to the next season!
#6 Palworld
- Platforms: PC, XBO, X/S, PS5
- Before You Buy
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!
#5 Once Human
- Platforms: PC
- Before You Buy
We’ve shown you some rather dark games so far, and we will continue that trend! Why? Because we can!
In Once Human, you’ll be in a world that has become infected with an alien entity called “Stardust.” And when we say “infected,” we mean that in the broadest sense. Everything from the people, the animals, the water, the food, the ground, and everything in between has been infected!
Thus begins you’re struggle. You are one of the few that can fight against the monsters that lurk everywhere. But without food and water, you’ll lose your sanity. But if you ingest it, you’ll become more infected. What will you do?
#4 Pacific Drive
- Platforms: PC, PS5
- Before You Buy
How does one survive an area full of mysterious “anomalies,” vicious storms, and terror lying around every corner? Well, you ensure your car can take you through everything without becoming a wreck!
That might sound cheesy, but that’s the point of Pacific Drive. The game puts you in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, where massive storms are ripping through the region, and the only way to safety is through the Olympic Exclusion Zone, a place full of dangers.
You’ll need to find materials and build up your car into a mean machine that can carry you through the trials ahead. It won’t be easy, but survival is never easy.
#3 Enshrouded
- Platforms: PC
Survival games are all over the place nowadays; they’re a key genre for many players. However, where Enshrouded continues into play is that it gives you a deep fantasy RPG world to enjoy while you attempt to survive in it.
Long story short, mankind got too greedy for its own good, and they accidentally turned their home realm into a fog-filled nightmare.
You wake up in this nightmare with nothing to your name, and thus, you’ll need to work hard to get what you need to survive. The longer you last, the more you’ll find out about this world and whether there’s a way to save it.
#2 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Platforms: PC, X/S
- Before You Buy
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl takes place many years after another nuclear event went down in Chornobyl. Yeah, because the first one wasn’t enough, apparently!
You are one of the many people who will venture into the exclusion zone to harvest the wonders, riches, and mysteries of the place. But whether you survive the zone is another matter entirely. With a place filled with creatures and other hostilities, you’ll want to make sure you’re well prepared when you begin to explore.
#1 Frostpunk 2
- Platforms: PC
- Before You Buy
In wintertime, the cold is what many people fear and hate the most. But in Frostpunk 2, things are much colder and much worse than you could’ve possibly imagined.
You’re thrust into a world where a great storm has caused the last city of humanity to be put on the brink. Your mission is to build this place back up and help the people who live in it. Unity is essential to survive, but that’s hard to do when everyone has different agendas and desires for what this city can be.
You’ll have to do a balancing act like never before to make it all work. Expand where you can, be smart with how you grow the city, and ensure the people’s actions don’t destroy everything you’ve built!
