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.
#15 V Rising
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?
#14 Sons of the Forest
Platform: PC
Release Date: February 22, 2024
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!
#13 Palworld
Platform: PC Xbox One XSX|S
Release Date: January 19, 2024 (early access)
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!
#12 Dread Pilots
How about we go to a sci-fi future where you get trapped in a nightmare dimension? That sounds fun, right?
In Dread Pilots, you are truly trapped in a realm where there are dangers in every direction you look, and your ship won’t be able to handle them unless you outfit it with a crew and weapons to take them on.
Your mission is simple: find a way out! But with so many threats, is there even a way out? There’s plenty to do in this game just to survive, so keep your head on a swivel and look out!
#11 Once Human
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?
#10 The Alters
One of the most dangerous situations to be in is one where you have to rely on yourself alone to get through a challenge. In The Alters, you’ll have no one but yourself and your past selves to free you from a planet you are trapped on.
The game will allow you to “summon” past versions of yourself that made different choices in their lives. Through these “alters,” you’ll have many hands, and potentially get to do light work.
But with each Alter you summon, the strain on your mind will increase. You’ll need to work through the problems of your past if you hope to survive the present and make it to the future. Think you can handle that?
#9 Crashlands 2
After the events of the first game, a certain trucker wanted nothing more than to take a vacation and not have to worry about being thrown into an intense survival situation. So, in Crashlands 2, he goes to take that vacation and gets thrown into a new and very intense survival situation! Such a lucky guy.
Alone and in a part of the world you’re not familiar with, you’ll have to do everything you can to make it out alive and get through the aliens and dangers that this place has.
The good news is that you can make friends and have them help you survive. It’s a big alien world out there, so do your best not to die.
#8 Pacific Drive
Platform: PC PS5
Release Date: February 22, 2024
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.
#7 HeatWave
How do you survive a HeatWave? Simple, you get inside, you turn on the air conditioning, and you hope you don’t fry in the process.
Oh, this is about a game called that? Our bad. The game focuses on a potential future where global warming has forced the continental United States to cut itself off from Alaska, and that leaves it open to a united front of Russia and China. Why? Because Russia used to own the state before they sold it to the US, and they want it back!
You’ll need to assemble a resistance movement and fight off the invaders so you can keep your homes safe!
#6 Wanderlost
Huh, we haven’t had a survival game that’s featured zombies yet, have we? Let’s change that! Wanderlost is a cutely-rendered title that will throw you into a wilderness and expects you to survive. That shouldn’t be to hard, right?
Well, it will be given the zombies and other creatures that exist in this world. You’ll need to construct a home to protect yourself within and then slowly expand it via the resources you collect. As you venture deeper into the world, you’ll get access to more things, so don’t be afraid to roam!
Just remember, there are dangers everywhere, so bring some weapons to fight back!
#5 Enshrouded
Platform: PC
Release Date: January 24, 2024 (early access)
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.
#4 Sand
We don’t like Sand, it’s course and irritating and, what’s that? Oh, have we already made this joke several times? Darn.
Anyway, in this game, you’ll be put into an alternate version of history where a massive empire ruled over several planets. But when disaster struck, and their prized world fell to the sandy depths, they left much behind to be found.
That’s where you and other players come in. You’ll go to the world and attempt to find the treasures and resources that were left behind. Plus, you’ll have a mech known as a Trampler that you can upgrade to help you on your journey.
Will you find what was lost?
#3 Aloft
Ready to set sail? You might think that’s odd given the game’s name of Aloft but it’s an apt question. After all, in the title, you’re surviving on an island that is floating in the sky due to a hurricane that swirls your home and other islands around its vortex!
The only way to travel around this hurricane is to build upon your island a set of masts and sails and ride the winds to adventure! You can build your island however you want and then venture to other islands to see what they hold and what you can use to continue your adventure.
If you want, you can even build a flying wing for yourself and glide around!
#2 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
A sad fact about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is that you should’ve already been able to play the game. However, given the situation with the nations that helped make this game and other factors, they felt it best to delay things.
But once the game arrives, you’ll have a riveting experience to undergo. The game 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.
#1 Frostpunk 2
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!
