Survival games are one of those games that will constantly keep you on edge, because of their complexity and constant need for searching for loots and crafting materials. Survival games, if done well, can provide the players with months of fun, especially if we are talking about multiplayer survival games, which you can play for a really long time. The basics of survival games are that you… well, survive! Gather some stuff like food or materials to craft your equipment and fight off against enemies, although fighting isn’t the primary mechanics in some survival games. With that on our minds, let’s check 20 best survival games for PC.
1. PUBG
Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds took the gaming community by storm, with its great concept, graphics, and gameplay. This game came out a few months ago, and believe it or not, it’s the most popular game on Steam, even more, popular than CSGO and GTA V. This game is all about surviving; you are parachuted into one of the zones in the game, along with other players, without any weapon and armor and your task is to look for gear and supplies, in order to survive versus the other players. The game finishes when there is one player left on the map, which means that he has won. PUBG is bloody hard, and will offer you months of fun!
2. ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolved was in beta for far too long, and now it’s released. What could go wrong with dinosaurs? Well, nothing, at least for me! The core gameplay of the game is based on interaction with dinosaurs and your decision whether to fight them or tame them, depending on the species. For example, some of them are really aggressive, while some are passive. Aside from that, the player is in constant search for food and material to create and upgrade his shelter. It’s even better when playing multiplayer, with friends.
3. Minecraft
While not being the prettiest game on the list, Minecraft is one hell of a game! Minecraft is an epitome of survival game, with its gameplay being focused on collecting loot and food to survive in the world made of 8-bit chunks. The player can also build their shelter with these chunks and protect themselves against the other players or monsters hunting at night. If you are brave enough, you’ll go hunting at night, and if not… well, stay in your shelter! Minecraft still counts millions of players, so don’t hesitate- join them in the top-notch survival game!
4. The Evil Within 2
The Evil Within 2 is a brand new survival horror game, released on October 13th, which is Friday. Coincidence? I think not! This game will haunt your dreams, with its twisted, Japanese horror, creepy monsters, and boss fights and compelling story. The game follows the same protagonist from the first game, Sebastian Castellanos on his story to save his daughter, Lilly, from the powerful corporation called Mobius. The players can do crafting, collection materials, and even craft on-foot, but this will consume more materials, making it harder for the player. If you are a fan of the survival horror genre, grab this one asap!
5. Rust
Rust is yet another multiplayer survival game, which you’ll begin with just rock and a torch, so try to survive using just that. It’s very hard at the beginning, but once you gather or steal materials to build your shelter, things get interesting. Yes, I said ‘steal’, and by that I mean really steal it from the other players, who might be higher level than you, so you’ll need to be extra careful with that. There are also other threats in the form of wolves and bears which you can kill with guns that you can craft or bows. In PvP confrontations, you can use whatever resource you’ve got to survive. This is a great, but cheap game, so you can get it right away.
6. Subnautica
Subnautica will let you explore the beautiful, aquatic alien planet in your scuba suit. The game looks gorgeous and plays well, with the main goal being to survive, collecting the items and resources for crafting, constructing bases, and building tools to survive. The game is singleplayer, and it has a solid story for that matter. Although there are no enemies, the game will still put you on edge with its hunger and thirst system.
7. The Long Dark
If you are up for a hardcore survival game, then The Long Dark is just for you. This game puts you in a role of the crash-landed pilot, who must survive the harshest conditions of Canada. Here, you’ll monitor every single factor about your characters, from hunger, thirst, caloric intake, body temperature and much more. The players can also craft weapons which can be used to defend themselves from bears and wolves, which are a constant threat here and will keep you on edge all of the time.
8. DayZ
DayZ is remembered as one of the worst optimized games, but under that, there is a really good game. DayZ will not offer you any objective, as your only objective here is to survive. Here, you’ll also take care of your character’s hunger, thirst, and body temperature, and will also fight against zombies, but also bandits who can kidnap you, and that will not go so well. The best experience is if you play it with your friend or two.
9. This War of Mine
Being a low-budget game, This War of Mine manages to bring the dark and grim atmosphere that a small number of games can replicate. The game plays in 2D form, and you control several characters in the WWII era, with the main goal being to maintain your shelter, eat, sleep, and craft items. You’ll play day by day, and things can change. Sometimes, you can go for scavenging outside of the house, and someday you can just stay and rest if you have enough resources. The game is intense and you’ll need some serious skills to beat it, making it a superior survival game.
10. Alien: Isolation
Another survival horror epitome is Alien: Isolation. Oh my God, what a game this is! This will scare the hell out of you, because of really scarce resources and weapons, which will help you kill some enemies here and there, aside from the main threat- the Alien. This creature will hunt you not only in the game but in your dreams as well. It can’t be killed, and it’s super-smart, able to locate you even when you are hidden in ventilation or cabinets, so you’ll have to hold your breath and hope for the best, while you are searching for items. These two words best describe it: hard and intense!
11. Conan Exiles
Although Conan Exiles is scheduled for release in 2018, the early access of the game is available on Steam. The game begins with the player being rescued by Conan and now needs to survive the harsh desert landscape, while fighting versus the other players. As this is a survival game, it boasts mechanics for crafting new armors and weapons, as well as shelters for survival. The only downside is that it’s $30, which is a little too much for the early access game.
12. The Forest
The Forest will put your mind to the test by throwing you in the forest, where the only survivors from the plane crash are you and a young child. However, you’re not alone here, as the cannibals and other creatures are hunting your child, so you’ll need some heavy melee weapons and a good shelter to survive and hide from them, which makes this game intense and very hard. The game has a good story in singleplayer mode, but there is also a multiplayer mode, which is more interesting.
13. H1Z1: Just Survive
Just Survive was a free-to-play game, but now you’ll have to buy it, which isn’t a bad thing, considering how good the game is. It’s very similar to DayZ, so you’ll have to search for loot and fight against zeds, or bypass them if you can. The multiplayer component is a key feature here, offering months of fun with your friends. To put it simply, Just Survive is about crafting, fighting, and keeping yourself healthy to survive. If that sounds good to you, then you know what to do.
14. Don’t Starve
You’ll not starve when playing this game, but I can’t tell the same for the gameplay itself. Nevertheless, Don’t Starve is a great, cartoonish game, with its great artwork, yet very punishing and brutal gameplay. You’ll need to stay sane in the brutal world of the game, by taking care of your (mental) health, practice science and magic and fight and eat animals in order to survive. The game is hard as hell, and that’s even a mild word for this game! If you want or don’t want to starve with your friends, you can play Don’t Starve Together, which is a standalone expansion to this game.
15. The Division
The Division is often characterized as a mixed bag, being interesting until you get to some level and then getting boring. Well, this may and may not be true, but for me, The Division is a great example of survival game, where you’ll have to grind hard to get the loot. The gameplay is based on shooting and collecting loot with your friends to build and upgrade your shelter. There is also a character customization and weapon and armor upgrades. Basically, a survival shooter game that offers tons of fun.
16. Terraria
Terraria was released back in 2011, but it aged really well, thanks to its great gameplay and interesting artwork. The game doesn’t bring anything new to the table, and it’s similar to Minecraft, which really isn’t bad. Here, you’ll explore randomly generated worlds, and craft your items from the materials that you’ve collected during your gameplay. The game can be played either in singleplayer or multiplayer, and it’s up to you to decide how you want to play it.
17. Resident Evil 4 HD
Resident Evil 4 is a legendary game, and now it’s here with an HD remaster. It’s the same old Resident Evil 4, with our blonde-haired protagonist Leon Kennedy, escorting the president’s daughter through the twisted world of the game. The game is singleplayer-only, and offers some great fun, collecting valuable resources and crafting stuff while you explore the in-game world.
18. 7 Days to Die
7 Days to Die, or survive? Well, that depends on you. The player is put in the role of an unknown character, randomly spawned in the fictional world of Arizona, after a nuclear Third World War destroyed a good part of the world. The rest is the same stuff you see in other survival games. You need to craft and collect items in order to survive and fight off against zombies who tend to be aggressive and very dangerous if you don’t have the tools to kill them. Of course, the night is the main star of the game, so you’ll need to scavenge during the day, and survive the night.
19. Friday the 13th: The Game
I remember when the Friday the 13th movie came out, and it was creepy as hell! Now, the game follows the same route, with introducing a multiplayer in which you and your friends are trying to survive a 15-minute match with Jason trying to kill you. You can either try to hide from him, which is very hard, or gather a fuel for the car and escape with few of your friends. The game is super hard, but it’s let-down by some performance issues, which I hope, will be fixed soon.
20. Stranded Deep
With no specific objective, Stranded Deep throws you somewhere in the Pacific Ocean in a procedurally generated world, similar to Minecraft. The game is played from the first-person perspective and features a dynamic day-night cycle. There are no enemies, but it’s still challenging, thanks to the need for constant searching for materials and crafting, as well as taking care of your character’s hunger, thirst, body temperature, and similar.