The best survival games on PC and consoles. Open world survival games

Many people think that survival games have gained their popularity for some inexplicable reason. There seems to be no plot, most projects never, and those that come out look very far from ideal. However, the demand for the “survival” genre is quite justified - users want to give up comfort and try themselves as a lone hero, a chosen inhabitant of our planet. AT real life you would definitely not want to hide from the frost in the ruins, build a fire and fight wolves for a piece of meat. In the virtual world - a completely different matter.

In addition, a huge part of survival games is endowed with an advanced crafting and building system. Each of us wanted a treehouse or our own personal bunker, and if for this you just need to carry a virtual hammer in your hands and collect stones, then construction takes on a different meaning. You are given the opportunity to collect wood, build your own small cozy house from it, and then protect it from other survivors with all possible ways enjoying the "fortress".

Plus, there are some small parts which you don't immediately pay attention to. In this kind of games, in 95% of cases there is no plot, no cut-scenes and the need to study the story, characters and other boring things for someone. Not everyone likes projects with a complex plot, someone wants to play and act exclusively. We add here the ability to play with friends in co-op or multiplayer and get perfect option for pastime.

Of course, not all survival products are worth your attention - some have nothing at all besides boring game mechanics and bugs, and some are so “alpha versions” that you don’t even want to download. I decided to select the most exciting options for survival games, which the connoisseur of the genre should definitely pay attention to. And, of course, be sure to write about your favorite projects - we will expand each other's horizons.

Rust

At the time of the announcement of the Rust simulator, many were sure that this game would be a real breakthrough in the gaming industry. The creators promised us a huge virtual world, many activities and the need to survive in harsh conditions. After the product entered the early access stage, it became clear that nothing like this would happen - a lot of bugs and cheaters prevented the project from becoming a masterpiece in the genre, but the novelty hooked users with something. On the this moment Rust has sold 5.5M copies, has tons of custom servers, mods, and a responsive community ready to help you with anything.

As in all games of this genre, you have to fight for survival. However, the virtual world itself does not annoy the gamer as much as other players and a small number of bugs. Of course, there is a problem with thirst and food for the character, he may suffer due to low temperatures and attacks from wild animals. But where more problems delivered by users who have already managed to “pump” and now prevent others from recognizing this virtual world. But here you can build houses and craft your own clothes with weapons! In terms of game mechanics, Rust was implemented very cool, there are really a lot of interesting processes.

The creators of the project were inspired by Minecraft and DayZ. At the initial stage, the project was more like DayZ, but then, gradually, the developers turned towards crafting, buildings and stuff like that. You need to extract wood and stones, build a house out of it, then fill it with various objects and furniture in order to go for the next portion of resources and create something cooler. You can play with friends, then it turns out even more fun and exciting. Yes, and defending against dangerous opponents is much easier. Despite a lot of bugs and some shortcomings, the game is one of the best in its genre.

Peculiarities:
  • you can build houses;
  • craft is present;
  • there is a huge variety of weapons;
  • you can have fun with your friends.
May not like:
  • enemies run naked;
  • cheaters;
  • costs $35.

Subnautica

When the first screenshots and trailer for Subnautica surfaced online, survival game fans took to Steam and added the product to their wishlist. The developers were able to explain the essence of the gameplay in just a couple of pictures, which looked much more interesting against the background of competitors in the genre. If you look at modern popular projects of the survival genre, you will see a lot of similar implementations. Get a tree with stones, build from this building, fight with other players and enjoy this process while the development team fixes bugs and adds content.

With Subnautica, things turned out completely differently. This is a complete game with a story and a unique virtual world. Our hero crashes on his huge spaceship. Instead of getting to the planet he needs, he finds himself in a small lifeboat in the middle of the water. There is nothing here but water. In any case, land is not visible on the horizon. The entire planet is covered with water. What to do and how to be further? If you are imbued with the situation and imagine yourself in the place of this character, then the shivers go right through - water is everywhere, unknown creatures swim in it and there is no chance of survival at all. Or is there?

In addition to the non-standard virtual world, we are also given the opportunity to try cool mechanics that were previously poorly implemented in other projects, even outside the survival genre. You need to dive under water and control the supply of oxygen, catch small fish and filter the water, look for resources to collect the most necessary tools. At the same time, be sure to bypass all the big predators, try to get deep into the planet, look for a platform to build a base. A lot of tools, weapons and a variety of inhabitants of the "water" planet make the game one of the best in the genre.

Peculiarities:
  • planet without land;
  • survival takes on a completely different aspect;
  • the mass of underwater inhabitants;
  • craft with elements of logic;
  • there is a story element.
May not like:
  • at the beginning of the game it is very scary to dive into the ocean;
  • do not allow to swim in a huge ship;
  • sorry fish.

The Long Dark

The game The Long Dark really liked the players and specialized media for the ultimate realism of the gameplay. The creators of the virtual world put survival in the first place, and not crafting and painting weapons in a new color. Our hero can die if he goes to sleep with an empty stomach, because there is a calorie mechanic here - they are consumed even if you are resting on the bed. The character can freeze, eat out in a blizzard in a torn down jacket and without mittens, he can be eaten by more cunning wild animals, who are not as afraid of cold and snow as an ordinary person. Danger comes from everywhere, but we need to keep our spirits up and move on.


The developers even added a plot so that you have an understanding of the goal of survival. Not to say that we have direct dramaturgy planned and the character will strive for something specific, but the hero has a story. Canada, in a parallel universe, died from the economic crisis and came under the wing of the United States. However, America decided not to help the affected side, but to suck up all natural resources and leave the country in ruins. Gradually everything was covered with snow, people either left here or died without food. Our pilot gets here by the will of fate, trying to find a girlfriend of youth. Interesting, right?

The project attracts primarily with its complexity and attention to detail. Your character will freeze, you need to constantly find shelter and make fires, you need to get food and sleep. Plus, clothes wear out and tear here, they need to be patched, otherwise you won’t be saved from the cold. There is only snow, ice and destroyed houses around, no one is waiting for you with open arms, and evil wolves are also running around. And not only wolves. Given the presence of a plot and such a realistic survival model, the game has fully earned its place in the top of the best survival games. True, she is single and you can’t run on the ice with friends.


Peculiarities:
  • there is a plot;
  • beautiful graphics and intuitive interface;
  • realistic survival;
  • mass of enemies.
May not like:
  • too boring training;
  • The plot is not complete.

ARK: Survival Evolved

I saw it at the time the project went into early access mode. Even then it was clear that this is a game with an amazing virtual world and an idea that is not implemented anywhere else. We need to survive together with dinosaurs in the vastness of some fictional location, where modern technologies and the extraction of stones with wood in the most primitive way. Here you can build houses and surf the water, fly on a tamed dinosaur and fight in your free time. Isn't that what we dreamed of?


At the time the game appeared on my computer, I was getting 13 FPS on low settings and saw the stones only at the moment when I approached them almost point-blank. Now the product has been optimized and brought to mind, you can play with pleasure and comfort. We start our journey on the coast, without food, water or any items to survive. You need to cut down trees with your fists and collect stones, then build tools from all this in order to cut down forests again. Depending on the multiplier on the server, you will either be constantly building and fighting, or mining resources day and night. I definitely advise you to try both options, just for contrast.

Thanks to the setting with dinosaurs, the virtual world looks very exciting and non-standard. You can tame almost any dinosaur and fly over your enemies, dropping bombs on them. You can build a huge fort and store resources there, build stoves and houses to live with friends and defend yourself from other people. A huge set of items for crafting, character upgrades and learning recipes require a lot of time to master all the mechanics. And, most importantly, all this time you will not be bored, especially if you play with friends. Although, at low rates, you can easily build houses alone, enjoying the scenery.

Peculiarities:
  • world with dinosaurs;
  • cool building system;
  • fighting is very exciting;
  • many custom servers.
May not like:
  • a lot of mechanics need to be studied independently, without training;
  • strangers do not plan to coexist peacefully.

State of Decay

Microsoft decided to impress Xbox One owners with the second exclusive game this year - first Sea of ​​Thieves came out, now they showed State of Decay. Both projects turned out to be quite controversial and it is impossible to call them masterpieces, but the attempts of the developers to come up with something interesting cannot but be noted. If in the saga about sea adventures we were shown a lot of new mechanics, then State of Decay gives the user the opportunity to visit the world of The Walking Dead, only as the main character, and not as a spectator of the series. I think you have already guessed what we are talking about.

We will act as a character who survived the apocalypse. Most of the planet's population was not so lucky - they either died or turned into zombies. Now dead enemies walk the streets, there are a lot of dangers around, and we need to survive all this and gain resources in order to move on. The idea of ​​a zombie invasion is far from new, but it hasn't really (haha) been used by anyone lately, so it doesn't feel the same. We have an open world, a lot of weapons and equipment. Even vehicles promise cool, with tuning and all the things.

It should be said right away that there is no multiplayer here, the product was created for a single passage. On the one hand, this is cool, because you can play for your own pleasure and not worry that real players will put a bullet in the back of the head. On the other hand, sometimes you want to meet real people in such a harsh world, communicate with them, or at least fight. Of course, there is a cooperative mode, but you can only play it with friends, otherwise it makes no sense, and finding a team of friends to ride State of Decay will be problematic. The rest of the game is very well thought out, well implemented and it will be interesting to play it, albeit without a crowd of real users around.

Peculiarities:
  • open world;
  • zombie;
  • transport with tuning;
  • character customization.
May not like:
  • no multiplayer;
  • The topic of zombies is not new at all.

DayZ

In 2013, when the game first saw the light of day as an early access beta, game market analysts predicted huge profits for the project and millions of fans around the world. However, the developers decided not to rush too much and lost all their advantages. Products based on the features of the DayZ game mechanics were released in 2015-2017 and have already collected their base of gamers, and the "pioneer" has not yet left the beta. However, the old-timer got into this collection best franchises about survival. Why? It's simple - soon a slightly forgotten product will be completely redesigned for a new game engine.


The creators of DayZ announced that they plan to transfer their offspring to their own engine in the very near future. In version 0.63, gamers will be provided with absolutely new game, which will noticeably differ in its mechanics from original project. In addition, the creators promised that they would pay attention exclusively to bugs and shortcomings, while new features will appear after the official release. Of course, with such a development experience, it is generally not very decent to talk about the presence of bugs, but we will hope that the final version will really be polished to a shine.

This game was included in the selection in advance. So far, it is impossible to speak with confidence about the popularity of DayZ after the patch. Fans have already forgotten what this virtual world looks like and went to conquer PUBG with others. Of course, I would really like to see the good old DayZ with new mechanics and stable work, which streamers and ordinary users will play again. Let's wait and hope that the developers will be able to realize their idea and the new game engine will really help the project gain momentum.

Peculiarities:
  • pioneer in the genre;
  • new game engine;
  • huge army of fans.
May not like:
  • currently not very popular.

Stranded Deep

The creators of this project decided to seriously approach the plot plot - we have a full-fledged story of how the main character got to the place where he is now destined to survive. We are flying in a comfortable private jet, but something happens and we crash. Half of the plane is torn off right in the air, but we survive and our character wakes up already in a lifeboat. In the hands of an oar, there is only water around and nothing else, but the earth is visible in the distance. Well, we will swim in that direction until the sharks found us. However, getting to the island is not difficult, especially if you compare this let with the further process of survival.


Traditionally for games of this genre, we need to look for food and other supplies for life. To do this, you can pick up various devices that you assemble in advance from improvised materials. You can hunt crabs, fish and other underwater inhabitants. The main thing, I repeat, is not to catch the eye of sharks, otherwise we ourselves will become food. In addition to hunting, you also need to build a house for yourself, you can even have a two-story house, accumulate resources for additional items luxury. In general, ahead of the player is a path from a starving guy with an oar to a prosperous inhabitant of his own island.

The gameplay will appeal to connoisseurs of conditional realism. There is no special attention to the details and make sure that your skin does not burn in the sun, there is no need. Don't get cold at night either. You just need to eat periodically, work on the improvement of your island, sometimes go deep into the ocean for the necessary items and fight with local underwater predators. Due to the greater emphasis on casualness, the game will suit a wider range of users. Actually, there are already quite a lot of Stranded Deep fans, the game is gradually acquiring new features and crafting elements, so no one will be bored.


Peculiarities:
  • island survival;
  • hunting for crabs;
  • shark war;
  • the presence of a plot;
  • quite an interesting system of buildings and crafting.
May not like:
  • casual survival;
  • only single pass.

The Forest

Most modern survival games are built around mining, crafting and building. The danger is presented in the form of nature, which mercilessly punishes everyone who is not ready for cataclysms and living conditions. Somewhere frosts do not allow to relax, somewhere you need to deal with the lack of food water. Only in a few projects of our today's selection do opponents pose a serious danger, whether they are AI or real players. That's what The Forest is interesting for - here it is equally important for you to get food and defend yourself from cannibal mutants.


Combining horror with the survival genre is hard enough, but the developers of this game did a very good job. Since the release of the project in Steam Early Access, 3.8 million copies have been sold, which is a dizzying result for such a non-standard implementation. For four years The Forest still got to the release - they promise in April, after which the creators of "Forest" will start porting their offspring to the PlayStation 4 platform. I think the owners of the Japanese console will appreciate this desire of the Endnight Games Ltd team to conquer the console players.

In this project, our hero finds himself in a forest inhabited by cannibals. They are some kind of mutated form of a person and are very dangerous for you and me. The difficulty of survival is that there is a forest thicket around you, there is no way to get out somewhere or climb into a cave and spend the night. You need to survive, taking into account the fact that at any moment a couple of natives can run out from behind a tree. Your task is to build yourself a shelter during the day, and at night to protect it from the attacks of predators and mutants. It will be difficult, the enemies amaze with variety and bloodthirstiness.


Peculiarities:
  • open world in the form of a forest;
  • advanced construction;
  • crafting and character customization;
  • a wide range of predators;
  • cannibal enemies;
  • rather oppressive horror atmosphere.
May not like:
  • really scary to play;
  • strong nerves and a stable psyche are required.

Hurtworld

Many users compare this game with Rust because of the rather similar mechanics and visuals, but they are very different. At the beginning of the game, your character also has nothing on him - you literally wake up in the middle of the desert, where there is nothing edible and there is no shelter from the wind, sun and heat. Our character will need to survive in these harsh conditions, collecting local fruits and thereby satisfy his hunger. By the way, if long time your hero will be malnourished, then he will quite calmly discard the skates, figuratively speaking. So do not waste time in vain, try to find fruits or wild animals to get meat.

In addition to basic survival parameters, like water with food, our hero also needs to kindle fires so as not to freeze at night, plus hide from the heat, and so on. This prompts us to think about our own home, which can protect the gamer from all bad weather. Of course, no one will let you build a mansion, resources are very limited here, but you will always have the opportunity to collect wood and build yourself a small shack. For this area, luxury is not needed, and a roof over your head is quite appropriate and necessary. True, other players may envy you and try to take the house for themselves.

Yes, the game is multiplayer, that is, there is no need to run alone in a hefty open world. You will not constantly stumble upon live users either, the world is arranged in such a way that other surviving characters do not come across very often. If you wish and have transport, you can, of course, find a couple of players who are tired of life, but you will not be able to fight right away. Yes, and transport, even if it can be customized, also falls into the hands after a long process of accumulating resources. An excellent example of the implementation of a project about survival with nice colors and a visual component.

Peculiarities:
  • well thought out craft;
  • good building system;
  • there are weapons and vehicles;
  • multiplayer game.
May not like:
  • players do not want to be friends and build common houses.

H1Z1: Just Survive

Many played the "royal battle" called, which came out a long time ago, but was not in such demand as PUBG is now. In parallel, the developers also created a project about survival called H1Z1: Just Survive. Although he did not become the best-selling in the genre, he gained some popularity among gamers. The open virtual world survived the zombie apocalypse (those zombies again!), after which humanity was left with minimal resources to survive. Your task is to collect enough provisions to live in this dangerous new world.


The creators of the project said that they developed their project with an emphasis on game mechanics, where zombies are only a secondary problem. This is a multiplayer game where each of the inhabitants is very tight with food, water and supplies. Accordingly, live players will bring much more problems - outside the safe zone, other inhabitants of the new planet will be waiting for you, who want to kill your hero and take all his belongings. You need to have a weapon and the ability to shoot, plus you will have to adhere to certain banal rules of survival - do not run in open areas, do not make fires at night, do not make noise.

H1Z1: Just Survive looks nice enough and runs smoothly even if you don't have the most powerful computer. This is a big plus, since most of the competitors in the genre have not yet left the early access mode and everything is very bad there with the stability of frames per second. In addition, although the product is not in great demand among gamers, there is a well-established community here and there will be someone to make friends with. There is an open world, the ability to make war or covertly explore locations, tasks and battles with zombies are well implemented. All this is already waiting for a fan of the genre who is not averse to trying his luck in a world ruled by zombies.

Peculiarities:
  • a large dangerous virtual world;
  • we are at war not only with zombies;
  • Weak, but still a plot.
May not like:
  • again this zombie apocalypse;
  • physics needs improvement.

Raft

cool games are obtained when they are made with soul and without the purpose of earning. Raft was created by students as a project for the university, they developed a small virtual world with a boy on a raft. When this product was posted online, gamers really liked the idea and implementation of survival in the open ocean, they downloaded the “demo version” 7 million times, and a small development team decided to develop their student project into a full-fledged game. Very soon, but already now we can say that this is one of the best survival games.

The theme itself, as you may have noticed, has already been used by game developers in this genre. But, if in Subnautica the setting takes us to the future with innovative technologies, we have nothing of the kind here. We ended up in the middle of the ocean on a small wooden raft, sharks swim around, we want to eat and drink, but there is nowhere to wait for salvation. Well, we will survive on our own - get food, collect debris in the ocean, accumulate resources to build a larger raft and additional buildings on our sea house. There are plenty of options for the development of events, it all depends only on your imagination and desire to create.
It is worth noting that the creators of the product decided to move away from realistic survival. You can build a raft that is bigger than a football field, build trees (trees!), high-rise buildings, put a stove, make a fire, and so on. All this, of course, was done for the sake of a more interesting gameplay, although realism is lost. Our hero has enemies underwater, but the greater threat is hunger, thirst, and the scorching sun. So you will not fight with underwater inhabitants so often, although sooner or later you will have to fight with a toothy predator.

Peculiarities:
  • very nice graphics;
  • interesting game mechanics;
  • one of the best implementations of life on a raft;
  • endless possibilities for buildings;
  • realism was killed for the sake of fascination.
May not like:
  • a raft with an area of ​​100 m²;
  • making a fire on a wooden raft;
  • You can beat a shark to death with a sharpened stick.

The player with a team of other similar volunteers goes to the abandoned island of Granichny, filled with dangers and secrets. The fact is that secret experiments were carried out on the island, financed and supervised by the Novy Svet organization. However, after a major disaster on the island, the surviving staff and guards were evacuated, and all research was curtailed. Those unfortunate enough to stay were transformed into bloodthirsty monsters. And now, in order to deal with the situation on the island, the "New World" resorts to the services of random adventurers and profit seekers.

9. Dead Island series

Dead Island is a unique survival experience on an island after a zombie apocalypse. Since the developers from Techland chose tropical Banoi in Papua New Guinea as the island, it’s incredible beautiful place, embodying all the prevailing ideas about Paradise on Earth. But instead of relaxing on the beach and cocktail parties, the player will have to crush the skulls and chop off the limbs of the zombies who have occupied this wonderful place. Fortunately, for this, a huge arsenal of melee weapons, a crafting and upgrade system, as well as an exciting combat system with gradually detached passive and active skills have been added to the game. Unless there is not enough normal parkour here, but Techland completely corrected this omission in their other zombie survival game - Dying Light.

8. The Forest

A game about survival on a desert island, where, apart from the ever-hungry aboriginal cannibals with pronounced mutations, not a single living soul can be found. The player assumes the role of a passenger in a crashed airliner, who ended up here with his son, whom the aforementioned lovers of human flesh dragged into their caves. Of course, saving your son is a task of paramount importance, but first you need to properly prepare: collect useful junk from the plane, equip reliable housing, enclosing it with traps for intruders, save up resources, stock up on food and water, craft yourself reliable weapons and tools. And only after that go to explore the terrible cave tunnels.

7. Raft

A project from the early access of the Steam service, which can be safely attributed to island survival games for PC, although technically you will have to survive here on a raft. The man-made platform will have to be constantly improved and strengthened so that it can withstand a long journey through a sea full of various dangers. For example, the player may encounter a shark attack or a sudden storm. Crafting, building, collecting resources, exploring the underwater depths - all this is present in Raft. The game also features multiplayer, which gives a unique chance to participate in an unforgettable sea adventure with friends.

6. How to Survive

Another game on our list about survival on a deserted island filled with carnivorous dead. In order not to become their victim, the player must carefully and accurately explore the open territory of the island, collect useful resources and things, save food and drink, and find shelter for the night in a timely manner. In total, the game provides more than a hundred recipes for crafting. There are also three unique characters available to play, each with their own set of characteristics. In addition to the campaign, there is also a multiplayer mode.

5.PUBG

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is one of the most popular online games on PC, belonging to the Battle Royale category. A hundred players find themselves on a large abandoned island, left to their own devices, and only one of this hundred will be able to stay alive. To do this, you will have to show all your agility and resourcefulness, getting to valuable equipment and powerful weapons before other players. However, valuable loot is not the only success factor. The ability to correctly select positions and shoot accurately is also critical here. As well as the ability to run fast, hide and predict the actions of opponents.

4. ARK: Survival Evolved

Naked and helpless, players find themselves stranded on the shore of a mysterious island inhabited by dinosaurs and many other fantastic creatures. In addition to the standard elements for a multiplayer survival game (collection, crafting, construction), the game provides for the possibility of taming the local representatives of the fauna - almost a hundred unique creatures in total. The better the player takes care of and trains his pet, the more important functions he will be able to perform.

3. Fortnite

We complete the list with the popular survival game from Epic Games, which also features the ever-popular Battle Royale mode. Fortnite is distinguished from other similar projects by unusual graphics, excellent optimization, a well-balanced balance and convenient system construction.

2. Rust

Survive on a desert island full of desperate thugs-players, overcome numerous hardships, thirst, hunger and cold, be prepared for a hundred different dangers. Fight for your life or die a weakling weakling. Without a doubt, the best project among multiplayer survival games, both in terms of the quality and variety of the gameplay, and in terms of atmosphere.

1. Stranded Deep

With Stranded Deep, you can feel like a real Robinson Crusoe: the player has a tropical island with a huge unexplored territory at his disposal. Gather useful resources, get food, set traps, build a dwelling and defend yourself from predators.

Survival games are some of the most popular genres on Steam, despite the fact that many of them have been in early access mode - in some cases for several years. The desire to stay alive is in our DNA, so it is not surprising that we are so absorbed in this activity in the virtual world.

With so many games in this genre, how do you find the best one? The following games, in our opinion, are the best in survival simulation on PC, set under water, in space or in dangerous worlds filled with zombies, mutants or even dinosaurs.

The Long Dark

Focusing on the atmosphere and survival in the harsh environment, The Long Dark stands out among the wide variety of games of this genre. You play as a pilot stuck in a frozen desert after a mysterious global disaster. There are no zombies, mutants or other players: you will have to fight with the wild nature and your own human fragility.

Ark: Survival Evolved

Thrown almost bare-handed into a sprawling map filled with dinosaurs, you'll have to contend with extreme heat and cold, hunger and dehydration, and other people (although you can also play solo). Craft weapons and equipment, build a base, tame and ride dinosaurs, join other players or fight them. The free Primitive Plus add-on adds crafting and farming features, while the upcoming Tech Tier update promises to add sci-fi movie weapons and equipment.

Don't Starve

Don't Starve Combining adorable animations with gritty gameplay, it's an addictive adventure and one of the best survival games out there (and it's one of those rare occasions when a game has made it out of Early Access). Crafting becomes challenging and fun as you try to survive the hectic days and deadly nights. Fight animals (and eat them), practice science and magic, keep an eye on your mental health so you don't go crazy. Standalone expansion Don "t Starve Together also allows you to play with your friends.

DayZ

Yes, many players are already tired of waiting for the multiplayer zombie survival game to leave early access, and the fact that DayZ rooted in military simulation ArmA, can be a bit intimidating for beginners. Nevertheless, the elements of survival in DayZ are quite strong: a complex system nutrition, hydration, and health maintenance go beyond just snacking, drinking water, and dressing wounds. Find food and resources in a detailed open world, engage in intense battles with other players, customize weapons and equipment for ships and try not to die: if you do this, you will have to start from scratch.

Subnautica

Explore an alien underwater world by piloting a homemade submarine through mysterious underwater landscapes. Among the beautiful coral reefs and deep sea caves and depressions, you will collect the necessary resources and livelihoods, create a habitat and submarine fleet, and create new technologies that will help you survive in the depths. It's hard not to compare this game with Minecraft, but the developers Unknown Worlds managed to add something unique to the genre of survival games.

Miscreated

At first glance it seems that this game has become one of the clones of DayZ, which have appeared a lot over the past few years, but Miscreated began to stand out against their background, as a stable and enjoyable multiplayer game built on the Cryengine engine, with excellent graphics. When you start playing with only a flashlight and a change of clothes, get weapons and equipment by exploring deserted neighborhoods and military bases. Not only mutants and wildlife are a threat to you, but other survivors as well.

starbound

In Game starbound you will be able to visit distant galaxies in your starship or build your own small farm, thus combining stressful survival with a cozy pastime. The pixelated 2D world is a joy to explore, and along the way, you'll meet friendly alien NPCs and fight surprisingly tough bosses. There is a storyline and side quests, but there is no need to go through them right away - you can do it at any time convenient for you. You can also play with friends on dedicated servers or just invite them to your game through Steam.

Rust

Join other players or fight with them (or try to survive alone), start with primitive tools and weapons, and over time, firearms and powerful bases will appear. You will have to fight wild animals, hunger and thirst, but this game is also built on interaction with other players, and the main threat comes from a dozen other players on the server. Rust is still experimenting with gameplay (recently removed character levels and the experience system), and we're interested to see where this leads in the future.

Minecraft

You may have heard of this game. There are many ways to play Minecraft: alone, with friends, with strangers, in research mode, or in one of the thousands of mods on a special server. As a survival game, it still performs at its best, with a well-developed hunger and thirst system and thoughtful crafting and building. Once immersed in this beautiful blocky world, you won't want to leave.

The Forest

After you manage to get out of the wreckage of the crashed plane, you will find that you are not alone. You share a mysterious island with a terrifying tribe of cannibals, and as you scavenge for food and drink, build simple shelters to sleep under a roof, and build traps for wild animals, you'll have to defend yourself against hungry and determined locals. The environment is built in Unity 5, which provides amazing visuals and graphics.

Terraria

A wonderful, extensive and addictive (plus inexpensive) survival crafting game. Explore randomly generated worlds, collect resources and enjoy a simple but well thought out crafting system. Build tunnels through huge caves, fight monsters, befriend NPCs, build your palace and play alone or with friends in multiplayer mode. Terraria has been around for years, but it has stood the test of time.

Hurtworld

Don't let the slightly cartoonish graphics fool you: Hurtworld- This is not a picnic. If you managed to survive the first few hours of looting, battles with mutants and other players, then you can claim a piece of land, build your base on it and repair the time-worn transport (if, of course, you can find the right details). The emphasis here is not only on the interaction between the players, but also on the weather: for example, if it is cold enough, then the steak in your backpack will freeze, not go bad. In a game that punishes you for any misses, there are some nice indulgences, for example, when you die, your weapon is saved.

This War of Mine

The war is depicted not from the perspective of an elite soldier, but from the perspective of a group of civilians who are simply trying to survive amidst the chaos, This War of Mine differs from other survival games in its atmosphere of despair and hopelessness. You will face tough choices as you manage the health of the survivors, both physical and mental. Searching for food and supplies at night is tense and painful, and no matter how much food you find, it will never be enough. This is not just a game of survival, but a harsh and truthful look at the very essence of war.

H1Z1: Just Survive

While there have been strange metamorphoses in Early Access (once it was planned to be a free-to-play game, now you have to buy it), Just Survive still very fun game. Similar to DayZ but much simpler: you're trying to mine expendable materials, while dodging zombie attacks while fighting (or befriending) over a hundred other players on the same server. Build bases, weapons and equipment, fight for food supplies and stay healthy in this multiplayer sandbox.

Unturned

The game Unturned free, but that doesn't mean it's badly done. Its teenage creator has released over 150 updates to the zombie-infested sandbox since 2014, which makes it easy to understand why it has been downloaded by millions of players since its release. Despite limited visuals, Unturned has a well-designed crafting, skill, and survival system, and a fairly large audience.

Hardcore survival on the island, aggressive mutants and an interesting plot - this is far from full list reasons why we love Forest Survival.

But if you have explored the island far and wide, and don't know what to do with yourself, pay attention to other games similar to "Forest" in this collection.

Most of them are in Russian, and some are also free.

1. No Man's Sky - big colorful space

No Man's Sky is a beautiful sandbox game set in procedurally generated space with hundreds of planets to explore.

Video game No Man's Sky

With the addition of Next, the long-promised co-op has appeared in the game! And exploring the galaxy with friends is, of course, more fun.

  • Game website: https://www.nomanssky.com/

2. Stranded Deep - Robinson Adventure Simulator

"Stranded Deep" is a cozy survival game with a bright picture, which can cause real horror at the same time. It most accurately conveys the feeling of hopelessness experienced by a person on a desert island.

Video game Stranded Deep

Unlike most of the games in the collection, here the adventure is completely single, but it does not become less interesting for that.

  • Game site: https://beamteamgames.com/stranded-deep/

3. Rust is one of the most famous survival games

"" - the game, according to many, marked the beginning of the island survival genre. Start the game naked and helpless, and try to live up to a personal machine gun and body armor.

Video game Rust

Test your stealth, diplomacy and shooting skills, but hope to get something right the first time.

  • Game website: https://rust.facepunch.com/

4. Survival: Last Day - post-apocalyptic and zombies

Survival: Last Day is an indie survival game currently in early alpha in 2018. Someday the developer promises to significantly expand the gameplay, but even now it is interesting.

Video game Survival: Last Day

So far, the content is not enough, and there is no online, but in the future we are waiting for updates.

  • Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/851080/

5. Planet Nomads - a solo sandbox game on a distant planet

"Planet Nomads" - a lone engineer finds himself on a random, almost uninhabited planet and immediately starts building, hunting and surviving there.

Video game Planet Nomads

Beautiful picture, great soundtrack and a lot of activities. Recommended.

  • Game site: https://www.planet-nomads.com/

6. The Long Dark - cold weather survival

The Long Dark is a cool atmospheric indie about a pilot trying to survive a plane crash in the cold Canadian mountains.

Video game The Long Dark

And another pleasant moment - all subsequent updates and additions are already included in the price of the game!

  • Game site: http://www.thelongdark.com/

7. Dying Light - the most aggressive zombies

"Dying Light" - cooperative destruction of crowds of the living dead in a ruined world with a dynamic change of time of day.

Video game Dying Light

The project does not need a special description, it has long become a legend. The second part will be out soon!

  • Game website: https://www.dyinglightgame.com/

8. 7 Days to Die - zombies in the open world

7 Days to Die is another zombie survival game and let's be honest, the ghouls are a lot smarter than the last entry on this list.

Video game 7 Days to Die

There is also pumping, and transport management, and a lot of crafting. Also single and multiplayer modes. And many other interesting things.

  • Game site: https://7daystodie.com/entrygate.html

9. Rend - a global war of three factions

Rend is new for 2018, an unusual project with Norse mythology and large islands, where three factions fight to improve their tree.

Video game Rend

In the future, the game is waiting for a lot of changes, updates and improvements. But the prospects for the project can be traced!

  • Game site: https://www.rendgame.com/

10. Out of Reach - another island

Out of Reach is another island survival game where unlucky travelers are threatened not only by nature, but also by the local fauna.

Video game Out of Reach

Here, unlike many other projects on the list, there are no firearms at all, and you have to fight only with bows and axes. And it's good for the game!

  • Game site: http://oorgame.com/

By the way, in our other collections you will find not only games similar to «Forest», but also many other interesting projects. Pay attention to the list of games similar to "Rust", for example.

The best games where you have to survive against all odds.

The popularity of survival games is easy to understand, because fighting for survival is in our genes. It becomes clear why everyone is so addicted to these games. The best survival games on PC confront players with harsh trials and challenges, and push them to find creative solutions.

Games in this genre have recently made their way into the ranks of the most popular projects on Steam, even taking into account the fact that many of these games have been in early access mode - and some of them for more than a year. The desire to survive is inherent in us at the gene level, and therefore it is not surprising that we are so easily captivated by survival in the virtual world.

But how to find the most worthy projects among thousands of representatives of this genre? We've compiled a list of our favorite PC survival games that take place not only on land, but also underwater, in space and in dangerous worlds populated by zombies, mutants and even dinosaurs.

Dropped off the main list

Survival on the island, still in Early Access.

Unlike The Forest, the island is uninhabited and there are no naked cannibals to be found on it. Although the coastal waters are patrolled by sharks, they are also, in a sense, naked cannibals.

Survival in the zombie apocalypse, focus on crafting.

As a survivor, you spend precious hours of daylight searching for parts and junk to use against the bloodthirsty hordes of the dead at night.

Zombies, isometric.

To survive, you need to repel the attacks of the dead, find shelter, make tools and weapons for yourself, look for food and at all times maintain a high morale of your character.

A hybrid of survival and rogue-like games in which you have to raft down the river, getting supplies along the way.

Wonderful, complex and exciting game with pleasant elements of survival and crafting, but poorly developed controls on the river somewhat spoil the impression.

Zombie survival in a big open world.

While this game has gone through some pretty weird metamorphoses in Early Access (originally conceived as a free-to-play game and now comes with a price tag), Just Survive is still fun to play. Very similar to DayZ, but at the same time more accessible, this game offers the usual hunting for resources, fighting zombies and other players (you can team up with the latter if you wish), and all this happens on servers with hundreds of gamers.

In this multiplayer sandbox, everything follows the precepts of the genre: we build bases, craft weapons and tools, fight for regular supplies, and try our best to survive.

Manage a sci-fi colony inspired by Dwarf Fortress.

The game has been in early access for 5 years, but RimWorld has finally made it to version 1.0. In this survival simulation, you are in control of a colony of random people who roam a procedurally generated alien planet.

Expand the base, keep the physical and mental health of the colonists, cope with the disasters that the AI ​​​​director throws out at you (the system for generating world events). It can be disease outbreaks, alien attacks, natural changes. The most difficult test may be the simple survival of the colonists with each other, because each has its own personality, desires and behavior.

Raft

Survive on a raft, gradually turning it into a floating fortress.

It sounds almost perfect, serenely floating around the world on a raft, gradually building and expanding it, while catching shipwrecks from the ocean with a fishing hook. There are also hungry sharks. And if they can't eat you, they'll do their best to eat your houseboat.

You need to look for food and clean water, keeping your raft afloat and expanding it. Co-op comes to the rescue, because with a partner you double your chances of survival.

Survive the zombie apocalypse by managing a team of survivors.

You don't play State of Decay 2 as an individual, but as a community of people. In the game, you need to make sorties not only for food, water, weapons and equipment, but also for other people. Each character has their own abilities, quirks and traits. Supplies are very limited, so as the settlement grows, more resources are needed to maintain it.

It is necessary to make forays into the vast open world of the American countryside. There is the possibility of co-op, in which players can join and leave at any time.

scum

The prisoners were released onto a deadly island to fight for survival.

Status: game in early access

Scum hasn't been in Early Access for long, so it's hard to say what to expect from this game, but it's already raised the bar for survival gaming. Scum has a ton of information about what you eat, a personalized set of essential vitamins and minerals, and it's all there after you eat it. You also have to go to the toilet.

Tracking heart rate, weight and even the number of teeth, and also takes into account the additional weight of clothing if it gets wet. Scum has many different survival simulations in one.

Survival, city building and problem solving in a freezing world.

Frostpunk is a mixture of city-building and survival game set in a dark, icy world. You will need to build a functioning city for a bunch of hungry and cold people inside a snow-covered crater, warmed only by a huge coal stove. Collect resources, get food and manage the inhabitants of your city, giving them hope for the future. This is a harsh and beautiful game in which you have to make difficult decisions at every turn.

Atmospheric survival game set in a Canadian post-apocalyptic setting.

Status: early access mode.

With its emphasis on atmosphere and survival in harsh environments, The Long Dark stands out from countless other genres. You will play as a pilot who finds himself in a snowy wilderness as a result of a mysterious global cataclysm. There are no zombies, no mutants, or even other players: you will have to fight with the harsh wilderness and with your own fears.

We survive, we craft, we build - and all this is under water.

Status: early access mode.

Explore a hostile underwater world as you pilot a homemade submarine through mysterious deep sea landscapes. Beautiful coral reefs and underwater caves and trenches full of useful resources and food await you. Build bases, create a fleet of submarines and develop existing technologies in every way to survive in the depths of the sea. It's hard not to compare the game to Minecraft, but at the same time, the developer of Unknown Worlds managed to bring a number of unique elements to the established genre.

Watch out for a handful of 3D printed colonists in a dangerous growing underground colony.

Status: early access.

The best games are those that are easy to understand but hard to master. fits that description: it's easy to start playing and learn the basics, but it takes a lot of time and effort to fully learn it. This colony simulator is as delightful as it is deep and challenging as it simulates the harsh underground environment.

You'll have to keep an eye on the colonists' hunger, happiness, cleanliness, and naturally clean and breathable oxygen as they dig caves, collect resources, build machinery, and try to transform the world into a comfortable underground home.

Survive, craft, build - and all this with dinosaurs.

Status: early access mode.

We are thrown practically with our bare hands onto a huge map, where we have to somehow deal with sweltering heat, cold, hunger, dehydration and other players (although there is also a single player mode). To survive, you need to make weapons, build your own home, tame dinosaurs and team up (or fight) with other gamers.

The free Primitive Plus add-on adds variety to the gameplay, and the upcoming DLC ​​called Tech Tier promises to add weapons and gadgets straight from science fiction to the game.

Survive in cartoon wild nature full of beasts and monsters.

Thanks to the combination of amazing design and very gritty gameplay, Don't Starve is an addictive adventure and one of the best survival games (and also one of the few games that managed to get out of the early access mode). The crafting system is as complex as it is fun, and fits perfectly into the gameplay, where busy days give way to deadly nights.

You are waiting for fights with animals (and after a meal from them), the use of science and magic, and, of course, maintaining mental health at the proper level (when it decreases, the character will begin to go crazy). The Don't Starve Together add-on lets you play with your friends.

A real-time strategy roguelike in which you explore spooky derelict spaceships with the help of drones.

Duskers may not feel like a full-blown survival game, given that it's a strategy game about controlling a fleet of drones inside scary spaceships. But the reason you're exploring them is to gather components and fuel, and repair and upgrade your drones so you can continue to travel through space in the hope of finding safety and understanding the reason for the unexplained event that caused the universe to become uninhabited (uninhabited by humans). , at least).

It's really stressful as you have to get yourself into increasingly dangerous situations in the hope of gathering enough resources to survive.

Fight snowstorms, wandering gangs of NPCs, and other players in Manhattan's Dark Zone in search of a cure for your disease.

Status: Released November 2016.

The second addition to The Division gave players not only new content, but also changes in the gameplay. Caught in a deadly blizzard, disease-stricken players begin each round armed with only a pistol and low-level gear, and they must travel to the Dark Zone to find a cure and an extraction point.

Meanwhile, they have to survive the terrible cold, enemy gangs and a couple of dozen other players who are in the same predicament.

DayZ

An online survival game with zombies and an Eastern European setting.

Status: early access mode.

Yes, many players are already tired of waiting for multiplayer zombie survival to finally leave the early access mode, and the fact that DayZ is rooted in the ArmA military simulator sometimes confuses newcomers. But at the same time, all the features of the genre in DayZ are performed with dignity: a complex system of nutrition and health maintenance goes beyond the usual set of regular snacks and wound dressings.

Here you will find food and resources in a detailed open world, intense interactions with other players, creating and modifying weapons, and, of course, trying to stay alive for as long as possible: after death, you will have to start all over again empty-handed.

An intense and spooky survival game with multiplayer and mutants.

Status: early access mode.

At first glance, this is one of the clones of DayZ, of which there have been many in recent years, but over time Miscreated has turned into a high-quality multiplayer game with excellent graphics (the game was created on the Cryengine engine). At the beginning, we get only a flashlight and a couple of items of clothing, and then we will search for weapons and supplies in empty houses and military bases. It is worth being afraid here not only of wild animals and mutants, but also of other survivors.

Terraria in space.

Starbound offers both flights to distant galaxies and the construction of your own small farm, thus combining elements of an intense survival adventure and a leisurely pastime. The pixelated 2D open world is fun to explore, and as you play, you'll encounter peaceful alien NPCs and battle incredibly tough bosses.

There is a competent story campaign with additional quests, and you can go through it at your own pace - the game does not rush anyone. Starbound can be played with friends on separate servers, or by inviting them via Steam to your own playthrough.

Rust

Savages run through the forest and hit each other with stones.

Status: early access mode.

Team up or fight with other players (or try to survive on your own), using primitive tools and weapons at first and eventually progressing to firearms and buildings large bases. Wild animals, hunger and thirst act as enemies here, but the game is sharpened specifically for constant interactions between people, so the main danger will come from dozens of gamers connected to the same server.

Rust is still experimenting with gameplay (they recently removed character levels and the experience system), and we are very interested in where this will eventually lead.

Build, destroy, fight monsters.

You may have heard of her. There are countless game modes in Minecraft: solo, creative, co-op (with friends or random players), exploration mode, or playing any of the thousands of mods on special servers.

Survival elements here still look great to this day: we are talking about well-designed hunger and thirst systems, as well as incredibly well-thought-out crafting and building systems. Immerse yourself in this wonderful cubic world and you won't want to leave it.

A guy who survived a plane crash angered a tribe of cannibals.

Status: early access mode.

As you emerge from the wreckage of the crashed plane, you will soon discover that you are not alone. Creepy cannibals will keep you company on the mysterious island. And while you are trying to find food and resources, and build simple tents and log houses, along the way, setting traps for animals, you will have to defend yourself from the evil and hungry local population. The Forest uses the Unity 5 engine, which provides gorgeous visuals and effects.

Minecraft, side view.

A wonderful, fun (not to mention inexpensive) survival sandbox. Explore randomly generated worlds, collect resources and enjoy a simple yet enjoyable crafting system. Make your way through huge caves, fight monsters, chat with friendly NPCs, build your own hideout and play solo or co-op with friends. It took more than one year to develop Terraria, but the game eventually stood the test of time.

Survival in harsh environments with a focus on the skill system and PvP combat.

Status: early access mode.

Don't let the flashy graphic style fool you - Hurtworld is more serious than it looks. If you manage to survive the first few hours of looting, fights with mutants and other players, you will be able to build your first base and repair some car found in the area (if, of course, you collect the necessary parts).

Particular attention is paid to the influence of weather - for example, during a snowfall, a piece of meat in a backpack will freeze, and not go bad. And it's quite nice to see some indulgences in a game that is usually not forgiving, such as after death and respawn all weapons remain with you.

Fight for survival in a city torn apart by war.

This War of Mine gives us the opportunity to look at the war not from the eyes of a good soldier, but from the point of view of ordinary people trying to survive terrible events - the game differs from other representatives of the survival genre with a penetrating atmosphere of despair and hopelessness. In an attempt to preserve both the physical and mental health of a group of survivors, you will constantly be faced with a series of difficult choices.

Tense nightly forays in search of food and supplies await you, and no matter what you find, it will never be enough. This is not just a survival game, it is a hard and truthful look at the very essence of war.

Shareware multiplayer survival sandbox.

Status: early access mode.

Unturned is far from the classic shareware games. Its creator (a teenager) has released more than 150 updates since 2014 for this survival sandbox populated by zombies, which is why the game is so popular - since the first appearance on Steam, it has already been downloaded several million times.

Despite not the most pleasant visual part, Unturned captivates with deeply developed systems of crafting, skills and survival; and in bonuses you can record a huge and diverse audience of the project.

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