While PvP survival games have become increasingly popular over the last decade, there are still many fantastic games out there within the survival genre that feature AI enemies as opposed to actual players. The lack of competition in these games means that they can often be a little slower-paced and more methodical, which really leans into the whole survival aspect a lot more, making them far more immersive and intense in the process.

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Still, the survival genre is certainly nothing new, and there have been plenty of attempts to create an engaging PvE experience over the years, but only a select few have managed to really make an impression on fans of the genre. Any survival fans who are looking for a brand-new game to get sucked into need to try out the amazing PvE titles listed below.

7 7 Days To Die

Metascore: 35

7 Days To Die is, admittedly, a very divisive game, and that's primarily because it's clearly a gem that is unfortunately plagued with bugs and glitches. Still, a lot of people have been able to look past the game's internal issues to enjoy the extremely immersive and challenging gameplay loop that it provides.

The aim is simple: survive as long as possible in an area infested with the undead, but survival is never guaranteed when food and supplies are near-impossible to find. It also doesn't help that objects and equipment all degrade over time, which forces the player to explore their surroundings thoroughly rather than hiding in a room for days on end. The extreme challenge of 7 Days to Die can definitely make it quite addictive, and the randomly generated maps do add to the replay value, but it does also have a lot of noticeable issues that have unfortunately turned many people off the game, so it's worth trying out before buying.

6 Conan Exiles

Metascore: 68

Conan Exiles features both a PvP and PvE mode, but the latter really shines for its relentless enemy types, which are all unique and strategic in how they fight. The lowly beasts such as the Shaleback and Rhinos will provide a decent challenge when trying to move between areas, but since the bigger creatures will drop much more valuable resources, it means that it could also be worth trying to take down the Legendary Beasts found later on in the game.

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This risk-reward system plays an extremely important role in the core survival gameplay of Conan Exiles, and the lack of punishment found on a slightly easier difficulty makes it a lot more accessible for players new to the genre. The game does still feature a thirst and hunger meter which keeps it from ever becoming too easy though, and there's a ton of deeper mechanics to get drawn into, along with a very brutal weather hazard system that can make navigating the world a little tricky. The only real downside is that it is more or less guaranteed that players will become overpowered by the last few hours of the end game, which does take away some of the intensity, but this is a small stain on an otherwise fantastic game.

5 ARK: Survival Evolved

Metascore: 70

ARK: Survival Evolved has come a very long way since it was first released in 2017, with it now being immensely popular thanks to the constant updates and improvements that the game continues to receive. Despite taking a very realistic approach to its gameplay, with the player having to balance their temperature alongside their hunger and thirst to stay alive, the experience still feels engaging and exciting thanks to the dinosaurs that roam the game's many different explorable maps.

What really makes the game so special to a lot of people, aside from the larger-than-life enemies, is how much player freedom it allows thanks to the plethora of tools and mechanics. For example, taming dinosaurs can be done relatively easily, but this also grants the player the opportunity to make a dino den to house a few of them for safekeeping, and this is just the tip of the iceberg of what can be created. Mix this with an incredibly fun co-op mode, and it results in a fairly tough, but also very rewarding survival experience.

4 Don't Starve

Metascore: 78

The most terrifying enemy in Don't Starve isn't the hideous creatures or the aggressive animals, it's actually the darkness itself. Alongside a hunger meter, each character will also spawn with a sanity meter that will drain at an alarming rate if they remain in the dark for too long. A low sanity meter can lead to hallucinations which will start attacking the player if they aren't kept in check, and this makes the game very challenging at first since it's all too easy to forget about collecting resources for a campfire to then be left out in the cold, dark wilderness for an entire night.

The game also features plenty of unique characters to choose from, all with their own abilities and personal stats, and it's a lot of fun experimenting with each one to see who is most suitable for a specific game plan. Thanks to the co-op feature that has also been added, Don't Starve is an incredibly addictive and enjoyable survival game that stands out for its unique art style and unforgiving difficulty.

3 Minecraft

Metascore: 82

Minecraft has gone down as one of the most popular video games of all time, but while it can seem like a simple survival game at first, there are many layers to the experience that help make it incredibly engaging. Upon booting up the game's Survival Mode, the player will load into a randomly generated blocky world with no guidance or objective to follow, and they must simply survive as long as possible and enjoy the adventure. The colorful and vibrant visual style of Minecraft can be quite deceiving, as the game is actually extremely difficult if the player doesn't use their intuition.

At first, building a small wooden house to stay safe from the Skeletons and explosive Creepers is simple enough, but as the hunger bar drains, players will be forced out of their comfort zone to venture into the unknown. Not many games can replicate the charming sense of adventure like Minecraft, but at its core, the game still provides a thrilling survival experience that is very unforgiving in those first few hours.

2 The Forest

Metascore: 83

The Forest is a much darker horror-themed survival game that can become truly intense during the nighttime when the cannibal enemies become more aggressive than passive. What really makes The Forest stand out, though, is its AI enemies, which are incredibly advanced and will force the player to think on the spot if they want a chance of surviving. Sometimes, the cannibals will actually hesitate to attack the player, which adds a lot of immersion to the game, making it much harder to decide whether to kill them just for the sake of survival.

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The game also features a very in-depth crafting and hunting system, along with plenty of different structures that can be built into safe havens. As the days go by, the enemies will also gradually grow into much bigger and more dangerous mutants, which keeps the challenge high and adds a good amount of variation to the gameplay. The game also has two possible endings that can be achieved, but because of how excellent the AI and survival mechanics are, it's always worth coming back for another playthrough after it's finished.

1 Subnautica

Metascore: 87

While Subnautica does offer several game modes for players to choose from, by far the most popular way to play is in the Survival Mode, where the gameplay becomes much more intense, exciting, and rewarding. In this mode, players will still be tasked with venturing across the deep blue sea to find resources and supplies, but this time around, they become much more vital since there are food, water, and oxygen bars that need to be maintained.

Upon dying in Survival Mode, the player will lose a few items from their inventory which will remain in the location they were killed for them to retrieve again, but considering how much more aggressive the sea creatures are in this mode, it means that straying too far away from the home base is always risky. While exploration is clearly at the core of the experience, there's also a very layered, and actually quite complex, crafting system where players can create a multitude of tools and gadgets to aid in their survival. Water filtration systems and alien containment facilities are just a few examples of devices that can be useful in the base game, but that are absolutely essential in Survival. Subnautica is already an amazing game on its own, with its astonishing graphics and serene underwater environment making it one of a kind, but Survival Mode takes it to a whole new level thanks to how it elevates the level of urgency in the gameplay.

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