Over the last few years, the survival genre has become one of the most prominent game types on the market. It has spread into many genres, from hardcore survival modes, survival horror games, strategy survival games, and puzzle-based survival games. These games allow players to immerse themselves in challenging situations and overcome difficult odds. Many of these games incorporate environmental hazards, in-depth crafting, building mechanics, and different types of health meters.
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Many varied mechanics define survival games, with the hunger meter being one of the most common. However, while the hunger meter has become a staple in the genre, some titles have decided on another route. These games present players with all the challenges of a survival game, from dangerous enemies to environmental hazards, but without the need to find food and water. Some of these titles have become critically acclaimed games, winning multiple awards and thousands of fans, while others are lesser-known cult gems.
7 ADR1FT
Survive A Devastating Accident In Orbit
- Survival Mechanics: Environmental Hazards, Oxygen Meter.
- Metascore: 64
Adrift is a sci-fi survival puzzle game that follows the main character, Commander Alex Oshima, who finds they are the sole survivor of a catastrophic accident aboard a large space station. The game is played entirely in zero gravity and from a first-person perspective, with players able to explore the wreckage of the space station at will.
As the character’s oxygen supply falls, players need to find scattered air canisters, which refill the oxygen meter. While the game has many similarities with the film Gravity, Adrift is a unique experience. While it isn’t fast-paced and may be too slow for some players, the dramatic setting and unfolding mystery offer an engaging narrative that will please fans of sci-fi and survival games.
6 Astroneer
Craft and Build On Vibrant and Colorful Worlds
- Survival Mechanics: Resource Collecting, Oxygen Meter, Item Crafting.
- Metascore: 71
This vibrant sci-fi survival sandbox game takes players on an adventure to different planets. Controlling the Astroneer, players explore large open-world areas, gathering resources and terraforming planets. There are many materials players must find to craft the different tools, which are either gathered or mined.
While exploring, oxygen is a constant requirement for the player, and will need a regular supply. The player can tether their character to portable oxygenators or chain link to a regular oxygen source. While the game's survival mechanics are light, as there is no requirement for food or water, there is a deep crafting system and fun base-building mechanics. This is an ideal choice for players looking for a stress-free survival game, with a rich and colorful setting and easy gameplay.
5 Miasmata
Survive The Island, Find The Cure
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows
- Released: 2012
- Developers: IonFX
- Genre: Survival, Adventure, Stealth
- Survival Mechanics: Manage Dehydration, Fever and Exhaustion, Avoid A Monster. Mapping The Island.
- Metascore: 76
This cult survival game follows scientist Robert Hughes, who after being infected with a deadly plague is on a mission to find the cure. Traveling to a mysterious island, the player is tasked with exploring, mapping, and surviving the dangerous forests using real-life cartography techniques. While discovering various clues, ruins, and abandoned camp sites, players will be hunted by a dangerous beast that roams the island.
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The game forgoes the normal hunger meter in favor of regular water and medicinal needs, as the main character becomes dehydrated from the effects of the disease. Miasmata combines stealth gameplay, exploration, and mystery into a unique indie experience that fans of survival games will love. The game is a great example of an indie title attempting something different in an established genre and getting it right.
4 Pacific Drive
Survive Strange Anomalies On the Open Road
- Survival Mechanics: Resource Collecting, Item Management, Vehicle Repair
- Metascore: 79
In Pacific Drive, players must explore and escape the Olympic Exclusion Zone, an area plagued with strange anomalies. Set in 1998 in a fictionalized Washington, players drive from junction to junction in their trusty Station Wagon, discovering resources and finding a way to escape. As they progress, the car can become damaged or broken and will require repair or replacement parts to be fitted. The salvage needed for this can be found on other cars or by scavenging abandoned buildings.
Pacific Drive is an atmospheric yet challenging survival game that can sometimes feel slow and repetitive. However, the game is a unique take on the survival genre, moving the emphasis from the character to the vehicle itself. While many may find the mechanics frustrating, the game offers a complex and rewarding system that encourages customization. The stunning setting of Pacific Drive is both mysterious and engaging and will appeal to players looking for a unique indie game experience.
3 Terraria
Explore, Build, and Fight In a Procedurally Generated World
- Survival Mechanics: Mining Resources, Crafting Equipment,
- Metascore: 81
While this cult survival action sandbox game has largely been compared to Minecraft, Terraria is a fun and addictive adventure game that will appeal to a wide audience. Terraria places players in a procedurally generated world, where they will need to gather resources, build a home, and craft and upgrade their equipment while adventuring out to defeat various enemies.
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The game offers many different modes of play, with Hardcore mode unlocking after players have defeated the Wall of Flesh boss. While survival is a big part of the game, hunger is only available through either mods or the Constant World mode of the game, so it is not a consistent feature. Terraria presents a vibrant and retro-style world, where players explore a vast world, taking on enemies and defeating bosses. Critics praised it for its open adventure-style gameplay and depth.
2 No Man’s Sky
Survive The Dangers Of An Endless Universe
No Man's Sky
- Platform(s)
- Switch , PC , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , PS4 , PS5
- Released
- August 9, 2016
- Developer(s)
- Hello Games
- Survival Mechanics: Item Crafting, Base Building, Resource Collecting, Environmental Hazards
- Metascore: 83
No Man’s Sky throws players into a vast galaxy, where toxic wastelands, barren ocean worlds, or freezing ice planets are just some of the hazards found on the countless planets in the game. While food and water aren’t required to survive, resource management is. Ships will run out of fuel, leaving players stranded, life support will deplete, roaming creatures can attack the unwary, and dangerous storms can roll in from nowhere.
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All these things require resources that can be mined, collected, or scavenged. Survival is a big part of No Man’s Sky’s gameplay, and while it does not have a hunger meter, the game offers an in-depth survival experience that can be enjoyed with friends or solo. With the many updates improving the game, since its release, the game has grown to become one of the best survival titles on the market today.
1 Outer Wilds
Explore An Active Solar System While Uncovering Hidden Secrets
- Survival Mechanics: Oxygen Meter, Environmental Hazards, Lifelike Physics.
- Metascore: 85
One of the most unique games available today, the Outer Wilds, is a must-play experience for video game fans. This large-scale survival puzzle game is played out across an active solar system. The game uses a simplified form of Newtonian physics, which requires the player to gauge both speed and trajectory when approaching the various celestial bodies.
Players will soon find the solar system is more dangerous than it seems, with environmental hazards everywhere. Players can be pulled into the central star by its gravity. They can be shot off into space, where their oxygen will soon deplete. They can be injured by hitting a surface too hard or being crushed by objects. However, uncovering the many mysteries of the Outer Wilds is a rewarding experience and will likely stay with players long after completion.
Most Influential Survival Games, Ranked
The survival genre has grown a lot in the last few years, and much of it has been shaped by these influential survival titles.