Stayin’ Alive With My Top Survival Game Picks

Over the past year, I’ve felt as though I'm only just surviving. But why merely survive in this pandemic, when you can thrive in a survival game?

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Don’t Starve (2013)

Klei Entertainment

The earliest full release on my list, Don’t Starve is an indie wilderness survival game, recognisable through its uniquely charming Victorian/steampunk animation style.

In terms of gameplay, Markiplier described the game as ‘kind of reminiscent of a very different style Minecraft’ but with ‘a lot of a darker theme to it’.

Filled with science and magic, and with several different playable modes, the lore of this game is extremely compelling, enhanced by the enchantingly adorable dark art style.

Like most survival games, it becomes more dangerous at night, intensified through the forest setting and array of monsters lurking behind the trees.

Following the success of the original game, Klei Entertainment have since released several DLCs and expansion packs to create a Don’t Starve franchise. One of the most popular is 2016’s standalone multiplayer expansion Don’t Starve Together, which allows you to take on the challenge with friends or strangers and expands upon the story of the original game.

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The Long Dark (2017)

Hinterland Studio

Since its release in 2017, The Long Dark has frequently been referred to as ‘One of the best single-player survival games of all time.’

A single-player survival sandbox game, your character finds themselves in the post-apocalyptic Canadian wilderness after a geometric storm. As RoboKast puts it, in the harsh Canadian winter, ‘your goal is merely to survive.’

In survival mode, you get through one day at a time, meaning your objective is simply to make it through to tomorrow. There’s no base building in the game, though you can choose to live in pre-existing structures, adding to the feeling of the need to keep on moving. There are 10 different regions on the map, varying in difficulty, as well as having different advantages and challenges, and on top of this, your character develops weaknesses based on how you play the game.

As expected in the wilderness, you’ll be faced with animals that you need to fight, from bears to moose to wolves, which won’t take it easy on you.

Though it may sound simplistic, the game excels in atmosphere and realism, and you find yourself completely immersed in this post-apocalyptic world. The stunning graphics of the game are the cherry on top of this hidden gem.

A recent addition to the game is an episodic story mode called WINTERMUTE, the narrative of which is based around finding your companion and reaching your destination, with mysteries and other survivors along the way – this is perfect for those who prefer an adventure.

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The Forest (2018)

Endnight Games

A plane crash, a kidnapped son, and a whole lot of cannibals. Have I piqued your interest yet?

The Forest is the survival horror game that has captured the attention of gamers such as Markiplier and Jacksepticeye, who have recently revisited the game with a new appreciation for it – largely due to the hilarious results of the multiplayer option allowing you to wreak havoc in the game and take base building to the extreme.

Your character survives a plane crash, only to have their son Timmy taken by one of the natives while you’re still reeling from the impact. Of course, your priority is to find Timmy, but in order to do that you need to set up camp.

With your oh-so-handy survival guide, you’ll build all the essentials you need to survive and build a base in the location of your choosing (top tip: most enemies can’t cross the river unless you build a bridge). You might hear some blood-curdling screams in the distance at night, but it’s probably fine.

Between farming, gathering resources, and defending your base, there’s always something that needs to be crafted in order to progress. And crafting can bring out some pretty strange but hilarious results in this game. Pan of feather, anyone?

For the story aspect of the game, progression is made through exploring the 9 caves, in which there are story items relating to Timmy, treasure maps, and reward items (because you can always use a chainsaw and a gun in a horror game).

The caves are where the horror element really shines – seriously, you probably think you can imagine what horror babies are but they’re so much worse.

And for your own sake, don’t equip the creepy armour. Trust me on this one, just don’t.

With several different story endings and a whole lot of fun to be had in the meantime, The Forest is definitely one of our favourite picks in the survival horror genre.

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Subnautica (2018)

Unknown Worlds Entertainment

So far, we’ve given you science, magic, wilderness and horror, so it’s time to move onto more unknown terrain – the ocean. Oh, and aliens.

In Subnautica, your character escapes from their exploding spaceship Aurora via an escape pod and crash lands onto an alien planet (planet 4546B) that largely consists of water.

Between exploring the planet, deep diving into the ocean, discovering alien creatures, managing your needs, and discovering what happens to this mysterious planet, there’s no shortage of gameplay or story in this open world adventure.

Following the success of the full release of the game, the sequel Subnautica: Below Zero was released in early access in 2019. Set a year after the original game, the added element of freezing temperatures in the artic region of planet 4546B creates a renewed sense of danger.

Ultimately, if you have thalassophobia (that’s fear of the ocean in layman’s terms), you may want to give this one a miss.

Otherwise, much like Twitch streamer Ziggy, who has admitted to having a ‘crippling fear of open water’, you’ll be left screaming: ‘GET ME OUT OF THE WATER, GET ME OUT OF THE WATER, GET ME OUT!’

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Raft (2018)

Axolot Games

Now that we’ve delved into the depths, let’s take a look at a more peaceful, light-hearted approach to surviving the sea.

True to its namesake, in Raft you’ll find yourself stranded on a raft in a vast ocean.

Equipped with your handy-dandy hook, you’ll gather the resources the build your raft and craft various items – and the sky’s the limit with your design. No really, you can make your raft as tall as you like.

There are various islands that you can dock at and explore for more resources and story items – the only real threat to you is the shark that loves to eat your raft, but ultimately there’s nothing too deadly to stress you out.

When playing alone, the gameplay can seem like a grind to progress and gather enough resources to build, but for those who love that kind of gameplay it’s perfect and peaceful playing by yourself!

Raft also has a multiplayer option that makes it much easier to craft and build, and it’s a lot more fun if you enjoy teamwork in your adventure games.

What really makes Raft special is though it can feel aimless, there is a subtle story that you’re following along, and these are being released in chapters. Chapter Two has just been released, so what are you waiting for?

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This article was originally written for and published by cool.girl magazine.