Open world survival games have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment available. At any time, you have the opportunity to hop into a fantasy world from your wildest dreams, and do absolutely anything you want.
Never before in history has someone been able to fight aliens, or dinosaurs, or wizards, or futuristic robots, just because they’re bored, or have some time to kill.
Sometimes the best thing to do after a busy day of crunching numbers at the office, or lifting heavy equipment all day at the factory, is to absolutely annihilate an entire species of aliens, or scale a prehistoric volcano.
We’re lucky that such phenomenal experiences are readily available for us at just a few clicks of a button. A few decades ago, the most thrilling game available was Tetris. Look how far we’ve come.
There are hundreds of survival games available, so to make it easier for you, I’ve prepared a list of the best 25 open world survival games. I hope you find a game that you enjoy. Feel free to keep coming back to this listing anytime you’re looking for a new game.
25. Once Human
PC
Wake up. The world you once knew is long gone. The future is a nasty place. The earth has been plagued and polluted by an alien apocalypse. Everything once familiar has become unrecognizable. What do you do?
Once Human is a very new, and currently free open world survival game. In the game, you wake up in the middle of nowhere, and find that the world is completely alien. Plants, humans, and animals have all turned into aliens. The food is polluted, and the more pollution you consume, the lower your sanity drops.
Fight your way through countless alien enemies, as you craft and upgrade from a list of 100 different guns. Become strong enough to take on bosses from different dimensions, and defeat them to slow down the pollution that they cause on this world.
Once Human offers you a unique experience in a seemingly abandoned world. It’s up to you to cure and rebuild the world as you see fit. The graphics are very impressive, and some of the enemies look absolutely stunning.
You’ll always be on the edge of your seat while playing Once Human. There’s no telling what strange alien creature lurks around the corner, waiting to ambush you. It might even be waiting for you in your home.
Once Human gameplay
24. Rust
PC, PS4, XBOX
Rust is the ultimate survival experience. Enter a world where everything wants you to die. Especially other players.
Awake naked on the beach, with your only companion being your pet rock. There’s no time to wait, it’s time to get to work. Use the rock to break trees and other rocks. Grab the materials, build your first weapons. Go hunting, build your first base… This is only the beginning.
Your goal on rust is to survive and thrive. Build up an arsenal, and become the one person that no one dares to mess with. Arm yourself with military grade weapons and machines. Place turrets and defenses on your base to kill intruders. Get motorized vehicles to expand your travel opportunities, etc.
You can either kill every person you encounter along the way, or you can risk recruiting them to your team. Choose your friends wisely though, as they very well might stab you in the back to get ahead.
Rust gameplay
23. Satisfactory
PC
Ah, how humanity loves to conquer everything. Get ready for a journey to an alien planet, where your only goal is to gut the entire planet, and steal all of its resources.
Welcome to a unique open world survival building game. Or as it’s more commonly known as: Conveyer Belt Heaven.
Your main objective in Satisfactory, is to develop massive and automated factories that extract precious resources from the natural world. Work towards automating absolutely everything. Create a world that requires no manual labor.
However, be prepared. The creatures that call the planet home won’t like what you’re trying to do. They’re going to defend their home. So be sure to show them absolute cruelty, and stack 300 remote bombs to their back, and watch the chaos that you’ve created.
You have access to very advanced technology, which will come in handy not only for building your factories, but also for travelling to new resource rich locations. Choose your preferred means of travel, from jump pads, to vehicles, or jetpacks. Happy Hunting.
Satisfactory gameplay
22. Manor Lords
PC, XBOX
Manor Lords brings you way back into medieval times. A game that strives for historical accuracy, I’d have to say that they do not disappoint.
Manor lords is a historical based game that puts you in the shoes of a medieval lord. Grow your city however you see fit, manage your resources, and prepare for war if necessary.
Your goal is to transform your small village into a thriving city. Build houses and places of work. Assign jobs to members of the community, each contributing to the growth of your city. Some will gather materials. Some will process materials into building components. Some will prepare food for the entire village, etc.
The only problem with being a thriving city in medieval times, is that some people want to take it away from you. People will wage war on you, and you need to be prepared to take them on.
Use the soldiers in your mighty town to send a message. If it shall be blood for blood, eye for an eye, so be it.
Manor Lords gameplay
21. SCUM
PC
Time to mix a zombie apocalypse with an island full of prisoners. As if they weren’t already ruthless enough, now they’ll rip off your flesh with their teeth, and not give it a second thought.
Welcome to SCUM island, where you’ve suddenly become very popular. You better hope you’re not an introvert, because you’re on TV. That’s right. On top of fighting off players who are armed with military grade weaponry, zombies who want to eat you alive, and big robots that guard the island’s secrets, you also have to look your best for the fans. You’ve just become part of a messed up experiment, enjoyed by millions of heartless fans.
Your goal is to build your way up the food chain so to speak. Start by exploring and gathering materials. Start building primitive weapons like bows and axes. Take out zombies one by one as you continue to loot the island. Constantly search for food and weapons, they’re your most valuable assets now.
Meet other players on the server, and form alliances with them, or kill them if you have trust issues. Anything for the fans. Gear up with riot gear and military rifles, and march through the forbidden gates, demanding answers.
SCUM gameplay
20. V Rising
PC, PS5
Rise. It’s time. You’ve been asleep for centuries. The revolution is now, they need you, your time has come.
The race of humanity is over. It’s time for the race of vampires to dominate the world. You awake tired and weak. The only cure is blood. Through blood, you’ll find your strength. You’ll grow your power.
Explore the open world, and dominate other vampires, kill or turn humans, and lead them to join the cause. Become powerful enough to take on Dracula himself, and change course of history.
V Rising gameplay
19. Dying Light 2 Stay Human
PC, PS4, PS5, XBOX
The Dying Light Series is practically the equivalent of mixing Spiderman and zombie apocalypses.
Dying Light 2 is a brilliant zombie/parkour game. Much like in the first game, you’re one of the survivors in the apocalypse, and you’re following the storyline.
Dying Light 2 incorporates movement strategy better than any other game. So many different ways to use parkour to your advantage. Jumping from rooftops, to running and sliding, to vaulting over zombies, to drop kicking them, to climbing up slim poles, etc. Never before has movement been this fun and critical.
The zombies that are featured in Dying Light 2 are incredible. Of course you get your standard class of zombie, that isn't really a threat. But be careful, some of the zombies can do all the parkour that you can do, and they have terrifying features. They’re practically mutant zombies. You better run and climb for your life, because it’s right behind you.
Dying Light 2 Stay Human gameplay
18. No Man's Sky
PC, PS4, PS5, XBOX, Switch
No Man’s Sky is THE game for those of you who are fascinated by the infinite universe.
No Man’s Sky is a surreal game with unlimited possibilities. You have the ability to go anywhere you could possibly want. Travel light years to reach new and strange galaxies. Embrace the new environment and do whatever you could possibly want. It’s the game from your wildest dreams.
No Man’s Sky is shockingly realistic. It’s almost exactly what you would expect of a futuristic universe where space travel is as common as driving a car.
Travel into the heart of space and learn the secrets of the universe. Traverse through deadly weather conditions, fight off dangerous alien creatures, discover pirates that want to steal everything you have, and take them down.
No Man's Sky gameplay
17. Metro Exodus
PC, PS4, PS5, XBOX
The year is 2036. The world as you once knew it, no longer exists. After the nuclear war annihilated the earth, not much remained. Only a few thousand survivors existed, and were located under Moscow. But now it’s time to crawl your way back to the surface, and lead an expedition to locate other survivors.
The world is plagued with an everlasting snow. But frostbite is the least of your worries. The nuclear war set in motion, only the horrors from your wildest nightmares. The peaceful world as you once knew it, has been replaced by demons. Paranormal horrors haunt you as you journey through the new world. Mutants will be slayed, lives will be lost, but it will all be worth it once you reunite with “the others”.
Metro Exodus gameplay
16. Valheim
PC, XBOX
Welcome to the realm of gods. Odin rules the nine realms. Do you have what it takes to prove your worth to him?
A game inspired by Norse Mythology. Travel the seas on Viking ships, gear up with shields and battle axes/swords, discover strange creatures, clash weapons with other warriors, and traverse the world.
Gather materials and constantly upgrade whatever you have, until you’re the ruler of the tenth world. Lead a crew of up to 10 players, and join forces to take down godly creatures that have overstayed their welcome.
Valheim gameplay
15. The Forest
PC, PS4
Your plane is going down. Brace yourself, you’re freefalling through the sky, prepare for crash landing. 4000 feet, 2500 feet, 1000 feet, 3, 2, 1… BOOM.
Wake up in the wreck of your ship, and scavenge whatever food and utilities may have been left behind. Where are you? What island did you just land on? The answer: your worst nightmare. Your luck has run out.
You find yourself on an island infested with cannibals and mutants. The clock started ticking the second you landed. Imminent death is approaching, how do you prepare?
There’s only one thing to do, survive. Build tools, find whatever food you possibly can, chop down the forest, build a unique shelter, go on the hunt, invade cannibal bases and steal their loot. Stealth or mass murder, the choice is yours.
Once you’ve set up a shelter, and have some decent weapons and tools at your disposal, you can go deeper. Take to the caves, where the true danger lurks. Darkness, writing on the walls, skeletons of past survivors, relics, and mutants that guard the heart of the caves.
The Forest gives you a truly surreal experience, almost like a dream. There are many opportunities to test your creativity and wits as you venture through the forest. Beat the game however you see fit, there are no wrong answers.
The Forest gameplay
14. Albion Online
PC
Albion Online is featured in a fantasy world, full of combat and mysticism.
Gather materials, and craft your way to victory. Craft your own unique armour and weaponry. What you wear symbolises who you are. Switching classes is as simple as switching your armour. Go from being a Warrior, to being a Mage, with a few keystrokes.
Travel through a seemingly endless world and take down any enemy that stands in your way. Danger lurks in the shadows, just as opportunity shines in the light. You just need to know where to look.
Come home and relax on your private island, where you can build your own home, grow crops, and raise animals. The perfect spot to slow down and enjoy the scenery that this world has to offer.
Albion Online gameplay
13. Kenshi
PC
It’s a cruel world, and it’s not for the weak. In the world, you kill or be killed, or worse…
You’re constantly starving. You’re constantly being hunted. Enslavement is right around the corner. You’re tired and weak. The only way forward is through. Do you give up? Or do you summon all the strength you can muster, and survive?
Meet NPCs that are just like you. They have a name, they have struggles, they might even have people who they love. But you need to survive. You might just have to take that away from them.
The world is an almost endless desert, and the journey from nothing, to thriving is a long and painful one. Do you have what it takes?
Kenshi is a unique game, because there is nothing special about your character. You’re not more powerful than everyone else, you don’t have something special about you. You’re just a normal person. The only way to rise to the top is to work for it. It’s an equal opportunity game.
Kenshi gameplay
12. Bellwright
PC
Everything you’ve ever known and loved has just turned against you. You’ve been framed for a crime you didn’t commit, and sentenced to die. What do you do?
There’s only one thing you can do. Run. Run and build. Bellwright is a story based game set in a less modern time. Weapons consisted more of bows and arrows, rather than weapons and war machines.
Once you narrowly escaped an attempt on your life, you left home. Now it’s time to build up your power, recruit other people to join the cause, and fight for what’s right. Then you can march up to the gates of your former home, and take back what’s yours.
Take over more and more land, and build an empire. Build homes for your people, in exchange for labour. Manage your resources, and create the modern world.
Bellwright gameplay
11. Conan Exiles
PC, PS4, XBOX
You thought your fate was sealed, until Conan himself freed you from the corpse tree, and taught you to survive.
Conan Exiles is a survival adventure game, set in the lands of Conan the Barbarian. It’s a savage land that’s lurking with death. Survival does not come easy. You need to conquer.
Arm yourself with clothes to defend yourself against harsh weather conditions. Explore the exiled lands, but be careful where you go looking. Dark sorcery lurks in the shadows. You don’t want to be corrupted.
Build a massive home. Arm it with traps and defenses. Anything is possible. You can build a tiny home, or a mediaeval castle. Just make sure that it’s well defended.
Seize lands from other players, and use it to take over the world. Arm yourself with the power of dark sorcery, and wield magic upon your enemies. Engage in bloody combat, explore ancient ruins, enslave others to expand your empire, become a god, etc. This is just but a mere taste of what’s in store for you.
Conan Exiles gameplay
10. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
PC, XBOX
Welcome back to 2006. Only the history books have been altered. After the second explosion, mutants and anomalies were born. The lands are a wasteland of death. However, in these same lands, lives treasure from beyond your wildest dreams. Do you have what it takes to survive long enough to claim it?
Enjoy an epic story that unfolds itself as you explore the game. Embrace a realistic looking world. It’s exactly what you’d expect a post-apocalyptic world to look like.
Take down a variety of enemies with some classic weapons, like Sniper Rifles, Assault Rifles, and other various common weapons.
Discover insane mutant creatures, and take them out, or die trying. They’re going to do everything in their power to slaughter you, so you better slaughter them first.
Don’t take my word for it, go find out for yourself. This might just be how you spend your next few days. Surviving and thriving in an apocalypse.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl gameplay
9. Wartales
PC, XBOX, Switch
Welcome to the world of lawless mongrels and savages. Ever since the fall of the Edoran Empire, honour and virtue has become all but lost.
Picture a never ending purge. That’s what Wartale has in store for you. Nothing is safe. You can’t trust anyone. Someone who you might think is friendly, could be a subtle thief, or a greedy despot, or a mass murderer. It’s better to avoid everyone.
Only your most trusted allies can be by your side. Lead your soldiers on a quest for riches, and power. Each soldier will report back to you with their findings, and slowly but surely, your empire will be created. Piece by piece.
Wartales gameplay
8. Medieval Dynasty
PC, PS4, PS5, XBOX
Medieval Dynasty is set long before modern civilization. In fact, you’re the pioneer of modern civilization. What you do today will create the course of history. So you better lead your village well, because they are the future.
There’s a lot of responsibility on your hands. It’s your job to both run and expand a thriving village, but also to raise your son, and teach him how to one day take over. It’s a love story, an adventure story, a conquering story, a life story. It’s simply your story.
But like I said, it’s not the modern world. You may be the leader of the village, but it’s still an all hands on deck kind of world. You’ll have to get your hands dirty, and build up buildings with your workers. You’ll have to go hunting for food in nasty weather conditions. There’s hard work to be done, and no one else is going to do it, unless you’re willing to do it.
Medieval Dynasty gameplay
7. Myth of Empires
PC
You always knew that this tiny world was a lot bigger than everyone thought. That this tiny patch of land housing this civilization, was not the only one out there. The arrival of the others confirmed your suspicions.
United now with ancient civilizations, you welcome them, and discover who else is out there. Start a journey across the seas, explore islands and mark them down on your map. Find deadly creatures along the way, and fight harsh weather conditions. The journey to discover the new world was never meant to be easy.
Gather what resources you can from your travels, and take them home to build your empire from the ground up. Nothing but hard work, and your valued compatriots, will make this happen. It’s time to fill the pages of history.
Myth of Empires gameplay
6. Terminus: Zombie Survivors
PC
Welcome to the beginning of the apocalypse. It’s only been a few weeks since the virus started infecting people. Since then, the military has stopped coming by, which is probably a good thing, because they were slaughtering survivors in their attempt to contain the infection.
You don’t know who else survived. All you know is that you survived. How long you remain alive is the question.
Explore a randomly generated world, and loot everything you can find. Your most valuable items being weaponry, and food.
Find other survivors on your travels, and recruit them to join the cause. Or slaughter them where they stand. As the apocalypse didn’t only create the zombie virus. It also created distrust and greed in people. Someone will stab you in the back for the last can of beans. Tread carefully.
Fight off various zombies in a turn based combat system. Choose your favourite weapon from your arsenal, and make sure that you get the last hit.
Terminus: Zombie Survivors gameplay
5. The Long Dark
PC, PS4, XBOX
The Long Dark is a very simple concept survival game. There are no zombies, aliens, wizards, killer underwater squids, etc. The only threat is the frozen world. The result of a global ice age. Survive against harsh weather conditions, and anything that mother nature has to throw at you.
It’s also a completely hardcore experience, Once you die, you’re dead. Your save gets deleted, and you have to start over, if you so choose.
There’s no one there to help you. The game challenges your ability to survive in an environment with no one else. It’ll truly test your wits and creativity.
The Long Dark gameplay
4. State of Decay 2
PC, XBOX
State of Decay 2 is set immediately after the start of the zombie apocalypse. You and a group of survivors need to figure out how you can stay alive, and you’re in control.
The world has other survivors, but some of them are even more dangerous than the dead. A man who would shoot you in the leg so that he can survive, has become a very common man in this world. Choosing your allies carefully is the only way to ensure your survival.
Each character in the game has their own unique set of skills. No one is the same. This makes for a unique way to fight your way through hordes of zombies, and creatively survive the onslaught of terror.
State of Decay 2 gameplay
3. ARK: Survival Evolved
PC, PS4, XBOX, Switch
ARK: Survival Evolved is personally my favourite video survival game. The game perfectly captures the essence of what it would be like if you got yourself trapped in the prehistoric era (while adding a touch of sci-fi later on). Everything from the freedom to conquer, to the hidden lore and game secrets to be discovered, is absolutely perfect.
You find yourself stranded in the heart of an impossible world. The sun blinds you for a moment, as if you’d never seen so much light in your life. You quickly adjust, and notice that you’re surrounded by a thriving world of dinosaurs, and you’ve just started at the bottom of the food chain. What do you do?
You start at the bottom. You punch a tree to get some wood, you pick up rocks on the beach, you gather berries and fibre from bushes, you kill what you can for their hide. Gathering every material you can get your hands on, you craft whatever survival equipment you can, build a shelter, and take the world by storm.
Some dinosaurs will become your pets/warriors. Some dinosaurs will die by your command. You grow to the top of the food chain, and you take over the world.
Once you’re strong enough, you can join your army of dinosaurs in a fierce battle against powerful bosses that hold the secrets of the world. Take them down to learn why you’re here.
ARK: Survival Evolved gameplay
2. Darkwood
PC, PS5, PS4, XBOX, Switch
Darkwood is your classic thrive by day, and hide by night, kind of game. The horrors that attempt to take your life at night are truly terrifying.
No one is coming to save you. You’re in this by yourself. This makes the horror experience truly unique, as you have no friends to comfort you in these scary times. The thrill of this unique kind of terror is one of a kind.
By day, you must acquire materials, craft gear and weapons, and uncover the secrets of survival.
By night, you must barricade yourself in shelter and pray that the monsters don’t find you. It’s the only way.
Darkwood gameplay
1. Stranded Deep
PC, PS4, XBOX, Switch
Stranded Deep is an amazing survival game that truly tests your wits. Get stranded on a strange island, and take the fight to the ocean. What could go wrong?
Stranded Deep is a multiplayer open world survival game where your only goal is to survive and discover the secrets of the deep.
It’s a journey like any other classic survival game. Begin in a strange and difficult environment with absolutely nothing to your name, and learn how to conquer.
Pick up rocks and craft a knife, climb up a tree and grab coconuts, gather wood and build a raft, drift to nearby islands while fending off shark attacks, etc.
Stranded Deep gives you a truly relatable experience. It’s not like the survival games that put you in a futuristic environment filled with impossible aliens and robots. This game is based on a concept that could actually happen, so it feels a lot more real.
Stranded Deep gameplay
