10 Best Games Where You Have To Survive In The Wilderness
Rachel Hickman From horror games like The Forest to underwater games like Subnautica, there are many unique survival games that truly test the player's skills.
Although getting stranded out in the wilderness in real life would be terrible, there is something inherently fun about the situation in survival games. With only a few resources at the start, the player claws their way through intense environments in order to survive and eventually, in spite of everything, possibly thrive.
With the freedom of an open world and the sense of accomplishment that comes from making something out of it, it's no surprise that there are many survival games out there. But, there are a couple that stand out among the rest.
The Forest
Fully released in 2018 after several years of early access, The Forest is a survival horror game that places heavy emphasis on the survival aspect. In this game, the player controls a young man named Eric LeBlanc who is traveling by plane with his son, Timmy. After the plane mysteriously loses control and crashes on a heavily forested peninsula, Eric is forced to learn how to survive in order to try to find his son who seems to have been kidnapped by a group of cannibalistic mutants.
Despite the game having a narrative and two possible endings, the gameplay takes place in a large open world where the player can choose how to spend their time. As the player gathers resources and learns how to do things, they can craft many items and build large camps.
The Wild Eight
Similar to The Forest, The Wild Eight is a survival game where the player's plane mysteriously crashed in the middle of the wilderness and they need to survive and explore in order to figure out what is really going on. But, this 2019 game is procedurally generated, takes place in Alaska, and has RPG mechanics. In either a single-player or multiplayer game, the player picks from one of the eight survivors of the plane crash who each have their own abilities, and the character levels up as the game progresses.
While fighting or avoiding the deadly creatures, the player can use their limited inventory to craft items and make campsites. As they complete specific quests, they slowly uncover strange things that shouldn't exist.
Raft
Even though the game is still in early access, Raft is an open-world survival game that already has plenty of in-game content. Set in a deserted world, the player wakes up on a small raft in the middle of the ocean. To avoid dying from hunger, thirst, or sharks, the player must gather debris from the ocean using their plastic hook so that they can expand their raft and gain food and water.
The player can also dive into the ocean or explore islands, but they need to be wary of deadly animals and they can't stay away from the raft for long because it's constantly moving. While there is a narrative players can follow, both single-player and multiplayer games can choose to ignore the story and simply work on their raft. Similar to Minecraft, there's even a creative mode for players who don't want to deal with the survival aspects.
Survival Kids
Known as Stranded Kids in Europe, Survival Kids is a 1999 Game Boy Color game where the player gets stranded on a deserted island. Playing as either a boy or a girl, the player tries to survive by crafting items, cooking food, and finding shelter. As they explore the non-linear open-world, the player will discover dungeons and other secrets, which will eventually lead to one of eight different endings.
Survival Kids spawned multiple sequels, and most of these sequels were released internationally as Lost in Blue. While all of these games have slightly different mechanics and characters, they all focus on the player having to survive on a deserted island.
UnReal World
Awarded the Guinness World Record for first open-world survival video game and longest update support for a game, UnReal World is a roguelike survival game that takes place in Iron Age Finland. Although it was originally released in 1992, the game is still being updated to this day. After choosing one of nine different cultures and various other character and world options, the player enters a randomly generated world and has to survive in the wilderness.
Even though the game requires the typical hunger, thirst, and health management, it's a lot more detailed and realistic compared to other survival games. For example, players will need to follow animal tracks in order to hunt them. Also, many elements in the game come from Finnish history, mythology, and folklore.
Valheim
Another game that is in early access but is still worth playing already is Valheim, which is an open-world third-person survival sandbox game that is inspired by Viking culture and Norse mythology. The player takes control of a recently deceased Viking who must prove themself worthy for Valhalla by surviving in Valheim. While playing alone or with up to 10 others, the player travels across the procedurally generated "tenth world," gathers resources, crafts tools, and builds various structures and boats.
Similar to Terraria, however, the main goal isn't just to survive. Instead, the player will need to level up their skills and travel to the different biomes in order to defeat bosses.
Frostpunk
Although there are many city-building games and plenty of survival games, Frostpunk stands out among the rest by being the first game to combine the two. Released in 2018, the game takes place in an alternate 1886 where the world is struggling through a volcanic winter. To combat the extreme cold temperatures, cities are built around coal-powered generators. As the leader of one of these cities, the player must make tough decisions in order to ensure the city's survival.
At the start of a playthrough, the player has a choice between several different scenarios that have varied stories, challenges, and possible endings, which gives the game plenty of replay value. Recently, the developers announced that there will be a sequel.
The Long Dark
Officially released in 2017 but with updates to the gameplay and story mode still being added to this day, The Long Dark is a first-person survival game that takes place in the Canadian wilderness after a geomagnetic storm. In the main storyline, the player controls a crash-landed pilot named Will Mackenzie who struggles to survive while also looking for his travel companion, Dr. Astrid Greenwood, and discovering what caused the "quiet apocalypse" the world is now in.
While the story mode is more like an adventure game with survival elements, the player can also experience survival mode, which challenges the player to survive as long as they can. Unlike the main story, the player can access the whole map at once and the resources are randomly generated. But, if the player dies in this mode, their save file is permanently deleted.
Don't Starve
Initially released in 2013 but has had many updates since then, Don't Starve is a roguelike survival game where the player has to survive as long as possible in a strange parallel world known as the Constant. In the main plot, the player controls a scientist named Wilson who is led by the game's main antagonist, Maxwell, to create a strange machine that sends him to this other world. During adventure mode, the player goes through several chapters in order to defeat Maxwell.
But, the player can ignore the main story and simply try to survive either by themself or with friends. While avoiding the horrifying creatures in the Constant, the player must manage their hunger, health, and sanity. Besides Wilson, there are many other characters the player can choose from who each have their own abilities.
Subnautica
Considered by some to be one of the best survival games ever made, Subnautica is an open-world action-adventure where the player explores the ocean of an alien planet after their spaceship mysteriously crashes. As they try to survive, the player slowly unravels the mystery behind the crash, the various structures on the planet, and the strange creatures lurking in the depths.
While exploring coral reefs, cave systems, and other underwater areas, the player must build bases, find resources, and avoid dangerous sea creatures. Even though the vast world is tempting, the player needs to be careful because they can run out of oxygen.
