It's a wild world right now: The grocery store has turned into an illegal chase for several packs of toilet paper and pasta, and even leaving your house is an exercise in caution. It's almost like we all need a bit of training to survive in this brave new world. Enter the best survival games! Designed to test your stamina, your wits and, in many cases, your ability to scare. Gather resources, face and hide enemies, while trying to protect your base of operations, they can be brutal and addictive. Here is our pick of the best survival games you should play.
The best survival games
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android) From its Tim Burton-esque art style to its deep and captivating craft system, Don't Starve is like a nightmare directed by Roald Dahl. Exploring its terrifying world is never scary, but it will terrify you if you lose all your progress by being killed by a marauding spider. If you're stuck indoors, also consider picking up the Don't Starve Together add-on, which introduces four-player cooperative play into the mix.
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) There is a part of us that believes that after the release and subsequent polishing of No Man's Sky, all other games should go home. What's the point of playing something else when No Man's Sky gives you an entire universe to explore? A phenomenal technical achievement, and a sci-fi nerd's dream, it's also an excellent survival simulation, as you have to gather resources, make new equipment, upgrade ships, and fend off a collection of environmental hazards and intergalactic evil.
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android) There's never been a good Jurassic Park game, and while it's not officially licensed, Ark: Survival Evolved could be as good as we're ever going to be. Waking up on a deserted beach with only your wits and a loincloth, it's up to you to find shelter, craft tools and weapons, and forge alliances with other players on an island teeming with aggressive Giant Dinosaur denizens. It's a bit difficult, and it's very unforgiving for newcomers, but getting to the point where you've tamed your ferocious T-Rex takes a few more hits.
(PC, PS4, Xbox One) Do you know which survival games need even more? Dongs! No more dongs! And this time, with a dong size slider on the character creation screen. Yes, build your own dong. And that's before the game even starts properly. Obviously this wasn't the case for the kids, but this barbarian-themed survival game is Arnie's pride with brutal combat, lush environments to explore, and giant colonies to create. And massive dongs.
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android) Perhaps the most famous survival game of all, though for many, this side of Minecraft has fallen into obscurity. While many are now diving into friendly building modes, the heart of Minecraft remains an engaging survival adventure, seeing you gather resources, build shelter, and head into the heart of the Earth to face the increasingly aggressive inhabitants as you search for rare treasures.
(PC, PS4, Xbox One) Taking the survival genre from the mainland to 20,000 leagues under the sea, Subnautica blends sci-fi fears with underwater thrills. It is one of the most refined survival games on the market, with a unique world to explore and an excellent circuit for collecting resources, enemy battles and base upgrades.
(PC, PS4, Xbox One) The father of survival in many ways, DayZ started life as a mod before blowing up in such a huge way that it became its own game. Based on the military simulation Arma 3, it adds that old video game fan, zombies, into the survival mix. It's not the undead you fear the most, though, but other players: they roam the cards in makeshift gangs, attacking the weak and stealing your hard-earned gear.
(PC, PS4) This one is great for horror fans - it's the scariest on the list. When a plane crash survivor lands in this titular forest, The Forest lets you escape roaming mutant cannibals lurking among the trees, while building a fortress in the branches. A tough and more enjoyable with a group of friends.
(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android) Just like a 16-bit Minecraft, pixel-art Terraria is one of the most popular survival games around. Colorful and vast, Terraria allows you to face many monstrous enemies, delve into endless caves before returning home to build gigantic bases to hone your skills. It's a great game, with a nice art style that belies its complexity.
(PC) Starbound has a very similar art style and gameplay to Terraria, but pushes the effort to the edge of space. It's got the same side-scrolling open-world exploration, but has a bit more of a quest system than some of the more free-to-play entries on this list. Excellent for Terraria fans.
(Miscellaneous) From Fortnite to Apex Legends, it could be a good case to include the battle royale genre as a whole in this list of survival games. PUBG was born out of a Weapon mod in the same way as Day Z, and from its success comes Fortnite, Apex Legends, and the rest of the contenders. From gathering your gear to finding the last person standing, and in some cases building a quick fire shelter, the legacy is clear.