Summary
- UnderRail and Metro 2033 offer a deadly, underground metro system for survival amid scarcity and faction politics.
- Return to Moria immerses players in a co-op, dwarven survival adventure amidst dark ruins.
- Arx Fatalis unveils an immersive world of underground passageways and survival choices for players.
Away from the bright, unbearably swollen vacuum of the overworld lies a comforting, dim domain of darkness. Life underground may not be for everyone, but it has a certain appeal for those in need of a rocky sanctuary who wish to vanish under the earth away from the prying eyes of the sun-dwellers.
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Plenty of games feature underground segments, but these games focus exclusively on the world below and expect their players to survive whatever hardcore horrors the depths have in store. There are a few games that simulate the physics of an underground world, like Dwarf Fortress, and a few with a unique underground setting, such as Undertale, but these games force their depth-dwellers into a survival state of mind.
UnderRail
The Fate Of All Humanity Is On The Line
UnderRail
- Survival Style: Isometric RPG
In a future where the surface world has become inhospitable, humanity has retreated into subterranean hubs connected by labyrinthine train tracks. However, this new world of old-world transportation is, in many ways, just as deadly. UnderRail has players explore a sprawling underground metro system teeming with life (of a sort), danger, scarcity, and possibility.
Survival revolves around picking the right battles and finding a way to come out on top in tactical turn-based combat (as every enemy has a chance to win out against the player), careful management of dwindling resources, and navigating the treacherous politics of the various factions, each of various size, from local gangs to would-be governments, each vying for dominance.
Lord Of The Rings: Return To Moria
Dig As The Dwarves Do In The Depts Of Khazad-Dum
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
- Released
- October 24, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Free Range Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- Survival Style: Co-op, open-world survival crafter
The lost digs of Khazad-Dum, or Moria, became abandoned in Middle-earth's largely undocumented fourth age when Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria takes place. However, if there is any company more equipped to deal with rock, darkness, and danger, it is one made up of hardy, heroic dwarves.
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Players explore their own procedurally-generated Moria maps and must use their strength, wits, and crafting skills to survive and restore the ruins to their former glory. Although the deep dark can feel gloomy, there are plenty of familiar touches in Return to Moria that dwarf and Lord of the Rings fans alike will find comfort in, especially with axe-swinging, ale-chugging, gem-cutting friends in co-op.
Arx Fatalis
Because The Weather Outside Is Frightful
Arx Fatalis
- Released
- December 23, 2003
- Developer(s)
- Arkane Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original)
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Survival Style: Immersive fantasy sim
Arx Fatalis was, and still is, ahead of its time in terms of design and ambition. After coming to terms with (or reconfiguring) the keybinds, players will find themselves immersed in a highly detailed fantasy world simulation, albeit one restricted to underground passageways, reclaimed mineshafts, and long-lost subterranean temples.
The surface world of Arx Fatalis was long ago lost to an eternal winter brought about by the planet's dying sun, which many of Arx's inhabitants believe to be a curse from the gods. Whatever the case, players will have to explore and survive the world of the underground by their own choice and means (be it stealth, power, or magic).
Hollow Knight
Exploring The Carapace Of An Empire Dead And Buried
Hollow Knight
- Released
- February 24, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Survival Style: Action platformer
Anyone who has ever gazed into an ant nest through a glass wall will find something familiar about Hollow Knight's Hollownest. Its sprawling, interconnected underground world gleams with secrets, enemies, and haunting echoes of an insectoid empire long gone. Players take control of the titular knight, armed with a nail-turned-sword and the unwavering courage to delve deeper into the world below.
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Survival in Hollow Knight is less about managing food or resources and more about skillfully overcoming its brutal combat and exploration challenges. Every corner of Hallownest offers a new trial, including corrupted creatures, devious traps, or beautifully evocative bosses.
War For The Overworld
Not Exactly Fighting On The Side Of Light
War for the Overworld
- Released
- April 2, 2015
- Developer(s)
- Subterranean Games, Brightrock Games
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
- Survival Style: Base-building, real-time strategy
Similar to its spiritual predecessor, Dungeon Keeper, War for the Overworld flips the underground survival genre on its head by putting players in the role of a malevolent overlord. Instead of surviving against enemies, players must build and defend their underground lair from invading heroes seeking to destroy their domain.
Just because players are given the sinister powers befitting a master of darkness, it doesn't mean they aren't vulnerable. They will need to satiate their minions to keep them on-side, which means keeping gold reserves high, their lairs sprawling, and their traps sharp.
Metro 2033
On The Wrong Side Of The Line
Metro 2033
- Survival Style: First-person shooter
In Metro 2033, the Moscow Metro isn't a convenient way to get around anymore. It's humanity's last refuge after nukes made the surface a radioactive wasteland. Every station is its own little world. Trade hubs are packed with desperate survivors or militarized fortresses. Resources like filters, functioning gear, and ammunition are scarce, so much so that bullets are used as a form of currency instead of notes or coins.
The tunnels connecting these stations are treacherous no-go zones infested with mutated creatures and fraught with the constant threat of conflict between rival factions. Of course, players will inevitably find themselves crossing these no-man lines in a brutal bid to return to an area of relative safety.
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