Survival crafting games have become a staple of the open-world genre. These titles combine expansive, engaging environments with resource management, exploration, and emergent gameplay. They challenge players not just to survive in a desperate situation, but to build, adapt, and thrive in hostile and unpredictable worlds, often rewarding ingenuity and experimentation in the face of danger.
Whether players are dropped into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, stranded in an alien jungle, or surviving Viking purgatory, these games will challenge their skills and force them to think creatively. The best survival crafting games offer unforgettable experiences that test new and veteran players to their absolute limits, pushing them to keep going even when things look their worst.
Best Free Survival Games On Steam
Fans of survival games can check out these titles for free on Steam.
Conan Exiles
Savage Freedom In A Brutal World
Conan Exiles
- Released
- May 8, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Funcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Action-Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Conan Exiles casts players into a merciless fantasy wasteland inspired by the Conan mythos. Survival isn’t just about hunger and thirst in this game. Players must also battle extreme temperatures, corruption, enemy tribes, and supernatural threats, all while managing settlements full of NPCs that need to be cared for with specific needs.
The open-world design encourages massive fortress construction, exploration, and, in between, some challenging PvP combat. With so much to see and so much ambition and brutality, the game offers a uniquely challenging survival sandbox with a distinctive tone.
Raft
Survive The Sea, Build A Future
Raft
- Released
- June 20, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Raft offers a minimalist but compelling twist on survival crafting by placing players on a small floating platform in the middle of an endless ocean. Beginning with just a hook and a few planks, players must scavenge debris, manage hunger and thirst, and build their raft into a floating fortress, all while progressing towards a mysterious goal.
What begins as a peaceful ocean drift quickly becomes tense as sharks, storms, and mysterious islands introduce danger and intrigue into the mix. With cooperative play and a slowly unfolding narrative, the game turns an isolated concept into a rich, ever-evolving adventure for players of all kinds.
Valheim
Norse Myth Meets Procedural Perfection
Valheim
- Released
- February 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- r
- Developer(s)
- Iron Gate AB
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- Platform(s)
- Linux, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Valheim drops players into a stylized Norse purgatory where they must survive the harsh environment and fight to earn Odin’s favor. Its procedurally generated worlds are filled with secrets, and its progression is neatly tied to biome difficulty and boss battles that reward skill and preparation.
8 Best Survival Games For Challenging Exploration, Ranked
Players who love a good challenge to go along with their exploration will enjoy what the following survival games have to offer.
Though it may be visually modest, Valheim shines in its mechanical polish and balance. Its stamina-based combat, intuitive base-building, and seamless co-op gameplay make it one of the most refined survival experiences in recent memory.
Green Hell
The Jungle Fights Back
Green Hell
- Released
- September 5, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Crude Humor, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Creepy Jar
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Green Hell offers an intense, realistic survival experience in the Amazon rainforest. To stay alive, players must manage physical and psychological health and avoid dangerous animals and infections while navigating a punishing, open-ended environment.
Unlike many games in the genre, Green Hell emphasizes realism and the mental strain that such a situation can inflict on someone. The crafting and survival systems are complex and unforgiving, making every decision matter. The game's open-world exploration doesn't just test the player's skill, but also their willpower.
The Forest
Terror Lurks Behind Every Tree
The Forest
- Released
- April 30, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
The Forest blends survival crafting with horror, creating an unsettling, unforgettable experience. After a plane crash, players must scavenge and craft their way out of their defenseless beginnings, building shelters in a lush but deadly forest crawling with intelligent, hostile mutants.
17 Best Co-Op Survival Games
These fantastic survival games are not only great solo but can be enjoyed with friends, too. Here are the very best of co-op survival games.
Its open-world setting is meticulously designed with hidden caves, secrets, and escalating enemy behaviors. The game’s emergent storytelling and eerie atmosphere elevate it far beyond typical crafting games, delivering a terrifying survival experience that’s both strategic and cinematic.
Subnautica
Explore The Deep Unknown
Subnautica
- Released
- January 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Subnautica takes survival to the ocean floor, immersing players in a vibrant alien underwater world after surviving a crash landing from a spaceship. Exploration is key as players must dive into ever-deepening biomes while managing oxygen and uncovering an unfolding mystery that reveals more than meets the eye.
With no combat focus, the game relies on tension, atmosphere, and ecological storytelling to build the suspense and create an unsettling feeling at all times. Each biome feels handcrafted, and its gameplay systems support thoughtful decision-making that rewards strategic players over brute force.
Don't Starve
Stylized Survival With Ruthless Depth
Don't Starve
- Released
- April 23, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Fantasy, Violence, Crude Humor
- Developer(s)
- Klei Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Management
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PC
Don’t Starve fuses Tim Burton-style art with punishing survival mechanics. The game strands players in a bizarre and hostile wilderness where they must manage hunger, sanity, and health while exploring, crafting, and experimenting, often through painful trial and error.
Its roguelike structure and randomized worlds create intense replayability, while permanent death raises the stakes dramatically. Despite its cartoonish presentation, Don't Starve is one of the most brutally strategic and creative entries in the genre.
Minecraft
The Blueprint For All That Followed
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Mojang
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360
Minecraft is the undisputed titan of survival crafting. The endless generated worlds, simple mechanics, and limitless creativity have made it a cultural phenomenon, allowing players to build whatever their imagination lets them, all while managing some light survival mechanics that quickly become trivial.
With so many mods, minigames, and community servers, Minecraft has become the blueprint for the entire genre. It pioneered systems that have influenced nearly every entry out there, and it remains a timeless open-world survival sandbox that continues to grow every year.
10 Best Story-Driven Survival Games
Most survival games are about simply making it from one day to the next, but these titles use their stories to push the player forward.