Best Survival Games For Nature Exploration

Survival games allow players to try their luck in a variety of different environments, though some players may be surprised to hear that not all survival titles have a focus on nature exploration. Surviving in dense jungles, dark forests, or perhaps even island hopping across the vast ocean can lead to some of the most interesting adventures.

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However, players will still need to remember that they must pay attention to their hunger, thirst, and temperature while being trapped in these natural landscapes. These are some of the best survival games for players that want nature exploration in interesting environments that either encourage players to become one with nature — or have a diverse number of landscapes for players to survive within.

8 Valheim

Explore The Wilderness Of Viking Purgatory

Starting off strong, Valheim is a survival title that is still getting lots of content due to it still being in early access. However, with the survival sandbox content that is currently already in the game, the environments and nature players are able to explore makes Valheim a tempting offer for any player looking for a game that mixes Norse mythology with surviving in the wilderness.

The maps of Valheim have only gotten larger with the introduction of longboats that allow the player to sail to distant lands and experience the different sides of nature through not only its looks but also varied resources and enemy types.

7 Raft

Discover Islands While Expanding The Player's Raft

While nature is commonly considered solid ground with forests or other biomes, players may be surprised to see that Raft — a game commonly played on the water — is also a great option for players looking for nature exploration. While the main focus of Raft is to expand their boat to survive on the water, players will occasionally encounter islands with various resources to collect.

These moments of being within nature are few and far between, though it tends to make players feel incredibly grateful about the world around them, especially when they have been fighting against a shark that has been trying to destroy the raft they have created.

6 Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey

Learn The Laws Of Nature While Evolving

Players that are looking for a survival game that solely encourages them to learn more about the nature that surrounds them should look no further than Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. Starting this title, players and the primate they control as will be clueless about what they need to do to survive and must use trial and error to discover the varied dangers of nature.

Testing potential food or combining sticks and leaves together will help the player learn what is safe to consume and what can be used to create shelter or weaponry. While starting in the large jungle may initially feel safe, exploring is dangerous — but also necessary for the rest of their tribe to survive.

5 UnReal World

A Cult Classic Wilderness Survival Experience

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2016-02-26
• Developer: Sami Maaranen & Erikka Lehmus
• Genre(s): Survival, Simulation

Not every open-world survival game that focuses on nature exploration needs to have incredibly detailed graphics to make the player feel as if they are within nature too. Classic survival titles like UnReal World are known for being an immersive and realistic experience for players, as they must survive within the ancient North and the dangers that come along with it.

Using turn-based movement, players are given plenty of time to think before they act in UnReal World, as it's important to determine how they are going to live off the land around them while avoiding the dangerous animals of the North.

4 Stranded Deep

Vibrant Islands Out At Sea

Raft isn't the only water-based survival game that is great for nature exploration, as Stranded Deep is another title where players will find themselves stranded on the ocean. It's up to the player to put their rowing arms to work and search the vast blue sea for various interesting islands to explore.

Finding land is crucial to surviving in Stranded Deep as the resources to be found within nature will allow players to eventually build their own raft instead of being stuck in the small lifeboat they find themselves dragging across the ocean.

3 Ark: Survival Evolved

Diverse Biomes Filled With Prehistoric Creatures

Ark: Survival Evolved is an interesting survival game that combines players surviving against the natural elements alongside the threat of various dinosaurs attacking them while they explore. This survival title has a variety of maps that allow players to adventure across different biomes, but even the base game map has a dense jungle for players to adventure in, as well as an interesting coastal experience to savor.

While Ark: Survival Evolved encourages nature exploration, the dinosaurs are still the biggest danger — hiding between the tall trees or the deep waters are various prehistoric creatures that are usually a lot more powerful than the player.

2 Green Hell

Survive In The Amazon Jungle

Green Hell values itself as an open world survival simulation game, as players must risk the dangers of the lethal Amazon jungle. The entire game relies on players exploring nature as they use various resources from the Amazon to set up a makeshift shelter and find ways to feed themselves.

On top of that, players will need to beware the numerous predators lurking within the jungle that can easily mark the end of the player if they aren't careful. As a survival simulator that highlights being realistic, the Amazonian Rainforest is not only thick with foliage but also rich with wildlife too.

1 Grounded

Nature Is Even Appreciated In The Player's Backyard

Players may be surprised to see that one of the best survival games that encourages nature exploration takes place in someone's backyard. However, in Grounded, players are shrunk to being even smaller than ants as they must survive between the blades of grass and explore in the hopes of finding a way to return to their normal size.

From this perspective, the garden becomes a unique jungle for players as they find themselves climbing branches, delving into ant hills, and uncovering secrets that they wouldn't be able to appreciate when they were the size of a regular human. Some players may even decide to remain tiny as they create a home for themselves within the nature they have come to respect from their own backyard.

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