Summary
- Players can immerse themselves in realistic environments with survival games set in real-life locations.
- Project Zomboid and The Long Dark are based on fictional but real-life inspired places.
- Chernobylite offers a hyper-realistic version of Chernobyl, while WolfQuest simulates Yellowstone survival.
Survival games can take players to all sorts of places. While many survival games are based in fictional places, with some feeling like they are completely out of this world, other survival titles challenge players to test their limits in more realistic environments. Realism isn't the only thing that some players consider when looking for survival games, as a small handful of titles have even gone the extra step to place players in actual real-life locations, or at least within these places, to see if they would have a chance of actually making it in these harsh climates.
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.
Therefore, these are by far some of the best survival games set in real-life locations, ranked by the realism of the environments the player can find themselves in as well as how interesting a survival experience it is for the player.
Project Zomboid
Knox Country Is Heavily Inspired By The Fort Knox Area
Project Zomboid
- Released
- November 8, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- The Indie Stone
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC
Although this article will primarily be on games that take place in real-life locations, there are some survival titles such as Project Zomboid that deserve a mention, although the world the player explores isn't an identical copy of a real-life location. When taking on the zombie apocalypse in Project Zomboid, players will have a map of Knox Country, Kentucky, to explore.
As the name of this place suggests, while Project Zomboid does take place in the USA state of Kentucky, the world the player explores is a fictional one that is inspired by the likes of Fort Knox. Players can expect to not only be facing zombies in this survival horror game, but also the harsh weather of the changing seasons, which is heavily based on the weather seen in actual Kentucky.
The Long Dark
A Fictional Island In The Wilderness Of Canada
The Long Dark
- Released
- August 1, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Hinterland Studio
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Alternatively, The Long Dark is another survival game that must be mentioned, as although this is another title which takes place on a fictional island, the harsh environments and the biomes the player encounters on Great Bear Island are heavily based on the Canadian Wilderness.
Although The Long Dark may not be exactly identical to Canada, this survival game, where the player must travel through the bitter cold and harsh snow to find shelter and sustenance, is by far one of the best survival games that a player could argue is based in a real-life location, even if the island itself isn't real.
Stranded Deep
Survive Within The Pacific Ocean
Stranded Deep
- Released
- April 21, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Crude Humor, Mild Violence
- Developer(s)
- Beam Team Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
The majority of survival games tend to keep players on flat land such as forests, deserts, and other harsh environments. However, Stranded Deep is unlike these games, as players instead find themselves stuck in the Pacific Ocean on a little rubber raft.
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After being part of a plane crash, it is up to the player to take their life into their own hands and attempt to survive through some of the most intense scenarios while on the water. Although the islands that the player will likely encounter in Stranded Deep may not be identical to those found in the actual Pacific Ocean, just being part of this environment will help players envision what it would be like to survive a plane crash over the sea.
WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition
Become A Wolf In Yellowstone National Park
WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition
- Developer(s)
- eduweb
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Life Simulation, Survival, Open-World
Most survival games have players controlling humans or at least humanoid characters around their harsh worlds. However, in WolfQuest, as the name suggests, the player instead takes on the role of a wolf surviving within the Yellowstone National Park of Wyoming. As a simulation as well as a survival game, it is important for WolfQuest to create a near-realistic experience of the life of a wolf in the wilderness, even in protected areas such as Yellowstone.
Surviving in WolfQuest may not be as harsh as other survival games mentioned, such as The Long Dark, but that doesn't stop this world of wolves from being a great choice, especially for those looking for a more realistic experience as something that isn't human.
Metro: Last Light Redux
Living In The Moscow Metro Tunnels
Metro: Last Light Redux
- Released
- August 25, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
Metro is by far one of the most atmospheric franchises to be created, with classics like Metro: Last Light Redux pulling players back into the world of post-apocalyptic Moscow, where the player and other residents of the city find themselves hiding within the metros of the city in the hopes of survival.
Although Metro: Last Light Redux is predominantly a first-person shooter title, it cannot be denied its survival status through its Ranger Mode that combines the lack of UI with harsher combat and limited resources to truly test the limits of the player. Besides this, as mentioned previously, the atmosphere of this title is arguably one of the best, making players feel as if they truly are in Moscow in an alternate reality where the city is now under threat of countless dangers.
Atomfall
An Alternate History Of Northern England
Atomfall
- Released
- March 27, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen // Blood, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Rebellion Developments
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
Metro: Last Light Redux isn't the only survival title that takes place in an alternate reality of the real world, with Atomfall being another great candidate for players looking for a great survival game that takes place in a real-life location.
Best Survival Games If You Like First-Person Exploration, Ranked
These striking survival games offer plenty of first-person exploration — perfects for players who want to get up close and personal while exploring.
In Atomfall, players find themselves in the Northern part of England, better known as The Lake District. After a nuclear disaster, plenty of England are forced to fend for themselves in a harsh environment. While many of the landscapes of Atomfall may look scenic as players visit the various countryside villages, surviving in this post-apocalyptic world is still a struggle. There is plenty to dig into with Atomfall, from scavenging to the interesting story that takes themes from the Cold War.
Green Hell
Players Test Their Limits In The Amazon Rainforest
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
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Being potentially one of the best survival games for not only taking place in a realistic location but also trying to be as close to a realistic survival standard, Green Hell is the perfect challenge for any player that wants a true survival experience. In Green Hell, players find themselves in the very heart of the Amazon Rainforest, where they must use real-life survival techniques to keep themselves alive while exploring the forest.
While Green Hell does have a fascinating story mode to truly get involved with the Amazon, the endless survival mode is another enjoyable way to play Green Hell as players make the most of every jungle wonder while making a home for themselves in the forest.
Chernobylite
3D Scanning Was Used To Make Photorealistic Environments
Chernobylite
- Released
- July 28, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- The Farm 51
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Out of all the survival games to be released, by far one of the best for players that are looking for survival games that explore real-life locations should look no further than Chernobylite. In this sci-fi survival horror, The Farm 51 prides itself heavily on creating a hyper-realistic version of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, which was created after the tragedy that was the Chernobyl incident.
However, this game puts a sci-fi twist on what can be found within the Excursion Zone. In Chernobylite, every building and location has had immense detail put into it by the developers of the title, using 3D scans of this very excursion zone, to make the player feel as if they are exploring the actual eerie location.
Best Survival Games That Don't Hold Your Hand, Ranked
These survival games trust players to work things out for themselves and let them explore at their own pace.