The survival genre has always pushed players to their absolute limits, forcing them to struggle to even stay alive, let alone thrive in their dangerous worlds. Among that crowd stand a select few games that demonstrate an even higher challenge for even veteran players to overcome.
Survival Games Where The Biggest Enemy Is Yourself
In these survival games, the biggest threat isn't the predators or even the environment, but the player's fragile body and mind.
From dangerous woodlands to barren landscapes, many open-world survival crafting games take the basic ideas of the genre and remove the guardrails that might ease in less experienced players, providing a level of difficulty that requires several attempts and playthroughs to master fully.
Dune: Awakening
Everything From The Ground To The Sky Is A Threat
Dune: Awakening
- Released
- June 10, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Funcom
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival, MMO
Set on the hostile world of Arrakis, Dune: Awakening combines traditional survival mechanics with large-scale MMO systems. Players must contend not only with rival factions and sandstorms but with the planet’s most infamous predator, the colossal sandworm.
Every resource, from water to spice, is hard-earned, and survival depends on keen observation and adaptation to the desert’s shifting dangers. With dynamic weather, an evolving world, and emergent PvP encounters, Dune: Awakening has quickly become one of the most demanding open-world survival experiences ever made.
The Long Dark
The Elements Have Never Been Harsher
The Long Dark
- Released
- August 1, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Hinterland Studio
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
The Long Dark trades monsters and chaos for something even more terrifying: the silence of a frozen wilderness. Stranded after a geomagnetic disaster, players must scavenge for food, warmth, and shelter while battling the elements and their own exhaustion.
Upcoming Survival Games With Ridiculous Mechanics
The survival genre of video games continues to evolve, with these upcoming titles introducing new and fascinating gameplay features.
Its realism is what makes it brutal, as hunger, hypothermia, and fatigue constantly threaten progress, and one mistake can lead to death hours later. With its minimalist storytelling and relentless atmosphere, The Long Dark turns isolation into its deadliest weapon.
Project Zomboid
Horde After Undead Horde
Project Zomboid
- Released
- November 8, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- The Indie Stone
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Few survival games capture the difficulty of survival like Project Zomboid. Set in a sprawling, zombie-infested Kentucky, players must craft, scavenge, and fortify their homes while managing hunger, depression, and infection, all whilst fending off enemy players and ravenous zombies alike.
Project Zomboid's punishing difficulty comes from the depth of its systems. One careless noise or an untreated wound can lead to permanent death. Even veteran players rarely last long, and with no real winning conditions, players can only hope to survive a little longer each time.
Rust
Just When You Thought The Base Was Secure
Rust
- Released
- February 8, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Facepunch Studios
- Genre(s)
- Survival
In Rust, the environment is dangerous, but other players are far worse. Dropped naked into a lawless open world, players need to quickly gather materials, build shelters, and prepare to defend against hostile survivors who will kill for a single rock or can of beans.
Its PvP brutality and scarcity-driven economy make every encounter unpredictable. Trust is rare, betrayal is common, and the line between success and starvation is razor-thin, which makes Rust feel more like a psychological battle for dominance in a world without rules.
7 Days To Die
The Swarm Just Keeps Coming
7 Days to Die
- Released
- June 28, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
Blending open-world survival with tower defense and RPG systems, 7 Days to Die demands constant preparation from the very start. Every seven in-game days, massive waves of zombies descend on the player's base, testing the strength of both their defenses and their will to live.
8 Survival Games With The Most Brutal Exploration, Ranked
While some survival games focus on crafting and base-building, others make exploration the real test. Being stranded in a frozen forest or lost at sea forces players into unfamiliar territory, and sometimes it can be brutal. This video looks at the survival games with some of the most brutal exploration out there.
Between undead assaults, players have little time to recover and scavenge for whatever resources they may need to rebuild their broken forts. The relentless cycle of survival and destruction in 7 Days to Die keeps the tension high, ensuring no moment of comfort lasts long. It's a game that punishes complacency unlike any other survival game on the market.
Green Hell
Nothing Is Friendly In The Jungle
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
Green Hell pushes survival realism to an extreme, dropping players into the depths of the Amazon rainforest with nothing on hand but their wits to help them survive. Beyond hunger and thirst, players must treat infections, remove parasites, and maintain their mental stability as isolation takes its toll.
The game’s intricate crafting and survival systems mimic real-life challenges, forcing players to learn the intricacies of the rainforest’s ecosystem to stay alive. Its combination of physical and psychological endurance makes Green Hell one of the most intense and punishing survival experiences out there.
SCUM
A Constant Battle Of Life And Death
SCUM
- Released
- June 17, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Croteam, Gamepires
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival
SCUM takes an absurdist approach to survival, simulating everything from character metabolism and hydration to body mass and digestion. Set on a massive island used for a televised death game, it challenges players to survive by mastering both combat and biology, constantly pressuring them in every way imaginable.
Its open-world scale, detailed systems, and PvP chaos make every moment unpredictable. Whether they're managing calories, tracking enemies, or crafting tools, meticulous attention to detail is demanded of every player, making SCUM equal parts endurance and micromanagement.
ARK: Survival Evolved
Sending Players Back To An Even Deadlier Era
ARK: Survival Evolved
- Released
- August 29, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Studio Wildcard
- Genre(s)
- Survival
ARK: Survival Evolved combines prehistoric wonder with unforgiving survival mechanics, giving players little to go on in a world that demands so much of them. Players must battle both the elements and the wildlife, which consists of everything from small raptors to gigantic tyrannosaurs hungry for their next meal.
ARK's complexity lies in its systems; everything from dinosaur taming to base-building interlocks in ways that demand patience and precision. It's a game that rewards knowledge above all else, giving attentive players success and struggling ones nothing but failure.
Best Survival Games Set In Real Life Locations
From Moscow to Canada, real-life locations serve as the perfect backdrop for these grueling survival games.