The survival genre is more popular than ever, with thousands of players flocking in to test their will to survive against increasingly harsh environments. The genre has seen a lot of growth over the past few years, as developers take bigger strides into uncharted waters and make stronger pushes to bring their big ambitions to life in the gaming world.
Hardest Open-World Survival Crafting Games
If you find the standard survival crafting experience too easy, these extra-difficult open-world survival games are sure to provide a steep challenge.
As players look to the future, there are plenty of survival games just around the corner for players to get excited about and add to their Steam wishlist. There are sequels that bring players back to familiar worlds, unique settings that look to test the boundaries of the genre even further, and seasoned developers branching out into new territory, all with their own unique spin on what it means to survive.
Prologue: Go Wayback!
Every Run A Different Puzzle
- Release Date: 20 Nov, 2025
- Developer: PLAYERUNKNOWN Productions
- Platforms: PC
Prologue: Go Wayback! Comes from the developers of PUBG, but it couldn't be anything further from another battle royale. Players spawn into a procedurally generated wilderness map where they need to explore and fight to survive against the brutal forces of nature. The goal is to reach the Weather Tower in the distance, but the journey won't be easy. Players will need to navigate their way through the forest without traditional markers or designated paths to lead them forward.
The game's dedication to replayability is very apparent. It's being marketed as a roguelike combined with a survival experience and hopes to ensure that every playthrough feels completely different from the last. Coming from a studio with a history of creating engaging and addictive gameplay loops, assuming the devs' ambitions are executed well, Prologue: Go Wayback! Could become one of the survival genre's most popular games and may only be the start of what's to come from PLAYERUNKNOWN Productions.
Tides Of Tomorrow
Connecting Players On A Much Deeper Level
Tides of Tomorrow
- Released
- February 24, 2026
WHERE TO PLAY
Tides of Tomorrow is an intriguing survival adventure that sends players to an alien planet covered in oceans. The world is on the brink of collapse. Plastics have become the biggest threat to life, and players are the only ones who can find a cure and save civilization. There is a lot of choice involved, and thanks to the unique asynchronous multiplayer features, even decisions made by friends and other players will have an impact on a single player's world.
Players need to travel across the bustling oceans in search of resources that could potentially save their own and other people's lives, all while defending themselves from the various threats that lurk around every corner. Enemies can be deadly, but allies can be hugely valuable, encouraging players to pay attention to each and every piece of dialogue to ensure their journey across the world is as smooth sailing as possible.
Cairn
A Realistic Rock-Climbing Adventure
Cairn
- Released
- January 29, 2026
WHERE TO PLAY
Cairn is a game all about climbing, providing players with an authentic mountaineering experience that looks to be equal parts frustrating and satisfying. Every aspect of a climbing route is governed by the player, from the individual pitons they place to the actual rocks they cling to, providing the opportunity to take multiple different paths up the mountain while still having to manage their limited resources on the way up.
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.
The journey is as much about mistakes as it is about triumphs. There will be plenty of falls as players struggle up the overhanging slopes and perilous sections of their ascent. Aside from being a challenging test of survival, Cairn looks gorgeous no matter where the player is in the world, capturing the true beauty of nature in a stylized form that sets it apart from other games in the genre and gives it a uniquely warm feel despite the dangers that await the player.
Subnautica 2
Returning To The Undersea Horrors
Subnautica 2
- Developer(s)
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
Subnautica 2 marks the return of one of the most popular survival franchises in gaming. This sequel takes players to an entirely new oceanic world filled with strange biomes, hidden alien ruins, and creatures both mesmerizing and terrifying. What sets it apart from its predecessors is the addition of online co-op, which allows up to four players to explore the world together and uncover the mysteries that await them beneath the waves.
Best Open-World Survival Crafting Games
For players who love crafting, base-building, and resource management, these open-world games are the perfect survival experiences.
Entering Early Access in 2026, the game looks to evolve over time with even more locations and lifeforms for players to discover. The focus remains on exploration over combat, and players will need to overcome their fears of the ocean and dive deeper into the unknown to progress. The addition of extra players makes every aspect of the gameplay feel more collaborative, but those extra hands won't be of any use against the colossal beasts that players will encounter along the way, which gives the game its signature horror feel that so many fans adored in the original.
Light No Fire
A Map The Size Of Our Very Own Planet
Light No Fire
- Developer(s)
- Hello Games
WHERE TO PLAY
Light No Fire comes from the team behind No Man's Sky. While the game might not let players explore an entire universe, that doesn't mean that the map isn't absolutely gigantic. The sci-fi is gone, and players are instead transported to a fantasy world full of mythical creatures and lush vistas across a planet that is, in terms of sheer size, about as big as the Earth itself. However, that world will be far from empty, as players will find plenty of settlements and structures during their adventures. Whether they're on foot or on dragonback, they will have to adapt to every environment they come across to press on unscathed.
Unlike most survival games, the emphasis in Light No Fire is heavily placed upon exploration and appreciating the world in all its glory. Players will witness first-hand entire ecosystems ebbing and flowing with the seasons, and watch as the weather impacts the terrain over longer periods. Multiplayer is also central to the experience, as players can set out to explore the mountains and plains together, and potentially encounter a few fellow travelers out in the wilderness, giving the game the same communal feel that makes No Man's Sky so well-loved and appreciated.
7 Best Survival Games For Beginners
For those looking to dive into the survival genre for the first time, here are some of the best beginner-friendly games available.