Open-World Games That Will Turn You Into A Survival Expert

Open-world games offer a wide variety of experiences for those who want to answer the call for adventure. In many cases, they let players explore incredible places, like the deepest and darkest parts of the jungle. Some of them will even teach players a thing or two about surviving in the harshest of environments. Be it resource management, the priority of needs, or how to exercise their sense of orientation, these games have plenty of interesting mechanics that will turn the players into survival experts.

Beware though, not all the gimmicks seen in these games are close to the real survivalist life. Even so, they can be good simulations of how to act in some critical situations, like being lost in the jungle or a zombie apocalypse. As wild as that might sound, the possibility of being in one of these situations is never zero.

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5 Green Hell

Teaches Players About The Dangers Of The Jungle

One of the best games to train survival skills, Green Hell offers a complete immersive jungle survival experience. Players are lost in the dangerous and unpredictable Amazon jungle, surrounded by poisonous snakes, scorpions, and spiders, as well as other animals and hostile tribes. But these are the least of their worries. A small scrape can cause a fever, and that will kill players faster than an encounter with a snake (which, most of the time, can be avoided). They will also have to deal with their fragile psyche, and if they lose too much sanity (caused by fever, consuming human flesh as their last resource, or horrible food, among other things), they will end up hallucinating and getting lost, hurt, or killed by a predator.

In the game, players will learn how to identify edible species, and how to craft various implements such as healing balms with medicinal plants (don't try this at home) and spider ash. They'll also need to fashion various useful tools like axes, spears, fishing rods, traps, and shelters to survive the hostile environment. At the same time, players need to pay special care to their food consumption to satisfy their need for protein, fats, energy, and hydration. Then it all comes down to resource management, learning how to traverse the thick jungle without getting lost, and how to avoid deadly dangers while they solve the mystery of their wife's disappearance.

4 Don't Starve

Good For Learning Priorities

As cozy and cute as this experience might seem, Don't Starve is a ruthless premise simplified in the game's title. There's no time to lose, as players will have to learn fast and optimize their every action to avoid succumbing to the cruel climate or the lack of food. As the days pass, players will have to deal with dark creatures, the passing of seasons, and the loss of sanity, which can be as deadly as the lack of food.

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Winter is the worst of all seasons, with a severe lack of normal food sources, an increase in the appearance of hostile monsters such as the dangerous Deerclops, and the low temperatures that will kill players faster than a bullet. Don't Starve might not be as realistic as other survival games, but it carries a powerful lesson with it: learn how to prioritize work in a survival situation. Don't panic, and most importantly, secure a steady source of food and shelter. Don't Starve Together, the latest iteration of the franchise, also offers a cooperative experience, which is great to play with friends.

3 Project Zomboid

A Hyperrealistic Zombie Apocalypse Simulator

This game is likely the most realistic Zombie survival experience ever. In a hyperrealistic setting, where every mistake means death, players will not feel like the heroes of the story. Instead, they play as human beings desperately struggling for survival. On day one, resources are not so scarce, and there's still flowing water. But in the later game stages food spoils, and if the players haven't secured a base already, they will suffer the consequences. Overall, the game is a pretty realistic survival simulator in a fictitious crisis situation.

If players don't exercise, they will have less stamina and strength, and will be more likely to die on a supply run. If they aren't cautious or stealthy enough, they can trigger an alarm and call an unstoppable horde that will annihilate them. A scratch means probable death (75% chance), while a bite is a game over. Then again, it all comes to resource management: knowing what to eat, when to eat, when to exercise, when to rest, when to forage for food, how to remain healthy, when to fight, and, most importantly, when to flee.

2 7 Days To Die

Learn How To Be Crafty And Survive A Zombie Apocalypse

Another good example of a zombie survival experience, though not as realistic, 7 Days to Die involves another important aspect of the survival experience: base building and lying low. As with many zombie survivals, the undead still have a keen sense of hearing and will detect players when they rummage around while looting. Players will have to learn how to fight and prioritize identifying good looting opportunities from a death trap filled with rotten-toothed flesh eaters.

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Then, every seven days, they will need to prepare for a full attack on their bases, where the zombies will go wild and try to maul them, no matter what during the Blood Moon. To survive this onslaught, players will have to be smart, crafty, and resourceful. They must prepare for the worst, and adapt on the go. While the first Blood Moon is easily passable while holding up and reinforcing a building, players will eventually have to move and create their own fortresses, with doors, traps, reflectors, and crafty contraptions to repel the hordes.

1 Rust

Learn To Avoid The Most Dangerous Predators: Humans

If Rust can teach players something about survival, it is that no one should be trusted entirely. The main enemy of this survival game will always be other players, who are a constant threat to those taking their first steps into this dystopian survival world. Looting in a leisurely way is not an option here, as danger might be watching from the other side of a sniper scope. From crafting their first bows, to successfully raiding an enemy player base, Rust is an adrenaline-filled proposal for those looking for a less realistic but more socially accurate survival experience.

The basics of the game are relatively easy to understand, but the overall end-game is hard to master and requires patience and cold blood. Some players might invest a lot of hours learning how to move across the map, while others might find it harder to create effective looting strategies. In a game where lying low is your ally, why draw unnecessary attention? Of course, players always have the choice of being bold and reckless, but that rarely pays off unless they become quite good at camping, sniping, chasing, and taking cover when things go south.