Summary
The open-world survival game genre is still relatively new as far as gaming goes, but it has quickly grown to become one of the most popular in recent years, especially when it comes toindie titles. Naturally, with such a huge selection of games to choose from, there are going to be many different survival experiences to check out.
Whether looking for some solo, laid-back sandbox building or some co-op exploration fun with friends, the genre is chock-full of options to choose from. Including a fair amount for those hardcore survival fans who are looking for a brutal and unforgiving game that reallyfocuses on survival above all.
The Long Darkfrom Hinterland Studio has developed a pretty deep story through its multiple different episodic releases. It also offers a more traditional open-world survival experience withdifficulty optionsin its sandbox-style mode that does away with the plot elements.
The game takes the survival experience to the frosty expanses of remote Northern Canada, complete with a stylized, low-poly aesthetic that makes exploration even more interesting. The game’s plot follows a pilot named Will Mackenzie, who is involved in a plane crash caused by a geomagnetic storm. Leaving him to scavenge the surrounding area for food, shelter, and materials to survive the harsh winter elements.
While the game doesn’t have the traditional building system like many other titles in the genre do,The Long Darkhas many crucial survival mechanics that can be unforgiving if not properly managed in the lonely and desolate great white north.
The long-awaited sequel toThe Forestfrom 2014,Sons Of The Foresttakes the same harsh survival and downright creepy atmosphere and dials it up even more. Much like the first game,Sons Of The Forestdrops players onto another desolate island, this time hired by a company to search for the CEO and his missing family.
What starts as a simple search and rescue turns into a full-on matter of life and death, where scavenging, crafting, and building arerequired in order to survivethe mysterious island and the various monsters crawling around. Its survival systems and scary atmosphere are just as unforgiving as the first game (if not more so), and it even has some interesting story ties to the original plot as well.
Green Hellis a newer indie title that came to Steam in 2019, bringing a distinctive setting that hasn’t been explored much in the open-world survival genre so far. This survival game’s standout feature is its unique Amazon rainforest setting, also featuring a brutal survival experience where the slightest mistake can mean life or death.
Players have to set up a base camp and scavenge for resources in the harsh rainforest environment, all while navigating the dangers within. From the environment’s deadly wildlife to the threat of poison, infection, and even hallucinations, somethingas simple as boiling watercan be the difference between life and death.
The tropical environment inGreen Hellfactors heavily into its mechanics overall, creating a uniquely brutal and unforgiving survival game that’s not for the faint of heart.
Even before its full release in 2018,Rustquickly rose on the list of most-played games on Steam, where it has sat for years as one of the most popular open-world survival games on the platform.Rusthas long been known for its extremely harsh and unforgiving online gameplay loop. Upon joining a server, players are dropped onto a randomly generated island, armed with only a rock and torch. As usual in the genre, gathering resources andlooting surrounding areasis the next step, but the key point to the game’s brutality is its PvP-focused nature.
Players must ensure they have a fortified base to protect their loot, because even when offline, their base is left wide-open for others to raid. This can result in losing hours' worth of gathered resources, crafting, building, and cherished loot, giving the game its long-held title as one of the most brutal online survival games of all time,especially for newcomers.
DayZhas long maintained a huge player base, ranging from back when it was just a mod forArma 2to now being a standalone title on Steam with multiple expansions. Between its deep mechanics and realistic feel,DayZcan be incredibly hard to get the hang offor beginners. When joining a server, players are exposed to a giant map, traditionally with nothing but a few items for basic survival, as they loot various locations to gear up for protection against the undead.
But the zombies inDayZusually aren’t the biggest worry; it’s the other survivors lurking around that players need to beware. The online nature of the game can be unforgiving, and with players not knowing who to trust, many simply adopt the shoot-on-sight mentality. And, if met with that unfortunate fate, everything is lost, and players need to start back from square one to build back up again.
Project Zomboidhas been around for years in Steam early access, and throughout that time, the game hasgrown and changed considerably. But, the one thing that hasn’t changed since 2013 is its reputation for being brutally difficult in the beginning.
This isometric indie survival title throws players into the middle of a full-on zombie apocalypse where the objective is as simple as exploring the area to gather resources for crafting, defense, and survival overall.
What makesProject Zomboidso uniquely brutal is how many dangers can lurk around nearly every corner in the game. Zombies aren’t the only threat, either, as players must also deal with starvation and dehydration; they even need to deal with environmental hazards like carbon-monoxide poisoning! The game has immense depth in its survival systems, making it a near-perfect experience for anyone wanting a brutal survival challenge.
