July 6, 2023
Survival simulator games are best known for their complexity and complex gameplay. But unlike some RPGs famous for their difficulty, like Dark Souls, the difficulty in survival simulators lies elsewhere. In most of these games, your character starts from scratch, leaving you to scrape around for resources to progress further. These sorts of game mechanics are usually very immersive and exciting since they are made to simulate survival needs. These needs can range from basic to complex, depending on the game. In addition, survival simulator games are often based around a threat the player must avoid. All of this adds to the sense of risk and urgency, making the player feel deeply involved in the gameplay.
Survival simulator games have developed and branched out quite a lot since their inception in the ‘80s. Rogue, a simple text-based dungeon crawler, inspired a new genre of games. The subsequent games adapted some of the elements of Rogue, like exploring dungeons and fighting off a wide array of enemies. This brought forth development in sandbox games, which incorporated those elements with their endless crafting possibilities.
With the growth of the gaming industry, survival simulators have branched out to different genres as well. From cute and relaxing to full-blown survival horror, here are some of the best survival simulators you should try.
7 Days to Die
It would be impossible to talk about survival simulator games without mentioning zombie survival simulators. 7 Days to Die is an open-world zombie survival simulator game that combines elements of resource management, base building, and fighting. To stay alive, players need to keep track of their hunger, thirst levels, and health.
In addition, to raise their skills, players must loot old buildings in search of resources and books. Since the game doesn’t have an ending, the player’s only objective is survival. The enemies in this game range from basic to difficult, depending on the day/night cycle. If you’re only interested in the survival aspect of these games, 7 Days to Die is an excellent option.
Project Zomboid
Another great but very different zombie survival game is Project Zomboid. In Project Zomboid, the player finds himself in the post-apocalyptic town of Knox County (heavily based on Fort Knox in Kentucky) where they must fend off zombies and survive. This game combines elements like resource management and fighting with some other pretty unique game elements. While customizing their characters, players can pick between a large variety of different occupations and character traits like fast learner, slow reader, or even smoker. While choosing their traits, players start off with 8 points that they can spend on positive traits.
Adding negative traits to your character grants you extra points to spend on positive traits. This is why it’s important to build your characters’ traits carefully. Throughout the game, these traits will influence how the players fight, scavenge and maintain their health. Just like 7 Days to Die, the endgame of Project Zomboid is to survive. While these two games are not as immersive as some of the other story-rich games on this list, they are extremely fun and offer hours on end of zombie survival fun.
The original Subnautica is a survival simulator action-adventure game set in an open-world environment and played from a first-person perspective. This game, as well as its’ sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero, is an amazing experience for fans of survival simulators. Both of the games are set on an alien planet and, just like the name suggest, are mostly set underwater. Since both of the games are amazing, story-rich experiences, we’ll only touch on the game’s mechanics without any spoilers.
Just like the first two games in this article, Subnautica also revolves around resource management, crafting, and keeping track of your health and oxygen levels since you’re playing underwater. Unlike the other games on this list, Subnautica is genuinely scary, even though it is not technically a horror survival game. What makes this game so scary is its disorienting and often claustrophobic deep-sea setting. Players will have to navigate through the depths of an alien ocean, squeezing through underwater caves and picking up resources as they go. In addition, the games’ design and soundtrack are perfectly crafted to evoke a sense of dread in players. Another aspect of both games is their huge map that leaves players feeling stranded and unsafe in the deep, cold ocean. With all this said, Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero are amazing survival simulator games that any fans of the genre shouldn’t overlook.
Green hell
Like Subnautica, Green Hell is a story-rich open-world survival simulator set in the depths of the Amazonian rainforest. While playing as a character who is lost in the Amazonian rainforest, players need to collect resources and survive the isolation and dangers of their surroundings. What makes this game so unique is its degree of realism. Not only do players need to care for their basic survival needs, but they also need to track their macronutrients like protein and fat.
With its diverse flora and fauna and the lush rainforest setting, this game simulates the survival atmosphere perfectly. This is what makes it a great, immersive survival simulator.
Minecraft and other iconic sim games
One of the most famous sandbox games in the world, Minecraft, proves that survival simulators don’t need to rely on stressing out players. A fitting example is Among Trees, a game that has all the survival game mechanics like crafting, resource management, base building, and a day/night cycle. Unlike the other survival simulators, this game has no combat system and allows carefree exploration of the forest in which it is set.
Another honorable mention is Stardew Valley. Even though the game is primarily a farming simulator, Stardew Valley’s mines are like a game of its own. The mines offer various collectible, rare resources and enemies with ranging difficulty. Like in the classic dungeon crawler games, players need to descend into the mines level by level. In addition, the levels are randomly generated, so exploring the stairs to the next level can add to the survival fun.
In conclusion, survival simulator games are a fun genre that offers exciting settings and immersive gameplay. If you’re someone who enjoys the thrill of overcoming adversity or just simple strategic decision-making, survival simulator games can offer hours on end of fun. After all, exploring a survival scenario makes us tap into our primal instincts, making these sorts of games all the more enjoyable.