Survival games
The genre where you try to stay alive under hunger, cold and threat by gathering resources and building shelter.
What is the survival genre?
A survival game drops you into a hostile world with nothing. The first hour is usually the same: Find food, light a fire and make it through the night. What comes next is about how well the setup you build holds up. Hunger, thirst, temperature and stamina meters work against you all the time.
The genre brings crafting, exploration and building together under a single pressure. In single-player games that pressure becomes a story; on multiplayer servers the biggest threat is not nature but other players.
What defines it?
Hunger, thirst and temperature meters keep the game's clock ticking.
Turning raw resources into tools, weapons and shelter is the backbone of progress.
In most games, death takes away part of your inventory or progress.
The day-night cycle, weather and enemies keep the world on edge.
Landmark games
Well-known examples often used to explain the genre. For the list on our site, see the games section below.
At a glance
Survival games (117)
Solarpunk TR
Road to Vostok TR
Ascenders: Beyond the Peak TR
All Will Fall TR
Dying Light 2 Stay Human TR
Dying Light TR
V Rising TR
Green Hell TR
Day Zero TR
The Legend of California TR
Going Medieval TR
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando TR
Windrose TR
Directive 8020 TR
Fearwoods TR
State of Decay 3 TR
StarRupture TR
Undead Chronicles TR
HumanitZ TR
Pathologic 3 TR
Resident Evil Village TR
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard TR
Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel TR
My Summer Car TR
Latest stories on survival games
Frequently asked questions
Is survival horror the same as the survival genre?
No. The survival genre is built on resource management and building. Survival horror is a branch of horror played with scarce resources, and its main aim is to unsettle you.
Can you play alone?
Most games have a single-player mode with a pace tuned for it. On multiplayer servers, cooperating or clashing with other players becomes the most decisive part of the game.