The addiction that comes with deep, dark survival games is almost incomparable without some weird substance that’s most likely illegal.

The feeling of being hunted, building a base, getting dirty and trying your best to craft some sort of weapon that will give you at least a pin like chance of survival when the night comes.

That feeling is something unmatchable, it’s a deep excitement mixed in with fear and it’s something I spend my days off looking for.

Last week I had a little time and I decided to dedicate the week to SURVIVAL games and in this time I sat down with a cup of coffee, my PC and gamed the hell out of the so-called BEST survival games all so I could give you this unfiltered, intense list of absolute explosive survival games.

Before We Start: I work with a few companies that allow me to give you 60% + discounts on games, so be sure to check them out.

 

The Forest

When I first played the Forest I recall being alone in my house, first the plane goes down, I smiled and I remember thinking “I know I’ll survive” but then there was this weird man that took my kid (Timmy).

I then remember laughing and thinking “I’ll probably never see him again”.

Later that day after forgetting about the whole plane experience I was building a shelter… I went straight in with a wooden house… Me, my axe and my house all were getting on amazingly well, until…

This weird zombie looking mother ***** popped out and went HAM on me. I managed to kill him, but gee my heart was pumping…

…Long story short, the next day the whole tribe turned up and knocked me out, brought me back to their base where after I awoke, I got killed trying to escape…

This was in the first hour of playing and it’s safe to say I waited for my girlfriend to come home to play the rest… It’s intense, exciting and the developers keep updating it.

It’s like an adult Minecraft mixed with crazy people, cannibalism and crafting.

If you want the forest, but have already played it, try these games similar to Forest.

dead by daylight

Dead By Daylight

When this game is good it’s easily one of the best survival games of all time.

The idea is simple, you’re either a  survivor or the murderer… There are 4 survivors and one killer. The killers job is to kill, torment and torture… The survivor’s job is to survive, sneak around and try to switch on the power to get the hell out of there.

This + friends = one of the all-time best game modes EVER (broad statement)… But when you add a ‘camper killer’ it can sometimes get a little frustrating.

But if you use the amazing discount link above and get it on Steam the price you pay will make it worth every second!

If you’re a fan of survival horrors you can check out are full list there.

Rust

Gold, gold everywhere… It’s hard to pick a favorite survival game when every single one on this list is pure Golden and this goes especially for Rust.

This truly is one of the best multiplayer survival games out there… However, there are some rules…

Rule one, have a friend to play with… Trust me when I say the learning curve is halved when you have a friend to help you.

Rule two, be ready for a big team to come and try break into your base, kill you and steal your stuff.

Rule three, understand when another team steals your stuff and you have to reset it’s still a really enjoyable experience (learn from lessons, hide better).

Rule four, trust nobody.

These simple rules won’t help you win but they will help you live a little longer… Maybe.

Anyway, watch the trailer, check the game out and let your survival instincts go CRAZY.

If you’ve already done the whole Rust thing, you can check out these games like Rust.

survival zombies

Call Of Duty Zombies

What would a survival list be without some zombie killing goodness?

Call of Duty is a sore subject for a lot of people, but once you get past the hate, the kids and the general BS you find Call of Duty zombies is one of the greatest zombie survival games around.

If you enjoy wave survival, awesome guns, teamwork, upgrades, bosses and big maps, this really has it all.

Mainly the reason I love it, is because it’s so well built… You see a lot of wave-based games have big pauses, glitches or vast maps that make you feel like you’re in a massive blank space, COD handles all that with perfection.

Now even though I enjoy it I’d never pay COD prices so get 70% off on Steam, Xbox and PS4 using that discount link above.

game like rust

Don’t Starve

Something totally different from the past titles, but even more addictive.

This click-based game had me hooked for months, with its different design. The hard survival aspect, from creatures, monsters, starving, weather and sleep. And the crafting abilities.

The games playability is renovating and due to its one life policy you really do get that tingle in your belly at the survival options as one slip up and it’s usually all over (If you enjoy don’t starve then you’ll love this list of games just like it).

You can pick up a copy at 85% off on using that discount link.

minecraft

Minecraft

Yes, Minecraft had to be on this list as it could be one of the most played SURVIVAL games of all time.

I have some simple rules to make Minecraft (Minecraft alternatives) fun again:

One, put on hardcore mode (one life).

Two, get one friend.

Three, see how many nights you can survive.

I’ve done this many times and it really adds that element of difficulty and survival that I really enjoy.

ARK: Survival Evolved

This was almost one of the best survival games of all time, the only reason it didn’t make it was down to the developers, it was a pre-release game that you could play and before it released they started releasing add on’s and people got really mad as they should have just been added to the game.

Other than that, this is the perfect game for anyone who enjoys building a big base to protect yourself from dinosaurs, creatures and other people.

You can explore, train dinos, customize, build and create amazing things. It’s quite a time drain but in the right hands, it’s a lot of fun and extremely addictive.

If you want something similar to Ark try one of these games.

zombie survival

7 Days To Die

It’s time to talk zombie survival.

And you may be surprised when I say this but… Don’t Get This Game… If you don’t have a group of friends to play with.

7 Days to Die is awesome, but only when you have a group of friends, without friends it’s hard, almost impossible and not as rewarding.

But with friends you’ll have a world to explore, the ability to build a base and a much easier time surviving, looting and playing online.

DayZ

DayZ

Want a seriously hardcore zombie game? DayZ is just the game for you… This game takes looting, surviving, fighting and transporting to a whole new level.

You can bleed out, damage parts of your body, fix cars, transport in a variety of vehicles and kill zombies the easy and the HARD way mwahaha! 😉

DayZ (DayZ alternatives) is receiving a lot of bad feedback right now due to the developers not releasing the game and fixing bugs, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a lot of fun…

survival horror

Killing Floor 2

This game’s one of my favorite of this past year.

If you enjoy Call of Duty zombies but want…

…More guts

…More guns

…More upgrades

…More leveling

…More maps

And more awesomeness then Killing Floor is what you’ve been searching for.

It’s a pure mix of left4dead, Call of Duty zombies and some other awesome games.

You have to survive 10 waves of intense mutants and bosses and after each wave, you have to go to the shop and stock up, you level up depending on the skill set/weapons you use and you’ve got to stick as a team.

You can also weld doors to hide, which is AWESOME.

Fan of Killing Floors will love these games that are just like it.

far cry

Far Cry 3 To 4

I didn’t expect it but both of the latest Far Cry games have been heavily based on survival… Whether it’s the crazy animals that are trying to rip you up, the many violent humans who want your blood or even just the damn environment… There’s always something you’re trying to survive against.

And you mix all that with the gripping story, amazing graphics and gory self-heal animations and my lord you have yourself a pretty epic survival game.

dying light

Dying Light

I’m just about to finish dying light and oh boy has it been a great survival game.

The zombies, the parkour system, the map, the missions and the customization have all had me gripped.

Now you should be warned that the way this game plays through will have you gripped and hours will fly like minutes until you’re whole weekend has vanished before you.

But even when that happens you will not be annoyed you will just load it up again and get leveling up so you can kill these zombies, humans and bosses with much more ease.

If you enjoy open world, zombie killing games and want something with a great story you should really grab dying light.

You can also check out these games like Dying light if you’ve completed it.

RimWorld

This has to be one of the most addictive survival games on the list.

And god knows how amazing it will be once it’s released.

You see I’m a massive fan of tycoon games, I love prison architect and strategy games like age of empires.

And Rimworld (more games like Rimworld) is a piece of all them put together.

You create bases, build your people count, create defense strategies, have enemies try and kill you, expand your base and tame your army.

It’s intense, addictive and a masterpiece.

cartoon survival

Terarria

I can’t lie but I didn’t fall in love with Terarria, it’s just not my kind of game… But I don’t matter.

There has been hundreds of thousands of people that absolutely dig this game and that’s why it had to be on this list.

It reminds me of a 2D Minecraft with a stylish spin on things.

Unturned

Sometimes I just want a quick fix and that’s exactly what unturned gives me.

It’s a free to play game, set in a weird box world where zombies have taken over… there’s looting, flying helicopters, driving cars, building stuff and running from the undead.

This isn’t a game that I can see myself playing for weeks but it’s fun with a few friends, for a few hours.

this war of mine

This War Of Mine

There are two types of people, there is the people who’ll absolutely love this game and the ones who won’t even look at it.

The best way to find out which one you are is to check out the trailer.

It’s had brilliant feedback, has a beautiful graphic style and is a totally different type of survival.

Banished

Calling all the age of empires fans this is an absolute must-have.

How shall I explain?

Basically Banished is age of the empires with survival added into it.

How you may ask?

You’ve been outcast and you now have to build a base with low resources, in a bad environment with tons of things that can go wrong.

Your job is to survive and build a big city that can survive anything… This is extremely hard, but equally as rewarding when you get stuff right.

You can also check out one of these games like Banished if you’ve already completed Banished.

Stranded Deep

Stranded deep mixes survival, hunting and crafting all together in a fantastic way.

Once you get passed a few of the bad reviews due to developers not adding much, you really get to see just how fun this cheap game can be.

It’s a real survival experience and it’s different from any other game I’ve played before.

From the crafting to the hunting and base creating. There are lots to explore and you can easily get 20 hours of great gameplay out of this wonderful game.

dead island pc game

Dead Island

Like good old zombie killing? got a friend to share the experience with? Dead Island is exactly what you’re going to be looking for.

Dead Island is an old game, but it’s still worth a play through, especially if you have a friend to share it with.

Honestly, me and one of my friends use to spend hours playing this, leveling up, killing zombies and trying to outdo each other.

Now, it’s not the best game on the list.

Space2 + Zombies

Space survival… Can I get a hell yea?

Do you like space? Like flying ships? You are going to be in for a nice treat.

First, this isn’t an AAA title and it’s more aimed at people who want to have fun, enjoy themselves and go on a space survival adventure.

If that’s you then jump on this Space pirate, zombie shooter.

Tower Defense Games

Yet Another Zombie Game

The first time you look at this game you’ll go “nope” but one day you’ll say… “It’s only a buck”, treat yourself and in that moment your mouth will open and you’ll be hooked.

This is the ultimate zombie tower defense game and I must say if you like base protection, zombies and top-down shooters you’re sure to be in heaven.

One of the funnest dollar games you can buy on Steam.

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