Survival games make up one of the most popular genres in gaming. From the blocky exploration of Minecraft to the tense underwater adventures of Subnautica: Below Zero, survival games share many traits, and yet the big hitters are always fairly unique.
Survival games are also not the easiest genre to get into. They’re designed, by default, to be difficult. You are surviving against all odds. There will be poison. There will be no food. There will be no water. However, we’ve gone through some of the survival games that help you get started. The games with good tutorials, or that are just so good that you’ll end up playing them to pieces anyway.
Updated December 12, 2022 by Jacqueline Zalace: We’ve added even more beginner-friendly survival games to our list. Now, you can find a wide range of subgenres to choose from.
16 V Rising
V Rising quickly rose in popularity when it was released. It’s carved its own space in the survival/crafting genre by creating a world that is based not only on PvE against various difficult bosses but also plenty of PvP against other players.
This isometric vampire simulator has some pretty unique mechanics, including a sunlight system that restricts your movement during the day, a blood system that allows you to gain temporary or almost-permanent stat boosts from NPCs out in the wild, and a robust progression system that is a bit like Valheim. It’s a great game for beginners to the genre as it guides you easily through the various crafting stages needed with an objective system.
15 Rust
Rust is one of the all-time greats when it comes to survival games. Designed to be played with friends, the Rust multiplayer experience is like no other. Total, total chaos. Although that might not sound like the sort of game that beginners will enjoy, the beginner experience is what Rust is all about.
You wake up, naked, on a beach. You have nothing. Absolutely nothing to your name. Over the next week (the servers are reset weekly), you’ll work your way up through sticks and stones to eventually flying around the map in a mini-copter. If you’ve never played Rust, it’s one of the best survival games out there.
14 Raft
Dumped in the middle of an expansive ocean, it’s your task to survive while playing Rust. Gather materials from the surf, catch fish to survive, and slowly build up your raft to help you handle the perils of sea living.
You can play Raft on your own or with your friends. It’s a good game for beginners to the genre because it’s all quite straightforward: you’re on a raft, on the ocean. You can explore the depths for short periods, but mostly it’s about collecting stuff from the waves and defending your boat against any problems.
13 Stranded Deep
Stranded Deep is a classic survival game. You’re stranded on a desert island and must survive; it doesn’t get much more simple than that. There are also fairly limited mechanics in Stranded Deep. Nothing too complicated to craft, and no extremely difficult objectives – if you don’t count the mega-sharks, of course.
There is plenty to do in Stranded Deep. Grow crops, gather water, build a base, and eventually explore beyond your small island on the hunt for more resources. If you’re brand new to the survival genre, we can’t think of a better place to start than with Stranded Deep.
12 Minecraft
Minecraft is one of the most popular games ever released. It has sold millions upon millions of copies across multiple platforms and continues to receive regular updates more than a decade since it was originally released. Minecraft is probably the most iconic survival game of them all, so it makes sense you might want to jump into the genre with it.
There are many ways to enjoy Minecraft. You can jump into a creative server and spend hours just building, or opt for an ultra-hardcore survival run where death means the complete, total end of your save. Ultimate permadeath, basically. Minecraft is also one of the best survival games to play with friends, with easy-to-set-up private servers or ways to play together on public servers.
11 Astroneer
Astroneer might be the ultimate survival game for beginners. This is because it’s not so much about surviving as just sort of…having a nice time. It’s a beautiful game that involves surviving on an alien planet while heading out to explore new frontiers and environments. Astroneer is a total sandbox adventure.
Because of the lack of, well, survival mechanics, this is the sort of game to play if you want a soft introduction to the genre. It’s more about building and exploring rather than surviving, the ideal beginner’s game.
10 The Long Dark
The Long Dark is a survival game through and through, in which players are tossed into an oppressive winter environment and left to fend for themselves. New players can quickly learn survival genre mechanics through the story, which guides players step by step on how to survive before throwing them out into the wilderness. For players not wanting to be overwhelmed by hordes of monsters, The Long Dark is a slow burn that eases in new players by not overloading them with survival tasks from the start.
Varying difficulties make resource management vital as you explore the vast open world. With harsh winter winds taking the place of a score, to the constant pressure to seek resources and shelter, The Long Dark is an immersive first-person experience.
9 Subnautica
Subnautica throws players onto an alien planet where they have absolute freedom to explore the vast ocean around them. Where other survival games tend to hold players’ hands too much or often too vague in terms of telling a story, Subnautica strikes a careful balance that allows players not to feel pressured or lost in unraveling the mystery of the ocean.
From the jump, Subnautica does not tell you what resources you need to improve your gear and instead encourages you to explore shipwrecks and local ecosystems. With no map in a vast open world, players instead use beacons and various landmarks across the map to strategize exploration and learn what dangers this world hides. This hands-off approach is an excellent way for new players to just not worry too much about playing in the right direction.
8 Don’t Starve / Don’t Starve Together
Despite the cute art style, Don’t Starve is a creepy and fun open-world survival game that throws players into dark fantasy environments populated with demons. It’s not the easiest game in the world, but it does help you understand how to survive the growing dark.
Don’t Starve has roguelike mechanics from permadeath, hack-and-slash combat, and different player characters that each have their unique abilities. If players want to invite a friend, then they can instead purchase the standalone version Don’t Starve Together, which adds co-op. There are also community mods players can download to increase replay value. While there can be a learning curve, the game is not too punishing early on, and there are numerous guides and resources online, many here on our website, to help.
7 This War Of Mine
This War Of Mine is a side-scrolling survival game with a strong anti-war message that places the player in the perspective of civilians caught in the crossfire of unrelenting war. While a lot of media tackling such a stance can come off preachy or heavy-handed in its execution, This War Of Mine handles the subject incredibly well. For new players, the gameplay is straightforward; none of the mechanics are difficult to learn. The difficulty comes from the choices you make and how you decide to play the game.
At its core, this game is about resource gathering and management as you try to feed, bandage, and shelter your growing group of survivors. The game is split into a day and night cycle, where during the day, players oversee their shelter/base, fixing up barricades and heaters, repairing equipment, and checking food stocks. In the night, players have to scout out nearby locations to scavenge for supplies but avoid local militia or bandits.
6 Metro Exodus
While Metro Exodus is very different in terms of gameplay from other entries in this list; it introduces survival mechanics for new players in a way that may not be too overwhelming. With varying difficulties to choose from, a linear story, but an open-level design that allows for creative gameplay, this game is excellent for players that never played survival games.
Metro Exodus is the third entry in a great series, so as far as the story goes, players may be a bit lost. There is resource management in terms of bullets and health items, but maybe not a crafting system to the extent of other entries. This game on lower difficulties is a great way to run and gun with an occasional challenge, and on higher difficulties becomes a tense challenge of taking on an apocalyptic environment.
5 Salt
Salt is another game set on the open waters. While playing, your goal is to explore various items and find new treasures.
Compared to other games on our list, Salt is a relaxing and laid-back experience. It is similar to Astroneer in that you won’t constantly be pushed into stressful situations. If you want to spend all of your time fishing, then you have every right to do so. One Steam reviewer even stated that “this game is good therapy”.
4 Flame In The Flood
Flame in the Flood is a roguelike survival game set in ‘post-societal’ America. The basic concept is quite simple; travel down a procedurally-generated river while trying to survive.
Along the way, you can gather materials and craft weapons to protect yourself. this is a great game to play if you want a roguelike experience along with survival.
3 Crashlands
Next, we have Crashlands. This is a top-down survival game where you crashland onto a planet filled with aliens. The top-down perspective allows you to see more of what is going on around you and avoid potential frights, which is perfect for beginners.
Crashlands is also quite funny, filled with humorous dialogue and items. If you are looking for a less-serious survival game to start with, Crashlands is definitely the way to go.
2 Valheim
Valheim is a popular survival crafting game set in a procedurally-generated world based on Norse mythology. You can set out alone or with others and create a worthy Viking base to hold you and all of our treasures.
Crafting in Valheim is incredibly well-structured. There are so many different items that you can make, ranging from weapons to decorations for your house. This game can become quite difficult at times, especially in dangerous areas. Fortunately, you can game at your own pace and hone your skills before setting out in the world.
1 Dysmantle
Lastly, we have Dysmantle. This is a zombie survival game that lets you dismantle nearly everything in the world to make your own buildings. Unlike other zombie survival games, Dysmantle is a bit more relaxed. With an isometric point of view, you will be able to see what is going on around you at all times.
The game is packed with crafting recipes, and you can even create your own base from the ground up. As far as zombie survival games go, this is one of the most beginner-friendly options out there.
