The survival genre is jam-packed with enough titles to satisfy anybodyfrom casual players to hardcore.
The issue is that it’s hard to tell what skill level a Survival Game caters to just by looking at the title card. Every game in the genre has features like meter management, but some are far more beginner-friendly than others.
If you want to ensure your first foray into the genre is a memorable one, here are our picks for the best Survival Games for beginners.
10Project Zomboid
Embrace Death
Project Zomboid
Project Zomboidis a fantastic, if punishing, Zombieapocalypse simulator.
You play as a survivor, andthe world is your playgroundas you do everything you can to prevent getting munched on. While the ultimate goal is to survive,you will die a lot, and part of the fun is all the ridiculously specific ways you can meet your demise.
When you inevitably become a zombie, you can at least loot your previous self, provided you can find them.
I debated puttingProject Zomboidon the list because it’ssometimes almost unfair, but not for the reasons that typically plague survival games. You’re not constantly being nagged by resource meters, and you always know what’s going on even when things go horribly wrong.
9No Man’s Sky
The Authority On Space Exploration
No Man’s Sky
Space games are known for bombarding players with countless systems and mechanics that would make an astrophysicist blush.
Fortunately,No Man’s Skyhasa refreshing takeon this trope. There are survival mechanics, like maintaining the life-support systems on your Exosuit, but the process is quite basic.
Essential elements are readily available on most planets, and while there is plenty of resource management in NMS, hunger isn’t one of them.
As someone who recently returned to the game for some co-op action,I find the beginner experience surprisingly well-curated. Getting lost in space is a rite of passage, but essential mechanics are easy to understand, and the exploration never gets old.
No Man’s Sky has come light years from itscatastrophic launchand has left its former self in the dust.
8Subnautica
Scary, But Accessible
Subnautica
The ocean’s depths can be absolutely terrifying, but few games capture the wonder of the abyss likeSubnautica.
Subnauticais asci-fi survival action gameset in the ocean of an alien planet. You must dive into the unknown for resources, and while nothing is particularly complicated, you must choose between braving the inhabitants of the sea or going hungry.
Subnauticahas one of the best, mostthorough tutorialsI’ve seen in the genre and offers arguablythe most immersive experience on this list. Everything is well explained, and new systems are introduced in a way that won’t bombard novices.
I honestly find the title pretty scary, but never because I don’t understand what’s happening or the mechanics.
The World Is Scary When You’re Small
If you’re old enough to have seen the 1989 movie “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids,” You know what to expect with this entry.
Groundedis an ambitiousfirst-person survival gameset in a humble backyard. The catch is that you’ve been shrunk so small that creepy crawlies can have you for breakfast, and neglected household objects become mighty obstacles.
The concept is executed perfectly, and the how, what, and why is explained throughout the story.Groundedhas a bit of everything from solid combat to base building without any strenuous mechanics.
Before you dive in, I must warn you thatthe spiders are terrifying. If you don’t have arachnophobia, give it a few hours, and that might change!
6Don’t Starve Together
Less Punishing With A Friend
Don’t Starve Together
Don’t Starveis a unique survival game with a beautiful art style set in an unforgiving wilderness. Fortunately, the expansion takes the sting out of the formula withrobust co-op features.
Don’t Starve Togetheris a standalone DLC allowing you to play withup to five other playerssimultaneously. Games that aren’t originally built with co-op in mind often feel worse if it’s added later, but that’s not the case here.
The game is still tricky, but deaths aren’t so final if you’ve got your buddies as a backup. The wilderness is full of dangerous creatures that don’t care if you’re in a group, and exploring the unknown is exciting.
The beginner experience inDon’t Starvecan be pretty brutal, butyou’ll quickly get the hang of itand be more incentivized to stay as a group.
10 Best Open World Co-op Games
Enjoy incredible worlds together.
A Surprise Hit
Palworldtook the world by storm when it was released in January 2024. While rough around the edges, it scratches that survival itch and addsaddictive creature collectingto the mix.
Palworldhas its fingers in a few pies, and the survival aspects of the title areeasy to understand. There’s a simple food meter and limited inventory space, which means you’re constantly micromanaging your kit.
The allure ofPalworldis, of course, the Pals. There areover 150 to collect, and many have abilities you can use to traverse the world or battle. Some Pals can even help run your base!
Palworld’ssurvival mechanics are arguably pretty basic, but that makes it perfect for newcomers. The title is light on objectives outside of a few key battles, so you can enjoy the world and level up at your own pace.
Lost At Sea
Raftisone of my favorite survival games, and while food management is a little egregious at times, it’s a fantastic title with a mysterious story.
You start your adventure on a tiny square of floating wood withhungry sharks patrolling the waterbeneath you. Once you fashion some equipment out of floating debris, you can attempt to reach dry land, assuming you find any.
Rafthas everything you’d expect from a survival game. Hunger/water management, cooking, it’s all here. Fortunately,every mechanic is intuitive, and while there’s a constant battle to stay alive, the systems are pretty simple.
My favorite part aboutRaftis that it isn’t open-ended.A grand story unfoldsas you complete objectives, and you always have something to work towards. That said, you’re never forced to do anything and can tackle the game at your own pace.
3Core Keeper
Become A Subterranean Survivalist
Core Keeper
Core Keeperis easily one of my favorite games of the past few years, and it recently celebrated its 1.0 release.
Core Keeperis described as aMining Sandbox gameon Steam, and while that description is accurate, it’s so much more than that. Life underground is tough, but you’ll be fine if you understand the importance of a decent meal.
Combat is a big part of the game, and you can track your progress based onhow many bosses you’ve defeated.Cooking is essential, and Pugstorm has done a great job making the mechanic easy and accessible.
I can’t recommendCore Keeperenough, and if you’re interested, verify to swat up on somebeginner tips and tricksfor a head start.
2Minecraft
The Sandbox That Started A Genre
Minecraftis an industry phenomenon and is the launch pad for some of the mostincredible creations in gaming.
While many players enjoyed custom and creative modes,the base game is a solid survival crafting title. There is a simple hunger system that incentivizes building a farm and a lofty end goal of taking down the Ender Dragon.
Minecraftallows you to explore on your own, and it hasso many crafting recipesthat it’s hard to learn as a newcomer. That said, the “mobs come out at night” mechanic is easy to grasp, and you don’t need to worry about complex crafts until much later.
1LEGO Fortnite
Limitless Creativity
LEGO Fortnite Odyssey
LEGO Fortniteoffers anaccessible take on the survival genrewith enough options to make it suitable for everyone. Best of all, it’s entirely free!
LEGO Fortnitefeels like a"baby’s first" survival gamein many ways, but that’s not a bad thing. There are meters to manage, and exploring is still dangerous if you wander into the wilderness unprepared.
There’s an addictive village-building mechanic where NPCs will live in your settlement, and there are plenty ofways to get creative with the LEGO aspectof the game.
Many traditional survival tropes are present inLEGO Fortnitebut reduced to their simplest form. The result is an accessible title that’sa joy to play alone or with friends.
