2022 ended with some strong games, but 2023 is going to be really exciting, at least according to MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus. Because especially regarding his passion, survival games, the coming year brings a huge load of potential hits.
Whenever I look at the upcoming releases for 2023, I bite my lip impatiently. There are just a few titles that I urgently want to play. And it’s not because the past months have been bad in any way.
2022 delivered well. In Total War: Warhammer 3 alone, I spent hundreds of hours, Diablo Immortal was really enjoyable, and Elden Ring excited many players – though not me. Just not necessarily my game.
Now, at the end of the year, I’m totally immersed in the new WoW expansion Dragonflight, which is finally on a really good path after Shadowlands. Only in my favorite genre was there quite a bit less going on.
But the survival sector was somewhat neglected. V Rising came as a surprising summer hit on Steam, Dying Light 2 also entertained for a few hours. Otherwise, there isn’t really a noteworthy title in the genre to be found in 2022.
But 2023 is bringing a lot. Throughout the entire year, so many titles are coming that I want to check out that I don’t know how to fit them all in.
You can find the upcoming survival games of 2023 in detail in my list here. Here I’m just presenting 5 highlights that I’m really looking forward to. In the video, you can find the 5 game highlights of 2023 from the editorial team, including some from my list here:
1. Return to Moria
Normally I don’t reveal the absolute highlight in my lists right away, but for my most anticipated survival game of 2023, I’ll make an exception.
Return to Moria convinced me in just one minute and so far I can’t think of any survival game I’m more looking forward to, although no specific release date is known yet.
A group of dwarves builds their base underground in the mountains of Middle-earth, forges masterful armor, and has to defend themselves against the dark dangers from below. I can hardly think of anything that would make the game better for me.
That I can also play in co-op and at least invite my colleague Maik Schneider to join … uh, play along, tops it all off. But I’d better let the images speak for the game; here’s the trailer:
2. Nightingale
Nightingale is almost on par with Return to Moria for me. It captured me, much like the Lord of the Rings game, from the first images. The indie game features a unique “Gaslight Fantasy” setting in Victorian style. I have a huge weakness for that.
The story is rather straightforward: the Earth is threatened to be destroyed by a cosmic storm or something like that, and with the help of portals and magic, we are to explore worlds to find a new home.
Along the way, we encounter all sorts of mystical creatures like fairies and fight for our survival. What makes Nightingale special for me, besides the setting, is that historical figures like the famous scientist Marie Curie are also supposed to play a role!
Nightingale completely forgoes PvP, so all worlds can be explored alone or with friends at one’s own pace – even largely peacefully, as mentioned in the interview.
Nightingale was supposed to start early access in 2022, but now it’s not coming until sometime in 2023. Visually, the game already looks impressive and somewhat resembles New World:
3. Sons of the Forest
I’ve read and seen more about The Forest than I’ve actually played. The first part is known for its episodic, story-driven gameplay with different endings. However, after seeing all the endings in videos and reading the story on the wiki, multiple playthroughs didn’t seem that interesting to me anymore.
Nevertheless, The Forest is counted among the best survival games ever, also regarding ratings. With over 95% positive reviews on Steam and hundreds of thousands of players, it’s definitely a popular game.
And indeed, I find this grotesque scenario of an island full of mutants and cannibals, dangerous places, and secrets appealing. It has a post-apocalyptic vibe without the typically “dirty” raider flair that Fallout or S.T.A.L.K.E.R. bring.
Accordingly, I’m looking forward to seeing the story of The Forest continued in Sons of the Forest. Because apparently little Timmy has grown up and is returning to this mysterious island…
In my hub, you can find all the information about Sons of the Forest. The game was supposed to release in 2022, but after several delays, it’s now coming on February 23, 2023. Unfortunately, the information is quite sparse, as are trailers. Here’s the latest:
4. Among the Trolls
My personal list wouldn’t be complete without at least one strange indie game you probably haven’t heard of. Strictly speaking, Among the Trolls is no longer an indie game, because the publisher 505 Games (Death Stranding, Rocket League, Terraria) is now behind it, but the title originated as an independent project.
Among the Trolls depicts modern Finland as a magical place with trolls, where you travel as Anna or Alex (not our editors) from the USA to visit your grandparents. However, they have disappeared, and you need to find them.
There isn’t much information about the game yet, except that it will combine survival features such as survival, crafting, and base building with RPG elements such as character stats. Magic also plays a role.
Nordic mythology has always held a special place for me and earns bonus points, plus Among the Trolls looks really stylish. It’s supposed to come out sometime in 2023:
5. Dune: Awakening
I would like to conclude the list with a potential blockbuster. Behind Dune: Awakening is the massive Dune franchise and the experienced studio Funcom, which has already had considerable success with Conan Exiles.
Dune: Awakening has everything a survival game needs: an open world to explore, harsh survival due to water scarcity in the world, a good combat system, and of course crafting. There’s also a good portion of story, featuring characters known from the Dune books and movies.
However, the survival game takes it a step further and introduces MMO(RPG) elements such as guilds, skills, and an economy system revolving around the famous spice. Colleague Maik Schneider sums it all up pretty well:
Personally, I’m a bigger fan of Conan the Barbarian or Riddick, but Dune delivers exactly the dirty dystopia that I’m a big fan of. For that reason, and because Maik will surely “persuade” me to check out Dune: Awakening, I’ll be looking at it.
In fact, it’s still not quite known when Dune: Awakening will be released. It is expected to come out sometime in 2023 for PC. And it already has a good chance of landing in my top list of the best post-apocalyptic games. The trailer already looks really good:
What about the big releases?
Of course, I know that 2023 also has some AAA productions and major sequels lined up. However, in my list, I wanted to point out some of the highlights that are found a bit off the beaten path. Still, I’ll briefly mention the big productions that will surely keep me busy next year:
- ARK 2, the sequel to ARK: Survival Evolved
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl
- The Day Before
All three games are also supposed to be released in 2023, after being postponed. Let’s see if they can stick to their release dates this time. And Blizzard also revealed new information about their upcoming survival game. It’s quite possible that the first tests will start in 2023.
I just hope that I can fit all these games in somehow…
Because 2023 also brings another really big blockbuster: Diablo 4. Yes, I know, it’s not a survival game. Still, it will surely keep me occupied long enough that I won’t be able to extensively play all the new releases in the genre. Even if you probably won’t like what I have to say about the new action RPG:
