With a new year come new games. 2020 has some special gems in the survival genre that look very promising – and you probably don’t have them on your radar.
What kind of games are these? In our list, you’ll find three survival games that flew a bit under the radar during the 2019 presentations. These are projects from independent studios.
The games are still in development, but they have their release dates at least tentatively for early access in 2020. We selected them because of special features, promising gameplay, or great graphics.
If you are looking for more ideas in the survival game area, check out our special, which features our 15 best survival games.
Odludzie
What is Odludzie? Odludzie is a fairly classic survival game inspired by the first survival games and newer releases like Green Hell or The Forest. Your plane crashes and you find yourself stranded somewhere in the wilderness (from Polish: “Odludzie”) in the Carpathians.
Stranded there, you must fight for your survival, search for food, protect yourself from dangers like wild animals and weather, and find your way back to civilization.
Odludzie comes from the Polish indie studio VeCube, which has seven employees, and runs on Unreal Engine 4, which is reflected in its really beautiful graphics.
This is a single-player game. The developers answer the question of multiplayer and co-op by stating that they are currently only working on the story.
Here are the features: In the trailer and on the official website of Odludzie, several features are already visible. These are largely based on known content from the genre:
- Hunting, fishing, and gathering – to survive, you need to provide yourself with food.
- Crafting and building – you need a shelter, weapons, and items to protect yourself from animals and the weather.
- Weather and time of day – you will be exposed to various weather conditions such as rain and fog, as well as day and night.
- Exploration – the forests are vast and you can both climb and swim. But be careful of your stamina.
- puzzles – Odludzie is supposed to feature tricky puzzles and challenges alongside the usual survival challenges.
The story is said to be “interesting” and “well-written” by the developers and will offer two alternative endings based on your decisions while playing.
Release Information
For which platforms will Odludzie be released? Odludzie is currently being developed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. There has been no information about versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
When is the release and how much will it cost? The expected release date is the third quarter of 2020. A price has not yet been announced.
Odludzie looks promising: Odludzie looks beautiful and it doesn’t completely reinvent the genre. It tells a story that seems rather short and offers grounded features that cover all survival aspects.
At first glance, Odludzie doesn’t look like a game that will fundamentally reform the genre. However, the first images suggest that it could be a good game for survival fans who don’t want fundamentally different mechanics and can be played through in a few days or weeks.
Away: The Survival Series
What is Away? In Away: The Survival Series, you play a little creature at the bottom of the food chain: a sugar glider. You are about 16-21 centimeters tall and weigh about 90-130 grams.
As a delicate animal, you will face numerous dangers in the wild, which you must overcome if you want to survive. We don’t know much about the story yet; it mainly revolves around navigating the wilderness as a relatively defenseless creature.
Away comes from the Canadian indie studio Breaking Walls, which consists of industry veterans (Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia, Far Cry). The game is played in the third person and single-player mode, and there is currently no information about multiplayer options.
Away aims to be a kind of documentary. The studio received help from composer Mike Raznick to create a nature documentary vibe with the soundtrack.
Here are the features: Away seems to focus primarily on exploration and survival. Since you play as an animal in the wild, you are always on the lookout for insects to eat or trying to avoid larger predators.
To move better, you can apparently ride on other, larger animals by simply traveling on their backs. As a glider, you also have the ability to glide.
The latter seems to be one of the main features. You will likely be able to cover long distances through the air to reach other locations. You will also need to escape disasters such as wildfires.
Release Information
For which platforms will Away be released? According to the official website of Away: The Survival Series, the game will be released for both PS4 and PC on Steam.
When is the release and how much will it cost? So far, the developers have only mentioned 2020 as the release date. There is no more specific timeframe yet, nor is there a known price.
Away looks promising: Away appears to be more of an idyllic exploration game with some survival aspects and not a game for hardcore players. The documentary approach is already well reflected in the trailer.
So if you have a healthy curiosity and want to explore beautiful environments in flight while seeking a challenge or two, you should keep an eye on Away.
The Eternal Cylinder
What is The Eternal Cylinder? Among our three hidden gems, The Eternal Cylinder is by far the most bizarre and crazy game. The story takes place on a strange planet full of quirky creatures.
The entire world is being flattened by a constantly moving cylinder, so you are always on the run. The creatures there are apparently mutated. And mutation is also an important part of the game, as it is how you evolve and defy dangers.
You control a herd of “Trebhums”, small balls with legs and rolling eyes that can evolve. Apparently, you control a whole herd alone, but the system also sounds like a possible co-op option.
Here are the features of The Eternal Cylinder: According to initial information from the official website , The Eternal Cylinder will likely be a mix of puzzle game, arcade, survival, and adventure. The features displayed so far include:
- Mutations – develop your Trebhums to become immune to poisons, swim, or otherwise become stronger to explore new regions and defeat enemies.
- Creatures – the whole world is full of strange creatures with their own behavior patterns that are not always friendly. You need to defend yourself.
- The Cylinder – the cylinder that constantly flattens everything destroys the world in real-time.
- Biomes – different biomes offer various opportunities and challenges. So far, savannas, tundras, and deserts are known.
- Puzzles – in many places, you must solve specific puzzles that require certain mutations.
Apparently, the core feature is mutations, as only through them can you fight, explore everything, and solve puzzles. There may even be boss fights for which you have to think about which combinations and distributions of mutations will help you.
Release Information
For which platforms will The Eternal Cylinder be released? The game is set to be exclusively released for PC on the Epic Store and will also come “to consoles”. The developers have not specified whether this includes PS4 and Xbox One or PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
When is the release and how much will it cost? The release is expected to occur in 2020. A price has not yet been announced.
The Eternal Cylinder is very promising: Unlike the other two presented games, The Eternal Cylinder is really weird. The colorful, crazy world looks like it has a lot of action and interesting puzzles.
The features are very comprehensive and perhaps even a bit ambitious. Comparable games may get carried away with their ambitions. If everything works out, however, The Eternal Cylinder could become a really cool game.
What do you think of our tips? Were you aware of these? Did any of them particularly catch your interest?
2020 has even more in store:
