The 31 best survival games 2025 for PS5, Steam, and Xbox

21. Terraria

Terraria: Journey’s End

What is Terraria about? In Terraria, you play as a character you create yourself, exploring a large world with various biomes. You collect different resources, build and upgrade your home, craft and upgrade equipment, and face dangerous monsters and bosses.

Terraria is a sandbox game, and accordingly, there is neither a fixed story nor missions that players must necessarily complete. Everything is optional, and it is up to you what you make of the world.

What Terraria does well:

a variety of different biomes with special bosses, in-game events, night-time enemy attacks, mounts, and housing
the gameplay is up to each player – whether they fight, build, or take to the skies
players can freely customize themselves: There are many different weapons, wings, mounts, and costumes to suit every playstyle

Who is Terraria for? Terraria is a game for lovers and old-school gamers. While there are achievements to chase if you want, there are no obligations like challenges or quests. You can play at your own pace.

Especially fans of Minecraft should check out Terraria, as the gameplay is very similar – only the graphics are a bit different. Due to its high availability on various platforms, especially handheld and mobile, Terraria is also suitable for gamers who want to play on the go.

22. Core Keeper

Core Keeper: Launch trailer introduces you to the survival secret tip on Steam

What is Core Keeper about? You play as a researcher underground and are to explore caves where you can find dangerous creatures, but also valuable resources and treasures. The game combines classic sandbox survival crafting with life simulations and offers activities like gardening and fishing.

What does Core Keeper do well?

Co-op with up to 7 other players
various ecosystems with different content to discover
a mix of Minecraft, Terraria, and Stardew Valley
Boss fights against giant titans
a talent system with skill points and abilities

The retro pixel look may not be to everyone’s taste, but it shouldn’t detract from the actual enjoyment of the game.

Core Keeper has now left early access, but continues to receive large updates from the developers: In March 2025, for example, there was a new boss, new weapons (bombs), and further improvements (via steampowered.com).

Who is Core Keeper suitable for? Anyone who doesn’t need sprawling areas in survival games where they can barely discover anything without effort and enough rations will find Core Keeper suitable. The game focuses primarily on gameplay and sacrifices beautiful visuals for it. The reviews speak for themselves: Core Keeper fascinates thousands of players

23. Deadside

Developer/Publisher: Bad Pixel | Release: April 14, 2020 (Early Access) | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: PC | Store: Steam

24. Green Hell

Green Hell – Animal Husbandry Trailer

What is Green Hell about? You play as an anthropologist who, together with his wife, wants to explore a tribe residing in a jungle. For this purpose, you have set up a base camp there.

However, during an exploration, you crash and lose radio contact and orientation. From then on, you are left alone in the proverbial “Green Hell” and must survive.

Green Hell now features a co-op mode for the story and versions for PlayStation and Xbox.

This is what Green Hell does well:

Untapped survival setting in the jungle
Realistic story and gameplay
Picturesque environment and atmospheric world
Interesting approaches to crafting and survival with physical and mental health

You can find a detailed review of Green Hell at GameStar.

Who is Green Hell worth it for? Green Hell is a game for enthusiasts and connoisseurs of the survival genre. It is tough and unforgiving. At the same time, it is the ideal game for gamers who want to check out a new, unused setting and who devour the works of survival experts like the late Rüdiger “Sir Vival” Nehberg, who passed away in April 2020.

Beginners can also have fun here, as long as they overcome the steep learning curve. The entry is a bit tricky, but the game becomes easier over time as you understand the individual elements.

25. Grounded

Select a MMO video…

What is Grounded about? Grounded takes a unique approach: You are tiny. Instead of facing wild dangers in deserts, space, or in a post-apocalypse, you must survive in a completely different environment – the garden.

Sounds funny at first, but it is brutally tough. As a shrunk human, even the smallest bugs and ants quickly become enormous foes. Blade of grass are already as tall as trees, and forgotten toys quickly turn into a serious obstacle.

In our special, you will learn more about Grounded and what makes the survival game so special.

What Grounded does well:

Unique approach with a completely fresh setting
Co-op with up to four players
Timeless, cute graphics yet dangerous enemies
A story where you regain your “normal” size at the end

Who is Grounded worth it for? Grounded is a nice change for all survival fans who are tired of zombies and post-apocalypse. The setting is completely new and still offers the classic survival elements that define the genre.

In addition, Grounded, with its less unfriendly yet challenging introduction, is also great for beginners in the genre. Grounded is available on Xbox Game Pass – subscribers with a certain interest in survival games should definitely check out Grounded.

On July 29, 2025, by the way, the sequel, Grounded 2, started Early Access. However, the game is still in a very early development phase and some players on Steam are still warning about bugs and issues.