26. Empyrion
27. Dying Light 2
Developer/Publisher: Techland | Release: February 4, 2022 | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S | Shop: Steam, Microsoft Store, PS Store
What is Dying Light 2 about? Dying Light 2 is the sequel to the popular and index-listed Dying Light in Germany. The second part continues the story and places you back in the role of an infected person helping the survivors.
A few years after the events of the first part, you as a wanderer will find one of the last bastions of humanity. However, a new small war has already broken out: different factions are fighting for supremacy.
Since you are actually just looking for your sister, you are forced to join one of the factions to receive help. Different storylines and play styles will develop from this, and even the ending varies.
Before release, there was a big discussion about whether and how much Dying Light 2 will be cut in Germany. After all, the game boasts literally exploding zombie battles and brutal scenes. The uncensored version is still available here, although only for PC. However, the differences are relatively minor:
What makes Dying Light 2 so good:
- Co-op with up to four players
- Parkour elements across the city
- a day-night cycle with partially more dangerous enemies at night
- a gripping story and decisions with consequences
- vividly told characters and factions that you can help
- dancing zombies
Who is Dying Light 2 worth it for? If you liked the first part, the sequel is a must. Anyone who is generally interested in zombie survival games like DayZ is also in the right place. The survival aspect is relatively low, which is why Dying Light 2 can also excite story enthusiasts.
Dying Light 2 was one of the most anticipated games ever. If you don’t know why, read here what the fascination with Dying Light 2 actually is.
28. Nightingale
Developer/Publisher: Inflexion Games | Release: February 20, 2024 (Early Access) | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: PC (Steam)
What is Nightingale? From the RPG experts BioWare the new survival game Nightingale was supposed to be released in 2022. The game is somewhat reminiscent of Valheim with a different setting.
As a Realmwalker, you are to seek a new refuge for humanity as a magical catastrophe destroys your home world. To do this, you venture into fairy worlds and create your own maps using a map crafting system that you can explore.
On your travels, you will even encounter notable characters from history and literature, such as Viktor Frankenstein.
What Nightingale does well:
- a unique atmosphere in a dark, Victorian fantasy setting (
gaslamp/gaslight fantasy
as in Dracula) - wondrous Fae beings as opponents
- base building and crafting of equipment like in Valheim, as well as growing fruits and vegetables
- co-op gameplay and defense against NPC invasions
Who is Nightingale for? Nightingale is mainly aimed at players who enjoy adventure. The game somewhat resembles Fallout 76 with its mechanics, but set in a Victorian fantasy setting.
This allows it to occupy a niche that no other game can fill. While you will find few traces reminiscent of this time, at least the NPCs make the setting feel alive.
Nightingale has been struggling with various issues since the start of Early Access. In the meantime, the official online servers of Nightingale have been shut down, but development on the game will continue. In July 2025, an update followed with the ability to set up dedicated servers.
29. Raft
Developer: Redbeet Interactive | Publisher: Axolot Games | Release: May 23, 2018 | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: PC | Store: Steam
What is Raft? Raft takes place, as the name suggests, on a raft. You start on a small raft in the middle of the ocean and drift over the water, scavenging for debris to build and survive.
The challenge in Raft is to make progress despite the constant limitations. The limited building options require a lot of planning and skill.
What Raft does well:
- Reverse gameplay: Instead of dominating the world, you have to try not to be dominated yourself
- You have to create the opportunities available to you yourself
- The vast ocean you explore makes Raft unique. You have no choice but to constantly be on a journey if you don’t want to die
- The only one of our survival games where you always have your home with you and the resources come to you instead of having to return all the time
Who is Raft suitable for? Anyone playing Raft should be prepared to think carefully about every step. Raft is a game for planners and strategists. Whether alone or in a group, the limited space means you always need to keep an eye on what you currently need and what is most important at the moment. Clear goals and tasks are a must for every player.
30. Bellwright
Developer: Donkey Crew | Publisher: Donkey Crew/Snail Games | Release: April 23, 2024 (Early Access) | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: PC | Shop: Steam
What is Bellwright about? You play in a fictional medieval world and are accused of murdering a prince. Now you are sentenced to death and attempt to incite a rebellion against the tyrannical rulers.
Bellwright is the new project from the creators of Last Oasis, after it flopped and even the developers did not think highly of it anymore. The game focuses entirely on PvE, where you build cities and manage NPCs to keep the economy running, hire fighters, and conquer new territories.
This is what makes Bellwright so good:
- Co-op with up to 4 players in a session
- a unique gameplay that combines battles like those in Mount & Blade with building strategy in third-person
- a full story that unfolds throughout the entire game
- Management and production chains instead of just pure gathering and crafting
Who is Bellwright suitable for? If you enjoyed Mount & Blade and want to play that as a survival game in co-op, Bellwright is just the game for you. Bellwright is not only visually oriented towards the battle game, Mount & Blade is a dedicated prototype.
At the moment, however, Bellwright is still in development and is a pure early access title. The game is expected to continue developing until about 2027. So far, Bellwright has received several extensive updates:
- In April 2025, there was the large “Anniversary Update” with house and farm animals, improvements in hunting, and new buildings.
- In June 2025, official mod support for Bellwright followed.
- The next update in autumn 2025 is set to include a new weapon (crossbow) and walls for easy defense.
31. Dune: Awakening
Developer: Funcom | Publisher: Funcom | Release: June 10, 2025 (Early Access) | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platforms: PC, PS5 and Xbox | Shop: Steam, PS Store, Xbox Store
What is Dune: Awakening about? Dune: Awakening is an open-world survival MMO where you are thrown right into the desert of Arrakis at the start. On the desert planet, you secure your survival by searching for food and water, crafting items, and building a base.
This is what makes Dune: Awakening so good:
- The game world of Arrakis is visually and atmospherically strongly based on the book and film adaptations. Fans should feel at home in the world of Dune: Awakening.
- The game relies on classic survival elements such as resource management, crafting, base building, and constant survival in the inhospitable desert.
- Players can join groups or factions, complete missions together, and experience the game in PvE and PvP.
- Individual skill trees and faction systems provide long-term motivation and variety in gameplay.
Who is Dune: Awakening suitable for? Fans of the survival genre will find innovative genre blends with MMO elements that promote cooperation and strategy. Both solo and group play offer fun, especially in a team, as the game unfolds its full potential.
Insider Tips: RimWorld, Frostpunk, Against the Storm
This is what makes the two games so good:
- Simple but deep building strategy that requires tactics, finesse, and planning
- Constantly new, tricky challenges that you need to solve to survive
- A certain pressure from the game to keep going to keep everything running
Who are the games suitable for? RimWorld, Frostpunk, and Against the Storm are games that introduce survival fans to the building strategy genre. Those who enjoy typical survival scenarios but also want to try something new will find both RimWorld and Frostpunk as ideal entry points.
- RimWorld is available for PC and Mac via Steam, Epic Games Store, or GoG.com. There are even versions available for the consoles PlayStation (PS Store) and Xbox (Microsoft Store).
- Frostpunk is available for the PC via Steam and also for PlayStation (PS Store) and Xbox (Microsoft Store).
- Against the Storm can be found here on Steam and in the Xbox Game Pass.
A similar game is The Tribe Must Survive, which is harder than it looks:
Outlook: Upcoming Survival Games
Subnautica 2
The survival game Subnautica 2 is one of the most requested games on Steam and serves as the sequel to Subnautica. The survival game allows you to dive into the depths of an alien ocean alone or with friends in co-op mode.
There will once again be a variety of different biomes to discover with fascinating creatures.
When and where is the release? The game is set to be released on Steam, Epic, and Xbox. Here you can already add it to your wishlist. The launch of the Early Access for Subnautica 2 has been postponed to 2026.
Blind Descent
Blind Descent is an upcoming survival game where you must explore Mars either alone or with up to three friends to find a lost team.
You explore an unknown planet, discover new life forms, and gather resources as in any survival game to craft new tools and weapons and later build structures.
When and where is the release? The game is currently set to be released only on Steam. According to the developers, work on the game has been ongoing since 2019, but there is no official date for the release or early access yet.
ARK 2
Since ARK: Survival Evolved is now more or less concluded, a sequel is set to be released. You will once again dive into a world full of dinosaurs, although little is known about the storyline so far. However, the Hollywood star Vin Diesel appeared as one of the characters in the reveal trailer. From ARK 2 we expect:
- a colorful world with various biomes
- all kinds of dinosaurs and creatures to fight and tame
- a hidden story that can be uncovered through secrets and discovery
- high replay value and years of support with DLCs and updates
When and where is the release? We do not yet know exactly when ARK 2 is set to be released. However, the release is now scheduled to take place sometime in 2024 on PC and Xbox Series X|S. Versions for PS4, PS5, and Xbox One have not yet been announced. Read more about this in our hub on Release, trailer, and gameplay of ARK 2.
If you are looking for alternatives to these games that are less harsh in terms of survival, there is a stylish game called Aloft that primarily satisfies the thirst for exploration. Although I myself prefer the harder games, I found Aloft suspiciously enjoyable: I played a survival game that was too cute for me and still had fun
