Personally, I really don’t like most of these games due to the tedium and frustration that comes with hunger/thirst mechanics. Most of the exceptions that I do actually like either make up for it through something else that elevates the experience enough - or they either don’t have these mechanics or allow for players to disable them.
Subnautica is an example of the latter. There’s already a lot to like here: A gorgeous, hand-crafted world that skillfully strides the balance between being alien and familiar, a cool sci-fi aesthetic for everything that isn’t natural, purposeful progression, fantastic atmosphere, swimming that feels great. The fact that I can play this game having only to worry about my breath and health is the cherry on top.
The Long Dark still has hunger and thirst, but I’m willing to overlook this just so that I can soak in the atmosphere of this frozen post-apocalypse. With relatively simple tech and straightforward mechanics, this game effortlessly manages to engross the player. I will admit though that when I found a nice deserted cabin at one point, I decided to end the game there, deciding that this was a suitable end point. I’ll definitely pick it up again in the future, but not during this time of the year.
NEO Scavenger: It’s kind of ironic that one of the most “hardcore” examples of this genre is also one of my favorites. Like with the other two, it’s the atmosphere and the world that drew me in, but it’s also that all of the intricate, unforgiving survival mechanics this game has, down to getting sick due to exposure, feel realistic and purposeful, instead of merely existing to tick a standard survival game checkbox. It’s hard, not unfair, it’s punishing and random without feeling uncontrollable.
Minecraft
Terraria.
Because to me Terraria feels more like a freer version of a Metroidvania than a survival game. And while you start weak you get downright overpowered.
Does Terraria count? If so, Terraria.
I bought Terraria a few months ago while I was buying some other games on sale and it’s legit all I’ve been playing. I absolutely love this game for the depth of he crafting system and the cosmic horror themed bosses and setting. Really just the whole thing is so well crafted.
I have owned this game for ages, I think I bought it shortly after its release, but despite having a clear memory of playing it, it was so long ago that Steam doesn’t even tell me when I last launched it.
Perhaps I should give it another go.
Prey
It has a good storyline. It’s not horror focused, and ennemies won’t suprise as much as in resident evil or doom. They’re mostly there to add difficulty or be part to the mission. Recycling makes the low amount of munitions/inventory tolerable.
Huh, I never saw the Prey reboot as a survival game. I thought it was more of an immersive sim, but then again, genre definitions can be quite fluid and a game can belong to multiple genres.
That may be stretching the definition of the survival genre a bit, but the game does have some survival characteristics.
Anyway that’s the closest thing to a survival game that I enjoyed playing.
Really enjoy Don’t Starve, as much as I find the gameplay loop tedious.
I always have fun with Don’t Starve until the winter season/section comes along. Then unless I very closely follow a guide or customize the world heavily in my favor at the beginning of the game, I always end up dying.
I definitely second don’t start together as being the best way to play. I also heavily edit the settings so that it’s not as punishing as the default. It makes the game experience feel a little more open world and less full-time grind.
Give Frostpunk a try. It’s a good mix of city builder and survival. Darkest Dungeon is also good, but more unforgiving.
I just started Frostpunk, and one of the first tutorial steps is to build a food place. So I built it, but it wasn’t on a road (apparently) so it’s unusable. I don’t know where the road is, and even if I did I don’t know how to build or extend it. And I can’t see a way to move or demolish it. Of course I can easily look all this up, but you know when a game immediately gets on your bad side? Yup, that.
Not a survival fan either but The Long Dark and Subnautica are both fantastic.
I know I’m late but I had that same issue with finding out how to demolish roads (I ended up looking it up). Ironically my most recent obsession with it, where I sunk 30 hours in a week, is also my 2nd time giving the game a chance.
I think my initial complaint was the controls for playing with a controller. Coming back to it with keyboard and mouse was great. If you have any questions let me know, sometimes you gotta set it down and come back to it.
Demolish roads is a small red button below the row of buildings. You should see the roads button that looks like a bunch of lines, and to the right of it should be the small red demolish roads button.
Valheim.
Great and fun combat, mod support, multiplayer, good building mechanics, doesn’t feel frustrating to play.
I can second that. Valheim has a very neat balance between exploring, fighting and building. If you don’t progress to quick, even your base is relatively safe. Although I now have turned off raids completely. So my base is always safe and if I want action, I can venture out into the world. I like that.
Raids are fun but the need of moats is kinda annoying. I’d rather have more difficult raids but without raids destroying my BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS GOD DAMMIT.
Hmm I wonder if there is a mod to make moat building easier. Or just nuke troll raids, that exists I’m sure.
