10 Best Survival Games to Play in 2025: Test Your Skills

Survival games are a test of resource management and perseverance, as the whole world is seemingly against you. Whether you’re collecting crafting materials or narrowly escaping from surprise encounters, the best survival games have a way of keeping you on your toes.

The best survival games take a variety of forms when it comes to game mechanics, explorable environments, and resource priorities. These adventures can range from the depth of space to vast oceans.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 10 Best Survival Games to Play in 2025
3. The Bottom Line
4. FAQs
5. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. 10 Best Survival Games to Play in 2025
3. The Bottom Line
Show Full Guide
4. FAQs
5. References

10 Best Survival Games to Play in 2025

Techopedia presents a survivors handbook on the 10 best survival games to play in 2025 to give you the best odds.

10. Palworld

Why brave the dangerous world alone when you can get adorable creatures you’ve captured to do it for you? Capturing pals can help you in a number of ways, from aiding you in combat,  defending established bases, and completing tasks in your absence.

Palworld captured the hearts of many when it was first released at the start of 2024, and it is among the best survival games on Xbox Game Pass. On top of regular updates, including new areas to explore and pals to capture, Palworld offers evolving gameplay that just keeps on giving.

9. Don’t Starve Together

The name kind of says it all, doesn’t it? Starving is just one of the many things you need to worry about in a good survival game like Don’t Starve, but the most interesting is keeping your sanity up. One look at this game will conjure up images of something out of a Tim Burton creation, which isn’t a bad comparison.

This delightfully dark world is full of eerie creatures, both friendly and hostile, that you need to avoid or take advantage of if you want to survive the winters.

Food is a major factor, of course, but if you stay in the dark too long, you may start seeing things that aren’t really there. See how long you can survive by yourself or with a friend.

8. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl

It’s been nearly two decades since the first Stalker game was released back in 2007, and Stalker 2 seeks to recapture the magic with modern visuals and a new world to survive in. Without question, it’s one of the most challenging survival games you can play in 2025, but that unforgiving nature adds to its appeal.

The game captures the haunting essence of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, all the while telling a non-linear story influenced by players’ choices. Check out our full Stalker 2 review to find out if the game is worth surviving in.

7. Frostpunk 2

Frostpunk 2 demonstrates that survival games can expand beyond open world sandboxes, combining the elements of the best city-building games with moral decision-making in a harsh environment.

The sequel places greater emphasis on societal dynamics, with factions and ideologies becoming more prominent. These factions react to your decisions, creating a more dynamic and challenging political environment.

If you enjoyed Frostpunk or are a fan of strategy games with a narrative and moral depth, then the game is likely to impress. For more information, check out our full Frostpunk 2 review.

6. Terraria

It’s hard to talk about the best survival games without giving credit to Terraria. While initially billed as “2D Minecraft” the title has gone on to capture the imaginations of gamers for over 10 years, thanks to its inventive exploration, pleasing aesthetics, and support.

There are regular free updates for both PC and various consoles, meaning that the title is always evolving and improving. If you’ve never played it, you should give it a shot, and if it’s been a few years since you last logged in, boot it up; it might surprise you.

5. Conan Exiles

You don’t need to know the first thing about Conan to enjoy Conan Exiles. This game combines the best elements of an MMO and survival game into one bloody great time.

You can spend one day building up a town with friends, the next raiding another group of players, and a third looting one of the various dungeons for new weapons and armor.

This is a persistent online world, so having friends around to watch your back is almost required, but it all contributes to making it one of the top 10 survival games.

4. No Man’s Sky

We’re not talking about the No Man’s Sky that came out in 2016 anymore. The No Man’s Sky we have in 2025 is almost unrecognizable from that original game after dozens of free updates. At this point, it has completely redeemed itself as an amazing survival experience.

Set in the far reaches of space, you will explore all kinds of unique alien worlds to gather supplies to power and upgrade your ship to continue exploring the universe. With all the new updates and ways to play added over the years, that initial goal can easily be ignored for dozens of hours.

For anyone who dreams of exploring the stars one day, No Man’s Sky is about as close as you can get, making it another top choice when searching for the best survival game.

3. Subnautica

Most survival games tend to take place on some version of Earth, but Subnautica really makes you feel like a fish out of water by throwing you into the deep end of an aquatic alien planet.

This premise is the perfect excuse for things like oxygen meters to exist and makes crafting upgrades to explore further and deeper that much more satisfying.

While the initial shallows are bright and cozy to explore, the deeper you go, the more horrific the creatures you will find in the depths of the ocean.

2. Rust

The addictive nature of survival games comes from your slow climb from nothing to a master of your environment.

Rust starts you off about as low as possible. Your character wakes up on a beach with nothing and must find a way to survive in a world where everyone and everything is out to get you.

The environment is a big threat, wildlife another, but other players are where the real danger lies. The interactions you have with various people, friendly or hostile, will be the highlight of your experience.

Rust spent years in early access and continues to get tons of new updates and content added regularly, which makes it one of the best survival games to play in 2024.

1. Minecraft

What hasn’t been said about Minecraft already? This game didn’t invent the survival game genre but certainly played a massive part in bringing it to the mainstream.

Minecraft gives players the freedom to do almost anything they can think up. The base game, however, is all about survival. You can scavenge for food, build a base, and fend off various mobs for as long as you can, either alone or with friends.

Being the best-selling video game ever created, it is a safe bet you will find something fun in this epic sandbox. For more on this game, we’re also bringing you our picks for the 25 best Minecraft mods available in 2025.

The Bottom Line

Keep your wits about you as you navigate through the best survival games. From all-time classics to the latest releases, there’s an experience waiting for every type of player, no matter what platform you’re on.

We’ll keep you updated as more survival games are released throughout the year. In the meantime, newer releases, like Stalker 2, offer endless hours of replayability to keep you occupied.

FAQs