The open world and survival genres go hand in hand. Open world survival games take you into a huge world with little beginning and expect you to survive as long as possible. There may be objectives and quests along the way, but it’s also possible to veer off course and do whatever you like.
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New video games are being developed all the time, so you might struggle to find the best of the best in open world survival. Here we go through some of the best open world survival games out there. These games cover a variety of themes and subgenres, so you’re bound to find a game that you enjoy.
SCROLL THE GAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT 10 Minecraft
We can’t make a list of open world survival games without talking about Minecraft; This is one of the most iconic games out there. Minecraft fully embraces the open world and spans millions (yes, millions) of blocks.
There are no set goals in Minecraft. All you have to do is survive, but the rest of the game is up to you. Do you want to build a beautiful mansion? Do it! Not a big fan of building big? That’s okay too! You can stock up on supplies and spend several days exploring the wide world around you.
9 Valheim
Valheim offers a bit more structure than Minecraft. In this game you play a viking in a huge world full of enemies who want you dead. As you explore, there are several biome-specific bosses that you can defeat to gain new powers.
There is a general sense of progress in Valheim, but you can also let your creativity run wild to create impressive Viking structures. A server can accommodate up to ten people, so you can live your Viking dream with friends.
8 Starbound
Live out your space explorer fantasy in Starbound. With seven races to choose from, you can navigate the galaxy in your custom-made ship, visit settled planets, recruit crew members and even start your own colony.
Along the way you can play through a campaign and complete dungeons. Of course, your way is up to you. If you’re not interested in completing this story, you can definitely get distracted and start an underground mega-colony.
7 astroneers
While Starbound takes you into a vast universe, Astroneer first lets you land on a planet. There is no combat in this bright game. Instead of fighting your way through alien planets, your goal is to explore and visit new planets.
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Astroneer can get pretty technical as you have to collect a variety of elements that will help you craft new items. The sound effects are incredibly satisfying and combined with the lack of combat, make for a relaxing experience.
6 rust
Rust is an open-world survival game that works especially well when playing with other people. Your goal is to survive, which is easy, isn’t it? Rust is one of the hardest survival games out there. If the harsh environment doesn’t kill you, another player will.
If you manage to stay alive, you can build and strengthen your base. Rust is almost a decade old and in that time there have been countless updates bringing you new and updated content.
5 Don’t starve
Don’t be fooled by Don’t Starve’s simple 2D graphics. This game throws you into the wilderness with virtually no help. Instead of having some starting points or directions, you have nothing. The way you survive in the world is entirely up to you, because there is no easy way.
Don’t Starve is a single player game, but luckily you can also play Don’t Starve Together. This is a multiplayer version of the game that allows you to team up with friends and survive together in the wilderness.
4 Project Zomboid
It makes sense that a zombie game would also be an open world survival game. In Project Zomboid, your goal may be to stay alive, but death is inevitable. Whenever you die, you start as a new character. This may seem obvious, but there’s a catch.
Your dead body will turn into a new zombie, which can then come and kill you. It also means your zombie old self may have some valuable loot to bring back. Just try not to die doing it again!
3 Grounded
What if Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was a video game? That’s what Grounded is. In this game you have shrunk to the size of an ant. In the huge backyard world, you must survive and discover the secret behind you why you are so small.
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Being tiny, even small bugs can be menacing. Thankfully, people with arachnophobia have nothing to worry about! In Arachnophobia mode, spiders practically become bubbles and lose all of the properties that make them scary.
2 terrariums
Graphically, Terraria looks very similar to Starbound. While both are open-world survival games, Terraria is a bit more down-to-earth. In the 2D world of Terraria you can mine to your heart’s content and explore the mysteries of the planet you are on.
Along the way, you’ll meet a variety of NPCs who can join you. By building houses, the NPCs will move in and provide services. You can focus on building an epic base for your NPCs, exploring the depths of the world and defeating the large list of bosses.
1 No Man’s Sky
Finally, we have No Man’s Sky. This game is set in a procedurally generated universe full of amazing planets to explore. In fact, there are 18 trillion planets on each world.
You can pretty much do whatever you want while playing. There is a main story, but along the way you can explore planets, build a massive farm, or even become a deadly fighter ready to mow down anything that stands in your way.
Next: The Hardest Survival Games
