Summary
The ocean is one of the most harsh environments for survival. There aren’t usually many resources around, and the water is undrinkable. Because of this, it’s an environment which is ripe for survival games. However, this environment is not one of the most explored in the genre as many games focus on environments entirely devoid of even water for survival,such as icy wastelandsor deserts.
This can be frustrating, as there is so much potential for danger on the water. Still, there are some survival games which take place either partly or entirely on open waters, including the ocean. For players seeking a seafaring survival experience, look no further.
10Feed And Grow: Fish
Survive underwater as a fish
InFeed and Grow: Fish, players begin as a small fish in a large ocean and must eat other fish to survive and become bigger. The game is simple yet enjoyable, and any player can get the hang of it, but becoming as big as possible will take a long time and will require being strategic to succeed.
Feed And Grow: Fishis a beautifully simplistic take on the open-water survival genre, making it perfect for players who have never delved into the genre before.
9Surviving The Abyss
Manage a scientific facility at the bottom of the ocean
Surviving The Abysscombines the management genre with the survival genre. Players must manage a scientific facility at the bottom of the ocean in the year 1976 to perfect cloning technology. For the facility to survive, players must keep enough power, oxygen, and food for their crew and should remember to place enough lights to stave off the horrors of the dark which are always closing in.
Surviving The Abyssis a challenge even for experienced survival gamers, as there is a lot to manage to ensure the survival of the team.
8Under A New Sun
Explore the seas on a new planet
Under a New Suncombinesthe base buildingand survival genres on another planet, as players take on the role of a lone survivor from a shipwreck. The planet is very similar to Earth, including its open waters. From there, players can explore the world and sail the seas to find out what happened to the crew and find more resources for survival to build a life under a new sky.
Under A New Sunis an exciting and unique survival game set on an intergalactic sea very similar to those on Earth.
Stranded Deepis another game which begins with a shipwreck in which the player is the lone survivor, only this time it’s set in the Pacific Ocean. Players must find their way to shore first before they can even begin to work on their survival plan. Setting up on an island can be difficult, and players might struggle at first, but once they get the hang of it, this is a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Stranded Deepallows players to explore one of the world’s great oceans, and forces them to adapt to survive.
6Harmonic Depths
A more relaxing take on open-water survival
Harmonic Depthsis a lighter take on the survival genre, but it still takes place in the depths of an ocean. Players take on the role of a shark and must keep their health up and feed on nearby fish to stay strong and survive. The game is truly a relaxing experience even as the player character’s health is constantly going down, as its not too difficult to replenish health.
Harmonic Depthsallows players to experience a relaxing ocean environment, even as they need to keep an eye on things for their survival.
5Captain Bones: A Pirate’s Journey
Survive as a pirate captain
Captain Bones: A Pirate’s Journeyallows players tolive out life on the seas as a piratecaptain. Survival will be difficult, as Captain Bones is a sought after pirate and troops will be trying to kill him on nearly every island. Along with that, players will also need to manage crew needs and build improvements for the ship, meaning this game has a lot more to it than some other games in the genre.
Captain Bones: A Pirate’s Journeyallows players to explore the sea, but challenges them with the survival of their ship and crew.
4Sunkenland
Build a shelter to survive in this water-covered world
Sunkenlandis a base-building survival game with a twist. It all takes place on a version of earth which is completely covered in water, so players need to be quick and efficient to survive the ocean. Players can explore the world and find other bases to trade with or even attack if they feel so inclined. Diving is a key part of the gameplay, as players can find artifacts of the past world beneath the waves, and can find resources to sustain their base.
Sunkenlandis a unique take on survival in gaming, and there’s a lot to explore in its drowned world.
3Salt 2: Shores Of Gold
Explore the seas in this pirate survival game
Salt 2: Shores Of Goldis another pirate survival game which offers players a wide open and ocean-based world to explore. Players can sail anywhere they want to in this procedurally generated world, but they need to hunt and fish for food to ensure survival. The world is not entirely peaceful either, as there are enemy pirates at every turn.
Salt 2: Shores Of Goldoffers players the chance to become a pirate and live a peaceful (or not so peaceful) life on the open seas.
Raftis one of the most well known and acclaimed games within the survival genre, and for good reason. Players mustbuild a raft and set sail, continuing to build their raft as parts get destroyed by sharks in the water. There are a lot of crafting options in the game as well, so players can build essentially a self-sustaining community on their raft, even as the raft gets slowly destroyed by sharks.
Raftis a fantastic survival game which can be played alone or as a co-op experience and asks players to build a raft from scratch to survive.
Finally,Subnauticais the best survival game set in open waters available for players today. The world here is beautiful, as players explore underwater on a strange alien planet with a dark underside. Players must explore the world to find resources and uncover the secrets of the planet they find themselves on. Survival can be a challenge, as there is wildlife around which can harm the player if they’re not careful.
Subnauticaencourages players to dive and explore underwater, and there is a lot for players to do to stay occupied in this game.
