When it comes to challenging and immersive gameplay, thesurvival game genreis tough to beat. Survival games are all about players starting with nothing, tasked with crafting themselves a basic shelter before tentatively exploring their surroundings for much-needed resources. Sometimes these worlds are safe and free of outside danger, while others launch players in at the deep end, with enemies lurking around every corner. Though survival games can be tough at times, they have been growing in popularity over recent years, attracting a wider audience due totheir replay value.
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TheNintendo Switchhas over 5,000 games and counting, some of which are of the survival genre. Though the Nintendo Switch doesn’t offer as many survival games as PC gamers can access, there are still manyunderrated survival gameson the handheld console that gamers can choose from when they want to play on the go.
8Forager
Forageris a quirky 2D open-world survival game, perfect for fans of games likeStardew ValleyandTerraria.There is no time limit or pressure of any kind, which isperfect for newcomers to the genre.Forageris an idle game that players can tune into and play as actively or as passively as they want!
Like most survival games, players are left to their own devices as the world is their oyster. Players can do anything from collecting and gathering resources, to raiding challenging dungeons and collecting all the glorious loot. Different playstyles can be adopted, like being a capitalist merchant, gathering, farming, building, or simply becoming an adventurer.Foragertruly lends itself towards replayability with an unlimited number of goals to achieve.
7Breathedge
Survive inouter space!Breathedgeputs players into the role of a character simply called The Man, who wants to carry his grandfather’s ashes to a galactic funeral (seems normal enough, right?). Unfortunately, the funeral hearse crashes, leaving the player wrecked in deep space.
Survival is the player’s number one mission inBreathedge: players must stave off starvation, monitor their radioactivity, fight for oxygen, and be cautious, as space can kill. Luckily, this game has a humorous storyline to offset the stress they will face when trying to gather finite materials to upgrade their oxygen tank.
6The Long Dark
Hunting for an atmosphere-heavy and challenging survival game? Look no further thanThe Long Dark.Play as a pilot lost in the Canadian wilderness following a horrific plane crash as he is stranded with no means of survival. In this first-person game, players mustlearn the basics of human survivaland account for their hunger, thirst, body temperature, and other human necessities.
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The Long Darkhas both a standard survival mode and a story mode, which introduces players to thegritty gameplay mechanicswhile allowing them to enjoy the narrative. The story mode also has multiple endings for players to experience, lending itself towards replayability.
5Windbound
Shipwrecked and alone, players must live off the land and seas to survive. Explore beautifully procedurally generated Forbidden Islands and navigate treacherous seas for precious resources. InWindbound, the player’s own crafted boat will be their saving grace. There aredynamic weather patternslike storms and fog, and dangerous aquatic terrains like coral reefs, allowing for an immersive sailing experience. Perfect for relaxing!
Various monsters and enemies stand in their way, so players need to craft their own weapons to ensure their survival. ForLegend of Zeldafans,Windboundalso features someBreath of the Wild-inspiredmechanics in the game, like a glider and even shrines that can increase player health and stamina stats.
4Green Hell
Green Hellis a gritty andrealistic open-world survival game, plunging players into the middle of the sprawling Amazon rainforest equipped only with their bare hands. Players can use real-life survival techniques like starting a fire, building a shelter, and crafting animal traps. There is even a body inspection tool to diagnose and heal themselves as tropical sickness poses a real threat. Sustenance is also a key factor, as players will need to monitor their protein, fats, and carbohydrate intake, as well as their hydration, making for a truly immersive experience.
The sound design inGreen Hellis incredibly immersive, with simulations of wild animal behavior, a multitude of flora, and a dynamically ever-changing environment due to weather mechanics. There is danger everywhere, ranging from the smallest of insects to dangerous predators. Players need to keep an ear out for the slightest noise, which could set their pulses racing.
3Rainworld
Rainworldplaces players into the body of a slugcat, where they are both predator and prey caught in the middle of the food chain. Separated from their family, lost and alone, they must hunt for both food and shelter between torrential downpours of rain that could drown all life. Thissurvival platformerrequires the player to be stealthy and careful as the world itself becomes their greatest threat.
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Players get to explore a world inspired by the aesthetics of 16-bit classics, with a unique art style in a similar realm toOri and the Will of the Wisps. There are over 1,600 rooms, which span over 12 diverse regions with ever-changing ecosystems and undiscovered dangers.
2The Flame In The Flood
The Flame In The Floodis aunique entry into the survival genrein that it features a permadeath mode, allowing for more of a challenge. However, beginners and casual players need not worry, as there are also various checkpoints around the map during the campaign, so they can respawn and pick up where they left off. The calming art style and carefully-crafted soundtrack do well to offset the daunting nature of the game.
Players take on the role of Scout, embarking on a challenging voyage with her dog, Daisy, to find a radio tower. She must traverse a treacherous procedurally generated river with realistic river mechanics on a wooden raft. Players can then dock their raft on land, and they are then free to explore. There are elements of real survival, as players can gather medicinal herbs to cure lacerations and infections. They must also manage their sleep, hunger, thirst, and other resources to ensure they make it through the day. A gritty survival-adventure game not for the weak-minded!
1Don’t Starve
Don’t Starveis easily one of the best survival games available on the Nintendo Switch. Its whimsical yet dark art style looks straight out of a Tim Burton movie with Eldritch horrors from the depths of nightmares. The core of the gameplay is simply survival, by gathering materials and food during the day and preparing for the horrors that emerge at night. Players must ensure they have a light source or face certain death.
Don’t Starvefeatures many standard survival game tropes, likeimmersive crafting mechanicsand randomly generated worlds, so no game is the same as the last. Thegame will continue for as long as the player can survive, with permadeath being a real threat to the player’s progress. Explore, survive, adapt, but most importantly, don’t starve!
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