Best PC Survival Games of 2022 (Part Two)

And we continue our TOP 23 best survival games on PC in 2022. Last time we stopped with you in the open ocean of the Raft world – a harsh place filled with all sorts of mysteries, secrets and annoying as hell sharks. Well, let’s land on land! Ahead of us is waiting for another damn dozen first-class “survivors” who will not let you get bored for a minute.

The Long Dark

In short: an atmospheric survivalist in the Canadian post-apocalypse.
Status: Released August 1, 2017.
Link: Steam

The Long Dark clearly stands out from other projects in the survival genre: the developers of Hinterland Studio Inc. decided to focus their efforts on the atmosphere and the interaction of the player with the environment. You take on the role of a pilot of a small plane that crashes somewhere on the Pacific coast of Canada, which has undergone almost the second coming of the Ice Age. The Long Dark is a survival game in a realistic post-apocalyptic setting, but there are no zombies, mutants, or even other players. The forces of nature and human fragility are your opponents.

Oxygen Not Included

In short: help 3D cutouts of space colonists survive in a dangerous and ever-expanding colony.
Status: Released July 30, 2019.
Link: Steam

Ever heard of the “easy to learn but hard to master” principle? This principle is sometimes referred to as Bushnell’s Law. So, Oxygen Not Included is one of those games that adhere to this very principle. The basics of the gameplay can be mastered in just minutes, but to become a real master colonist, you need to spend a lot of time and effort. Despite its cartoon style, ONI is a complex and well-developed survival simulator in the bowels of a space asteroid. The player needs to monitor the hunger, mental state and purity of the air that the colonists breathe, as well as digging caves, collecting resources and constructing all kinds of mechanisms.

Ark: Survival Evolved

In short: crafting, survival and building – with dinosaurs!
Status: Released August 29, 2017.
Link: Steam

The player is thrown almost naked onto a huge map inhabited by prehistoric giants – dinosaurs. In Ark: Survival Evolved, a variety of dangers await you: heat, cold, hunger, thirst, other players and all kinds of predators. It is good that you can always enlist the help of comrades and friends. However, although it is difficult, but you can play in splendid isolation. The free Primitive Plus add-on adds a ton of content to the game for crafting and farming enthusiasts.

Don’t Starve

In short: survive on an unknown island inhabited by wild animals and monsters.
Status: Released April 13, 2013.
Link: Steam

Don’t Starve is one of the best survival games on the digital entertainment market with extremely fun gameplay and the cutest cartoony design. A lot of unlockable characters, a surprisingly complex crafting system and a whole bunch of gameplay mechanics that you will not find in every toy. For example, being in the dark, the character will slowly but surely lose his mind, because of which he will begin to hallucinate. Standalone add-on Don’t Starve Together allows you to play Don’t Starve, but only in the company of friends and comrades.

Duskers

In short: a real-time strategy game where you explore derelict spaceships with drones.
Status: Released May 18, 2016.
Link: Steam

In Duskers, the player controls an entire fleet of drones to explore the insides of derelict spaceships. This project cannot be called a purebred survival game, but it has enough survival elements to make it interesting for fans of the genre. In order to successfully travel through outer space in search of mysterious messages from an extinct race, you need to find spare parts, collect fuel, restore and improve drones.

DayZ

In short: a multiplayer zombie survival game in the villages of Eastern Europe.
Status: Released December 13, 2018.
Link: Steam

DayZ is legendary in the survival horror community. Incredibly detailed zombie apocalypse survival game with a bunch of really multifaceted mechanics. Nutrition, thirst-quenching, and health systems that go far beyond basic activities like eating, drinking water, and applying bandages. Search for valuable resources in a vast but decaying open world, interact with friendly and not so friendly players, personalize weapons and craft useful equipment, and try not to die. And if the latter does happen, you will have to start all over from the beginning. DayZ is a hardcore game for hardcore gamers.

starbound

In short: Terraria in space.
Status: Released July 22, 2016.
Link: Steam

From visiting distant galaxies in a personalized spaceship to building a house and then working on the garden, Starbound will satisfy the needs of almost any gamer who enjoys this genre. Explore a pixelated open world, interact with alien NPCs, and fight surprisingly challenging bosses. Starbound has a story campaign as well as side quests, but no one drives you anywhere: you can enjoy the gameplay at your own pace. You can play with friends on dedicated servers or through the Steam invitation system.

Rust

In short: naked men run and hit each other with stones.
Status: Released February 8, 2018.
Link: Steam

Fight – or co-op if you can – with other players on the server using primitive weapons and structures that can be modified and upgraded. Wild animals, hunger and thirst can be attributed to other dangers, but it is the players who pose the most serious threat. Despite the release of the game from early access, it still continues to receive regular updates. Rust is one of the most popular survivors among streamers on YouTube and Twitch to this day – and it’s no wonder. If you want to have a lot of fun with your friends, then Rust is your choice!

Minecraft

In short: building, gathering and fighting monsters.
Status: Released October 7, 2011.
Link: Official site

Have you ever heard of Minecraft? Stupid question. Who hasn’t heard of Minecraft? You can play Minecraft in different ways: alone, with friends, and in a variety of modes, including custom ones on dedicated servers. Survival mode features well-designed hunger and thirst systems, complemented by an extremely advanced crafting system. As for the latter, not so long ago, cubic enthusiasts managed to create a 1Hz processor in Minecraft. Yes, crafting is that advanced.

The Forest

In short: a plane crash survivor fights off local cannibals.
Status: Released April 30, 2018.
Link: Steam

After the crash of a passenger liner, you find yourself on an unknown island inhabited by aggressive cannibals. Trying to survive, you will have to search for food and water, build elementary shelters from leaves, stones and sticks, catch living creatures in makeshift traps and make weapons that could fight off the local inhabitants. If you wanted a beautiful picture, then The Forest is definitely your choice. Plus, if you have the right hardware, the game is available in VR.

Terraria

In short: 2D Minecraft.
Status: Released May 16, 2011.
Link: Steam

A wonderful, huge, “sticky” and, no less important, sandbox survival game that is absolutely undemanding to a PC. Explore procedurally generated worlds, gather resources, and enjoy a simple yet fun crafting system. Dig tunnels, fight monsters, make friends with NPCs, build bases and palaces, play alone or with friends. Terraria came out a long time ago, but it has stood the test of time.

This War of Mine

In short: Survive in a war-torn city.
Status: Released November 14, 2014.
Link: Steam

Unlike many other games of this kind, war in This War of Mine is not shown from the perspective of military personnel, but of ordinary civilians trying to survive in the midst of the chaos of hostilities. In this game, you need to make difficult decisions to maintain health, both physical and mental. This War of Mine has a unique graphic design, and despite its 2D nature, the game has a fantastic atmosphere. This is not just a survival game, but also a realistic picture of the horrors of war.

Unturned

In short: a free multiplayer survival sandbox.
Status: Released July 7, 2017.
Link: Steam

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a saying that fits Unturned perfectly. Despite its not the most attractive appearance, here you can find deposits of content for fans of survival zombies: crafting, various abilities, a huge world and the ability to play together with your friends. However, Unturned’s greatest asset is its gigantic community of players. We highly recommend giving Unturned a chance.