If you’re an Xbox gamer, seeking an immersive escape into the wild, you’re in for a treat. In this article, we’ll guide you through the treacherous jungles, post-apocalyptic wastelands, and uncharted territories of the gaming world as we unveil the top 15 survival games to play on your Xbox or your PC using the Xbox Game Pass.
From battling zombies in a relentless hellscape to charting your course through the harsh wilderness, these games offer a diverse range of survival experiences that will keep you on the edge of your seat and test your mettle in the face of adversity. So, gear up, fortify your shelter, and prepare for an epic journey.
Also, check out our comparison of the Xbox Game Pass to PlayStation Plus to ensure you get the best console for survival games.
1. Minecraft
Even if you never played it, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Minecraft. This game was first released in 2011 and still holds number 1 on many gaming lists. It won an incredible amount of awards and was proclaimed the best video game of all time. The game is diverse, and you can play it in any style. Create your zen garden, become an architect constructing splendid buildings, or create a post-apocalyptic world where you must defeat hordes of zombies.
Although this game caters to children, it’s truly a survival game; the only limit is your creativity. You’ll have to avoid the hostile mobs while exploring the world, collecting food, building bases, crafting tools, or befriending and domesticating animals.
2. ARK: Survival Evolved
If you’re into dinosaurs and survival games, then ARK must be the holy grail of survival games. Studio Wildcard developed ARK: Survival Evolved as an open-world survival action-adventure game. But this game is primarily enjoyed as an online game. Your goal is to build shelters, survive, and defeat your opponents. You can also form alliances and cooperate with other players, but remember that humans are not your only enemies. You’ll have to defend yourself from dangerous wildlife, hostile weather systems, and prehistoric dinosaurs.
3. Subnautica: Below Zero
Sabnautica: Below Zero is an indie survival game that’ll transport you into an underwater world. Your survival instincts will be challenged by the new and unusual environment of an open world under the ocean. Collect resources, watch the oxygen levels in your tank, craft new tools and gadgets, and meet some friendly and deadly alien species.
Unlike most survival games, Subnautica: Below Zero has set a goal for its players. This game is a sequel to the previous Subnautica installment, and you’ll be searching for the previous main character, Alterra, who was lost on the hostile planet 4546B during a scientific expedition.
4. Conan Exiles
Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women in Conan Exiles.
Although Conan is in the title of this game, you don’t get to step into the role of this great fictional hero. Instead, you’ll play a unique protagonist, a custom-made character, who gets to be saved by Conan but is thrown out in the unforgiven open world, naked and with no help.
You’ll play an outcast without friends or family, left alone to survive the cruel world filled with hostile NPC, wildlife, and other players. Your goal is to survive and even prosper if possible. You’ll gather resources, craft goods, build massive fortresses alone or with your friends, and kill scary dungeon monsters for legendary loot.
5. DayZ
What would survival games be without zombies? There are so many zombie games out there it’s hard to choose just one, but DayZ stands out as it’s one of the most unforgiving survival games for Xbox.
You’ll start your journey with nothing but your bare hands and have to navigate through a post-Soviet Republic during the zombie pandemic. Locate useful items and scrape for food while trying to befriend other players. Yes, DayZ is a multiplayer zombie survival game where you must either make alliances or backstab others and get their resources.
6. No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky was first released in 2016, but the developers Hello Games went above and beyond to keep this game up-to-date and relevant in survival games. And they did an incredible job, especially after a less-than-smooth launch. That said, you’ll especially like this game if you want a co-op survival game that allows you to explore the universe with friends.
In No Man’s Sky, there are no enemies to shoot. You and your team must explore the environment ruled by harsh elements and survive by gathering the resources, monitoring your vitals, and journeying into the unknown.
7. State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 is a zombie apocalypse horror survival game that made it onto the list due to its action-adventure gameplay. But this is not just a zombie shooter game. As a player, you’ll have to team up with the protagonists and build a stronghold, gather supplies, and focus on surviving.
The open world of this game allows you to build several outposts, or better yet, safe havens, where you can store supplies such as food or medicine. Team up with other players to raid abandoned buildings, fight the zombies that crawl in them, and protect your strongholds from raiders. Even if you play the State of Decay 2 solo, you’ll have immense fun playing this survival game with RPG elements.
8. The Long Dark
If you’re looking for a single-player experience survival game for Xbox, try out The Long Dark. Single-player games tend to be linear and predictable, but The Long Dark is full of surprises as well as challenges.
You’ll step into the role of a lone plane crash survivor who has nothing but his brain to help him survive. Stranded in the harsh Canadian wilderness, injured, and freezing, you’ll have to make your way through the rough terrain where one wrong step means certain death.
9. Astroneer
Astroneer is a perfect game for everyone who likes spacecraft, exploration, and survival. It’s a multiplayer survival game, so bring your friends to help you discover new worlds and unlock the mysteries of the universe. However, no new world is without its specific dangers.
In Astroneer, you and your friends get to play astronauts stranded on a seemingly lifeless planet. You’ll have to learn to use this strange world’s resources and monitor your oxygen levels to survive and reach your goals. This game doesn’t have a final objective, but it makes up for this with imaginative visuals, colorful textures, gorgeous animation, and tons of fun.
10. 7 Days to Die
7 Days to Die is another zombie survival game on the list, but with a twist. Although zombies are the main enemy, there are so many other ways to die in this game. For example, you can starve, or die of thirst, bad weather, or injury.
Yet, the zombies are the only thing that’ll attack you on sight in this open-world survival game. And these are no ordinary zombies. In fact, they get stronger with each passing day so you need to be resourceful to survive. Build bases to hide, tools and weapons to defend yourself. And if you need help, bring some friends since the game offers a multiplayer experience too.
11. Frostpunk
Frostpunk is a unique game that combines multiple survival elements and blends them perfectly into a memorable experience. You can build not only bases and safe havens but whole cities. The game also mixes in strategy and management gameplay. The strategic element is so well-defined that even gamers who don’t like survival games enjoy Frostpunk.
This game was developed by 11 Bit Studios in 2018 and is still popular. Its popularity is rising with the announcement of the sequel game to be published in 2024. If you want to experience a new ice age and see firsthand what climate change can mean for humanity, hop on the hype train and try out Frostpunk.
12. Green Hell
If frosty landscapes and city-building are not your thing, head to the Amazon rainforest, where a different set of dangers awaits you. Green Hell is a first-person survival game developed by Creepy Jar in 2019 and quickly became popular among the fans of survival games.
You’ll play anthropologist Jahe Higgins, stranded in the Amazon jungle, with a task to find his wife, a linguist who attempted to make first contact with the indigenous and very dangerous Yabahuaca tribe. Get to know your surroundings, gather resources, avoid the violent tribe, and rescue your wife. The gameplay and story are pretty simple yet rewarding.
13. Valheim
Valheim started as a small project but quickly became one of the best sandbox survival games. Millions of players across the world immerse themselves in the Viking ways while playing the game. Although the game was officially published in 2021, it didn’t get an Xbox port until early 2023.
Valheim is a complex and challenging game in which you’ll experience what it means to be a Viking. You’ll have to build defenses, hunt to survive, gather resources, and defeat Odin’s enemies. For you are playing a Viking who died in battle and found himself in the real in-between. You must push forward and survive to deserve your place in the halls of Valhalla.
14. Stranded Deep
Fan of the Lost TV series? Do you want to experience the “stranded on a deserted island” trope? Then try the Stranded Deep survival game. You’ll play a survivor whose plane crashed above the Pacific Ocean. You’ll need to beat the elements, gather resources, and develop and construct various tools to survive.
Stranded Deep will allow you to explore not only the Pacific islands but also the deep ocean with its unique biome. You’ll also need to manage hunger, thirst, sleep, and the general well-being of your character. However, the resources you can use are limited not only by nature but also by your inventory space. You’ll have to plan carefully which items to bring to complete the task at hand.
15. This War of Mine: Final Cut
This War of Mine might sound like a typical war-themed survival game, however, in a typical setting, you would play as a soldier. This game is different as you get to control a group of civilians trying to survive the horrors of war.
Your civilians are hiding in a damaged building, trying to avoid the front-line combat. They are a bunch of unique characters and you’ll have to take care of their well-being. They’ll be hungry, thirsty, injured, and afraid. The game has a different ending for each character, and it’ll depend on the choices you make for them during the gameplay. Can you make everyone survive until the ceasefire?
Ultimately, survival games provide us with not just entertainment but a chance to reflect on our own resilience and resourcefulness. They remind us that in the face of adversity, we can adapt, learn, and overcome. So, whether you’re building a thriving civilization, evading the undead, or exploring the depths of the unknown, the survival games on your Xbox offer a captivating and visceral experience. Embrace the challenge, push your limits, and let these games take you on a thrilling journey where survival is the ultimate reward.