Survival Games: What They Are and List of the Best Games
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Survival games put the player to the test and require skills such as strategy, decision-making, and reasoning to overcome challenges and keep the character alive in a hostile environment.
This genre of game gathers many fans who enjoy the free adventure style, where they can explore maps and face unpredictable situations, such as weather events, searching for food and shelter, and confronting other characters.
To learn more about the format and the most popular titles, follow this guide on survival games.
What Are Survival Games?
Survival games are a category where the character is placed in a hostile environment, and the player’s challenge is to keep them alive. The premise is simple but involves various actions, from finding food to defending against external threats, both natural and from other users who may want to steal supplies, for example.
Throughout the journey, the player can gain new skills as they face challenges, needing to make decisions and respond quickly to threats.
Characteristics of Survival Games
This genre is characterized by having an open world that players can explore. It can feature various types of maps, such as forests, deserts, or abandoned cities, each with its own difficulties. Additionally, other notable points are:
- Item Collection: To survive in the environment, the player needs to seek resources for food, shelter, and protection, such as weapons and equipment.
- Resource Management: In inhospitable environments, finding supplies is more difficult, so the user must strategically use resources to maintain the character’s vitality.
- Evolution: In many games, characters can gain experience and new skills, as well as unlock new maps to explore.
In some games, there is a multiplayer option where players can form teams or compete against each other, bringing greater interactivity and narrative construction.
Best Survival Games 2024
Among the trending survival games in 2024 are titles like Ark Survival Evolved, Northgard, Rust, and the latest HumanitZ. They have very distinct settings but share the stimulating experience for the user.
Ark Survival Evolved
The game is set in a prehistoric world still inhabited by dinosaurs and other fierce creatures. In this context, the player must guide their human character to protect themselves, find food, and build shelter.
They can also tame and train dinosaurs for transportation and protection. The game also features a multiplayer option, allowing several characters to form a tribe.
Northgard
With a Nordic setting, players in this game are part of a Viking clan and must face hostile conditions to survive, with creatures like wolves and the undead. It involves a dispute over a newly discovered environment, putting players in confrontation with other teams in multiplayer mode.
Rust
Rust is a fierce game where the character wakes up on an island and must survive against all odds: the environment, inhabitants, and other players. The player needs to seek food and resources to build their own shelter and weapons.
Since its release, the game has undergone several updates, with new features, including artificial intelligence, making it even more dynamic.
Along with a graphical update, the environment now includes options for mounts and vehicles, farming systems, electrical networks, and new enemies to confront.
HumanitZ
Released in 2023, HumanitZ is set in a world devastated by a zombie outbreak, with few humans left. The player’s challenge is to explore abandoned cities in search of supplies while avoiding hordes of the undead.
The game offers single-player or team options, and players can customize their characters and weapons.
What Are the Free Survival Games to Play?
Fortnite is one of the most popular free survival games. With 3D graphics, players must team up to survive zombie attacks. They need to collect materials and build their fortifications and weapons for protection.
Bloodhunt is also a good option, where players take on the role of vampires and need to hunt their prey to maintain vitality, as well as fight other opponents in a territorial dispute over the city.
What Is the Best Survival Game Currently?
One of the well-received survival games by the public is The Forest by EndNight Games. The game achieved top ratings among users on Steam. In summary, the player is the sole survivor of a plane crash and finds themselves lost in a mysterious forest.
With a first-person perspective, the character must seek resources to survive and build weapons to defend against enemies from a tribe of cannibal mutants. This storyline makes it an exciting option, providing the immersive experience of feeling inside the forest.
How to Avoid Lag in Survival Games?
Lag in online survival games can literally cost the character’s life in combat. This can occur due to hardware problems, where the computer may not be compatible with the chosen game.
It is important to check system requirements to ensure good performance. Increasing RAM capacity, for example, can help with execution time.
Another common cause is connection issues, whether due to unstable local internet or the distance between servers. One solution, in this case, is to use a stable network with a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi.
See more:
How Does ExitLag Work?
To resolve connection issues during gaming sessions and avoid lag, ExitLag has developed a technology that maintains a stable connection. Created by gamers, the system uses multiple different connection paths to keep the user always connected without occasional drops.
Additionally, players have access to various servers worldwide, improving the connection even when playing foreign games. It is also possible to use the FPS Boost feature, which optimizes the computer’s settings for a smoother experience during matches.
