Best Survival Games on Steam: 14 Picks for Solo and Co-op

The best survival games on Steam all start the same way: you have nothing, the world wants you dead, and every log, berry and scrap of metal gets you a little further from that first desperate night. What keeps you playing is the climb, from a stone axe and a lean-to all the way up to a fortified base, a submarine or a Viking longhouse your friends helped raise. Below are 14 picks sorted by how you like to play, each with the player modes Steam lists for it.

What makes a survival game worth your time?

A survival game drops you into a hostile place and makes staying alive the main goal. In most of them you watch meters like hunger, thirst or health. You gather resources, then turn them into tools, shelter and better gear. That gathering-and-building loop is called survival crafting, and it ties nearly every game here together.

Beyond that shared loop, the genre splits in a few directions that change how a game feels:

• PvE vs PvP: PvE (player versus environment) means the world is your enemy. PvP (player versus player) means other people can attack you and take your stuff. Rust is built around PvP. Valheim is not.
• Procedural vs handcrafted worlds: procedurally generated worlds are built by the game from rules, so each new world is different. Handcrafted worlds are laid out by designers and usually hold more story and secrets.
• Sandbox vs story: a sandbox gives you tools and no fixed goal. Story-driven survival games like Green Hell and Grounded give you a mystery to solve as well.
• Early Access: Steam’s label for games that are still in development but already playable. Project Zomboid still carries the Early Access tag on Steam.

The best survival games on Steam handle all of these well, but none of them suits everyone. That’s why the list below is grouped by playstyle, not ranked as one long ladder.

Best survival games on Steam for co-op crews

These games are at their best when a few friends share a world, split up the jobs and come home to a base they built together. If co-op is the main thing you’re after, our list of the best co-op games on Steam goes beyond survival.

Valheim

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Valheim is the clearest example of why people love co-op survival. You arrive in a procedurally generated afterlife inspired by Norse mythology, then craft weapons, build longhouses and sail out to new biomes. Each biome has its own resources and enemies. Your progress is tied to the Forsaken, big regional bosses you have to beat to move forward, so every session has a direction even when you spend most of it building.

It suits groups who want a shared saga with a sense of progress, and it works solo too. Steam lists single-player, online co-op for 1-10 players and full controller support, on Windows, macOS and Linux. Reviews are Very Positive. If it becomes your group’s favourite, our survival games like Valheim list has more in the same vein.

Enshrouded

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Enshrouded leans further into action RPG territory than most survival games. A corrupting fog called the Shroud has swallowed the kingdom of Embervale, and you play a Flameborn shaping a build through a deep skill tree: tank, ranger, battlemage or a mix. You hunt, farm and scavenge, rescue survivors who turn your hut into a settlement, and build anywhere in a fully terraformable world. You also get a grappling hook and a glider for getting around.

Pick it if you want real character builds alongside your base building. Steam lists single-player and online co-op, Windows only, with Very Positive reviews.

Grounded

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Grounded shrinks you to the size of an ant and drops you in a backyard. A pond turns into a deep sea, a termite den into a cave system, and a sandbox into a desert. Giant insects roam everywhere and can even come for your base. There’s a story behind it all (who shrank you, and how do you get home?), which gives you a goal beyond surviving.

It’s a friendly entry point for newcomers and small groups. You can play solo or online with up to three friends, and its Shared Worlds feature lets everyone keep playing even when the original host is offline. Windows only, Very Positive reviews.

Abiotic Factor

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Abiotic Factor puts you in the shoes of a scientist trapped deep underground in a research facility after a containment breach. Paranormal entities are loose, invaders are pouring through portals, and a military sect is hunting everyone. You scavenge the labs, craft gear and turn the complex into a temporary home while planning your escape. The 90s sci-fi flavour gives it a personality few survival games have.

It’s ideal for groups who like a bit of humour with their danger. Steam lists 1-6 players with online and LAN co-op plus cross-platform multiplayer. Reviews are Overwhelmingly Positive.

Palworld

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Palworld mixes survival crafting with collecting creatures called Pals. Pals fight beside you, carry you across land, sea and sky, and work your farms, mines and factories, which turns base building into an automation project. Food is scarce and poachers roam the world, so it still plays as a survival game underneath.

It suits players who love base management and automation as much as exploring. Steam lists single-player, online co-op, cross-platform multiplayer and Steam Workshop support, Windows only, with Very Positive reviews.

Raft

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Raft starts with nothing but a small raft and a plastic hook in the middle of the ocean. You catch floating debris, deal with thirst and hunger, and slowly grow the raft into a proper floating home before sailing for islands and reefs. A shark circles the whole time, ready to bite chunks out of your raft.

Its premise is easy to grasp, which makes it a good first survival game for a casual group. Steam lists single-player and online co-op, Windows only, with Very Positive reviews.

Survival horror and zombie survival games

In these games the danger comes after you. Survival horror is about feeling vulnerable: scarce supplies, unseen threats and nights you dread. For scares outside the survival genre, see our best horror games on Steam.

Sons Of The Forest

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Sent to a remote island to find a missing billionaire, you end up among cannibals and mutated creatures. Sons Of The Forest gives no orders: there are no NPCs handing out missions, so you choose where to go and how to survive. Building feels hands-on. You break sticks for fires, cut windows into walls with an axe, and build anything from a small cabin to a seaside compound. The seasons change too, so you stock up meat before winter.

This is a strong choice if you want one of the best open world survival games on Steam with real tension. Steam lists single-player and online co-op, Windows only, with Very Positive reviews.

Project Zomboid

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Project Zomboid asks a blunt question: how will you die? You’re trapped in a quarantine zone on a huge map loosely based on Kentucky, looting houses, barricading doors, farming and fishing while hordes react to sight and sound. Firing a gun can bring the whole neighbourhood down on you. Beyond hunger and illness, your character can suffer boredom and depression, and the sandbox settings let you shape the apocalypse you want.

It suits patient players who enjoy deep systems and a lot of losing. Steam lists single-player, online co-op and PvP on persistent servers, split screen co-op, Remote Play Together, cross-platform multiplayer and Workshop support, on Windows, macOS and Linux. It still carries the Early Access tag. Reviews are Very Positive.

7 Days to Die

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7 Days to Die blends first-person shooting, survival horror, tower defense and RPG progression in a world overrun by the undead. You explore five biomes, loot and mine, work through hundreds of crafting recipes, and fortify a base with traps, electric power and auto turrets. The world is fully destructible, so your defences matter and the zombies can tear through them.

Pick it if your favourite part of survival is preparing for a fight. Steam lists single-player, online and LAN co-op, PvP, cross-platform multiplayer and a level editor, on Windows, macOS and Linux. Reviews are Very Positive.

Solo survival games for playing alone

Some of the best survival games on Steam are built for one player. They swap the chaos of a group for atmosphere, pacing and the feeling of being truly on your own.

Subnautica

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After crash-landing on an alien ocean planet, the only way to go is down. Subnautica has you managing oxygen while you explore coral reefs, kelp forests, caves and deep trenches. You craft diving gear and submersibles, then build seafloor bases where hull integrity becomes a concern the deeper you go. Each new depth brings rarer materials and stranger, more dangerous wildlife.

It’s the standout for anyone who wants exploration and discovery more than combat. Steam lists single-player, full controller support and VR support, on Windows and macOS. Reviews are Overwhelmingly Positive. If the sense of mystery is what grabs you, our mystery games like Outer Wilds list is a natural next step.

The Long Dark

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The Long Dark has no zombies, just you, the cold and whatever nature throws at you after a geomagnetic disaster. You read the weather, ration supplies, keep fires going and make careful choices about when to leave shelter. It comes with an open-ended Survival Mode plus Wintermute, an episodic story mode for players who want a narrative thread.

It suits players who like slow, thoughtful tension. Steam lists single-player only, with full controller support and subtitle options, on Windows, macOS and Linux. Reviews are Very Positive.

Green Hell

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Green Hell drops you in the Amazon jungle and asks you to survive using real-life techniques. You treat wounds in a dedicated inspection mode, look after your mental health, hunt, and build anything from a basic shelter to a fortress. The campaign follows anthropologist Jake Higgins as he searches for his missing wife, and a free prequel campaign, Spirits of Amazonia, fills in the backstory.

It’s the pick for players who want realism and a story. Solo is its core, but Steam also lists online co-op. Windows only, Very Positive reviews.

Hardcore survival with PvP and long-running servers

These two games punish mistakes and reward players who stick around. One makes other people the main threat; the other is a cooperative game that never goes easy on you.

Rust

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Rust’s only goal is to survive, and nearly everything on the island wants you dead, including other players. You start with almost nothing, gather and build, and try to hold onto your base against wildlife, the environment and survivors who may raid it. Steam lists a guaranteed content patch every month, so servers keep changing.

It suits competitive players who accept losing everything as part of the deal. Steam lists multiplayer, MMO, online PvP and co-op, cross-platform play and Workshop support, but no single-player mode, on Windows and macOS. It has the most reviews in this list, and they’re Very Positive.

Don’t Starve Together

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Don’t Starve Together is the standalone multiplayer version of Klei’s wilderness survival game. You gather, craft, farm and fight across a strange world called The Constant, which is full of odd creatures and hidden dangers. It’s viewed from above with a hand-drawn look, and it’s famously unforgiving: the name tells you the first lesson.

Play it with friends in a private game, with strangers online, or alone. Steam lists single-player, online and LAN co-op, PvP and Workshop support, on Windows, macOS and Linux. Reviews are Very Positive.

How to choose among the best survival games on Steam

Most people get stuck between two or three picks. Work through these questions in order:

1. Who are you playing with? Alone, look at Subnautica, The Long Dark or Green Hell. Two to four players, Grounded and Raft are easy wins. Bigger groups should look at Valheim (up to 10) or Abiotic Factor (up to 6).
2. What platform is everyone on? Several picks are Windows only. Valheim, Project Zomboid, 7 Days to Die, Don’t Starve Together and The Long Dark also run on macOS and Linux.
3. How much do you want to lose? PvP games like Rust can wipe out hours of work. If that sounds miserable, stick with PvE.
4. Story or sandbox? Grounded, Green Hell and The Long Dark’s Wintermute give you a narrative. Project Zomboid and Rust leave you to write your own.

A worked example

Say three friends want a weekend game. One is on a Mac, and nobody wants PvP. That rules out Grounded, Raft, Sons Of The Forest and Rust (no PvP-free shared world on Mac). The shortlist is Valheim, Project Zomboid, 7 Days to Die and Don’t Starve Together. If the group wants clear goals, go with Valheim and its boss progression. If they want to see how long they last against hordes, choose Project Zomboid. One check like this saves a group from buying the wrong game.

Common mistakes when picking a survival game

• Picking by popularity alone. Rust has a huge review count, but it’s built around PvP. A crowded list of the best survival games on Steam doesn’t tell you whether a game suits your mood.
• Ignoring how hosting works. In many co-op games the world only runs while the host is online. Grounded’s Shared Worlds and Project Zomboid’s persistent servers get around this, which matters for groups who play at different times.
• Quitting in the first hour. Survival games are often at their harshest at the start, before you have tools. The fun usually kicks in once you have a base.
• Skipping the Early Access label. Project Zomboid is still tagged Early Access on Steam, so expect it to keep changing.
• Forgetting the genre’s neighbours. If base building is the part you love most, colony sims scratch a similar itch. Try our colony sim games like RimWorld, or our cozy games if you want building without the danger.

Whichever direction you lean, the best survival games on Steam reward you for sticking around past the first rough night. For more genre roundups, browse the best games on Steam.

Questions and answers

What are the top five best survival games on Steam?

For a balanced top five, start with Valheim for co-op exploration and boss fights, Subnautica for a solo underwater adventure, Project Zomboid for deep zombie survival, Sons of the Forest for open-world survival horror and The Long Dark for quiet, tense solo wilderness survival. All five have Very Positive or Overwhelmingly Positive Steam reviews, and each one shows a different side of the genre.

What are the best free survival games on Steam?

None of the 14 games in this list is free to play on Steam, so check each store page for the current price before you buy. If you're on a budget, choose based on how many hours you'll get out of it: big co-op sandboxes like Valheim, Project Zomboid and 7 Days to Die can last a group for months, which makes the price easier to justify.

What is the best survival game to play with friends on Steam?

Valheim is the easiest recommendation for groups because it supports 1 to 10 players and is built around exploring and building together. Smaller groups should look at Grounded (you plus up to three friends) or Abiotic Factor (1 to 6 players). If your group wants more danger, Project Zomboid and 7 Days to Die both support online co-op and PvP.

What is the best open world survival game on Steam?

For classic open-world survival, Sons of the Forest gives you a whole island with no missions telling you where to go, and Valheim gives you a procedurally generated world to sail across. Enshrouded adds a handcrafted world with fully terraformable land, and Subnautica opens up an entire alien ocean for players who prefer to play alone.

Which survival game is best for beginners?

Grounded and Raft are friendly places to start. Both have clear goals and a premise that's easy to grasp: survive the backyard at ant size, or build a floating home at sea. Valheim also eases you in, because its bosses mark your progress. Leave Rust and Project Zomboid until you know you enjoy losing everything and starting over.