Survival games aren’t all created equal, and determining the best ones is no easy feat, as community consensus can vary wildly. But there’s no denying that the genre has become one of the most popular in the gaming industry, with several high-profile releases every year garnering millions of players.

When it comes to classifying a game as a “survival” experience, you’re primarily looking for it to have elements that make gameplay out of the idea of keeping yourself alive, such as a health, hunger, or thirst meter you need to keep replenishing, and requirements of clothing yourself and building a shelter so you don’t succumb to the elements. There are usually objectives you’ll pursue, but there isn’t always a dedicated story or plot. Some of the best survival games just have a set of goals to get you started, with the rest of the experience being an open sandbox.

However, some games manage to incorporate other elements into the survival loop; in fact, a few of our picks for the best zombie games also land here, as the undead are a popular enemy in survival games.

Check out our picks (in no particular order) for the 33 best survival games on the list below. They showcase all kinds of different experiences within the genre, and are also widely available in 2025. These games span all platforms, but if you’re looking for even more to play, check out our picks for the best PS5 games, best Switch games, best PC games, and best Xbox games.