Survival games are defined with well-balanced game mechanics which dictates the pace you can go through with limited resources. Push too fast in the game, you might not have enough resources left to carry on. Progress too slow and you might just get overwhelmed by other elements in the game. Such is the life of playing survival games. Sometimes it forces you to face difficult decisions that end up making you question your values as a person. What would you choose if you’re confronted with a game-changing decision?
We’ll list new, old and upcoming survival games that might have slipped your radar, what with all the triple-A game titles we’ve been getting this year. These games that we’ll include in the list have unique gameplay and will definitely put your skills in managing resources and decision making to the test. Here we go!
Starting off the list, we have one of the greatest hits that made its way from Kickstarter to permanently remain as one of the best survival games on Steam. Darkest Dungeon is a dark roguelike turn-based RPG. When I say roguelike, I mean really hardcore roguelike. The theme used in the game is heavily influenced by various Lovecraftian material. In the game, you are expected to recruit characters for missions, bring back loot, fix up your town and repeat.
Throughout the game, you’ll find many challenges that will eventually break your characters into the maddening state. Oh, did I not mention that your characters go insane if left unchecked? My bad, they regularly do, hence the reason why there’s an asylum available in the town in order to get your characters back into fighting shape. Darkest Dungeons features a unique look that has multiple layers of detail that keeps you coming back for more. There is grinding involved, but you’ll barely notice it as you’re always faced with different scenarios and the different rates of insanity that your characters are building up. Remember, don’t forget to bring torches. There is something in the dark…
Made by the same studio that brought us the popular survival game This War of Mine, Frostpunk is an RTS city-building survival game. The game basically pits you against the impending doom of the extreme species ending winter. All you have to do is keep your people alive, with a bunch of steampunk-inspired contraptions that are the works of marvel for the 18th century. One of them is called the generator, which is a massive tower structure that is meant to generate heat from the burning of coal and other resources in order to keep people still thawed enough to go about their daily life.
While the graphics and the main gameplay are impressive, simulating very realistic ice landscapes as well NPCs going to work and building, another interesting game mechanics worth mentioning is decision trees which involve enacting certain laws for different scenarios that will hit your city. Will you enact child labor? Will you ration portions and use food additives to maximize the yield? All these laws will have consequences. You’ll also be able to conduct an expedition in exploring the terrain out of your city. The game has great music as well as capturing the somber and desperate situation, as well as the feeling of impending doom heading towards the slowly extinguishing human spirit. Do a good job, and you’ll not be banished out by the people to your icy death.
When someone told me there’s a game where you can play as our early ancestors and progress along the way to evolve to what we are today, I said there’s no way someone would be able to pull off something that ambitious. Then I changed my mind when I saw that at the helm of the game is one of the original creators of the Assassin Creed franchise. I mean, who else would you entrust in building a rich and traversable world with a unique interactive environment? And the end results is an amazing and bold new concept of a survival game. Staying true the theme of the game, Ancestors: The Human Odyssey does not offer players any help as to simulate how our ancestors had to go through the same thing as they’re trying to figure out their terrain.
In this beautifully crafted ancient forest, you’ll also be able to swing your way and jump on trees across the jungle. Be careful though, miss one vine and you might end up being a quick snack for one of the many monstrous predators that are lurking about. Oh, you don’t get to do the Leap of Faith move in this game, sorry. You’ll need to figure out crafting, and different plants and fruits, reproduce the next generation and carry on the journey with a new character that’s evolved with improved genes and knowledge about the surrounding environment, which will help evolve faster and be able to take on predators better and survive.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably binged through Metro Exodus the moment it was released. And my heart knows that I’m not over my obsession with nuclear apocalypse-themed games. Enter Chernobylite. First off, the game is set in Chernobyl, where a real nuclear disaster took place in the real world. The game uses the 3D scanned recreation of Chernobyl’s exclusion zone, hence creating a deeper layer of realism to the game.
The game is set as a science fiction survival horror, so get ready for radiation inspired monsters. The game features interesting game mechanics that supplies you with a portal gun of some sort. There’s nothing much to be said and all info is based on the game footage released. There will be stealth mechanics, crafting, as well as the old’ shoot em up scenarios, so there’s a lot to expect from this game. Check out their trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gooRKKxmVgY
Every time I see the word green and the Amazonian forest is involved; it reminds me of the horribly gory movie Green Inferno. For the sake of your soul, don’t watch it. Anyways, back to the game! Green Hell is a survival game like no other. It does not rely on a gimmick or an alternate universe with monsters or alien landscapes in order to be unique. The USP of the game is that it’s the purest form of a survival game. Imagine Forest without cannibalizing monsters. Green Hell features the harsh environment of the forest.
You’ll have to survive by foraging food and avoid a bunch of living creatures that are out there behind the trees and leaves trying to end you. From bees to big cats and even certain plants, all will spell doom for you. The game mechanics are fined tuned and players will find themselves in a truly enjoyable survival game. Green Hell didn’t need monsters or ghosts to make it a survival. Because real hell exists, all you need to do is mimic it in the form of a game.
There’s been an increase in the release of survival MMOs which pits players against each other in a huge and unforgiving landscape. A few game titles did it best, so we’re putting all our money on this new, soon to be released survival game. Last Oasis features a nomadic survival type of game. You’ll be leading a band of brothers looking for…well, the Last Oasis. And in your journey, you’ll be able to have other players join you in building a starting base together. Gather up resources and build a fort, while fending off rival clans that will come for your stuff. Now one of the interesting mechanics that we’ve seen from the game is the battle that involves the wind-powered walking….leg machine…thing.
Whatever it is, it looks sick and you can use to harpoon other machines and engage in a battle. Think of it as battleships but on land. There are various combat scenarios in different landscapes and scenarios. The resources are limited, forcing players into combat. The Last Oasis is a promising new game, with an interesting concept that looks awesome. Check them out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5EfQTHz4Rc
I’m no fan of horror shows especially when they involve the supernatural. And what better medium to simulate this very very well than video games. The Blair Witch closely follows the famous The Blair Witch Project movie, whereby the events of the game are set to take place 2 years after the movie. In the game, you’ll follow a character that will join the task force of looking for a missing child in the same forest where the fabled Blair Witch resides. You’ll be joined with your dog, Bullet along with you for the nightmare ride that is this game. The game features very disturbing psychological horror which slowly builds up along the way. The graphics in this game is done well enough to portray the repetitive color scheme of a forest in autumn, but all that goes out of the door when it turns dark and now, you’re in the forest with your dog looking for a kid and apparently, there’s a damn witch lurking about.
The game is propelled forward with puzzle-solving mechanics and is very story-driven. You’ll also be able to use your dog as part of the game mechanics to help you traverse the forest. You’ll also be needing your dog when you come face to face with a…thing in the forest. Treat your dog well, and it’ll follow and protect you all the way to the end of the game. The graphics and sound capture the horror well, and the constant anxiety of wondering whether you’re being watched in the dark is all too real.
What did you think of the list? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!
July 27, 2021
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