Top 10 Open World Survival Games for PC

If you're scouting for the best open world survival games PC enthusiasts will get hooked on in 2024, you've landed in the right spot. Our curated list dives deep into worlds where your ability to craft, battle, and strategize will determine your fate. From lush, uncharted lands to post-apocalyptic wastelands, each game promises endless adventure and challenge. Immerse yourself in our top picks and find your next escape into alternate realities where survival is the name of the game.

Exploring the Best Open World Survival Games PC

In our search for the top open world survival games for PC, we considered a variety of factors including gameplay depth, graphical quality, and community engagement. These games have been chosen for their ability to offer a rich, immersive survival experience that challenges players in many different ways. Whether you're into solo adventures or team-based survival, there's something here for everyone. Get ready to explore, craft, and fight your way through some of the most engaging open-world environments available on PC.

List of Top Choices

In order to provide you with a comprehensive overview, here's a table of contents for our deep dive into each game:

• The Forest
• ARK: Survival Evolved
• Subnautica
• Conan Exiles
• DayZ
• Valheim
• 7 Days to Die
• Raft
• Green Hell
• SCUM

The Forest

• Hybrid survival mechanics including crafting, building, and battling cannibalistic tribes.
• Immersive environment with a day-night cycle that affects gameplay.
• Co-op multiplayer option for teaming up with friends.

As one of the best open world survival games for PC, The Forest drops players into a lush, yet terrifying, island following a plane crash. Your goal? To survive. This game excellent showcases survival mechanics by pushing the theme of isolation and featuring a hostile environment that's as beautiful as it is dangerous. Crafting and building from the resources around you is crucial, while defending yourself from the indigenous tribes adds a constant threat. Its multiplayer feature also ranks it among the best open world multiplayer survival games PC players can enjoy, allowing friends to face horrors together.

ARK: Survival Evolved

• Diverse ecosystems filled with a wide array of dinosaurs and other creatures.
• Building and crafting elements merged with taming wild beasts for travel or aid in combat.
• Robust multiplayer arena for competitive and cooperative play.

Stepping into a world where dinosaurs roam freely, ARK: Survival Evolved is a standout among open world crafting survival games pc lovers can get lost in. Its unique proposition of not just surviving the environment but also the creatures within it sets this game apart. Players can tame dinosaurs, which introduces an additional layer of strategy whether you're exploring alone or with others. Its expansive world full of unique biomes ensures that it's cited as one of the best open world survival craft games pc players should experience.

Subnautica

• Underwater exploration in a beautifully rendered alien ocean world.
• Crafting and base building under the sea.
• A story-driven journey that unspools mysteries at a perfect pace.

Subnautica invites players to plunge into the depths of an alien ocean, making it one of the most refreshing takes on the game survival open world PC market has seen. Its focus on underwater exploration sets a new bar for environmental storytelling, coupled with survival mechanics that challenge players to carefully manage oxygen levels, creatures, and the mysteries of the deep. Craft tools, build underwater stations, and discover the secrets that lie below, making Subnautica a jewel among the best survival open world games on PC.

Conan Exiles

• Expansive sandbox world set in the Conan the Barbarian universe.
• Complex building and crafting systems for creating kingdoms.
• Engaging combat that includes both PvP and PvE content.

Conan Exiles thrusts players into the harsh world of Conan the Barbarian, where building a kingdom is as much a part of survival as defending it. Its in-depth crafting and building systems encourage creativity, while its open-world filled with dangers ensures that players are always on guard. This title stands out among open world base building games PC users can find, offering a brutal, yet visually stunning, world to dominate.

DayZ

• Unforgiving post-apocalyptic world with a strong focus on realism.
• Intense player interactions, including combat and alliances.
• Open-ended gameplay with survival being the only goal.

In DayZ, every decision matters. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this game is the epitome of survival horror. With a massive open world that offers no guidance, players must find their own way to survive against the elements, infected, and most importantly, each other. It's been lauded as one of the best survival open world games pc players can dive into for a hardcore survival experience, emphasizing realism and player interaction above all else.

Valheim

• Viking-themed survival in a procedurally generated purgatory.
• Extensive crafting and building systems influenced by Norse mythology.
• Cooperative multiplayer for teams of up to ten players.

Valheim captures the essence of Viking lore and thrusts it into the open world survival games PC landscape with remarkable finesse. Players are tasked with proving their worth to enter Valhalla by conquering the land's beasts and mythical creatures. Its expansive crafting system and emphasis on exploration and teamwork position Valheim as a flagship in the realm of open world survival multiplayer games pc players can enjoy with friends. With a world that's both majestic and haunting, the game offers a unique survival experience backed by Norse mythology.

7 Days to Die

• Unique blend of first-person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games.
• Voxel-based creation system for complex base building.
• Dynamic story generation based on player actions.

The apocalyptic world of 7 Days to Die challenges players to survive by scavenging, crafting, and building defenses against hordes of zombies. Its voxel-based world allows for unprecedented crafting and building capabilities, making it a standout game for those interested in open world survival craft games PC users have come to adore. This game is a testament to the genre's innovation, combining elements from various gaming genres to create a compelling survival experience that's as unforgiving as it is rewarding.

Raft

• Survival on the open sea with a unique floating base.
• Resource management and crafting from ocean debris.
• Engaging storyline that unfolds with exploration and discovery.

Adrift on the vast expanse of the ocean, Raft introduces a fresh take on the survival open world PC genre. Stranded on a small piece of wood, players must navigate the perils of the sea, from sharks to storms, all the while collecting debris to expand their floating base and exploring various islands. As one of the open world survival craft pc games with a unique setting, Raft emphasizes resourcefulness and innovation in survival tactics, offering an immersive storyline that rewards exploration and discovery.

Green Hell

• Realistic survival simulation set in the Amazon rainforest.
• Psychological thriller elements woven into survival mechanics.
• Advanced physical and mental health management system.

Green Hell stands out among open world survival games pc can support with its focus on realism and psychological depth. Set in the dense, unforgiving Amazon rainforest, players must navigate the challenges of survival while maintaining their physical and mental health. The game is a thrilling blend of survival mechanics and psychological exploration, making it a deeply engaging experience for fans of survival games PC open world offerings that demand both resilience and wit.

SCUM

• Hyper-realistic survival with complex character metabolism and body simulation.
• Massive, dynamic open world with a fine balance between PvP and PvE elements.
• Detailed skill progression and survival mechanics.

SCUM elevates the stakes of open world survival games pc multiplayer with its detailed focus on survival realism. From nutrient intake to metabolic rate, every aspect of survival is simulated, offering a level of depth unmatched in the genre. The game's massive world and deep character customization options provide a rich, immersive experience for those looking for the top open world survival games pc has to offer, where the battle for survival gets personal and incredibly detailed.

Embracing the Worlds Beyond

In conclusion, the landscape of open world survival games PC players have to explore in 2024 is vast and varied. From the depths of the ocean in Raft to the dense forests of Green Hell, each game offers a unique journey into survival. Whether you're a fan of crafting, building, fighting, or simply surviving against all odds, there's a world out there waiting for you. Embrace the challenge, and dive into these worlds beyond Rust to satisfy your craving for adventure and survival in uncharted territories. With such diverse experiences to choose from, the only question that remains is: which world will you dive into first?