Hey, you! Don't just stand there half-naked with your stomach growling. Grab a stick, pick up a rock, craft a rope from whatever the heck "plant fiber" is, and combine them to make your first crude axe. Then chop down some trees, build a mech suit (I may have skipped a few steps), climb in, and start running as fast as your sprint meter will allow.
The reason I'm rushing you is because right over the horizon are a bunch of exciting new survival games. The survival genre had a great year in 2024, with original and diverse survival games like Pacific Drive (singleplayer survival in a car), Abiotic Factor (co-op survival in a Half-Life-esque world), Frostpunk 2 (a survival city builder), Enshrouded (a survival RPG), and Soulmask (I didn't play it but it had souls and masks, I think?).
That's a heck of a crop, and there are more exciting survival games headed our way in 2025 and beyond. And while the games industry can sometimes feel like a big machine that only churns out sequels, there's a nice mix in the games coming our way: some are sequels to beloved survival games, but there are plenty others that are completely new games I can't wait to starve to death in.
The only thing I could ask for is more concrete release dates: a lot of the games below haven't announced when they're coming, or even narrowed it down to a specific year. Here are the survival games we're looking forward to in 2025 and 2026, and maybe even further out. I've also given each a rating from 1-5 for how excited I am to play them.
Subnautica 2
Co-op | Early Access | Wet | 2025
Hype Level: ????????????????????
Ask any five survival fans what their favorite survival game is, and four of 'em will say Subnautica. We can't wait to see what Unknown Worlds has lurking in the depths of its next open-water adventure.
Dune: Awakening
MMO | Base-building | Thirsty | Early 2025
Hype Level: ????????????????????
I'm not even an MMO guy but every time I take a look at Dune: Awakening, I get more excited to try its spicy blend of desert survival, base-building, sandworms, and moisture management.
Atomfall
Singleplayer | FPS | Blimey, guv | Mar 27, 2025
Hype Level: ☢️☢️☢️☢️
Phil called this alt-history survival action game set after a nuclear accident "a very British take on Stalker," and noted it's got a bit of Fallout built in as well. That checks a lot of boxes for me.
Prologue: Go Wayback!
Singleplayer | Early Access | Woodsy | Q2 2025
Hype Level: ????????????????
PUBG creator Brendan Greene is giving you a map and shoving you into the uncompromising embrace of nature in his next survival game, which will generate a dangerous new world every time you play.
Aloft
Co-op | Base-building | Cozy | Jan 15, 2025
Hype Level: ????️????️????️
This co-op sandbox survival game takes place in a world filled with floating islands. Explore, craft, and battle corrupted creatures with your friends. It looks both cozy and cool.
Terminator: Survivors
Hasta | La | Vista | Baby | 2025
Hype Level: ????????
It missed an October 2024 release date, but hopefully it's back on track for this year. I admit I don't have the highest of hopes, but a survival game where I fight Terminators? I gotta give it a shot, at least.
Light No Fire
Co-op | Fantasy | One big planet | TBA
Hype Level: ???????????????????? + ????
Swapping a jillion worlds for just one, and sci-fi for fantasy, No Man's Sky developer Hello Games is turning you loose on a planet the size of Earth to explore, craft, build, and survive.
Outward 2
Fantasy | Difficult | Cool backpacks | TBA
Hype Level: ????????????????????
Outward is a personal favorite of mine and had one of the most interesting magic systems I've ever encountered in a fantasy RPG. I'm really looking forward to the sequel, but I don't expect it to arrive in 2025.
Blackfrost: The Long Dark
Co-op | Cold | Long | Dark | TBA
Hype Level: ⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄
It was only just announced and probably won't be along until 2026 or so, but I'm excited there's a sequel to the outstanding original survival game. This time you can bring your friends: it's co-op.
Ark 2
Dinos | Diesel | Graphics | TBA
Hype Level: ????????
We were expecting it in 2022, then 2024, and now… well, they haven't said. But the sequel to dino-riffic survival game Ark has Vin Diesel in it, so it can't hide forever. 2025? We'll see.
StarRupture
Co-op | Base-building | Big bugs | TBA
Hype Level: ????????????
Look, I don't love the name and the trailer was a bit stiff, but this is Creepy Jar, maker of the excellent Green Hell. I wouldn't bet against their new survival base-builder.
Under a Rock
Co-op | Exploration | Bird buddies | TBA
Hype Level: ????????????
This procedural open world survival game is bursting with color and charm, and already looks like it could be a fantastic hangout game to build and explore with friends. No date yet, though.
