5 Best open-world survival games for PC

Minecraft (Image credits: Microsoft)
Minecraft (Image credits: Microsoft)

Open-world survival is one of the most popular genres in PC gaming and there are quite a lot of video games that have used the concept in their gameplay. There is something about being stranded in a violent or unforgiving environment with nothing to help you survive that makes every gamer go crazy.

If you’re looking to try a few titles in the open-world survival genre and are a bit confused about which PC game to start your survival saga with, take a look at our list of the 5 best open-world survival games for PC.


5 best open-world survival games for PC

5) Rust

Rust (Image credits: Steam)
Rust (Image credits: Steam)

Rust is a brutal game. While its roots lie in the open-world survival genre, it grows to be so much more than just any other game belonging to the same theme. Rust throws the player into a world where the major threat to survive against is not the natural environment or a string of zombies, but other players who are just like you.

Rust is an immersive multiplayer survival experience, where you must gather, craft, build, and fight to survive against several other gamers who will be out to get you.


4) Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey (Image credits: Ancestors, The Humankind Odyssey, YouTube)
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey (Image credits: Ancestors, The Humankind Odyssey, YouTube)

A game that was the brainchild of Patrice Désilets, the creator of popular games such as Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia, Ancestors is truly a unique game to play.

It is literally the story of human evolution, but told from your perspective, as you use the methods of trial and error to ensure not only your survival but also the survival of your future generations.

The game helps you with nothing and makes sure that you use your own wits to battle the brutal world and survive long enough to evolve into a new species of humans.


3) Green Hell

Green Hell (Image credits: IGN, Youtube)
Green Hell (Image credits: IGN, Youtube)

Green Hell is a prime example of the open-world survival genre. It revolves around the story of Jake Higgins, who wakes up in the middle of the Amazonian rainforest and finds out that his wife is in danger.

The player will now embark on an unforgiving escapade through the literal green hell that is the jungle and will have to find his wife. He has to do this whilst also surviving the various horrors that the jungle throws at him. Green Hell creates an open-world survival challenge solely for players who are truly brave at heart.


2) The Long Dark

The Long Dark (Image credits: DualShockers)
The Long Dark (Image credits: DualShockers)

If you thought that open-world survival games were about zombies, dangerous cannibals, or monsters, The Long Dark proves that they can simply a battle against nature too.

The Long Dark is one game that pits you against nature. When a regional geomagnetic storm destroys the world and rids your surroundings of any humans, you must survive in the wilderness of the Canadian mountains.

The title boasts an extremely sophisticated game mechanism that requires you to take care of everything. This ranges from exposure to weather, hunger, thirst, and also caloric intake! More often than not, hypothermia will kill you sooner than any wolf.


1) Minecraft

Minecraft (Image credits: The Verge)
Minecraft (Image credits: The Verge)

Minecraft is the ultimate game in the open-world survival genre. That’s why it's no surprise to anyone that Minecraft is still the best-selling video game of all time, having sold over 200 million copies across all platforms.

But the best part about Minecraft is the fact that it can either be the most brutal survival challenge possible, or the easiest, most fun experience that you ever have in a game. This distinct versatility is exactly what makes Minecraft one of the best PC games of all time.